Little Lark of London

As someone who has never played Monopoly, I found myself strangely interested in the Monopoly Tea Tour, a collaboration between Brigit’s Bakery and Monopoly LIFESIZED that brings passengers into the world of Monopoly through the streets of London while allowing them to have an afternoon tea experience on an old-fashioned bus. At the tour’s departure point of Somerset House, we are greeted by our Bus Conductor, Conor, who welcomes us onto the Routemaster, directing us to our assigned tables on the top deck of the bus. 

The top deck of the bus is divided into two separate games of four tables each – each table is a “team” and is given an iPad to actually take part in the game. There is a cute little introduction to the game on the device by Mr. Monopoly himself, as he explains not only the rules of the game but gives some fun facts on the history of the game. In terms of gameplay, a team is either rolling the dice to move forward on the board or completing a challenge, which are either trivia questions or more physical challenges like building a house out of building blocks or trying to find the right key to escape from jail. Conor does a great job of keeping everyone engaged, sometimes bringing everyone together to answer some trivia questions about London that might stump even the most dedicated history student. I will admit that I felt a little out-of-place by myself, competing against those who had come with family and friends, but I still had a fun time and even got first place!

As it is a Monopoly-themed tour, the sightseeing highlights are the sites that one can acquire on the game board, including Strand, Fleet Street, Piccadilly, Coventry Street, Leicester Square, Pall Mall, Whitehall, Northumberland Avenue, Park Lane and Mayfair. The one drawback of the Monopoly Tea Tour is that you end up not really focusing on the sights around you, but that’s because you’re too busy playing the game! It was quite thrilling, however, to pass the very sites that you had just acquired on the board, with Bus Conductor Conor telling us some fun facts at each notable site.

Throughout the journey, servers Tommy and Jasmine provided us with any drink we wanted in an adorable Monopoly Tea Tour cup. The food is what one would expect from a classic afternoon tea with some cute names to keep with the Monopoly. I particularly loved the ham and cheese sandwich and “Mr. Monopoly’s Millionaire Cheesecake Verrine.” There’s also the lovely “Mayfair Freshly Baked Scone” which comes with both jam and clotted cream and no judgment on which one you use first! One can buy alcohol before the tour as well as let the team know of any dietary needs, as there are options for those who are vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free. And no worries if you are too busy playing to eat everything on your plate – you get a cute Brigit’s Bakery takeaway box (or two!) to bring any leftovers with you. 

Ultimately, the Monopoly Tea Tour is a lovely afternoon full of competition, sightseeing and delicious treats. Whether you’re a Monopoly fiend or have never chosen a token for the board, you’re sure to have a great time as you compete and sip on tea. 

The Monopoly Tea Tour runs from Thursdays to Sundays, departing from Somerset House. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.