High Tea Fit For Royalty
The Goring Hotel
On our most recent visit to the United Kingdom, we found ourselves with 24 hours in London that also coincided with my birthday. With a desire to capitalize on the occasion, we chose to celebrate with a traditional High Tea service, but the question of “where” resulted in hours of reading TripAdvisor reviews as well as other travel blogs, to try and find a place not overrun with Instagramers and fellow tourists. Ultimately, I discovered The Goring Hotel, which perfectly fulfilled my birthday wish.
Searches By A Self-Loathing Tourist
When traveling abroad, there’s a certain level of “tourist stench" which can’t be easily escaped by American travelers. We're typically larger, louder, and for a variety of reasons, showing our teeth. However, careful planning can help to mitigate a certain amount of our "cliche" behavior and provide those of us that are aware of our "presence," a more authentic experience.
With a desire for a tourist-free, high-class birthday tea, several places rose to the surface in terms of popularity among travel bloggers and Tripadvisor reviewers. Fortunately, it quickly occurred to me that I was taking these suggestions from the same people I was wanting to avoid and that I would need to broaden my search. Changing gears, I decided to research significant places of business to the royal family and as a result, found options largely unmentioned in my previous searches. Eventually, I made my way through the list to The Goring Hotel and it was love at first click.
“The closest hotel to Buckingham Palace, The Goring has been a firm Royal favorite for many years, since it first opened its doors. The coronations of George VI and Her Majesty The Queen saw the hotel filled with royalty attending these great occasions from all over the world. The Queen Mother also famously enjoyed Eggs Drumkilbo – a lobster and egg-based dish that remains one of the most popular dishes in The Dining Room.
In 1990, George Goring accepted an O.B.E. from Her Majesty The Queen at Buckingham Palace for ‘services to the hotel industry’. This was followed by the appointment of a Royal Warrant to The Goring in 2013 - the only hotel to have been awarded a Royal Warrant for hospitality services. Royal Warrants of Appointment are a mark of recognition to those who supply goods or services to the Households of Her Majesty The Queen, His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh or His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. “
If having the warrant wasn’t cool enough, it’s also the hotel used by Kate Middleton (see HERE). Moral of the story is that if it’s good enough for royalty it’s good enough for me ;)
What To Expect
After choosing where I wanted to go, I turned my attention to details such as what the ideal time for tea is, what the dress code was, and if there was a set length of time per reservation.
Details to Know:
High Tea traditionally starts at 4 pm
Most high-end establishments (including The Goring) do have a dress code
Men are required to wear a sport coat or dinner jacket
No shorts or jeans
Reservations are 1.5 hours in length
Make your reservations in ADVANCE
High tea isn’t an inexpensive activity, and the prices typically vary by location and then there’s usually a range of tea service options. Our service was on the upper end of the spectrum, but the quality was worth every penny of the $70 price (per person) tag.
Happy Birthday to Me!
We had such an amazing experience during our time at The Goring, and despite the lack of photos (because this really wasn’t a place to act like a tourist), it was an absolute highlight of our time in London!
Questions or Comments? Leave me a note below.