Afternoon Tea, London’s top five

Looking for an afternoon treat to make you glow? Why not indulge in a plant-based Afternoon Tea?

Here’s our pick of London’s best options.


Brown’s Hotel, Mayfair

Elegant Brown’s Hotel in Mayfair offers a Tea Tox afternoon tea in their refined English Tea Room. It costs £55 per person or £65.00 with champagne. You can choose from tomato tofu and mint and crispy tortilla with avocado & pickled radish and there is potato & apple salad, horseradish and gluten -ree white bread.

You can follow it with salted date caramel sauce and toasted oats, passionfruit and coconut rice fonde and rose lychee and raspberry chia seed pudding. And you can try their chocolate and banana cake, matcha raspberry cheesecake and a choice of teas.

Do call and make a reservation as they get very busy.

Farmacy, Notting Hill

Farmacy offer a cool and decadent 100% plant-based afternoon tea in their Westbourne Grove restaurant. Their plant-based ‘High’ Tea is free from dairy, refined sugars, additives and chemicals. You can treat your mum to a CBD infused cocktail, homemade CBD infused chocolates, a selection of delicious tea-time sweet and savoury treats and a pot of hemp leaf tea.

A selection of warm scones is also served, with a side of coconut clotted ‘cream’ and pineapple and apricot jam.

Many items are also gluten-free or can be made as a gluten-free option on request.

Farmacy’s ‘High’ Tea is served weekly between 3:30 – 5pm from Friday through to Sunday by reservation only. The tea is for a minimum of two guests and costs £42 per person.

 

Hemsley and Hemsley, Selfridges

Hemsley and Hemsley in Selfridges offers you two delicious options for an all natural afternoon tea. Both are made with wholefood ingredients and are free from grains, gluten and refined sugar.

‘The Cream Tea’ (£12.95) is a selection of freshly baked quinoa scones with raspberry chia jam, lashings of clotted cream and a pot of tea from the London-based Rare Tea Company.

‘The Afternoon Tea’ (£29.95) is features mini sandwiches including smashed egg and truffle butter on flaxseed rolls and avocado, lime and smoked salmon on carrot and quinoa crisp-bread. Also included is their signature cinnamon banana bread and bestseller chocbeet fudge cake, as well as lemon and raspberry almond-pastry tarts and coconut and mango whip. All this, plus their quinoa scones and a pot of tea. Both options can be upgraded with a glass of zero-dosage Ayala champagne.

Afternoon tea is served from 3pm and they do not take reservations.

Fortnum and Mason, Piccadilly

If you like tradition, it doesn’t come better than the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon at Fortnum’s where you can find a vegan afternoon tea.

Their vegan menu features finger sandwiches of grilled courgette with artichoke pesto, pulled jackfruit and cos lettuce and crushed avocado and chilli.

As well as scones you can pick raspberry and avocado mousse,  crispy rice grapefruit and coconut yogurt with citrus meringue, banana and chocolate teacake and vanilla cheesecake with rhubarb jelly.

There’s also a gluten-free version and both feature Fortnum’s Famous Teas and cost £55.00 per person, or if you choose a Rare Tea, it’s  £58.00 per person.

 

Wulf and Lamb, Chelsea

Finally, for a less formal afternoon tea  you can visit Wulf and Lamb

There’s no specific tea menu, but it’s easy to tailor make.

We are huge fans of their mango and passionfruit cheesecake at £7.95. There’s also an extensive selection of cakes, brownies and doughnuts to sample alongside an organic selection of teas (including English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Organic Jade Green Tea, Matcha Green Tea, Peppermint & Silver needle Jasmine White Tea).

the Squirrel Sisters : top 5 cafés

the Squirrel Sisters

Sophie and Gracie Tyrell, are the founders of the raw bar sensation the Squirrel Sisters. Here’s their top 5 London cafés:

Mildreds

“It’s really delicious comfort food.” For our review,  click here

Ethos

“We love the pick and mix format and the variety.” For our review,  click here

the Squirrel Sisters

Wulf and Lamb

“They do vegan takes on traditional dishes in a clever way.” For our review,  click here

 

the Squirrel Sisters

The Detox Kitchen

“Great on the go food for taking salads back to work.”For our review,  click here

the Squirrel Sisters

Tell Your Friends

“Very instagrammable and clever vegan takes on fast food.” For our review,  click here

 

If you are inspired to try their amazing bars you can buy them in our shop. Just click here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chelsea: Wulf and Lamb

If you love the idea of comfort food with a conscience, Wulf and Lamb provides it by the bucketful!

Offering “just veg, with edge”, the 100% plant based menu more than satisfied our comfort food cravings – from burgers to burritos, from Mac ‘N’ Cheese to Chili “Non” Carne. Wulf and Lamb use organic and ethically sourced produce wherever possible, plus optional cheese for vegetarians.

This eat in and take away café with a twist wowed us.

Their nutritious “junk food” hit the spot and the plant based desserts are to die for!

The setting

Tucked away on a quiet mews behind Sloane Square, the café has a take away counter downstairs with bar and table seating. Upstairs the main dining area is quieter and larger with a loft-like feel.

The decor is a calming grey green with red accents.

There are a few outside tables on Pavilion Rd and on the small balcony upstairs. The vibe is modern with marble and wood tables, fresh roses and playful table mats. Wulf and Lamb is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner (7.30-10pm) and serves wine. The staff are friendly and helpful.

At lunchtime, the café was busy with locals and shoppers from the nearby King’s Road.

The little things

The portions are large and exceptionally filling. Luckily, the staff happily provide take out boxes if, like us, you struggle to finish.

The fresh juice test

Wolf and Lamb sell their own range of smoothies and juices in handy take-away bottles. Their green smoothie contains 30% green matcha tea. A perfect blend with pineapple, avocado and agave.

It’s a light smoothie, so it won’t put you off your food. We also tried the exotic mix of clementine, turmeric, carrot and ginger – another winner!

What we ate

We had the signature Wulf burger. A seitan burger stacked with flavour. It’s layered with tomato, baby gem, pickle, red onion and cashew aioli. And all packed in a chunky brioche bun.

It was huge, fab and filling.

It came with mustard sauerkraut and a large portion of roast veg wedges with rosemary and thyme. We added the optional cheese topping.

The dairy free mango and passion-fruit cheesecake was irresistible. Prettily plated with a raspberry coulis, mint and dried raspberry flakes. It was smooth perfection on a crunchy pistachio base. Other comfort food favourites of Tiramisu (with raw almond cream) and Chocolate Pudding (with chia and caramel cashew cream) also feature on the menu – what’s not to like?

The bill

The Wulf Burger £14.95
Smoothies and juices £5.95
Mango and Passionfruit Cheesecake £7.95


What else?

The staff are happy to prepare allergy free versions of the food.

Free wifi is available.

What made us glow?

The concept won us over. The idea of vegan food you’ll crave and return for. And we will!