Afternoon Tea
The 7 Best Japanese Afternoon Teas in London
Seven London hotels and restaurants building afternoon tea around matcha, sakura and wagashi rather than the standard scone and clotted cream format.
In short: our top picks are Nobu Hotel London Portman Square, The Prince Akatoki and Kibou, Battersea. 7 places in total, chosen on merit, with the full reasoning below.
A Japanese afternoon tea usually keeps the three tier stand and the pot of tea but changes almost everything inside it, sushi or tempura instead of cucumber sandwiches, mochi and wagashi instead of Victoria sponge, and matcha treated as seriously as any Champagne pairing elsewhere in London. A few of these also build a small ceremony into the booking, a guided matcha whisking session before the food even arrives. The spread below runs from a genuinely traditional wagashi service inside Japan House to a sakura season menu at a Nobu hotel, so there is a fairly wide range of price and formality to choose between.
| Place | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Nobu Hotel London Portman Square | Marylebone | ££££ |
| The Prince Akatoki | Marble Arch | £££ |
| Kibou, Battersea | Battersea | £££ |
| Ginza St James's | £££ | |
| AKIRA Restaurant, Japan House London | Kensington | |
| Pan Pacific London | City of London | ££££ |
| Sanctum Soho Hotel | Soho | £££ |
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Editor’s choice
Nobu Hotel London Portman Square
Why we pick itThe tea opens with a guided introduction to whisking matcha before moving into a seasonal spring menu that includes a sakura blossom mousse and scones with yuzu curd, alongside smoked sakura wood and hibiscus infusions. It runs daily from 12.45pm to 5.30pm, at £68 to £78 per person.
Worth knowingBlack cod alone runs past £50 and a proper dinner clears £100 a head. It delivers exactly what Nobu always delivers, so skip it if you want surprise.
Matcha Masterclass and Sakura Afternoon Tea
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The Prince Akatoki
Why we pick itPremium Gyokuro and matcha selections sit alongside matcha infused scones with yuzu jam, and the hotel schedules a monthly Koto musical performance to run alongside the sitting. It is served Friday to Sunday, from midday to 5.30pm, at £48 per person.
Japanese mindfulness meets English tea tradition
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Kibou, Battersea
Why we pick itA three tiered tea with matcha whisked at the table rather than poured from a pot, plus prawn tempura and dorayaki with strawberry compote on the sweet tier. It runs Sunday to Friday from 2.30pm to 4.30pm, from around £19 to £23 per person.
Worth knowingThe menu spans sushi, ramen and katsu, so nothing is as sharply specialised as a single-focus kitchen elsewhere in London.
Tableside matcha whisking with prawn tempura and dorayaki
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Ginza St James's
Why we pick itThis one leans savoury, with chicken karaage and beef fillet tataki alongside green tea mochi and castella cake, and the option of a sake pairing rather than Champagne. It is served daily, weekdays from midday to 3pm and weekends until 4pm, at £55 per person.
Japanese tea with sake pairings
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AKIRA Restaurant, Japan House London
Why we pick itThe most straightforwardly traditional tea on this list, served on the first floor of Japan House with smoked teas from the Mount Fuji region and proper wagashi, including mochigashi and yokan, rather than a British sweet reworked with matcha. It runs from 2.30pm to 5pm, at £24 per person.
Traditional wagashi service inside a Japanese cultural centre
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Pan Pacific London
Why we pick itGyokuro and Sencha teas are served alongside a fairly standard pastry and scone selection in the hotel's enclosed garden space, making this one of the gentler entry points into the category for anyone new to Japanese tea varieties. It runs Monday to Thursday, from 1pm to 4pm, at £58 per person.
Worth knowingBishopsgate empties out in the evenings and at weekends, so this suits a business trip rather than a weekend where a lively neighbourhood matters.
Japanese teas served in a secret garden
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Sanctum Soho Hotel
Why we pick itTuna tataki and soft shell crab sliders sit alongside raisin scones with yuzu curd on the hotel's rooftop terrace overlooking Soho, a less formal setting than most of the hotel entries on this list. It runs Tuesday to Saturday, midday to 4pm, at £44 per person.
Rooftop Japanese fusion tea
Before you book
Prices span a wide range here, from £24 at Japan House up to £78 for Nobu’s matcha masterclass version, so decide up front whether a full ceremony or a simpler tea suits the occasion before booking. Sakura themed menus tend to be seasonal and run only through spring, so check current availability if that specific theme is what draws you.
Common questions
What are the top picks in this guide?
Nobu Hotel London Portman Square is our editor's choice: The tea opens with a guided introduction to whisking matcha before moving into a seasonal spring menu that includes a sakura blossom mousse and scones with yuzu curd, alongside smoked sakura wood and hibiscus infusions. It runs daily from 12.45pm to 5.30pm, at £68 to £78 per person. Nobu Hotel London Portman Square, The Prince Akatoki and Kibou, Battersea lead the guide, with 7 places in total, all chosen on merit.
How does Lamplit London choose its recommendations?
Every place is chosen on merit, after first-hand visits where possible, with no pay-for-placement. Read our full method at https://www.lamplitlondon.com/how-we-choose/.
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