Afternoon tea in Cambridgeshire is not only a Cambridge hotel thing. Some of the best sittings are in a Tudor hall that serves tea once a month, a Georgian house beside the Great Ouse, and the old home of Ely’s fire engine, a few steps from the cathedral. The rules vary a lot: some places want 24 or even 72 hours’ notice, some take no bookings at all, and a couple only serve tea on a handful of dates a year.
This guide picks thirteen across Cambridge and the south, Huntingdonshire, and Ely and Peterborough. We have left prices out on purpose, because afternoon tea prices change with the season and the menu, so check the venue’s own website for the current figure before you book.
Details were accurate at the time of research in November 2026. Serving times, menus and prices change often, so please check each venue’s own website before you travel.
Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire
The city has the most choice, and the hotels around Parker’s Piece and the river have turned afternoon tea into a seasonal calendar of themed menus. Step out to Grantchester or Madingley and the pace drops, with orchards, lawns and a Tudor house a few miles from the centre.
Parker’s Tavern, University Arms
Indoor activity
- Afternoon tea at the University Arms hotel is served in Parker’s Tavern, the hotel’s English brasserie, among bookshelves and shades of Cambridge blue
- Tea is served from noon to 4pm Monday to Friday, and from 12:30pm to 4:30pm on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays
- The menu changes through the year: a Colleges of Cambridge tea inspired by the city’s literary history runs from 2 to 15 November, and the Christmas afternoon tea from 16 November to 3 January
- A Halloween afternoon tea ran from 16 October to 1 November, which gives an idea of how often the theme changes
- A free-from afternoon tea is available, but it needs at least 24 hours’ notice for allergies or dietary needs
- Children can take part in a family treasure hunt around the colleges and landmarks, and those who answer every question correctly get a free Colleges of Cambridge afternoon tea
- Gift vouchers are sold through the restaurant’s own voucher site
Address: University Arms, Regent Street, Cambridge CB2 1AD
Website: parkerstavern.com
How to book: Online through the Book Now links on the Parker’s Tavern afternoon tea page, which go to OpenTable
Parker’s Tavern is the obvious Cambridge choice if you want a proper hotel tea in the middle of town. The room looks straight out over Parker’s Piece, and the Cambridge blue colour scheme makes it feel like the city rather than a chain. What sets it apart is how often the menu changes, so a November visit and a December visit can be quite different. The treasure hunt is a clever way to keep children busy before the cake arrives. Book ahead for weekends and the Christmas run, which is when it fills up.
Garden House, Graduate Cambridge
Indoor and outdoor
- Garden House is the restaurant and bar at the Graduate Cambridge hotel on Granta Place, right on the bank of the River Cam
- Afternoon tea is served seven days a week, from noon to 5pm
- A terrace looks over the river, and there is a lounge with a fireplace for colder months
- Garden seating is used for afternoon tea when the weather allows
- An option with English sparkling wine is offered alongside the standard tea
- Visit Cambridge lists it for its seasonal sweets, savouries, freshly baked scones and choice of teas
Address: Granta Place, Mill Lane, Cambridge CB2 1RT
Website: opentable.co.uk (search Garden House Cambridge)
How to book: Online through OpenTable
Garden House is the pick when the sun is out. You are a few yards from the Mill Pond, and from the terrace you can watch the punts queue up while you work through the scones. On a grey day the lounge fire does the job instead. It is a short walk from the Fitzwilliam Museum, which makes it an easy stop after a morning of galleries.
Six at the Varsity Hotel
Indoor activity
- Six is the restaurant on the sixth floor of the Varsity Hotel on Thompson’s Lane, with windows looking across the city skyline
- The hotel bills its afternoon tea as traditional, with freshly made cakes and sandwiches
- The speciality teas are created by the hotel’s own master blenders
- The roof terrace is a separate venue, so do not expect tea to be served outside on the roof
- Parties of seven or more must phone to book, and a deposit is needed
- Groups of up to 120 can be catered for by arrangement
- Afternoon tea is served from noon to 4:30pm, Tuesday to Sunday
Address: The Varsity Hotel, 24 Thompson’s Lane, Cambridge CB5 8EQ
Website: thevarsityhotel.co.uk
Phone: 01223 308030
How to book: Online through the Book Afternoon Tea link on the hotel website, or by phone for larger groups
Six is the place for a view rather than a garden. From the sixth floor you look over college roofs and chapel pinnacles, which few other teas in the city can offer. It sits just off Quayside, so a punt trip or a riverside walk fits easily before or after. Ring or email the reservations team if you need to talk through dietary options. Ask for a window table when you book.
Madingley Hall
Indoor activity
- A Tudor hall three miles west of Cambridge, owned by the University of Cambridge and used for courses, conferences and stays
- Afternoon tea is served in one of the Hall’s rooms on the last Sunday of each month only, from 1pm to 4pm
- Booking must be made at least 72 hours ahead
- The savouries include egg mayonnaise and cress, cream cheese and cucumber, ham and mustard, and smoked salmon with dill and crème fraîche
- Fruit and plain scones come with raspberry jam, clotted cream and butter, followed by small sweets such as mini Victoria sponge and red velvet cake
- A version with a glass of sparkling wine is offered
- The gardens were landscaped by Capability Brown and include a walled garden, though there is no lift inside the Hall
Address: Madingley Hall, Madingley, Cambridge CB23 8AQ
Website: madingleyhall.cam.ac.uk
Phone: 01223 746222
How to book: By phone or email through the Hall, at least 72 hours in advance
Madingley is the most unusual tea in this guide because it happens once a month. That rarity is part of the appeal: you are eating finger sandwiches in a house built in the 1540s, which is otherwise a working university venue and not open for casual visits. Book early, as monthly sittings in a historic room do not have many tables. Walk the gardens before you go in, since the view from the front door is largely as Capability Brown left it. It is a ten minute drive from the city along the A1303.
The Orchard Tea Garden, Grantchester
Indoor and outdoor
- A tea garden in Grantchester village, about two miles from the centre of Cambridge along the river, which has been part of Cambridge life for more than 125 years
- Teas are served under the fruit trees from late spring to early autumn, and indoors in the pavilion in winter or bad weather
- Virginia Woolf, Rupert Brooke, Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath are among the writers who came here, and the indoor Rupert Brooke Room is named after the poet
- Afternoon and cream teas are both on the menu, along with brunch, lunch and cakes
- The Orchard does not take bookings for cream teas, light bites or lunches, except for parties of ten or more, which need a deposit
- Afternoon tea is served from noon to 3:30pm and must be booked at least 48 hours ahead
- The tea garden was added to Cambridgeshire’s local heritage list in April 2026
Address: The Tea Rooms, 47 Mill Way, Grantchester, Cambridge CB3 9ND
Website: theorchardteagarden.co.uk
Phone: 01223 840230
How to book: Walk in for cream teas; book afternoon tea through the website at least 48 hours ahead
The Orchard is where most Cambridge people would send a visitor for tea, and it repeats from our romantic guide for good reason. This time the angle is the tea itself. In summer you sit in a deckchair under an apple tree with a pot of tea and a scone, which is about as low key as afternoon tea gets. Walk out across Grantchester Meadows, or punt up from the Mill Pond, and it feels earned. In winter it is a quieter, indoor affair, and the opening days are less certain, so a quick phone call saves a wasted trip.
Huntingdonshire and the Great Ouse
West of Cambridge the Great Ouse runs past Godmanchester and Huntingdon, and the old coaching road through Buckden still has its inns. Tea here tends to come with a river view, a Georgian house or a garden attached.
The Old Bridge Hotel, Huntingdon
Indoor activity
- An ivy-clad 18th century town house hotel on the bank of the Great Ouse, at the edge of Huntingdon town centre, now part of the Chestnut Group
- Full afternoon tea is served seven days a week from 2:30pm to 4:30pm, in the Restaurant or the Dining Room depending on the day
- The full tea must be booked, and the hotel asks for 24 hours’ notice
- The menu includes four finger sandwiches, a sausage roll, a cheese and onion tart, fruit and plain scones with local jam and clotted cream, and four sweets
- A more informal cream tea is served in the Lounge and Bar from 2:30pm without booking
- The Lounge and Bar are dog friendly, with a patio outside
- Dietary needs can be catered for with a little notice
- The Dining Room can be booked for large private afternoon tea groups, and there is a hotel car park
Address: 1 High Street, Huntingdon PE29 3TQ
Website: theoldbridgehuntingdon.com
Phone: 01480 424300
How to book: Book the full afternoon tea through the hotel website or by phone, giving 24 hours’ notice; no booking needed for cream tea in the Lounge
We have covered the Old Bridge before for its rooms and its wine shop, but its afternoon tea deserves its own mention. The savoury tier is more generous than most, with a proper sausage roll and a cheese and onion tart sitting alongside the sandwiches. The two-tier set-up is handy too: book the full tea for a celebration, or wander in with the dog for a cream tea in the Lounge. The river runs past the end of the garden, and the old stone bridge to Godmanchester is a few minutes’ walk. The riverside meadows can flood in winter, so stick to the roads if you are walking in.
The George Hotel, Buckden
Indoor activity
- A Grade II listed former coaching inn on the High Street in Buckden, between St Neots and Huntingdon, just off the A1
- Afternoon tea is served daily from 3pm to 5pm, according to its OpenTable listing
- Teas are served in the Orangery, which the hotel describes as a botanical setting
- Dietary needs and allergies must be given when booking, or at least 48 hours before the visit
- The hotel holds a 4.6 rating on OpenTable from more than 800 reviews, with diners’ reviews running through October 2026
- Buckden Towers, the former palace of the Bishops of Lincoln, is a short walk along the village street
Address: The George Hotel, 39 High Street, Buckden, St Neots PE19 5XA
Website: thegeorgebuckden.com
How to book: Online through the hotel website or OpenTable, or by phone on 01480 812300, giving dietary needs at the time of booking
The George suits a tea stop on a drive up or down the A1, as it is a couple of minutes off the road but feels nothing like a services. The Orangery is light and green, and on a winter afternoon it is the most cheerful room in the village. Buckden itself is worth twenty minutes before you sit down, with the Towers’ brick gatehouse and knot garden just along the street. Most reviews are warm, though not every one, so it is worth saying if it is a special occasion when you book.
Island Hall, Godmanchester
Indoor and outdoor
- A mid 18th century mansion on Post Street in Godmanchester, on the bank of the Great Ouse opposite Huntingdon, still a family home
- Afternoon tea here comes with a guided tour of the house on set dates, rather than as a walk-in tea room
- Candlelit tours with homemade tea, finger sandwiches and a slice of festive ginger cake run on 17 and 18 November 2026, from 3pm to 5:30pm, for up to 20 visitors
- Christmas candlelit tours with the same tea run on 8 and 9 December 2026
- A Christmas Piano Afternoon Tea with pianist Mark Burton runs on 10 December 2026 from 3pm to 5pm, with festive cake, unlimited tea and coffee and a glass of fizz, limited to 36 guests at shared tables
- Summer Invitation to View tours with tea and Victoria sponge ran on Tuesdays from April to September 2026 and all sold out, so book the 2027 dates as soon as they appear
- Free parking is available nearby, and the house points visitors to the Mill Yard public car park
Address: Island Hall, Post Street, Godmanchester
Website: islandhall.com
How to book: Candlelit tours through the Tickettailor links on the Island Hall what’s on page; the piano tea through Eventbrite; Invitation to View tours through Historic Houses
Island Hall is for anyone who wants their tea with a story. You are shown round a house that is still lived in, with the river beside it, and then you sit down to sandwiches and cake in rooms that are normally private. The candlelit November and December tours suit the season, when the light goes early and the house is at its cosiest. Numbers are small, and the summer tours sold out in 2026, so treat this as a book-now-or-miss-it tea. It pairs well with a walk across Port Holme meadow, if the meadow is not under water.
Ely, the Fens and Peterborough
Ely has the best concentration of tearooms outside Cambridge, all within a few minutes of the cathedral and the river. Further north, Peterborough’s tea tends to be served in old manor houses on the edge of the city, at Wansford and Orton Longueville.
The Old Fire Engine House, Ely
Indoor activity
- A family-run restaurant on St Mary’s Street in Ely, in a mid 18th century building where the city’s horse-drawn fire engine was once kept
- Afternoon tea is served from Tuesday to Sunday, from 3:45pm to 5:15pm
- Bookings are taken by phone only, not by email
- The restaurant was founded in 1968 by Ann Jarman and two friends, and four generations of the Fyson family have cooked here
- Claire, granddaughter of the original cook Olive Fyson, now manages the restaurant
- A photograph of the old fire engine hangs above the bar fire
- The restaurant closes for two weeks from 24 December, so a Christmas week tea is not possible
- The building has a walled garden and an art gallery upstairs
Address: 25 St Mary’s Street, Ely CB7 4ER
Website: theoldfireenginehouse.co.uk
Phone: 01353 662582
How to book: By phone only
We included the Old Fire Engine House in our romantic guide as a dinner spot, but its late afternoon tea is the better kept secret. The 3:45pm start is later than most, which makes it a natural end to a day at the cathedral, which is a short walk away. It feels like a family dining room rather than a hotel lounge, because in a sense it still is one. Booking is old fashioned, by phone only, so ring rather than looking for a booking button. Do not plan a visit in the last week of December, when it closes.
Poets House, Ely
Indoor activity
- A boutique hotel on St Mary’s Street in Ely, a short walk from the cathedral, with a restaurant serving food from 9am to 8:45pm daily
- The classic afternoon tea has finger sandwiches, cakes and warm scones with clotted cream and jam, and the menu changes with the season
- Afternoon tea must be booked at least 24 hours in advance and paid in full at the time of booking
- A glass of chilled bubbly can be added
- Afternoon tea gift vouchers cannot be redeemed at any time in December
- Bookings must be made directly with the hotel, by phone or through its contact page
Address: St Mary’s Street, Ely CB7 4EY
Website: poetshouse.co.uk
Phone: 01353 887777
How to book: Directly with the hotel at least 24 hours ahead, with full payment at booking
Poets House is the polished option in Ely, and the one to choose if you want a hotel tea without driving to Cambridge. It sits on the same street as the Old Fire Engine House, so you can pick between them on the day you want: Poets House serves food all day, while the Fire Engine House starts tea late in the afternoon. The pay-in-advance rule means it is better for planned occasions than spur of the moment visits. If you are using a voucher, remember that December is off limits. Our restaurant guide covers its evening menu.
Peacocks Tearoom, Ely
Indoor activity
- An independent tearoom on Waterside in Ely, close to the River Great Ouse and Jubilee Gardens
- Open Wednesday to Sunday from 9:30am to 5pm, with last orders at 4:30pm, and closed on Mondays and Tuesdays except bank holidays
- Group afternoon teas for ten or more can be arranged by email for Mondays and Tuesdays, when the tearoom is closed, or after 5:30pm on other days
- The tearoom has a long tea list
- The tearoom does not take bookings, so arrive early or off-peak at weekends to avoid a queue
- The building also runs as a bed and breakfast
Address: 65 Waterside, Ely CB7 4AU
Website: peacockstearoom.co.uk
How to book: No bookings for the tearoom; email about group afternoon teas for ten or more
Peacocks is the most traditional tea room in this guide, and, like the Orchard, a tearoom first and foremost rather than a hotel or restaurant. It sits at the bottom of the hill, a few steps from the river, so it makes a good reward after walking down from the cathedral or a stretch of the riverside path. Because it is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, plan a weekday visit for later in the week. Summer weekends bring queues, so go early.
The Haycock Manor Hotel, Wansford
Indoor activity
- A historic coaching inn hotel at Wansford, just off the A1 west of Peterborough, which says it is open 365 days a year
- Two afternoon tea offers are listed: a Taittinger Traditional Afternoon Tea and a Traditional Afternoon Tea with a signature cocktail
- The tea includes freshly made sandwiches, scones and cakes, with Sri Lankan teas chosen by a tea sommelier, according to a gift experience listing
- Serving days and times are not given on the hotel website, so check availability when booking
- The hotel’s Prévost restaurant is a separate fine dining room, covered in our restaurant guide
- The Nene Way footpath at Wansford has been closed until around early 2027, so check before planning a riverside walk with your tea
Address: The Haycock Manor Hotel, London Road, Wansford PE8 6JA
Website: haycock.co.uk
Phone: 01780 782223
How to book: Online through the hotel’s afternoon tea offer pages, or by phone
The Haycock is one of the Peterborough area’s best known hotels for a celebration tea, and its afternoon tea is also widely sold as a gift experience, so you will often see it in voucher form. The stone building and the gardens give it a country house feel even though the A1 is just behind it. It works well with a trip on the Nene Valley Railway from Wansford station across the river. The hotel page was updated in September 2026, but serving times are not published, so phone first.
Orton Hall Hotel, Peterborough
Indoor activity
- A 17th century manor house hotel set in 20 acres of parkland in the conservation village of Orton Longueville, on the south west side of Peterborough
- The hotel runs Christmas wreath decorating workshops with festive afternoon tea on Sunday 22 November and Sunday 6 December 2026
- Each workshop is two hours, led by Lily Cora Flowers, with all materials included and a wreath to take home
- Sessions run from noon to 3pm, 2pm to 5pm and an evening special from 5:30pm to 8pm
- The festive tea mixes sweet and savoury items with seasonal flavours
- The workshop and tea can be bought as a gift
- The hotel’s website does not list a regular year-round afternoon tea, so ask when you call
Address: Orton Hall Hotel, The Village, Orton Longueville, Peterborough PE2 7DN
Website: ortonhall.co.uk
Phone: 01733 391111
How to book: By phone or by emailing the events team through the hotel website
Orton Hall is in this guide for its festive wreath and tea afternoons, which run on two Sundays before Christmas. You make a wreath, take it home and eat well in between, which is a better way to spend a dark November Sunday than most. The house is a proper old manor in parkland, a few minutes from Ferry Meadows, so it is easy to add a walk. Places are limited, so book soon if you want one. Outside the festive dates, check with the hotel what tea is on offer.
Seasonal Highlights
Spring: Island Hall’s Invitation to View tours with afternoon tea started in late April in 2026 and sold out, so watch for the 2027 dates early in the year. Madingley Hall’s last-Sunday teas continue through the year, and the Orchard moves its tables back under the fruit trees from late spring.
Summer: Garden seating at the Garden House by the Cam and tea under the apple trees at the Orchard in Grantchester are at their best from June to August. Island Hall’s National Garden Scheme open day, with homemade teas, fell on 31 May in 2026.
Autumn: Parker’s Tavern runs its Halloween afternoon tea from mid October to 1 November and its Colleges of Cambridge tea from 2 to 15 November. Island Hall’s candlelit tours with tea run on 17 and 18 November 2026, and Orton Hall’s first wreath and festive tea afternoon is on 22 November.
Winter: The Christmas afternoon tea at Parker’s Tavern runs from 16 November to 3 January, Island Hall hosts Christmas candlelit tours on 8 and 9 December and a piano afternoon tea on 10 December 2026, and Orton Hall’s second wreath workshop is on 6 December. The Old Fire Engine House closes for two weeks from 24 December, and Poets House does not accept tea vouchers in December.
A Note From Inside Cambridge
We kept prices out of this guide on purpose. Afternoon tea is one of those things where the price changes with every new menu, and we would rather send you to the venue’s own page than print a figure that is wrong by Christmas.
If we have missed your favourite tearoom, especially in Wisbech, March, Whittlesey or Chatteris, please tell us. We would love to add a Fenland tea to the next version of this guide.
Before You Go
- Most hotel teas need booking, and several ask for 24 hours’ notice, while Madingley Hall needs 72 hours
- Poets House takes full payment at the time of booking, so check the cancellation terms before you pay
- Say if you have allergies or dietary needs when you book, as Parker’s Tavern, the George and the Old Bridge all ask for advance notice
- The Old Fire Engine House takes bookings by phone only, and Peacocks does not take bookings for the tearoom
- Madingley Hall serves tea on the last Sunday of the month only, and Island Hall only on set tour dates
- Christmas teas run from mid November in Cambridge, and the best weekend slots go first
- Ely, Huntingdon and Cambridge city centre parking can be tight on Saturdays, so allow extra time or use the train to Ely or park and ride into Cambridge
- Riverside walks to Grantchester, the Old Bridge and Island Hall can be muddy or flooded between November and March, so bring boots or take the road
