For a royally-approved afternoon tea, head to the late Queen’s favourite hotel – the only London hotel with a royal warrant – The Goring, next to Buckingham Palace. The afternoon tea here is the best of the British tradition. Taken in the lovely Veranda overlooking the garden, it consists of exquisitely-prepared finger sandwiches, delicious scones with jam and Devonshire clotted cream, cakes and tarts. There’s a huge tea menu, with optional Bollinger. Perfect. thegoring.com

For those wanting a classic British afternoon tea, another great option is Claridge’s. This historic London hotel in the heart of Mayfair is still the place to be for tea. Served in The Foyer and Reading Room, it’s a traditional tea of sandwiches with fillings like smoked salmon and cucumber, scones, cakes and pastries. There’s an extensive tea menu and optional Laurent-Perrier Brut. claridges.co.uk

For an afternoon tea with a view of London, there are two fabulous options at The Shard. Oblix, on the 32nd floor of the glass skyscraper, has a modern tea with sandwiches, honeycomb scones and pastries such as praline and pear rocher. There’s a curated tea menu and unlimited Champagne option. oblixrestaurant.com

One floor below, Aqua Shard in London offers the whimsical Peter Pan Afternoon Tea. This magical tea is served on a galleon and consists of Fairy Dust cocktails and Never Grow Up Punch, Lost Boy sandwiches, Tick-Tock the Crocodile jelly and Hook’s Perish Cake. aquashard.co.uk

While high-end hotel teas can be pricey, The Wolseley on Piccadilly has an afternoon tea with all the glamour, but less cost. This popular London restaurant in its beautiful grand café-style building has an afternoon tea with sandwiches, fruit scones and cakes, with an optional glass of Pommery Brut Royal NV. You can also just order a cream tea and they even share their scones recipe online. thewolseley.com

The teahouse at Petersham Nurseries, Richmond, has an afternoon tea in a magical setting. The plant-filled London conservatory serves a tea with a twist – such as leek and cheese or buttermilk scones with apple and ginger jam and lemon zest shortbread with lemon curd. There is a tailored tea menu and optional Ayala Champagne. This pioneering slow-food restaurant is famous for its sustainable, organic ingredients, which is why you need to book ahead. petershamnurseries.com

Taking afternoon tea at London’s famous Fortnum & Mason is a bucket-list activity. Queen Elizabeth II, Camilla, Queen Consort and the Princess of Wales opened the royal grocer’s Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon in 2012 and afternoon tea here is the perfect treat – cucumber sandwiches, scones with Somerset clotted cream, rose eclairs and elderflower jelly and cream tartlets. There is an enormous tea menu (you can do tea-tasting sessions) plus Jacques Picard Champagne. You can also opt for a high tea, with hot dishes such as lobster omelette or welsh rarebit. fortnumandmason.com