Happy Valentine’s Day! In honor of a special, romantic, loving little day like this one, I’m focusing today’s post on something my husband will only do with me when true romance is required! He cut me off from teas a long time ago. Well, with him, anyway. Now I just go with the girls. He thinks he’s suffered enough with little small plates of this and that and tiny cups of tea to sip. Give him a giant cold drink, or even a coffee, and a big plate of meat, potatoes, pancakes, cheese–you know, guy stuff–and he’s a happy camper.  So now, I reserve these special meals for special occasions. Valentine’s Day is all about the girl, anyway, right?

So, for today, I am going to talk to you about the Georgian Restaurant at Harrods. I’ve been to many teas and this one is up there. Going to Harrods in itself is a beautiful London tradition, and getting to make your way up to the fine Georgian restaurant is icing on the cake. I like how they enforce a dress code, as a problem I have with many touristy teas is that anyone off the street can pop in, which can cheapen the whole experience. So, make a booking and dress the part.

Once inside, you’ll enjoy a beautiful open space with elegant tables, plush velvet booths, bright natural lighting, and the sounds of a talented pianist. The staff is nicely uniformed, and very professional throughout the entire experience.

The price is right in line with all the other nice teas in the city–£42.00 for a full Afternoon Tea, £52.00 if you want to add a glass of champagne to the experience (obviously). I do have to say, this tea wins best value for money. I left feeling extremely full (and guilty for not being able to finish all of the deliciousness). It’s a ton of food. Amazing sandwiches, delicious cakes and scones, and the trifle at the end is really what puts you over maximum capacity. Everything about the experience was elegant and proper, aside from watching how much we were able to consume. It was all too good.

There really aren’t a lot of negatives. The bathroom is bizarrely far from the tea room. You actually have to go through what seems like a couple other random restaurants to get to it, which kind of gives you a reality check that you aren’t in a proper English faraway land, you’re just in Harrods. Also, walk-ins start to line up in the early afternoon by the front desk, and that can bring in quite a crowd. If you’re seated close to that area, it can be very noisy and distracting. Especially if those waiting have children that start running around and acting up out of boredom. Not sure why they’re at a tea anyway. They should section the tables off with a full wall to rectify this problem.

My last complaint is an issue I see often in London. You have a great dining experience with good service, but then, at the end of the meal, your server just disappears. You’re ready to close out your bill and your water glasses have been empty for awhile, yet no one is to be found. The Georgian Restaurant staff really had it up until that point.

But, with just those little grievances, I will surely be back. And you should head there, too. Let Harrods’ Georgian Restaurant be a romantic little start to your Valentine’s Day, or something to do this weekend with the girls. That is, if you don’t have to wait a month to get in! Enjoy, and may today be filled with magic and love.

The Georgian Restaurant 
Harrods
87-135 Brompton Rd.
Knightsbridge 
London SW1X 7XL