There are few things better than catching up with family, and recently, I jumped at the opportunity to treat the family to a very special afternoon tea.
Our destination? The charming Tiffany Blue Box Café, tucked away on the lower ground floor of the luxurious Harrods.
Unlike the grand, bustling atmosphere of the Ritz or the Savoy, the Blue Box Cafe feels like an intimate, exclusive sanctuary.
It celebrates Audrey Hepburn’s iconic character in the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and from the moment you step inside, you are transported into a world of pure, unadulterated elegance.
The Need-to-Know Details:
Location:
Lower Ground Floor, Harrods, Knightsbridge, London.
Price:
From £72+ per person (Champagne upgrades available).
Dietary Options:
Traditional, vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free menus are all happily accommodated (advise when booking).
Accessibility:
Fully accessible via the Harrods lifts, with ample space between tables.
How to Book a Table (And How Far in Advance)
Because of the cafe’s boutique size and global popularity, walk-ins are practically unheard of. You absolutely must book in advance via the Harrods website.
Reservations typically open a few months ahead of time, and weekends book up incredibly fast.
If you are planning a special birthday or anniversary, I highly recommend securing your table at least four to six weeks in advance.
Tip: Harrods generally requires a card authentication or deposit to secure dining reservations, so have your details handy when booking!
The Dress Code: What to Wear to Tiffany’s
One of the most common questions about the Blue Box Cafe is what to wear. Harrods itself enforces a “refined” dress code, meaning no beachwear, athletic vests, or flip-flops.
For the cafe, the official stance is smart-casual. You will see people in neat jeans and blouses who have just finished a day of luxury shopping.
However, treating yourself to afternoon tea here is a beautiful occasion. Many guests (us included!) use it as a wonderful excuse to dress up. Think elegant daywear, chic dresses, and smart tailoring.
The Atmosphere: Dining Inside a Tiffany Box
After an hour floating around the dreamy London store, we were seated at a cosy corner table dressed to elegant perfection.
The café is both intimate and calming. The panelled walls are painted a glossy, signature duck-egg ‘Tiffany Blue’, and we were surrounded by glittering jewels winking at us from their glass display cases.
It genuinely felt like we were dining inside an actual Tiffany gift box.
Even the tableware was spectacularly on-theme, with everything beautifully Tiffany-embossed. The teapot alone retails at an eye-watering £210 and the teacup £75 (both available to buy in-store, which certainly gave us a giggle!).
The Afternoon Tea Menu: A Sensorial Review
Our expectations were high, and the experience absolutely delivered. The service was impeccable from start to finish—attentive without being intrusive—and the food was as delicious as it was photogenic.
Sandwiches & Savouries
We started with a light, zesty prawn cocktail amuse-bouche before moving on to the main event. The dainty finger sandwiches were packed with flavour. The menu included:
- Egg and black truffle (wonderfully rich)
- Smoked salmon with lemon and chive cream
- English cucumber with a kick of pink peppercorn
- Tender New York salt beef with pickles and mustard
A lovely, unexpected savory surprise was the warm parmesan madeleines, which absolutely melted in the mouth, served with sour cream and caviar.
Scones & Sweets
Of course, no afternoon tea is complete without freshly baked scones, served delightfully warm with huge dollops of clotted cream and homemade sweet jam.
The patisserie selection, however, was the visual highlight of the day. It included:
- The Tiffany Blue Egg: Inspired by a Robin’s egg, this delicate shell broke open to reveal a perfectly sharp lemon curd and smooth mascarpone.
- Summer Berry Tart: Crisp pastry balancing the sweet fruit.
- Times Square Chocolate Cake: Indulgent and rich.
- Original New York Cheesecake: A lovely, creamy nod to Tiffany’s Manhattan origins.
To drink, there is a wide selection of fine loose-leaf teas.
You can upgrade to a champagne option, or do as I did and enjoy a cheeky Tiffany Martini—a gorgeous blend of London gin, elderflower Violette, and a lemon twist.
Is the Tiffany Afternoon Tea Worth the Price?
I would thoroughly recommend this amazing treat for a birthday, a special occasion, or simply if you have a yearning to play a modern-day Holly Golightly for the afternoon.
While it is undeniably a premium, luxury experience, the value is there.
The sandwiches and cakes are constantly replenished by the attentive staff to the point that you likely won’t need to eat for the rest of the day!
Our lovely waitress even boxed up what we couldn’t quite finish in cute Harrods cake boxes for us to take away.
We left this beautiful experience to catch our train home with full bellies, happily humming “Moon River”.
For another unique London dining experience then check out our review of the Cafe in the Crypt, near Trafalgar Square.
