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Itinerary Ideas , London , Restaurant Review · October 30, 2022

Indulge in Luxury with the Sunborn Yacht Afternoon Tea

Sunborn Yacht afternoon tea is a luxury experience for those who are looking for something different. Set in a stunning space with an amazing view of the Docklands, it’s perfect for people who want to enjoy a traditional afternoon tea with a twist. I mean, how often do you get to enjoy afternoon tea on a yacht?

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Where is the Sunborn Yacht?

London Docklands, as with so much of the city, is steeped in history. In its prime, it was the part of the port of London, which at one time was the biggest port in the world. Over the years the ports of London scaled back massively and the area was neglected, becoming a not so desirable part of the city. Thankfully, a lot of money was invested and London Docklands has become a vibrant, modern and desirable place to spend time.

The Sunborn Yacht is permanently docked in what was formerly the Royal Victoria Docks. These days, it’s just a stone’s throw from the Excel exhibition centre, and surrounded by hotels, bars and residential areas.

From the restaurant where afternoon tea is served, the view looks out over the water, with flats in the distance and the city of London creates a dramatic skyline.

As you approach Sunborn Yacht, it’s hard not to have a wow moment. Claimed to be the only super yacht hotel experience available in the UK, it is eye-wateringly huge and not easy to miss as you approach.

On board, there are standard hotel rooms and luxurious suites, as well as a restaurant and bar. The restaurant hosts guests and general public for both dinner and afternoon tea, enjoyed with stunning views of London from the aptly named Land’s End Restaurant.

Sunborn Yacht also offers conference space, and if you’re really after the wow factor, you can even get married on the yacht!

Sunborn Yacht Afternoon Tea menu

As with most traditional afternoon teas, the Sunborn Yacht offers a three-tier dining experience. On the bottom layer, the sandwiches are lined up for easy viewing of the fillings. Middle layer follows traditional afternoon tea with the scones, and on the top layer are the desserts.

The sandwiches on offer are traditional British choices such as ham and mustard, coronation chicken, salmon and creme fraiche, beef and horseradish and egg mayo. Served with different types of bread, with one filling in a brioche roll, this is far from a standard sandwich plate.

Moving on to the scone layer, two raisin scones are on offer per person, accompanied by clotted cream and a small jar of fruit jam or preserve. Although the scones are modest in size, they’re delicious and the perfect size to be enjoyed alongside the rest of the afternoon tea.

Coming to the final dish of sweets, this is where the creativity of the chef usually comes through. For the Sunborn Yacht afternoon tea, you’re treated to an Earl Grey panna cotta – keeping on trend with the afternoon tea – plus a chocolate delice, a mini jam tart and a delicious passionfruit cheesecake.

You can view the full Sunborn Yacht afternoon tea menu as of October 2022 here .

How to book Afternoon Tea on the Sunborn Yacht

You can book afternoon tea directly on the Sunborn Yacht website , or via a third party provider.

Can I buy a voucher?

The Sunborn Yacht Afternoon Tea is a unique idea for a gift, and vouchers are available for afternoon tea or afternoon tea with cocktails directly on the Sunborn Yacht website .

There are also vouchers on Wowcher for a discounted rate, though there are usually time limitations on these, for example only during the week.

Does the yacht move?

Nope! The yacht is permanently moored in the dock, and has virtually no movement or swaying despite being in the water.

Is there a dress code?

Afternoon tea is still considered a nice way to spend the afternoon and an event to dress up for. While there’s no formal dress code, you’ll likely feel a little out of place if you turn up in joggers and a hoody. It’s best to aim for smart-casual.

How to get to Sunborn Yacht

By car: Sunborn Yacht is permanently docked just next door to the Excel Exhibition Centre, so the car park there is conveniently located to use for access.

By public transport: If you’re arriving by tube, the nearest stations are Custom House (Elizabeth Line and DLR) or Canning Town (Jubilee Line).

By cable car: If you’re coming from/ going to Greenwich after, don’t miss the opportunity to catch the cable car!

Can you stay on board the Sunborn Yacht?

If you’re looking for a really luxurious experience, you can pair your afternoon tea with a stay on board the Sunborn Yacht Hotel . It’s a great location for exploring East London, but with accommodation as quirky and fancy as this, wouldn’t you want to stay on board and enjoy it?

My experience

My cousin recently got married and as a belated celebration we had a girl’s day enjoying the Sunborn Yacht afternoon tea. Four of us made our way to the yacht on a chilly October day, with the rain clouds threatening overhead.

Stepping out from the dockside lift into the main lobby, we were greeted with an instant wow factor. The grand chandelier hung between the curved staircases, and we made our way up to the restaurant to be shown to our table. It was fairly quiet in the restaurant despite being 1pm on a Saturday, but we didn’t mind as we were here for two things: cakes and catch ups.

The staff were very attentive, and our hot drinks appeared in front of us in no time: two teas, two coffees. As we started to settle in, the plate stands were placed on the table and we got stuck in. I don’t know about you, but our method is start at the bottom with the sandwiches, and work our way up to the scones and then desserts.

My mum and I shared our plate stand, offering to swap sandwiches we each didn’t like. My favourite was the ham and mustard on soft, squidgy white bread, with just enough mustard to give it a hint of ohh without overpowering the thick slices of ham.

Moving up the scones, the age old debate of jam or cream first was quickly settled with a generous smooshing of both. I had an unusual selection of blackcurrant jam, and while initially I wasn’t sure, it turned out to be quite a nice change. The other pot of jam on our plate was raspberry, a firm favourite in my family to have with scones.

The top plate was calling to us, but we’re old hands at this afternoon tea game and knew the key was pacing. Thankfully we were in great company and managed to stretch our afternoon tea out over several hours, being offered top ups on our drinks at regular intervals. By the time we were ready to head off, any leftover food had really been sat out too long to request a doggy bag.

Would I recommend it?

Absolutely! The yacht is very impressive, and although a large portion of it is the hotel, the view from the restaurant over the water is gorgeous. If it’s a sunny day and you can sit outside, just wow. There aren’t many places you can enjoy afternoon tea on a boat in London, so it has a unique feel to it.

The food was delicious and the service was excellent, what more could you ask for? Oh, price. In comparison to the cost of afternoon tea at some of London’s fancier spots, the Sunborn Yacht afternoon tea is very reasonably priced, especially if you can snag a voucher on a discount website!

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Reader Interactions

October 30, 2022 at 5:00 pm

I’m always up for afternoon tea, and the Sunborn looks like the perfect place to be! PS: I’m a jam first, then cream gal! 😉

October 30, 2022 at 9:32 pm

Jam then cream? Controversial 😜

November 1, 2022 at 12:26 pm

I never say no to an Afternoon Tea in London and this one is very close to my former base in East London. Definitely a cool spot to check out. The pricing is very moderate and I would love to try it myself. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and making me aware that this experience exists.

Carolin | Solo Travel Story

November 1, 2022 at 2:32 pm

Such an amazing way to spend an afternoon for a special occasion! Now that I think of it, I don’t think I’ve had a proper afternoon tea ever, even during my stay in the UK – though I *did* have a lot of scones (with cream first! I think my method would be the same as you: starting at the bottom then making my way to the top layers!

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Afternoon Tea at Sunborn Yacht Hotel London

If you happen to be around ExCeL London , visit this restaurant. Do not delay your visit – seriously, the British cuisine is waiting for you. At Afternoon Tea at Sunborn Yacht Hotel London , visitors may try tasty Scones , brioches and baked scones . It's time to degustate good champagne or delicious prosecco . Tea that you will order is great. Guests don't highly appreciate meat sandwiches at this place.

Come to this spot to celebrate an anniversary, wedding or a birthday party. The appealing waitstaff works hard, stays positive and makes this place great. At this restaurant, people can enjoy the pretty atmosphere and lovely decor. But google users rated Afternoon Tea at Sunborn Yacht Hotel London and it didn't gain a high rating.

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Guest Rooms

Imagine a luxury room on a glamorous yacht hotel in the very heart of London’s Docklands. A stay aboard Sunborn London presents visitors with the opportunity to enjoy a unique experience: the privacy and exclusivity of an ocean-going yacht combined with the quality and comfort of a top-class hotel.

Yacht Suites

Reserve a Yacht Executive Suite or Yacht Junior Suite aboard Sunborn London and step into a world of luxury. With extensive living space inside and out, and panoramic city vistas, it’s the ideal setting for an unforgettable stay in this prime London location. Our four suites also include a complimentary mini bar with the items below.

Guest Services

Expect a prompt, round-the-clock response to every request, and impressive attention to detail – from private cocktail parties to personalised floral displays.

Hotel Reservations

For all updates on reservations please register your interest here.

Conference & Event Reservations

We’re now taking conference and event reservations.

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Travel with Rob and Sue

Excellent stay at the Sunborn Yacht Hotel

Earlier in the year we purchased an experience package for a three course meal in London (plus cocktail) and a trip up the shard, both of which we will be reviewing separately.

The biggest question for us was, how are we travelling down and where are we staying. Again, that’s another story by itself, so we will skip that for now.

As you might know, we generally use Booking.com for our hotel arrangements and on this occasion we finally decided to stay at the London Sunborn Yacht Hotel, moored adjacent to the Excel centre in the heart of the Docklands.

To be honest, I’ve been drawn to this hotel since it was first introduced, but it’s always been slightly too expensive for us and in the past we have considered it too far off the beaten track. But an amazing midweek deal being offered (along with a free upgrade to Classic King river view) meant we couldn’t turn it down – it was cheaper than the Holiday Inn Express North Greenwich (which had been our first choice) and also a couple of other budget hotels in the same area.

And of course, we couldn’t pretend the thought of staying on a luxury yacht didn’t have a little extra appeal to us.

Now I’ve found out since our stay that I was totally mistaken in thinking this was a converted cruise ship – far from it. The Sunborn Yachts are built specifically as floating hotels, and although they may appear to be fully sea worthy even down to the fitted radars, they have no engines and had to be towed to their dock where they are secured to concrete pillars and don’t move at all – so no chance of being seasick during your stay.

But once onboard, it’s easy to be fooled into believing you are on a luxury cruise liner waiting to set sail to some exotic destination. With it’s exotic brass, chrome and sparkling crystal staircase as the central feature as you take the lift up to the reception, and it’s beautiful large deluxe cabins, you are treated to an elegance that you will not find in many similar ranked premium hotels in the city – in fact, we have stayed in some of the more famous brand central hotels and found their rooms to be small, sometimes old and tired and often very poorly spec’d in comparison with the Sunborn.

The room was full of plush carpets, polished wood, a decent sized TV, a HUGE bathroom with large walk-in shower, plenty of wardrobe space, and of course, the usual safe, tea making facilities, coffee machine, iron (you wont find one of THOSE on a cruise ship) and the NIGEST mirrors I’ve ever seen in a room. And not on the ceiling which is a definite bonus!

Of course, we love our cruises so I guess we were always going to feel a little awestruck and also feel quite at home in the quasi-nautical environment, but nevertheless the hotel delivered on all fronts for us.

Food and beverages are served in either the main restaurant or the bar behind the reception. As we had arrived quite late for the first of our two night stay, we gave the main restaurant a miss (plus it was quite pricey in our opinion – although probably on par with many London dining venues) and instead we chose to eat in the bar, where we had two reasonably priced and very tasty chicken Caesar salads. The menu was reasonable in terms of choices, and all the food we saw coming out to other tables looked well presented and good value (except maybe for the £12 bread and olives?)

Drinks again were London prices, although the cocktails were exceptionally pricey in my opinion – £18 for a cocktail and a whopping £9.50 for a mocktail – I don’t see the justification in that price for what is in effect a soft drink. And don’t forget the 12.5% service charge on top of the bar bill!

Breakfast is served in the main dining room and although I’ve read a few odd complaints on tripadvisor and booking.com, we found the quality of breakfast on both days to be exceptional. There was plenty of choice, cold and hot buffets, pastries, cereals, toast etc.

The food was hot, fresh and plentiful on both days – and although people have complained about cold plates which were adjacent to the hot buffet, there was a separate hot plate warmer just prior to the buffet if you preferred a warm plate – maybe people missed this, I certainly did the first morning.

We had breakfast at 8:15 on the Wednesday morning and 8:45 on the Thursday, and it was quiet on the Wednesday and becoming busy on the Thursday, so our advice is get there early before the crowds arrive. I imagine the weekend is a quite busy time so again, the earlier the better.

The bar wasn’t overly busy and I went down for a drink on my own on the Thursday evening after Sue had turned in for the night, and it was virtually deserted.

There’s a nice outside area off the bar where you can sit and watch the cable cars in the distance, but unfortunately it was quite miserable and chilly on the Thursday evening and not really fit to be sat outside.

Checkout the next morning was simple, and we were soon on our way.

A word about parking – although booking.com says no hotel parking, that’s not strictly true as there IS disabled parking right outside the hotel which we discovered by accident and arranged access the day before. Access is via a controlled barrier and you have to arrange this with the hotel prior to arrival.

Alternatively, the Excel Orange car park is the next closest, about 10-15 mins walk I believe, as I don’t think there is a direct route through the centre to the hotel and I think you would have to walk around the outside somehow – it’s the only thing that the Excel website doesn’t make crystal clear – i.e. pedestrian access to and from it.

Custom House DLR station is 5 mins walk and the IFScloud cable cars (formerly the Emirates Air cable cars) is 5 mins the opposite direction, which takes you over to North Greenwich and the O2 arena, close to North Greenwich tube station, local bus routes and also the Uber Boat, with stops all the way up the Thames, so the hotel actually is very well connected.

The hotel is just off the A13 if travelling by car, disabled access is via Western Gateway otherwise follow the signs for the Excel parking. Note, the venue is within the ULEZ charging zone, so unless your car is ULEZ exempt – check on their website – you will have a daily charge to pay on top of any parking.

That all sounds splendid – but any downsides? Well, apart from the prices in the restaurant, our only slight beef would be the lack of a proper disabled / accessible toilet. Apparently the toilets on floor 5 were wider and easy to enter with a wheelchair, but it still meant I have to endure my pet hate of walking into the ladies toilet with Sue, which always seems a little strange and embarrassing for me.

But when that’s the only thing on offer…

Will we stay again? Absolutely, we loved the ambience, the sizeable well fitted rooms – sorry, cabins – (and you’ll never find a cruise line with standard outside cabins as large and as plush as these), and the fairly easy access on the DLR to the city centre.

Next time, if the price is right, we will try a balcony cabin and see if the addition of a balcony is worth the additional expense, considering that you can’t see much and the ship doesn’t go anywhere!

Rob and Sue

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