Afternoon Tea in Brighton: Where to Book

The Brighton afternoon teas most people look for are The Grand on the seafront, which says its tea has been voted the city’s best three years running, Hotel du Vin in The Lanes, Terre à Terre, the vegetarian restaurant on East Street, and the Regency Routemaster, a tea served on a vintage bus. Every entry was checked against the venue’s own website on 29 October 2026.

We have not been to these places for this guide, and nothing here is a review. Each entry sets out what the venue publishes about its afternoon tea: the price, when it is served, what is on the stand and how to book. It then adds the public record, mainly the Food Standards Agency (FSA) hygiene rating. Prices come from each venue’s current menu. Festive menus usually replace them from late November, so check before you book.

Seafront hotels

The Grand, King’s Road

The Grand calls its afternoon tea “Afternoon Tea by the Sea” and says it has been voted “Brighton’s Best Afternoon Tea” three years in a row. It is served every day from 12pm to 4pm in the Victoria Terrace and Lounge, facing the sea. Its executive head chef designed the three tiers, and an extra slice of cake comes at the end. It costs from £40 a head, or £55 for the Celebration Afternoon Tea with a glass of Pommery Brut Royal Champagne. Traditional, vegan and gluten-free versions are offered. Gift vouchers are sold online. The hotel was built in 1862 to 1864 to designs by John Whichcord and is a listed building (Historic England list entry 1381654). Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 17 January 2023). 97-99 King’s Road, BN1 2FW.

The Metropole Bar and Terrace, DoubleTree by Hilton Brighton Metropole

The Metropole’s own dining page says the Metropole Bar and Terrace serves “daily afternoon teas”, alongside weekend bottomless brunch and all-day dining. The hotel does not publish a price or a menu on its own website. Restaurants Brighton, a local listings site, gives the serving hours as 12pm to 4pm, Monday to Sunday. The same listing says the tea changes with the seasons, a children’s afternoon tea is offered, and booking ahead is advised. The bar looks out over the seafront towards the West Pier. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 12 March 2025). 106-121 King’s Road, BN1 2FU. Our listing.

In The Lanes

Hotel du Vin, Ship Street

Hotel du Vin’s afternoon tea page covers all its hotels, including Brighton, and says pre-booking is required. On the autumn 2026 menu, afternoon tea is £29.95 a head. It comes with plain and fruit scones, Rodda’s Cornish clotted cream, and tea from the Bird & Blend Tea Co. A cream tea, with scones and two of the chef’s patisseries of the day, is £15.95. Glasses of Champagne start at £12.95. There are separate vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free menus: put dietary needs in the “special request” box when booking. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 1 November 2019). 2 Ship Street, BN1 1AD, 01273 855221. Our listing.

Terre à Terre, East Street

Terre à Terre describes itself as a vegetarian and vegan restaurant that has been in The Lanes since 1993. Its menus page calls the afternoon tea “a playful blend of sweet and savoury treats” over three tiers. It is served Wednesday to Friday from 12pm to 2.45pm, and on Saturday and Sunday from 3pm to 4.45pm. The afternoon tea menu prices the Terre à Tier Tea at £35 a head, with tea or coffee included. The Terre à Tipple Tier Tea, which adds a glass of Prosecco or a pudding cocktail, is £45. The savoury plate opens with steamed rice buns filled with Szechuan-marinated tofu. Book online or through OpenTable; walk-ins are also welcome. Hygiene rating 4 (FSA, 12 February 2026). 71 East Street, BN1 1HQ, 01273 729051. Our listing.

Blossoms, Brighton Square

Blossoms describes its afternoon tea as a “serene Japanese afternoon tea experience”, with the setting inspired by traditional tea ceremonies. It is served every day from 12pm to 4pm, for a minimum of two people. The page lists a crispy chicken katsu sando, duck gyoza, avocado maki, chocolate mochi and a miso-chocolate brownie. The menu linked from the page prices it at £25 a head, with a glass of Champagne for £10 more. Book through the website or at bookings@blossomsbrighton.co.uk. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 13 March 2024). 17-19 Brighton Square, BN1 1HD, 01273 000208.

French patisserie

Julien Plumart, Queen’s Road

Julien Plumart runs a pâtisserie and café on Queen’s Road, near Brighton station. Its website sells an Afternoon Tea for Two gift card at £52, so £26 a head. It describes the tea as “inspired by the elegance of French patisserie”, with savoury pastries and patisserie. Restaurants Brighton says the tea includes the café’s macarons, and that Plumart trained under Raymond Blanc. The website does not publish serving times or a booking page, only a contact form, so ask before you go. Hygiene rating 4 (FSA, 7 January 2026). 48 Queen’s Road, BN1 3XB. Our listing.

Something different

Brighton Regency Routemaster, from Pool Valley

The Regency Routemaster serves afternoon tea on RML 2333, a restored Routemaster bus with tables for two or four. Its tour page says each tour lasts about an hour and a half. The route passes the Royal Pavilion, the Palace Pier, Hove’s Grand Avenue, the Regency squares and North Laine. It then runs along the coast to Rottingdean and Saltdean. A classic tea costs £43 a head on the lower deck, £46 upstairs and £50 in the front seats on the top deck. Brighton gin or Prosecco versions cost £8 more. Children aged 12 and under pay £30. Tours leave from Pool Valley Bus Station, BN1 1NJ. Arrive 15 minutes early, because the bus will not wait. We could not find a separate FSA rating under the bus’s name.

Chez Mal at Malmaison, Brighton Marina

Malmaison calls its afternoon tea “the classic afternoon tea, re-imagined”. The autumn menu prices it at £29.50 a head, £36.50 with a glass of Prosecco, and £39.50 with a cocktail. A cream tea is £16.50. The scone on both is a sticky toffee scone, served warm with clotted cream and caramel sauce. There are separate vegan and gluten-free menus, and the hotel asks you to pre-book with dietary needs. It is served in Chez Mal, the hotel’s brasserie and bar on the Marina waterfront. Hygiene rating 5 (FSA, 7 May 2026). Waterfront, Brighton Marina Village, BN2 5WA, 01273 041482.

How we chose

This is a list of the afternoon teas people search for in Brighton, chosen on records anyone can check, not on taste. We started with the venues named in the main Brighton listings, then kept only those whose own website shows a current afternoon tea. We left out The Ivy in the Lanes and The Claremont in Hove because we could not find an afternoon tea on their own websites. We also left out several tea rooms that publish no menu or hours online. Nothing rated below 3 by the Food Standards Agency was considered.

We checked every venue’s own website on 29 October 2026 for prices, serving times, booking rules and closure notices. Hygiene ratings come from the FSA register on the same day. Prices change, and most hotels switch to a festive afternoon tea from late November, so confirm with the venue when you book.

For a coffee and cake instead, see our guide to Brighton cafes. For a full meal, see Brighton restaurants, Brighton pubs and Sunday roasts. For more ideas, see things to do in Brighton and what’s on in Brighton this month. You can also browse every cafe in our Brighton business directory.

Run a place that should be here, or spot something that has changed? Email newsdesk@brightontimes.co.uk.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the best afternoon tea in Brighton?

The Grand on King’s Road says its afternoon tea has been voted Brighton’s Best Afternoon Tea three years in a row. It costs from £40 a head, served daily from 12pm to 4pm in the Victoria Terrace and Lounge. Hotel du Vin in The Lanes and Malmaison at the Marina both charge under £30 on their current autumn menus.

Where can I get a vegan or gluten-free afternoon tea in Brighton?

The Grand serves traditional, vegan and gluten-free afternoon teas. Hotel du Vin and Malmaison both publish separate vegan and gluten-free afternoon tea menus and ask you to pre-book and mention dietary needs. Terre à Terre is a vegetarian and vegan restaurant, so its whole afternoon tea is meat-free.

How much is afternoon tea in Brighton?

On the venues’ own menus, checked 29 October 2026, prices run from £25 a head at Blossoms in Brighton Square to £40 at The Grand. Hotel du Vin is £29.95, Malmaison £29.50 and Terre à Terre £35. The Routemaster bus tour costs £43 to £50 for adults and £30 for children aged 12 and under.