Last Updated on February 8, 2026
Afternoon Tea in Whitehall
4.0 out of 5.0 starsThere’s a newcomer to the Central London afternoon tea scene. The Green Parlour has had a makeover inspired by London’s great parks and gardens, and it’s now open and serving tea every day of the week from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm. We went along to the historic Royal Horseguards Hotel, Whitehall Place, to try it out.
The Green Parlour is on the ground floor of the Royal Horseguards Hotel, an imposing Victorian beast of a building modelled on a French chateau and packed with proud military history. Curtains are tied back with stirrups, and the Duke of Wellington and his men adorn the walls.
A string quartet was playing in the hotel’s lobby on our arrival, and the music drifted gently through to the Green Parlour as we took our tea. The tea room itself is unmilitary in style, with lots of soft greens and botanical art on the walls.
For those who like their afternoon tea with bubbles, there’s a choice of English sparkling wines at the Green Parlour. We, however, were immediately drawn to the botanical-themed cocktail menu. I opted for the Regent’s Breeze, described as “A sunlit, fruity cocktail inspired by the leafy Regent’s Park”. This was a deliciously warming, grown-up drink combining Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Archer’s Peach Schnapps, Grand Marnier and cold black tea.
My companion enjoyed her Lychee on the Heath but would have liked the sweetness dialled down a little, bearing in mind the onslaught of sugar to come. This “light, floral nod to Hampstead Heath” was a mix of Beefeater Gin, elderflower, lychee puree, lemon and rose syrup with lychee boba pearls.
Tea is treated with great seriousness at the Green Parlour, Royal Horseguards. We were presented with a box of samples from the Farringdon-based artisan tea company Newby so we could smell all the teas on offer and make informed choices. The box made for a good talking point and might have led to one of us trying something radical and new. It was not to be, and we both stuck to traditional choices: Darjeeling for me, and Earl Grey for my friend.
Tea here is served in a delicate floral china service, bringing to mind the likes of Miss Marple in the tea rooms of old. Another novelty was the tea timer that counted down three minutes for green teas and five for black teas. My impatient friend couldn’t wait for the required time and drank her nice, subtle Earl Grey weak and black. I was more obedient and enjoyed my perfectly steeped Darjeeling.
Next to the table was a classic three-tiered afternoon tea stand. We were all set.
We were each treated to four finger sandwiches, all crusts carefully removed. The Beetroot Cured Smoked Salmon with a light dash of cream cheese and black pepper was served in lemon parsley bread, a good citrusy foil to the juicy, salty fish.
I was slightly suspicious that the Peppered Pastrami on basil bread wouldn’t be a satisfactory substitute for the ordinary British ham sandwich. I shouldn’t have been worried as the cured beef was packed with flavour and boosted by the addition of a zesty mustard aioli.
The Truffled Egg Mayo and Chive was another good variation on a classic. We particularly liked the buttery tomato bread, which was packed with flavour.
Light and fresh, the Minted Ricotta and Cucumber Ribbons sandwiches were given a lift by the addition of lemon zest and served in green olive bread.
Not only are the scones at the Green Parlour served warm (an important detail), they are also kept warm under a silvery hood so one can eat one’s sandwiches at leisure. There are two flavours on the afternoon tea menu: Traditional Plain and Star Anise & Orange Zest. Both types were light and airy and served with High Grove Organic Raspberry and Blackberry Preserve, plus the obligatory Cornish Clotted Cream. I preferred the plain scone simply because there was a bit of a flavour fight between the star anise version and the rich berry jam. We both thought the flavoured scone would have been lovely with just butter, but alas, there was none on the table.
We finally reached the desserts level of the plate stand where the afternoon’s botanical theme was very much in evidence. Our favourite was the Kyoto Garden – Pineapple and yuzu entremets, which the menu described as capturing the beauty of Holland Park’s Kyoto Garden. A close runner-up was the Lavender Hill, a creamy cheesecake with a floral note “inspired by the charm of Primrose Hill”.
Overall, the selection was very pretty, but we’d both have liked a bit more British cake and a bit less French creaminess.
The Green Parlour at the Royal Horseguards is a warm and welcoming spot for afternoon tea. Service is friendly and helpful but unintrusive. The afternoon tea costs £60 per person and is a lovely way to spend a couple of indulgent hours.
Afternoon tea in the Green Parlour
2 Whitehall Court, London SW1A 2EJ
Telephone: 0207 523 5062
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