Tourist taken aback by cost of hidden cafe at Buckingham Palace

A tourist was left gobsmacked after discovering a "secret" café at Buckingham Palace and being charged an "extreme" £11 for a slice of cake and a bottle of water.

Callum Ryan, 24, had shelled out £35 for a general admission ticket to explore the Palace gardens on July 22, 2025. To his surprise, he stumbled upon a café nestled behind the Royal residence, open for a limited 10-week period during the summer months until the end of September.

Despite being taken aback by the price list, which included an afternoon tea box for two priced at £50, Callum decided to treat himself to a slice of carrot cake and a bottle of water. The content creator from Wandsworth, London, found the Palace's pricing "reasonable" given the regal surroundings and expressed his desire to return with his girlfriend.

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He shared: "It wasn't rammed in the café, and wasn't as busy as I thought it would be, which was nice, and the atmosphere wasn't too bad either. I would pay money for this again, and I would love to take my family and girlfriend here because I think this is a really good experience."

After spotting an advertisement online, Callum booked his visit to the Buckingham Palace gardens on July 22, 2025. Upon paying £35 for a general admission ticket, he discovered the café situated on Buckingham Palace's West Terrace, just beyond the exit from the State Rooms.

Callum added: "You see a lot of Buckingham Palace behind the scenes, and you get to see things that you never see before. There were things that have been there since the palace first opened, and I even got to see the spot where all the Kings and Queens take their royal pictures.

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"It was actually a really cool experience, and there is a strict no pictures protocol, which I thought was good."

Callum nipped in for a bite to eat and reckons the priciest thing on the menu was an afternoon tea box - costing £50 but feeding two people. Though he reckons coffee is fairly priced, with a hot chocolate and a cappuccino setting you back around £3 to £4 each.

Callum opted to keep things simple and grabbed a carrot cake and a bottle of water, which set him back £11. He said: "It was banging. The cake was really good, and as the bottle of water was reusable, it was nice to take it home. The atmosphere in the café was nice and everyone in there was loving it."

List of items on the menu:

• Afternoon Tea Box - £50
• Americano - £3.80
• Tea - £3.60Flat white - £4.50
• Americano - £4.80
• Hot Chocolate - £4.60
• Cappuccino - £4.40
• Reusable water bottles - £4.50
• Strawberry and cream - £5.50