Afternoon Tea in Aberdeen
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Looking for a charming and elegant way to spend your afternoon in Aberdeen then why not treat yourself to a spot of afternoon tea?
From picturesque tea rooms to luxurious hotels, there’s no shortage of places to indulge in this quintessentially British pastime. Not to be confused with the often mistaken High tea which in Scotland is traditionally served with hot savoury food.
So why not take a break from your busy schedule and treat yourself to a delightful cup of tea, some delicious scones, and a slice of decadent cake?
Join us as we explore the best spots for afternoon tea in Aberdeen.
Bookings must be made in advance for all restaurants and I have tried to list whether any dietary alternatives are available.
Corner Tree Café
I really enjoy the food and atmosphere at Corner Tree Café, it’s a great spot and they can accommodate you whether there are just a couple of you or if you need a larger, more private space.
When it comes to the Afternoon Tea, there are three tiers of food included for your money and for an added £1.50pp, you can have a teacup of hot soup, which I think is a nice touch.
Firstly, there are a variety of finger sandwiches to choose from, with vegan and vegetarian options and these range from the traditional smoked salmon to falafel and spicy mango chutney!
On your second tier, you can enjoy homemade sausage rolls and freshly baked scones and finally, on the third tier, a selection of sweets such as brownies, macarons and cupcakes.
The Corner Tree Café Afternoon Tea with tea or coffee is £15 per person, you also have the added option of BYOB for a further £3.50 per bottle.
Find out more about the Corner Tree Afternoon Tea here.
Almondine
Almondine offers lovely Afternoon Teas and is actually where I was taken to celebrate my most recent birthday.
Afternoon Tea at Almondine feels fancy, they have this gorgeous flower wall backdrop and the food is served on fine, duck-egg blue china which I think elevates the experience.
On arrival you let them know your drink of choice and if this is tea or coffee, these are refilled throughout your time there. The tiered cake stand is brought out and offers a variety of finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, and of course, a selection of French patisserie miniatures.
In our opinion, Afternoon Tea at Almondine in Aberdeen is far better suited to those with a sweet tooth.
Unfortunately, they are unable to offer vegetarian, vegan, gluten, nut-free or dairy-free options due to the nature and ingredients of patisseries.
Almondine offer this with tea or coffee is £25 per person, although you can opt for wine or prosecco for an added cost. There is also the option to order and enjoy an Afternoon Tea at home for a slightly lesser cost if that’s something that interests you.
We’d probably recommend the Almondine Afternoon tea for special celebrations like Mother’s Day or Birthdays.
Find out more about the Almondine Afternoon Tea here.
Carmelite
One thing I miss about the Carmelite Afternoon Teas and it’s something that I hope will return once it can is the Mad Hatters tea party!
I think this is something fun and unique that Carmelite offers, that sets them apart from the rest!
Until then though, they still offer several different Afternoon Tea options. These range in price depending on your chosen refreshments which start at £16 for tea and coffee and up to £29 for a gin Afternoon Tea with a cocktail carafe of your choice.
Drinks aside, you will receive a classic version with a tiered cake stand that is filled with freshly made sandwiches, some home-baked scones with preserves, as well as a selection of cakes and traybakes.
The Carmelite Afternoon Tea Aberdeen is slightly different in that they offer several different deals on Afternoon Tea. The prices of these range from £16-29 per person and are only available on the weekends between 12-4.
Find out more about the Carmelite Hotel Afternoon Tea here.
Malmaison
Described as a dainty and delicious cream tea, Malmaison envisions it as the classic Afternoon Tea, re-imagined.
The good thing about the Malmaison menu is that they offer vegan alternatives for almost all of the sandwiches. The sandwiches also aren’t your classic choices and sound like a really tasty change. You can find options such as the Thai sticky beef & sesame wrap or the spiced tomato, hummus and grilled sesame flatbread.
These are followed by a selection of sweet treats such as cheesecake, cupcakes, scones and coconut slices.
I’m not entirely sure whether the Malmaison Aberdeen Afternoon Tea is different to any other Malmaison location but I imagine that they will all follow a similar menu.
Afternoon Tea here costs from £22.50 to £31.50 per person depending on the drinks. I believe this is only available on weekends during a brief lunchtime period.
Find out more about the Malmaison Afternoon Tea
HMT Aberdeen – The Terrace
The Aberdeen Theatre recently refurbished restaurant, The Terrace, is a popular choice for those looking for a pre-theatre treat or those looking for a city centre option.
The good thing about the HMT restaurant Aberdeen is that they give you a generous serving of sandwiches with various fillings! So if you have a more savoury tooth, this may be one for you.
This is then followed by scones with clotted cream and jam before some cakes, traybakes and light dessert pieces.
HMT Aberdeen Afternoon Tea prices start from £14.95 per person and are served Thursdays to Saturdays between 12-3 pm. Added costs for alcohol.
Find out more about The Terrace Afternoon Tea here.
210 Bistro
210 Bistro is a lovely restaurant and one that I am glad to have on the list.
It is ever so slightly away from the city centre but easily within walking and parking distance from Union Square. They have also had the recent addition of the sky bar area so you can be guaranteed some lovely views over the boats of Aberdeen harbour.
This is a slightly different take on the classic Afternoon Tea and starts with some savoury options such as the chicken, truffle and tarragon mayo wrap along with the egg and peppadew mayo open ciabatta. There are also some homemade sausage rolls with this.
For desserts, there are scones, brownies, cake and cheesecake along with your chosen drink of tea or coffee.
Afternoon Tea at 210 Bistro is served on Saturdays between 12-4 pm and costs £15 per person. This can be ordered for sit-in or takeaway.
Find out more about the 210 Bistro Afternoon Tea here.
The Chester Hotel
Honestly, I’m in two minds about this one.
The Chester Hotel Afternoon Tea comes with sandwiches, quiche, and sausage rolls which are then followed by scones and cakes.
They serve their food on a single-use stand which can then convert into a takeaway box if required. It’s practical but doesn’t give that special feeling that an Afternoon Tea can give, and I suspect may feel a little lacklustre to some.
Where I’m in two minds, is with The Chester Hotel’s attitude in general. I have seen many positives and criticisms when it comes to what’s offered and their self-righteous response to any form of criticism is enough to put me off.
This may bother some and not others, so I will leave that up to you to decide!
The menu found online for The Chester Hotel Afternoon Tea is the only menu, as “in order to uphold their high standards, they cannot accommodate any dietary requirements”.
Afternoon Tea at the Chester Hotel costs £26.50 per person and £36.50 with an added glass of Champagne.
View more details about the Chester Afternoon tea here.
Molly’s Bistro
Molly’s Bistro can be found within The Aberdeen Douglas Hotel and is a lovely, central spot for something to eat.
The Afternoon Tea consists of sandwiches, tarts, fresh scones with jam and clotted cream, homemade sweet treats and chocolate-dipped strawberries. I think the strawberries are a nice addition and not one that I have seen elsewhere.
Afternoon Tea at Molly’s Bistro costs between £18 per person to £25 per person depending on whether you choose tea, coffee, champagne or a cocktail.
Find out more about Afternoon Tea at Molly’s Bistro.
The Marcliffe
The Marcliffe is a little out of the city centre but I have chosen to add it to the list as I know it is a favourite and more than worthy of a mention!
Afternoon Tea at The Marcliffe is served on a 4-tier cake stand and is what I would consider your more traditional Afternoon Tea. You will start with your selection of drinks. There is a wide selection of teas available, alternatively, you can opt for a filter coffee. They do also offer the option of Champagne, Prosecco or Bellini for an added cost.
You have the choice of sandwiches, from roast beef with horseradish to prawns and avocado, followed by scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam before enjoying a selection of cakes and pastries.
The Marcliffe Afternoon Tea costs vary from £25-35 per person depending on drink choices and these can range from tea to Champagne.
Afternoon tea here would definitely be more suited as the posh option and the prices reflect that.
Find out more about The Marcliffe Afternoon Tea.
Cup Aberdeen
Cup offers a couple of things that many places don’t and has created its own twist on the classic Afternoon Tea.
The most expensive is the Prosecco Afternoon Tea at £25 per person and this gives you a bottle of chilled Prosecco, a selection of mini rolls, taster soup, and warm scones with cream and jam. Homemade cakes, traybakes and a taster-size pic ‘n’ mix.
A luxury option which is almost the same as above but without any alcohol, although you can order speciality hot drinks over tea and coffee.
There is a smaller version for £8.50 per person, a gluten-free Afternoon Tea and even a children’s Afternoon Tea which sounds very sweet and delicious!
Another option that Cup offers, is chocolate fondue for £7.50 and this comes with marshmallows, fruit and pancakes.
Cup Aberdeen Afternoon Tea costs vary from £17-25 per person.
So there you have it, those are some of our best choices of Afternoon Tea offerings in Aberdeen.
Have we missed one of your favourites or are you planning to try any of those listed above? Let us know in the comments.
If you’re on the lookout for something else to do whilst in the city, then check out our guide on things to do in Aberdeen for some of the best as well as where the best breakfast in Aberdeen can be found.
Fancy something a little lighter, then check out our round up of the best coffee shops in Aberdeen.
