Kona Afternoon Tea - (Near Westminster, South East)

4 /5 Shweta Rajani: Rating 3.5/5: Visited Kona at the Taj for a friend’s birthday celebration. The ambience is stunning and the food was genuinely lovely—beautifully presented and delicious. However, the 1 hour 30 minute table limit really took away from the experience. Afternoon tea is meant to be relaxed, but we felt rushed, which was disappointing for a special occasion. Overall, a gorgeous setting with great food, but the strict timing does impact the ability to fully enjoy the experience.

5 /5 Kavya Raj: We had booked the Taj Afternoon tea experience for a special occasion and went for Midsummer night and Jasmine afternoon tea options each. We absolutely loved every single second of this experience from being greeted by the lovely staff the second we walked in, the tiny surprises to being taken through the story of how this came to be to finish off our experience. Both Abi and Pavithra made our occasion extra special with their service, particularly their attention to detail and care shown was amazing. Taj experience is always special, but this one went above and beyond. It was more than what we could have asked for!!

5 /5 Ashley Ellis: Wow what an experience. We did the midwinters night dream tea. It was amazing. Our server was very attentive and knowledgeable on the menu. It is a tad expensive but you get a lot of food and tea. The experience well covers the price and if in London is a must!

5 /5 Christine Kinsey: I had the absolute pleasure of enjoying afternoon tea at Kona at the St. James Court Hotel, and it was nothing short of exquisite. The A Midsummer Night’s Dream theme was magical and enchanting, with stunning presentation that made the entire experience feel whimsical and special from start to finish. As a vegetarian, I was especially impressed by the abundance and thoughtfulness of the vegetarian options, and it’s clear a lot of care went into ensuring they were just as creative and delicious as everything else. Every detail felt intentional and beautifully done. The service was truly out of this world. Sudish and Abi took exceptional care of me, making the experience feel warm, welcoming, and effortlessly elegant. Their attentiveness and kindness elevated the afternoon even further. This afternoon tea was an absolute highlight of my stay, and I cannot wait to return. A must-visit for anyone looking for a refined yet magical tea experience in London.

4 /5 Naila the Foodie: My family and I recently dined at this establishment and had the Midsummer Nights Dream afternoon tea. Everything was delicious and fun to try. A mixture of different flavors you wouldnt expect, like passion fruit and dark chocolate, surprisingly go well together. Compliments to this restaurant for giving their customers a pleasant surprise with their food! The Chicken Sandwich was our favourite, really flavorful and it was halal. Yes, another plus is their ability to match a variety of dietary needs. Service was excellent, especially by Istefar (I believe thats her name, apologies!). She was very patient with us, accommodating to our needs and super polite. However, there is a lot that needs to be improved. First, the restaurant inside is pretty cramped so that you had to eat in a considerably small area next to other guests. You could hear everyones conversations, servers were struggling to get past each other, and it was a little too intimate for my liking. Ive never experienced such a tight space afternoon tea before, I couldnt truly relax until food was served. Next, you do feel pretty rushed here. Ive also never experienced an afternoon tea that made you feel you had to quickly finish eating. Usually we spend as much time as we like, eating and enjoying our conversation. But here, you dont get that luxury. Staff were as nice about it as they could possibly be, its not their fault of course. I started to feel sick afterwards because of the pressure. Well, at least thats pretty telling of the large portion sizes they give here! Still, 1.5 hours is just not enough to experience everything here. A few more mentions of improvement is that, even though it was good for the mood, you were given a big pot of pumpkin seeds surrounding a fairy cake for starters. The seeds portion one couldnt possibly finish. I know youre not supposed to eat them all but wasting so much food like that, which Im sure they do for hygiene reasons, just doesnt sit right with me. It is pretty expensive here but like I said earlier, you do get a lot of food and leftovers was packaged away carefully for us. You get Scones after all the food is finished too, and the opportunity to ask for more of whatever food you liked most. And a lot of effort has gone into making the experience special even if it was short. Like a "love potion" shot, halal as well, to make you care a little more about the story. An unlimited supply of tea is always really exciting too :)