Peter Pan Afternoon Tea at London’s Aqua Shard With Stunning View

With each trip made to London, we’ve made it a goal to set aside time and enjoy an afternoon tea. Our experiences have varied, though we’ve never really broken the bank on a high-end experience—until this time when we visited Peter Pan afternoon tea Aqua Shard.

“High-end” is a good way to describe our latest afternoon tea, both in budget and location. This is our afternoon tea experience from the 31st floor of the Shard, with afternoon tea at Aqua Shard.

Experience The Shard

The Shard is an iconic building on the London skyline. Deciding to have afternoon tea there just for the setting would be reason enough. But what really attracted us to this specific afternoon tea was its theme—Peter Pan.

They have been offering this uniquely themed tea for a few years, and to some acclaim. Aqua Shard’s Peter Pan themed afternoon tea has been recognized as one of the best spots for tea in 2024. With it being based on a beloved children’s story, you might think that this is designed for people with small children. It is designed for anyone, though we think it is best as an adult outing, or at the very least, older children and teens.

What to Expect – Peter Pan Afternoon Tea Aqua Shard

From the moment you step off the elevator on the 31st floor, everything surrounding you is posh. From the polished tile to the floor-to-ceiling windows with breathtaking views of the Thames River below, the setting for this meal—along with the staff—does all it can to make this a memorable experience.

In addition to embracing the fabulous views, they also do a wonderful job of embracing the Peter Pan theme. That includes your treasure map menu, which is set with more than enough food to have you leaving full.

Tea and Drinks

As mentioned, it is a set menu. The only real decisions we needed to make were regarding the type of tea we wanted to accompany our meal. We were offered three teas to choose from, and each one of us selected a different one.

Adventure Tea is a black tea with fruity tones from hints of sunflower blossoms, pieces of mango, and some lemon and orange peel. Darling Tea was a more traditional black tea blend from around the world. The third option we chose was a herbal-infused chamomile tea.

Tea is part of the base price for the experience. You have the option to upgrade to include champagne for a small fee, and they have a full bar available too.

Savory and Sandwiches

Your server will bring you a platter full of savory foods to begin. The sausage roll was a favorite for us—a filling blend of veal, beef, and onion. Accompanying the roll were the Enchanted Forest Tart and the Neverland Lagoon. The tart was a surprising treat made with sweet potato, cheddar, fig, and pine. The Neverland Lagoon was a salmon presentation with cream cheese and salmon roe.

Our favorite finger sandwich was the Lost Boy Sandwich, featuring pastrami along with mustard mayo, lettuce, and a pickled gherkin on white bread. Alongside the Lost Boy Sandwich was a traditional egg salad sandwich nicknamed the Little Bird.

Scones and Sweets

Everything about an afternoon tea experience is a prelude leading up to the sweets. Afternoon tea at The Shard is no different. They deliver a boatload of sweets for you to enjoy with your afternoon tea experience—literally. The tray that they serve your food on is in the shape of a Captain Hook pirate ship. The old wooden ship was perfect for the Peter Pan theme.

Aqua Shard afternoon tea excels in the sweets portion. You can start with some delightful scones, made with a hint of vanilla and raisins. They are complemented perfectly with two different jams to choose from: apricot and raspberry.

You have plenty to choose from to satisfy your sweet tooth. Our favorite was the chocolatey delight, Peter Pan’s Secret Entrance. You can also choose a lemon curd pastry called Peter Pan’s Hat. Tick Tock was a surprisingly tasty treat for us too, with its blood orange flavor. If you’re still needing something sweet, check out Tinker Bell, a sweet pastry with icing and a little pixie dust too.

Presentation and Atmosphere

While the food is very good at Aqua Shard, what makes this afternoon tea memorable and worth it—without a doubt—is the presentation as well as the overall atmosphere of the restaurant.

Your first round of food is delivered on a tray with a cityscape background to help put you in the mood for early 1900s London, when the original Peter Pan was set. That miniature skyline on the tray, along with the stunning views from your table looking north onto the Thames River—and in our case, down onto the historic Tower of London—make for a magical setting.

For those of you contemplating going on the London Eye to get a view of London, spend a little more and enjoy tea with what we think is probably a better view of the city.

Your afternoon tea’s sweets are delivered on a pirate ship that quickly becomes encased in a smoky fog. They utilize dry ice and water on the ship to create a most memorable presentation for dessert.

A London afternoon tea with a view is available at every table. It appeared that the tables at the windows were mostly reserved for parties of two. We had three and were not at the window, but honestly did not feel like we were cheated at all in our views. The staff realizes that you are there in part for the view and were accommodating as we made sure to get some photos from the windows.

Once we were done eating, we also walked around a little, checking out views from other parts of the restaurant. That included a trip to the restroom, which we highly recommend—as odd as it seems. Both the men’s and women’s restrooms have amazing views unlike just about any other restroom you might visit.

Pricing and Other Details

Our price for afternoon tea was £70 per person. When you factor in the theme, the presentation, and the views, that is actually a pretty good value. You will not walk away hungry, that is for sure.

The Sky Garden in London is a free alternative to see the great London skyline from up high—if you can get a ticket. Many people will get a reservation on the London Eye so they can see London from above. A reservation for the Eye is currently showing at £44 per person, which makes an afternoon tea of pampering a bargain in comparison.

The Peter Pan afternoon tea at Aqua Shard tea has a casual dress code for patrons, but it doesn’t really seem strictly enforced. We were in jeans and fit right in. There were people dressed up for their experience, so however you wish to dress should be welcomed.

Reservations are definitely recommended. The Peter Pan afternoon tea at Shard is offered daily from 12:00 PM to 3:15 PM. In addition to afternoon tea, Aqua Shard also offers lunch and dinner options.

We thoroughly enjoyed the experience and think you will as well. It’s something that little kids could enjoy—if they have the patience to sit through a long meal and are willing to be a little adventurous in their eating. We wouldn’t classify this as a family experience, but it worked for us as adults who like good food, great views, and a well-told story.

Planning a trip to London? Check out our London Travel Guide for tips!