I adore afternoon tea. I’ve had delicious afternoon teas in cities all over the UK including some of the best afternoon teas in York, and a themed afternoon tea in London, so when I read about afternoon tea at the Titanic Museum in Belfast, I knew I had to give it a try. There are lots of options for afternoon tea in Belfast, but none quite as iconic as at the Titanic Museum! Here is my full review of my Titanic afternoon tea at the Titanic Belfast, including all the information you will need to book your afternoon tea experience.
The Afternoon Tea Experience at the Titanic Belfast
When I arrived at the Titanic Museum I asked one of the staff members where to go. The lift up to the dining area is on the opposite side of the foyer to the main entrance, and the concierge there will welcome you, check your name off the list and direct you to the right floor in the lift. Follow the signs for Afternoon Tea, and you will be welcomed and taken through to the Titanic Suite to your table. Everything feels lavish and grand, I rather enjoyed the luxurious experience and service!
Afternoon Tea Titanic-style
At first glance, the Titanic Suite felt like any other function room, a little bland perhaps considering I had expected a ballroom. However, at the far side of the room, my eyes were drawn to the grand staircase, a replica of the staircase in the Titanic. At the top of the stairs, there is a clock carved out of wood with two figures on either side. The clock is set to 2.20am, the time that the RMS Titanic sank.
READ MORE: Why You Should have Afternoon Tea in the UK
There were references everywhere to the Titanic. The waiting staff had ‘crew’ on the back of their shirts, the menus and crockery bear the White Star Line crest, and the Titanic is marked underneath. You can even take home any leftovers in a little RMS Titanic luggage box.
The Grand Staircase in the Titanic Suite
After researching the staircase on the internet, it turns out that the actual staircase on the Titanic was never photographed – the photos of the ‘original’ staircase are actually of another White Star Line ship. At any rate, the staircase is beautiful and is identical to the one where Leo was waiting for Kate Winslet in the film. Even though it’s over 20 years since the release of the film, I still remember the dashing Leo in his tuxedo and Kate as she descended the staircase in that gorgeous gown. Anyway, back to the afternoon tea!
The Afternoon Tea Menu at the Titanic Belfast
The afternoon tea menu at the Titanic changes with the seasons, so you will likely get a different menu when you visit. However, you can expect a selection of finger sandwiches, savoury items, scones and cakes, all served with your choice of tea. You can also include prosecco or champagne with your afternoon tea for an extra special treat.
Savoury Items
The selection of sandwiches was my least favourite part of the afternoon tea menu. Two-quarters of sandwiches (a coronation chicken and a BLT sandwich) together with one small open focaccia sandwich with mozzarella and roasted peppers honestly looked a little sad on the large plate the waiter placed on my table.
Of course, I was just one person so the plate would fill up if you were with more people. However, even taking that into account I felt they could have been more generous with the sandwiches! There was also a shot glass of gazpacho soup, a vegetable samosa and a tiny tartlet with feta, pea and mint. These were tasty, but were gone oh so quickly! The samosa was especially delicious as I adore Indian food.
Sweet & Savoury Scones
It wouldn’t be afternoon tea without scones, and in this case, there was a savoury Coleraine mature cheddar scone and a buttermilk scone which were served with Irish butter, preserves and clotted cream. The scones were delicious, although rather small.
Cake Selection
This is where the afternoon tea at the Titanic really wows. The mini cakes were all beautifully presented, looking and tasting delicious. There was a good variety of flavours and textures, including an apple and pecan croissant, a mango and summer berry cheesecake, a strawberry and white chocolate meringue and a raspberry and lemon curd sponge.
My favourite sweet item though had to be the salted caramel pot au crème, which was a smooth chocolate caramel goo in a little pot, which I would have licked clean were I not in polite company. The raspberry and lemon curd sponge was light, moist and full of flavour, and tasted meringue tasted as good as it looked.
Cutting Cake
An added bonus which I hadn’t expected was the table of cutting cake which was right in front of the grand staircase. A rich red velvet cake and rows of pale pink rose petal and orange blossom macaroons were laid out for guests to help themselves. There were even boxes provided that you could take away a doggie bag of extra desserts if you couldn’t manage to finish.
I didn’t take any away with me though as I had a couple of pieces of cake while I was there. The red velvet cake was delicious but the filling was very sweet, so I would be surprised if anyone could manage more than a slice or two. The macaroons, on the other hand, were very moreish! I love macaroons and these were some of the best I have ever had.
Selection of Teas
Of course, no afternoon tea is complete without the tea! I chose a fruity tea called ‘Hedgerow Heaven’ which was tasty, and there were various other flavoured teas to choose from, including peppermint, ginger and lemon, rose tea, earl grey, Irish breakfast tea and the Titanic Luxury House Tea, which is a special blend of Indian Assam tea and Kenyan tea leaves.
Entertainment for your Afternoon Tea Titanic Experience
Live music accompanies the afternoon tea experience, when I went it was a duo playing jazz and easy listening covers of popular songs, which was enjoyable and not overpowering. They also announced a couple of special occasions which guests were celebrating, there was a birthday and an anniversary while I was there, which was a nice touch. If you are worried about it being too loud you could request a table away from the stage.
Titanic Afternoon Tea Prices
Titanic Belfast Afternoon Tea – £28.50 per person
Afternoon Tea including a mocktail – £34 per person
Afternoon Tea including a glass of Prosecco or cocktail – £36.50 per person
Afternoon Tea including a glass of Champagne – £38.50 per person
If you are bringing the family, children aged 2-11 have their own kids afternoon tea menu, which costs £14 per child.
If you would like to visit the Titanic Museum, you can also buy a combined ticket which covers museum entry and your afternoon tea. Please be aware that the afternoon tea prices here do not include entry to the museum, also called the Titanic Experience. If you would like to do both, make sure you leave enough time to visit the museum either before or after your afternoon tea.
When to Have Afternoon Tea at The Titanic
Afternoon tea is only served in the Titanic Suite with the replica staircase on Sundays. Sittings are available between 12.50 PM and 2.30 PM, so I highly recommend booking in advance online. You may be able to get tickets when you arrive at the Titanic Museum, but if you know when you are travelling to Northern Ireland and when you will be in Belfast, making an advanced reservation will avoid any disappointment.
Each afternoon tea table is booked for a maximum of two hours, which is plenty of time to enjoy your meal, and take lots of photographs on the staircase. I would recommend booking your afternoon tea as early as possible; it isn’t clear how the tables are allocated, but I booked for one person at 1.10pm and was lucky to get a table right at the front close to the staircase. Most of the outer tables filled up later on – but that isn’t a guarantee that the earlier you book the closer you will be, there may be other factors the Titanic use to arrange the seating plan.
How to Book Afternoon Tea in the Titanic Museum
I recommend booking your afternoon tea in advance online if you can, the booking system on the Titanic Belfast museum is very easy to use and you pay in advance. I booked my afternoon tea the night before I wanted to go, and everything went wonderfully smoothly. You can book your afternoon tea at the Titanic Belfast here.
What I loved about Afternoon Tea at the Titanic Museum
The selection of cakes was wonderful, they were all delicious and I loved that you could help yourself to the cutting cake and macaroons.
The staircase was obviously fabulous for photographs, and history buffs, as well as fans of the 1997 Titanic movie, will get a kick out of all the photo opportunities on the staircase.
Little Titanic touches were everywhere, from the ‘Crew’ shirts which the waiting staff wore, to the White Star Line menus and crockery, and the cute Titanic luggage take-away box all added to the experience.
Anything I didn’t like?
I felt that the savoury items on the afternoon tea menu were the weak point – not that they were bad but compared to the presentation and taste of the sweet items there really is no comparison. I would have liked to have a couple more finger sandwiches of different fillings, and a larger savoury flan or quiche would have been nice.
The Titanic afternoon tea menu does change with the seasons, so by the time you visit you may well have different options provided. The servings weren’t overly generous; however, I do have a notoriously large appetite and after helping myself to a couple of portions of the cutting cake I was nicely full.
Final Thoughts
Overall it felt like a very special experience, and I thought it was good value for the experience and the food. I really enjoyed feeling like a VIP for the afternoon, and there were plenty of people available to take the obligatory photograph of me on the stairs.
Other Options for Afternoon Tea in Belfast
If you are looking for an afternoon tea in Belfast city centre or are in town on other days instead of Sunday, there are other options that are a little closer than the Titanic Museum.
Afternoon Tea at the Merchant Hotel Belfast
The Merchant Hotel in Belfast is a luxurious option for your afternoon tea and has a range of menus to choose from, including vegetarian, nut-free and gluten-free as well as an extra special Krug champagne afternoon tea which includes caviar and a bottle of Krug Cuvee champagne for £275 for two people. The standard afternoon tea is £28 per person during the week, and £33 per person at the weekend, so you can still treat yourself every day of the week! Read more.
Afternoon Tea at the Fitzwilliam Hotel Belfast
Afternoon tea at the Fitzwilliam includes a selection of sandwiches, scones and a range of sweet treats, the summer menu includes Eton mess, glazed cherry chocolate gateau and the Chef’s macaroons, among others, all for £25 per person – delicious! Read more.
What do you think, will you choose an afternoon tea at the Titanic or another afternoon tea in Belfast? I’d love to hear your comments below.
This post first appeard on Tales of a Backpacker