Two city centre restaurants have been named among the best in the UK for afternoon tea.
Ahead of National Tea Day, which takes place this Friday (April 21), the top 12 spots serving up afternoon tea in the UK have been revealed. Cafes, restaurants and tea rooms across the UK were given the nod, including spots in Edinburgh, Belfast, London and Manchester.
Richmond Tea Rooms on Sackville Street came in second place, pipped to the post by The Dome in Edinburgh, while Hotel Gotham on King Street came in sixth, landing ahead of The Savoy and Winter Garden in London. The list was compiled by Betway, who based its rankings on an score created using information gathered from review sites and social media.
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Measuring popularity by a unique index score - generated by the number of hashtags each location has racked up on Instagram, as well Google and Tripadvisor reviews - spots in Edinburgh, Manchester and Belfast came out on top, as they proved most popular for a proper brew, tiny sandwiches and cream scones.
Richmond Tea Rooms ranked highest in the number of hashtags on Instagram showing it to be one of the most popular, and also achieved a 4.5 Google rating and 1,244 'excellent' Tripadvisor reviews. Hotel Gotham's afternoon tea also achieved a 4.5 rating on Google and 1,823 'excellent' reviews on Tripadvisor.
Just last month, Richmond Tea Rooms was also named among the most beautiful cafes in the world. Known for its Alice in Wonderland inspired experience, the spot on Sackville Street found itself in the top 50 most Instagrammable cafes list.
Served in a quirky, retro setting, afternoon tea at Richmond Tea Rooms includes an assortment of homemade cakes, mini fish and chips, and premium loose leaf tea. Offering a range of afternoon tea experiences, visitors can also upgrade with a glass of prosecco or luxury champagne.
The brainchild of Nick Curtis and Andrew Underwood, there's a number of spots from which to sample one of their exotic and rare teas from around the world - from an enchanted forest area where you can dine under the twinkling lights, to the orangery, a wonderfully warm room on those drizzly Manchester days.
And for those who like to treat themselves to afternoon tea in the surroundings of a five-star hotel, there's Honey Restaurant at Hotel Gotham. Located on the sixth floor of the art-deco building, the restaurant features standout half-moon windows offering views across Manchester and is one of the most exclusive spots in the city for a mid-afternoon treat.
The afternoon tea features a selection of dainty sandwiches, freshly baked scones with clotted cream and jam, and an array of bakes such as salted caramel choux and marbled chocolate brownies. The afternoon tea selection also features a impressive list of herbal infusions, PMD teas and Kimbo Coffees.
Afternoon Tea at Hotel Gotham ranges starts from £25 per person and goes up to £40 with an upgrade for a glass of Tattinger Champagne. Meanwhile, Richmond Tea Rooms offers options the Alice Afternoon Tea for £10.75, the Tweedles Afternoon Tea with fish and chips for £28.50 and the Wonderland Champagne Afternoon Tea for £38.90.
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