British Museum Afternoon Tea Review
Don’t miss out on the British Museum afternoon tea while you’re in London!
In this review, I’ll share what you can expect at this experience, tips on how to make the most of your time, and details on the food you’ll be served.
While you can get afternoon tea at various locations across London, the ambiance of the British Museum and its insistence on a traditional tea experience makes this one worth your time and money.
It’s a British tradition that you cannot miss out on during your visit.
You've likely already got the British Museum on your list of must-see attractions, so you can have 2 unique London experiences in one location!
The Great Court at the British Museum, where you’ll be dining just around the corner
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British Museum: An Overview
Where is the British Museum?
Outside the British Museum’s main entrance
The British Museum is a place that I think everyone should visit while in the city, and that’s why I placed it in my first time visitors guide to London.
However, it’s a must-do for me every time I’m visiting, and I still haven’t found the end of things to see in the museum!
You can find the British Museum on Great Russell Street in the Bloomsbury area of London.
What is the closest Tube stop to the British Museum?
The Russell Square station on the Piccadilly line is the closest to the British Museum, which is only a 7 minute walk through Great Russell Square to the front of the museum.
However, there are two other Tube stops within easy walking distance.
Goodge Street Station on the Northern line is a 9 minute walk from Tottenham Court Road to the museum.
Euston Square is at the northern end of Gower Street (which runs right next to the museum), and that station is a 12 minute walk. Euston Square Station is a stop on the Circle, District, and Hammersmith and City lines.
Why should I go to tea at the British Museum?
While you can get versions of tea in London that vary from Alice in Wonderland-themed to modern takes on the classics, there’s something to be said about experiencing the tradition as it would’ve been experienced in Victorian times.
The British Museum doesn’t try to embellish or upsell the experience: what you’re getting here is the traditional British afternoon tea just as people in the UK have been eating for over a hundred and fifty year.
I appreciate an experience that remains unfussy and uncluttered, and that’s exactly what you’ll get here.
What else is there to do at the museum?
The afternoon tea experience is just the first of many!
I highly recommend that you allot at least a few hours (if not half a day!) exploring the rest of the museum.
You’ll see everything from Assyrian ruins to the Elgin marbles, the latter of which was taken—some argue stolen—from Greece.
There are incredible jewels, dinosaur bones, and ancient Egyptian artifacts.
In short, it’s a walk through the highpoints of our collective history, and it is one of the most fascinating places in London.
During my study abroad program in London, I went to school around the corner from the museum and would often visit the museum during my lunch break or after classes were over.
Even after months of visiting, I would still find new and interesting things to discover here!
Great Court Restaurant Afternoon Tea: What to Expect
Afternoon tea at the British Museum is a special experience, so you’ll want to plan ahead.
While you can walk up during the museum’s tea hours daily, I’d recommend reserving your table to ensure that you’ll be able to dine at the day and time you’ll be in this part of London.
The afternoon tea is offered seven days a week from 11:30 AM to 3:30 PM, with seatings typically on the hour and half-hour.
Check the availability of the afternoon tea here:
What should I wear to afternoon tea?
In movies and on television, people going to afternoon tea are always wearing their finest frocks, usually with some sort of intimidating hat or head piece.
You won’t need any of that here, unless you want to dress up!
PIN ME!
Part of the reason why people equate afternoon tea with being fancy is because it was once a meal indulged in by the upper class.
Traditionally, afternoon tea is served between 2 and 4 PM, while high tea is served between 5 and 7 PM.
Although high tea sounds fancier, traditionally, it was a solid meal enjoyed by the working class, while afternoon tea was a daintier affair between lunch and dinner (and nearly exclusively enjoyed by the rich).
Learn more about the typical differences between afternoon tea and high tea here.
Here, you’re getting the afternoon tea experience with a 3 course spread, but the fancy frocks are completely optional.
As I mentioned before, I’ve been to this tea multiple times, and I’ve worn everything from a simple black dress and flats to jeans and a sweater.
Most people will be dressed at least in snappy casual wear, but you certainly won’t be turned away if you show up in shorts and sneakers.
If you’ve always dreamed of wearing a dress with a full skirt and intricate fascinator or headpiece, go for it!
You won’t be the only one in the restaurant dressing up or down.
Where is the restaurant in the Museum?
At the foot of the staircase in the Great Court
Tea at the British Museum is served in the Great Court Restaurant, which is on the second floor overlooking the large, famous atrium.
To get to the restaurant, you should enter the museum through the front doors and ascend the curved white staircase to the second floor.
You can’t miss this staircase in the atrium, as it’s one of the main architectural features!
The Great Court Restaurant is in a space on that upper floor next to the staircase, but it’s positioned in a way that makes the area feel as if it is floating between the staircase and adjacent galleries.
The galleries are attached by a little bridge, so you’re close to everything the museum has to offer while still eating in a dedicated space.
Don’t get confused by the fact that the museum offers up 3 other restaurants, all on the first floor: a pizzeria, the Court Café, and the Forecourt Café.
If you get confused on where to go, ask for directions at the information desk that’s to the right of the entrance on the first floor in the Great Court.
The Museum is free to enter, so you can partake in tea even if you’re not planning to visit the rest of the property (though you really should!).
How does the afternoon tea here compare to other afternoon tea experiences in London?
For one, the afternoon tea at the British Museum is far less stuffy than the other go-to afternoon tea at the Ritz.
The British Museum afternoon tea is about half the price of a similar experience at the Ritz over in the Mayfair section of London.
Plus, the Ritz has a fairly strict dress code, which means you’ll have to purposefully dress to have tea there.
I prefer to pack as much as I can into my vacations, so I don’t have time necessarily to change into fancy clothes mid-day.
The tiered tray on the Afternoon tea on a red tour bus
Other popular options for afternoon tea include:
dining on a red tour bus (which has a high likelihood for spills and for getting carsick)
having tea on a riverboat in the Thames (great views, but also prone to spills), and
a Harry Potter themed tea (fun, but not really a traditional tea experience).
I guess it comes down to what you’re looking for in a tea, but the British Museum has a great balance of tradition and relaxed luxury in their afternoon tea. Plus, it’s super convenient!
Is this afternoon tea experience good for kids?
Unlike the pricey afternoon tea at the Ritz, which is decidedly not kid-friendly, the experience at the British Museum is good for all ages.
Since the Museum is such a popular attraction in London, you’ll see visitors of all ages and from all corners of the globe here. And much of that spills over into the Great Court Restaurant for people who want to add a traditional tea to their itineraries.
While there isn’t a specific children’s tea menu, adventurous little eaters will like trying the miniature sandwiches and tiny desserts on the tea tray.
If your kids are less likely to try the tea offerings, there is a children’s lunch menu that you can order off of that includes staples like fish and chips, and pasta with tomato sauce.
Atmosphere-wise, the open, airy Great Court is great for people watching and for spotting birds flying over the massive glass ceiling.
British Museum Afternoon Tea Menu
When it comes time to order your tea, you’ll have a couple of options.
First, you’ll need to decide between a true afternoon tea and a cream tea, both of which are offered at the British Museum.
Afternoon Tea Menu
An afternoon tea is composed of 3 courses, which are served on a 3-tiered tray.
On the bottom tier, you’ll find classic scones with clotted cream and strawberry jelly. Don’t be put off by the clotted cream name—it is delicious! It takes like a much richer butter that’s been mixed with fresh whipping cream.
On the middle tier, you’ll see a selection of finger sandwiches. Traditional fillings include cream cheese, cucumber, and salmon; ham; and egg salad. The British Museum tea offers up all of these plus a curried chicken salad sandwich, which is a modern twist on a classic sandwich.
On the top tier, you’ll have a selection of dainty desserts, including a tart, a fruit pie, and multiple cakes. These are typically only a bite or two, so you can try all of them without feeling overly heavy at the end of your meal.
Of course, you’ll also have your selection of hot tea served with the meal.
Check out my afternoon tea at the British Museum during our most recent visit.
Cream Tea Menu
Your other option at the British Museum is the cream tea, which is like a shortened version of the afternoon tea.
While the afternoon tea is filling enough to be a meal, the cream tea is more of a mid-day snack.
With a cream tea, you’ll be served a pot of tea of your choice, but you’ll only get the scones, jam, and clotted cream.
Scones loaded with clotted cream and strawberry jam
If you’re interested in the idea of a traditional British afternoon tea, but aren’t sure you want to commit to the entire thing, the cream tea is a great way to try it out.
Plus, it’s less expensive! (A cream tea is currently about 1/3 of the price of the full afternoon tea.)
Drinking Your Tea
Of course, it isn’t a tea without some actual tea!
You’ll be provided a special tea menu when you sit down in the Great Court restaurant to help you determine which type of tea you’ll drink alongside your scones, sandwiches, and sweets.
No matter which tea you choose, know that it will come to your table hot in a ceramic tea kettle. (At my home in South Carolina, tea is always iced, so this was a big surprise for me during my first British tea!)
You can ask for refills of your tea pot as many times as you’d like while you’re enjoying your meal. You can even switch between different kind of tea each time if you’re feeling adventurous.
Each person at the table gets his or her own tea kettle, which is a great way to try out several teas at once. My husband and I always try to get different teas so we can sample!
English Breakfast Tea is a robust, classic choice, and it’s my go-to for a traditional afternoon tea. It is a strong black tea that is served with milk and sugar (though it’s great on its own, too).
Earl Grey is another classic tea choice. I prefer to drink my Earl Grey with a bit of sugar and a squeeze of lemon.
Your tea won’t come with anything in it, so you get to choose how sweet and milky each cup is. You’ll also be brought a bowl of sugar cubes and a pot of cream for you to fix your tea.
Traditionally, no other beverages are served during tea, but you can upgrade your British Museum afternoon tea to include a glass of Prosecco for £4 more.
Ultimately, the British Museum afternoon tea is a wonderful experience to add some culture and tradition into your London vacation.
For a reasonable price, you get to relax for an hour or so while you try new foods in the laidback luxury of the upper floor at the British Museum.
While there might be more intricately themed teas—and certainly more expensive ones—elsewhere in the city, the afternoon tea at the British Museum is consistently delicious. And you can’t do better than the location!
