Afternoon Tea at Kensington Palace: The Orangery Built for Queen Anne

Scones, cakes and Queen Victoria's favourite sponge, served in the early 18th-century Orangery beside the palace, looking out over the Sunken Garden.

Visit

Pair tea with the State Apartments. Kensington Palace tickets.

Location

The Orangery, next to Kensington Palace, overlooking the Sunken Garden, London W8 4PX.

Visit duration

Allow two to three hours for the palace itself. Plan your visit.

Orangery hours

Daily 10:00 to 18:00, with last entry at 16:30.

Where to Have Afternoon Tea at Kensington Palace

Afternoon tea at Kensington Palace is served in The Orangery, a restaurant set inside Queen Anne's early 18th-century orangery right beside the palace. It is run by Company of Cooks with Historic Royal Palaces, serves lunch as well as tea, and has tables inside and on an outdoor terrace overlooking the Sunken Garden.

The Orangery is booked directly with the restaurant, separately from palace admission. Booking ahead is recommended, because walk-ins may not be possible at busy times, and it can close on some summer days for private events. For a quicker stop, the Kensington Palace Café serves hot drinks, sandwiches and cakes.

What Is Served at the Orangery's Afternoon Tea

The tea is a classic English spread of savouries, cakes and scones, and the house signature is Queen Victoria's famed Victoria sponge, a nod to the queen who was born in the palace next door.

When the restaurant reopened, the Royal Afternoon Tea included scones with Cornish clotted cream and blackcurrant preserve, a lavender éclair and a savoury quiche, with the option of Pimm's or English sparkling wine. There is also a children's afternoon tea, with cakes and scones and strawberry preserve.

The menu changes with the seasons, so check the current one when you book, and mention any dietary needs at the same time.

The Orangery, from Queen Anne's Greenhouse to Restaurant

The Orangery was designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor in 1704 for Queen Anne and later refined by Sir John Vanbrugh, with carvings by Grinling Gibbons inside.

Anne used it as an elaborate greenhouse for her orange trees and as a summer supper house for entertaining the court. It reopened as a restaurant after a restoration by Historic Royal Palaces.

The Orangery is step-free, with its own accessible toilet, which makes it an easy stop before or after the palace.

Pairing Afternoon Tea with a Palace Visit

Tea and the palace are two separate bookings. Your palace ticket covers the King's State Apartments, the current exhibition and the palace gardens; the Orangery is booked on its own.

The simplest plan is to visit the palace first and book tea for afterwards, remembering the Orangery's last entry is 16:30. The palace opens Wednesday to Sunday and is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, so choose one of those days if you want to do both.

Historic Royal Palaces members get 10% off at the Orangery, though not on set menus that are already discounted.

More Ways to Eat at Kensington Palace

The Kensington Palace Café

The Kensington Palace Café serves hot drinks, soups, sandwiches, bacon baps, paninis and cakes, with vegan and vegetarian options. It is the quicker, more casual choice, open daily from 10:00 to 17:50.

Tea on the terrace

On fine days the Orangery's outdoor terrace is the place to sit, looking out over the Sunken Garden.

Afternoon tea for children

Children get their own afternoon tea, with cakes, scones and strawberry preserve. It makes the Orangery an easy family stop after the palace.

Kensington Palace: Admission Ticket

Highlights

Discover the historic home of the Prince and Princess of Wales and their family.

Wander through the grand State Rooms and marvel at stunning royal art and interiors.

Visit the beautifully decorated King’s State Apartments, King’s Gallery, Cupola Room, and Drawing Room.

Stroll in the serene Palace Gardens, including shaded paths and the famous Sunken Garden.

Experience over 300 years of royal history in a majestic London setting.

Booking Afternoon Tea at Kensington Palace

Book the Orangery directly and book the palace separately. Pick a day from Wednesday to Sunday if you want to see inside the palace too, and plan tea for after your visit, before the 16:30 last entry.

Afternoon Tea at Kensington Palace: Your Questions

Can you have afternoon tea at Kensington Palace?

Yes. The Orangery, next to the palace, serves afternoon tea.

Where is afternoon tea served at Kensington Palace?

In The Orangery, a restaurant in Queen Anne's early 18th-century orangery, overlooking the Sunken Garden.

Do you need to book afternoon tea at the Orangery?

Booking ahead is recommended, as walk-ins may not be possible at peak times.

Is afternoon tea included in a Kensington Palace ticket?

No. The Orangery is booked separately from palace admission.

What time does the Orangery open?

Daily 10:00 to 18:00, with last entry at 16:30. It can close on some summer days for events.

Is there a children's afternoon tea at Kensington Palace?

Yes, with cakes, scones and strawberry preserve.

Who built the Orangery at Kensington Palace?

Nicholas Hawksmoor designed it in 1704 for Queen Anne, and Sir John Vanbrugh later refined it.

Is the Orangery accessible?

Yes. It is step-free and has its own accessible toilet.