Enjoy an Indian-inspired spread, Alice in Wonderland-style selection or a chocolate feast at one of these brilliant afternoon tea spots in Birmingham
From laid-back and casual to upmarket and extravagant, several first-rate restaurants and cafés in Birmingham offer afternoon teas that are well worth splashing out on. Because Brum’s the capital of curry, too, you’ll find a lot of the addresses listed here combine spicy Indian faves with the traditional British cake and finger sandwiches. That's not to say that the traditionalists aren't catered for, however, there's always going to be an indulgent clotted cream scone and champagne flute to hand. And then you’ve got also the sweet treats. So many sweet treats.
Worked up an appetite? However traditional you want to go, these top-notch afternoon teas in Birmingham will let you have your miniature cake… and eat it.
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Since his appointment in 2015, acclaimed pastry chef Olivier Briault has turned The Edgbaston into a must-visit destination for afternoon tea. From the opening amuse-bouche – a tasty morsel presented in a sea of misty liquid nitrogen – it’s clear he’s offering a cut-above experience. Caviar-topped passionfruit macarons and delicate Paris-Brests continue the magic through to the last crumbs.
A mere moment’s walk away from Edgbaston’s beautiful botanical gardens, Three Church Road is the ideal spot to continue a day of serene indulgence. In the oh-so-tasteful Georgian surrounds (all dark woods and muted colours), you can dig into a tasty, traditional spread of finger sandwiches, scones and the like. And it’d be rude not to top it all off with a glass of bubbly, wouldn’t it?
As you’d imagine, afternoon tea at The Ivy is a classy affair. A counterpart to the original Ivy down in London, this one on Birmingham’s Temple Row is known for its artfully arranged food. Its own rendition of afternoon tea is fittingly twee, with lemon and raspberry doughnuts and pink lemonade, chocolate caramel flower pots and vanilla meringue butterflies. The savoury side of things is also intriguing with smoked salmon, cream cheese and chives being delivered on the unconventional option of beetroot bread.
At Indian ‘streatery’ Zindiya, the name of the game is High Chai. That means taking the traditional British afternoon tea and souping it up with Indian flavours and sweet, moreish masala chai. Samosas, tikka paneer and Bombay sandwiches nuzzle up to spiced scones and an excellent carrot cake in a cross-continental fusion that’s all kinds of delicious.
Hotel chain Malmaison has got the chic-on-a-budget thing nailed. It should come as no surprise, then, that its afternoon tea follows suit. For less than £20, you’ll get the full shebang (minus booze) – and it doesn’t shirk on quantity or quality, either. The savoury options (bagels, sliders, etc) get the thumbs-up, but it’s their cake selection that really brings things home. Featuring dinky brownies, Bakewell tarts and even a fruit shake, it’s lip-smackingly good.
Noel’s is a stunning setting as a bar and a restaurant and rest assured that the afternoon tea here is a real treat. The setting is undeniably cute, and its tea service evokes thoughts of ‘Alice in Wonderland’, with rose gold sets and butterfly adorned champagne flutes. The restaurant’s Mediterranean theme is hinted at with focaccia, red pepper and hummus sandwiches, smoked salmon bruschetta and brioche bresaola, but does not overpower what is very much recognisable as afternoon tea.
We’re firm believers that men, women and everyone in between should be free to sample the delightful wares of an afternoon spread, but we understand that dainty sarnies might not be to everyone’s tastes. So at the 1565 restaurant, part of the Park Regis hotel, the food has been beefed up a bit with the special Gent’s Afternoon Tea. In place of cucumber sandwiches, you’ve got steak and chicken sliders, while the booze of choice is a dark rum cocktail.
What happens when one of Birmingham’s best Indian restaurants decides to get in on the afternoon tea action? One of the most gorgeous slants on the tradition in a while, that’s what. Combining the flavours of India with the delicate attention to detail you’d expect from a high tea, Praza’s offering is both punchy and refined. Featuring a selection of Indian street food favourites, alongside sweet treats like the ever-popular galub jamun, it’s a whole new – and utterly brilliant – dining experience.
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