I tried 2 restaurants at Kensington Palace, and the royal afternoon tea was the clear winner

• I wanted to see what it would be like to dine like royalty, so I tried two restaurants in the grounds of Kensington Palace last week.
• The official residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge has a palace cafe and The Pavilion restaurant located on the grounds.
• While the cafe would be a good place to stop for a cup of tea after a day of exploring, I found that The Pavilion was the better choice.
• The Pavilion was far more unique – it’s the only restaurant located within a royal palace to offer afternoon tea to its guests.
• Although more expensive than the cafe, the £34 ($43) price tag was worth it and I’ll definitely be returning to the restaurant in the future.
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I was excited to try the Kensington Palace cafe and The Pavilion restaurant, both located on the grounds of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s royal residence.

My first stop was the palace cafe, which from the outside looked elegant and spacious.

Once inside, however, I realized it was pretty crowded due to the cafe being attached to the palace gift shop. It was just after 10 a.m. on a Thursday morning, so I certainly hadn’t expected it to be busy.

I skimmed the gift shop before ordering my food, and noticed some baby Archie merchandise had been discounted. I don’t know whether this was linked to Harry and Meghan stepping down, but it sure is a funny coincidence if not.

Back to the food. I wanted to order breakfast, but noticed most of the items were pre-made sandwiches or savory pastries.

I ended up settling on a pot of English breakfast tea and two sweet pastries for a total of £8 ($10), which I thought was a little overpriced.

I won’t go as far as to say the pastries tasted stale … but they definitely didn’t seem fresh, despite the fact I arrived just after the cafe opened at 10 a.m.

Since I’ve already visited inside the palace before, I decided to venture out to the grounds before making my way to the next restaurant. As expected, the February weather was pretty dreary so I didn’t stay outside for long.

By the time 12 p.m. rolled around, I was excited to try the Kensington Palace Pavilion, which was just next door to the cafe. I hoped I wouldn’t be as disappointed as I had been with my breakfast.

The restaurant looks onto the Sunken Gardens, the famous location of Harry and Meghan’s engagement photocall.

However, the garden was in the process of refurbishment, so it was unrecognizable. I wasn’t too upset, though — if the cafe had taught me anything, it was not to judge a place on first appearances.

There were only two other groups in the restaurant, and I was the only person who was there alone. Despite this, I felt extremely comfortable, and my waitress was happy to answer my questions about the menu and explain all the options.

Kensington Palace prides itself on being the only royal palace in Britain where you can enjoy afternoon tea — I went for the £34 ($43) standard option.

The pavilion afternoon tea included a pot of English breakfast tea. While it didn’t taste any better quality than the cafe’s tea, the presentation alone made it a winner for me.

The food, which was served on a three-tier cake stand, blew me away before I had the first bite.

The first course included a cucumber sandwich, an egg sandwich, a mini sausage roll, and paté.

Next up were two scones with a pot of jam and clotted cream.

Unlike the pastries from the cafe next door, these tasted utterly delicious — like they were fresh out of the oven.

Then it was time for the final round of treats — a mini Victoria sponge cake, a slice of chocolate cake, and a slice of lemon cheesecake.

I was still so full from the scones, however, that I didn’t think I’d manage it. Luckily, the staff were nice enough to box them up so I could take them back for my colleagues at Insider.

My colleagues were just as impressed with the royal treats as I was.

The remaining slices of cake were gobbled up within minutes of my return to the office.

When my colleagues asked about my experience dining at the palace, I couldn’t rave enough about the afternoon tea – and in turn, I noticed that I hardly mentioned anything about its rival cafe.

That’s because, to me, there really was no competition. Sure, the cafe would likely be the place to go for a cup of tea and a sandwich after a long walk exploring Will and Kate’s home.

But if you’re looking to add something a little extra special to your visit, I’d recommend The Pavilion.

The afternoon tea cost $33 more than my breakfast at the cafe, but trust me - it's worth every penny to dine like royalty.