When I was planning our family trip from Canada to London in June with our four year old son and eight year old daughter, one of the top things on my “to do list” for our visit was finding the best kids afternoon tea in London.
Kid-Friendly Afternoon Tea – St. Ermin’s Hotel, London
When planning special activities on trips, I always do plenty of research. There are SO many options for insanely cute and delicious afternoon tea spots for kids and families in London – it made the decision really hard.
A few blogs recommended the afternoon tea at St. Ermin’s Hotel, so I explored this option further. It’s the one we chose and I’m blogging about our experience because:
- It was fantastic and I will remember this experience for a lifetime (and hopefully the kids will too)
- Some of the blogs I read for reviews/information were a little bit outdated, so I’m adding to the conversation with updated details.
The Best Kids Afternoon Tea In London – More About Our Choice
I was so happy that we chose the St. Ermin’s Hotel – in my opinion, it’s one of the best kids afternoon tea experiences in London, for both value and experience.
The hotel and tea rooms are located in Westminster and the setting is absolutely beautiful. I was a little worried that we would be underdressed, as we had packed lightly for a 2 week vacation, but everyone seemed welcome and there was a wide variety of clothing styles being worn by tea guests – from sundresses to jeans. On the day we visited, I saw children of many different ages enjoying tea. Our four year old had a great time!
What We Ate
At the St. Ermin’s Hotel afternoon tea children have the option to choose tea OR hot chocolate – all still served in china tea cups. Both of mine chose the hot chocolate option, and as you can see, there were no complaints!
The children’s afternoon tea, called the “Mini Gardener Tea” , comes in a special wooden crate, and costs £18 per child. It includes all kinds of amazing treats, like:
- a shortbread cookie and the icing supplies to decorate your cookie,
- a milk chocolate and salted caramel pot (yes, the pot is completely chocolate, and edible!) YUM,
- a marshmallow mushroom,
- sandwiches and scones.
This experience was extra special for our family because we got to experience it all for my 37th birthday! I love having these photos to look back on for years to come. In case you can’t tell from this photo, I am LOVING every moment of the afternoon tea experience.
The St. Ermin’s Hotel itself is a beautiful, historic building with lots of character, charm and history. The staff were extremely friendly and accommodating, and I especially loved being greeted by the doorman in his bowler hat – how very British!
If you are thinking about an afternoon tea in London with your children, I highly recommend St. Ermin’s Hotel for quality, experience and price. One of the most affordable children’s afternoon tea options I found in Central London, it did not disappoint.
I hope to be able to return again in a few years for another afternoon tea with our kids and recreate this photo again! This trip made me realize how much I want to travel and experience the world together as a family.
I’ve been focused on these core values of family connection and experiences over things for a while now, and it guides so many of my projects, including the whole idea around my business Petit Mail. The experience of spending time together as a family, exploring and learning new things are all so important to me and these are moments that I want to share with you as well.
The family travel moments are so special, but as a full time working outside-the-home mom, I try to carve out special moments every single day, even just for a few minutes each day. Sometimes we read, create, or do “special projects”. I wanted to share that experience with other families with young children, so I created Petit Mail.
It’s an easy, fun experience for families of preschoolers and early readers.
Petit Mail story postcard subscriptions arrive once per month in bright, fun envelopes, addressed directly to your child. The illustrated stories are perfect for reading out loud together, and have activity suggestions and inspiration. Our themes include art, science, nature, imaginative play, and more!
You can get started by trying your first story postcard for just $10 (postage included) in Canada and the US.
Learn more about Petit Mail or try a story postcard.
Cheers to making memorable moments together as a family, no matter where you are in the world.
-Alison