Last Updated on July 7, 2026
Game, Set, Match: Wimbledon Afternoon Tea at the Clermont Hotel Victoria
4.2 out of 5.0 starsEntering the lounge for afternoon tea at the Clermont Hotel in Victoria was a little like going into the parlour of one of the Bridgerton matriarchs: plush velvet lime-green and dusty-pink chairs, crystal chandeliers, and ornate fireplaces festooned with garlands of summer flowers. It was grand and the perfect setting for a mother-daughter afternoon of tea, cakes, finger sandwiches and a glass of sparkling wine, for me, a soft drink for my daughter.
Specifically, we were here to try the Wimbledon afternoon tea, which runs for the duration of the tournament.
Afternoon tea is a seemingly timeless tradition, yet it only came into being in 1840. We have the seventh Duchess of Bedford, lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria, to thank for it. To satisfy her 4 o’clock hunger pangs, she asked for a tray with tea, bread, butter and cake to be served to see her through to dinner, which was served at 8pm. This soon caught on, and the afternoon tea tradition was born. And at the Clermont, you can enjoy an afternoon tea beyond Wimbledon, with their classic afternoon tea and the Wicked afternoon tea.
As we settled in for a comfortable afternoon, we were offered a crisp glass of English Chapel Down sparkling wine, and soon after, the tea selection arrived. Not just English Breakfast, Assam and Earl Grey; we were offered fruit and herbal teas, as well as teas from China. When it comes to tea, I am a builder’s Yorkshire brew kind of person. However, in this elegant space I decided I needed to be more refined, more genteel, so I opted for the silver needle. This is a white Chinese tea made from the tips of the tea plant, which are plucked only for a few days in spring, giving it a light, delicate taste- think melons.
My daughter chose the milk oolong Chinese tea. It is light and fragrant and should only be steeped for three minutes, and with the tea timer we could keep a careful watch over our respective teas so as not to oversteep them.
Then came what we’d been waiting for: the cakes, with a side of drama, namely dry ice. This wafted across the table to reveal a line-up of sandwiches, scones, cream and jam, and cakes.
As traditional English afternoon tea demands, there were precisely sliced finger sandwiches, including cucumber and cream cheese, ham, smoked salmon and cream cheese, and egg mayonnaise. We had a choice of fruit and plain scones, with an ample helping of clotted cream and both raspberry and strawberry preserves. The scones were still soft and warm, fresh out of the oven, firm with just about the right amount of crumb-like texture on which to slather the clotted cream and pile on the preserve.
It’s the final layer where all the fun was, and this is where the patisserie chef had exercised their Wimbledon inspiration. We started off with the macarons, chocolate and caramel, perhaps a touch on the chewy side, but still delicious. Next up was the cheesecake, decorated in Wimbledon colours. The whipped Pimm’s and lemon cream cheese was offset by the tart raspberry topping, all set upon a thin sponge base. This made it tricky to move from the cake stand to our plates. Oh well, we just had to wolf it down in one bite. Last on the platter was, not as noted on the menu, a strawberry and clotted cream tart, but a chocolate, lemon and coconut tart. As we’re in full Wimbledon mode, the lemony topping was shaped as a tennis ball with a dusting of coconut. I thoroughly enjoyed the flaky pastry, the thick chocolatey ganache filling, with the light citrusy topping.
The afternoon tea was a lovely experience, in a gorgeous setting and a delightful way to spend quality time in the company of my teenage daughter. If you’re thinking of going for afternoon tea at the Clermont, especially at the weekend, make sure you reserve your spot, as they tend to get fully booked!
Clermont Hotel Victoria
101 Buckingham Palace Rd
London SW1W 0SJ
Tel 020 7523 5055
For more details of The Clermont Hotel food and drink, click here.
Looking for something different? Check our review of the afternoon tea at London Marriott County Hall
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