The 9 best afternoon teas in Birmingham

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.

Rest assured that the afternoon tea at this stunning restaurant is a real treat. The setting of Noel’s Bar is undeniably cute, and its tea service evokes thoughts of ‘Alice in Wonderland’, with rose gold sets and butterfly adorned champagne flutes. A 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.

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.

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.

Right in the heart of the Birmingham city centre, Aria is as close to an English garden as you can get indoors. Flooded with natural light by day and spotlighted with a dreamy glow by night, it’s all quite romantic and the perfect setting for afternoon tea. This set covers all the classics with an added bit of tang: think lemon and raspberry cake or blackberry bakewell tart, open sandwiches and – of course – a traditional scone, jam and clotted cream.