Afternoon Tea with a Savoury Twist in Cardiff and South Wales

I’m an absolutely massive fan of the traditional afternoon tea, but as an open minded food-addict, I’m quite willing to put savoury afternoon teas to the test. More and more restaurants, hotels, cafes and teahouses are offering a savoury twist to the traditional afternoon tea. Whilst this is often marketed as the “Gentleman’s afternoon tea”, I see no reason why we have to say women like dainty cakes and men like big burgers. I’m quite partial to both…

That being said, a savoury afternoon tea is an ideal gift for a boyfriend, husband, father or son, whether it’s for birthday, Christmas, anniversary or for Father’s Day. It was whilst researching for places to eat with my husband for Father’s Day that I stumbled across this concept and we both loved the idea of a savoury afternoon tea.

I’ve compiled a list of the afternoon teas with savoury twists available in Cardiff and South Wales. Let me know in the comments if you try any and what you thought!

Afternoon Tea with a Savoury Twist in Cardiff and South Wales

Gentleman’s Afternoon Tea at Park Plaza Cardiff – At the Laguna Kitchen and Bar in Park Plaza Hotel you can swap finger sandwiches for mini venison burgers, scones for chorizo scotch eggs and macaroons for Sirloin stuffed Yorkshire puddings. £22.95 on weekends. Now that’s an Afternoon Tea for Father’s Day!

Rib Slider’s Afternoon Tea at Celtic Manor Resort – Celtic Manor have several Afternoon Tea’s on offer. They have a Spring Afternoon Tea which is fairly traditional, and then a Mulberry Bar Afternoon Tea which includes Mulberry Treats and cocktails in their sumptuous Mulberry Bar. Then there’s the Rib’s Slider Afternoon Tea, which is a southern-inspired smokehouse afternoon tea. The menu includes sliders of bacon and cheese, pulled chicken, Thai fishcake and prawns, venison burger, bone marrow beef burger and skin-on fries. Now that’s a different style of Afternoon Tea for sure!

Gentleman’s Afternoon Tea at The Admiral, St David’s Hotel, Cardiff Bay – Chicken satay skewers, Welsh Rarebit, Pork Pie, Mini Beef Sliders and more replace the traditional sweet Afternoon Tea. £24 per person (which is also a quid cheaper than last year, so there’s a win). Unlike most venues, St. David’s also offers a specific Children’s Afternoon Tea for £14.50 which will make them feel way more grown up then just having a sandwich for them on the side! This is also a 10-15 minute walk from the Red Dragon Centre, where you could pair some bowling or a movie.

Savoury High Tea at Miskin Manor – Miskin Manor offers both traditional High Tea and a Savoury High Tea at £19.50 per person, with children’s options available at £9.75 for under 10s. The Savoury High Tea offers a contemporary twist with filled savoury scones, mini pastries, pies and burgers. This offers excellent value in a lovely historic setting, just outside Pontyclun. Savoury High Tea switches the traditional scones for pastries, pies and burgers.

Gentleman’s Afternoon Tea at Coed-Y-Mwstwr Hotel, Bridgend – This beautiful country house, tucked away in the Welsh woodland about 30 minutes from Cardiff and 10 minutes from Bridgend offers Gentleman’s Tea (in addition to traditional Afternoon Tea and High Tea) at £22.50 per person. It includes savoury sliders such as Welsh Beef, Y Fenni Cheese & Ham Melt, Fish and Chips and Lamb Kofta. It’s served with a tankard of beer as well!

Cheese Afternoon Tea at Cafe Rouge – This one is definitely a twist. I’m a big cheese lover, so yes please! Cafe Rouge (which has a restaurant in Cardiff City Centre) is offering a selection of cheese, garlic flatbread, baby figs, grapes, biscuits and croque monsieur. It’s more of a fancy cheeseboard than an afternoon tea, but I’m still on board. £30 for two, or £35 to include a glass of wine each.

Of course if you’re keen on a traditional afternoon tea experience in Cardiff or South Wales (and I don’t blame you, it’s a firm favourite in our house for a decadent treat), check out my review of Llanerch Vineyard for an amazing afternoon tea with authentic Welsh wine, The Deck, Cardiff Bay for some seriously high quality baked goods, Jasper’s Tea House for a small, homely surrounding, or The Exchange Hotel for a great atmosphere.

Have you had afternoon tea with a twist before?