Afternoon tea at the Double Red Duke, Bicester Village

There’s a particular kind of afternoon that Bicester Village lends itself to rather well: one that involves a focused hour or two of browsing and ends with someone needing to sit down properly and be fed something good. Afternoon tea, as it turns out, is a sensible answer.

We serve afternoon tea at The Double Red Duke, right inside the village. House-made scones with clotted cream and jam, neatly cut sandwiches, cakes and tea poured as it should be. For those who want something a step up, we also serve glasses of 100 Hills sparkling wine from an Oxfordshire vineyard we think very highly of. It’s the kind of afternoon tea that earns its keep.

Here’s what to expect.

What’s on the tier

The classic structure is intact: sandwiches , cakes and scones —  made in-house, served with proper clotted cream and jam. The difference between a bought-in scone and one made the same day is not subtle, and ours are the latter.

The sandwich selection stays close to the traditional range. Cakes change with the season and the kitchen’s thinking. The whole thing is put together with the same care as the rest of the menu here: simple good food that’s not over-designed or trying to reinvent anything.

Tea is poured properly. The selection covers English Breakfast, Earl Grey and a few others. If you know what you want, ask.

The sparkling wine

Hundred Hills is an Oxfordshire vineyard whose sparkling wines we like a great deal. We’ve put their bottles on the afternoon tea for a reason — partly the quality, partly because there’s something right about drinking a wine made a county away whilst sitting in a room that feels like it came straight from the Cotswolds.

If you’re marking an occasion, a birthday, an anniversary, or a shopping trip that has gone better than expected, the sparkling wine makes the whole thing feel more deliberate. Which is saying something, given that the tea alone is already a proper event.

When to come

Mid-afternoon is the right window, roughly 3pm to 5pm. Enough time to eat without rushing, and a natural pause in the day. We’d recommend booking ahead, particularly at weekends and bank holidays when the village is at its busiest. Afternoon tea fills up faster than the dinner service. Weekdays are calmer, but booking is still the safer option.

Who it’s for

Afternoon tea suits a specific set of occasions better than almost anything else. A birthday with a group who want something celebratory but not a full dinner out. A mother and daughter trip that deserves more than a coffee and a muffin. Two people who want an excuse to sit down for an hour. A solo visit where a book and a scone needs no further justification.

At Bicester Village specifically, it also works as a reason to come that has nothing to do with the shopping. You don’t need to have spent the morning in the outlet stores. Come for the tea, browse a little on the way out, or don’t browse at all. Both are perfectly good afternoons.

The Afternoon Tea Terrace 

The Double Red Duke at Bicester carries the character of the original — a 17th-century Cotswold inn in Clanfield into a different building. The dining room is relaxed rather than formal: a proper bar, warm tones, tables spaced for people who plan to stay a while. It doesn’t feel like a hotel lobby. We also have our afternoon tea terrace. On the first floor and protected from the elements when it’s chilly but a lovely space to enjoy the sunshine when it’s not. Garden planters abound  and we’ve even got a roaring fire. Take you time and sit back away from the hustle and bustle below

Getting here and making a weekend of it

Bicester Village has its own railway station, with direct trains from London Marylebone taking around 46 minutes. By road, parking is straightforward and the village is well-signposted. The Double Red Duke is inside the village, follow the signs from the main entrance.

If you want to make a proper trip of it, our original Double Red Duke in Clanfield is 25 minutes by car — 19 rooms, a shepherd’s hut spa and the same kitchen sensibility. The Wild Duck in Ewen, near Cirencester, is another option if you’re after somewhere to stay in the wider Cotswolds. Not a bad combination for a weekend away.

How to book

Table reservations for afternoon tea can be made here. For groups, weekend visits or any specific occasion, we’d suggest booking as far ahead as you reasonably can.