Cucumber sandwiches. Smoked salmon and dill. Scones with clotted cream and preserves. These are the basics of afternoon tea, sometimes known as high tea. If you're looking for an afternoon tea here in Los Angeles, whether you want something elaborate or low-key, you have plenty of options. From posh hotels to kitschy cottages, here are a bunch of spots where you can sip tea while nibbling on finger sandwiches. Wherever you go, reservations are a must!
The Rose Garden Tea Room is back in business at the Huntington. Photo by Elina Shatkin/KCRW
The Huntington (San Marino)
After an $11 million revamp, the Rose Garden Tea Room at the Huntington reopened in the spring of 2023. If you've never been, it's a great time to go. If you've been before, it's time to go back. Their afternoon tea, which you can enjoy indoors or outdoors, includes a generous array of sandwiches and sweets. The mini roast beef sandwich on pumpernickel and the chocolate caramel tart are standouts. It's worth the extra $13 to upgrade from the Traditional Tea to the Huntington Tea, which comes with a mini lobster roll and a glass of bubbly. After, take a stroll through the gardens, which are stunning. Be sure to make a reservation well in advance (we're talking months) because this place is always booked. Tea service is offered every day except Tuesdays.
COST: $62 - $75 ($28 per child)
1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino.
At Rose Tree Cottage, afternoon tea is a formal affair. Courtesy of Rose Tree Cottage.
Rose Tree Cottage (Pasadena)
Although Rose Tree Cottage sells British foodstuffs and knickknacks, it's most famous for its full silver service tea, presented by a butler wearing a waistcoat. It includes a glass of sparkling elderflower and loose-leaf English Village tea alongside beef Wellington, Welsh rarebit, toad-in-the-hole, Yorkshire pudding, smoked salmon sandwiches, scones and sticky toffee pudding. Be sure to wear nice threads. There is a dress code: shorts are forbidden and gentlemen must wear a jacket. Served Saturdays and Sundays at 1 and 4 p.m. Reservations, which are taken by telephone only, open exactly one week in advance at 10 a.m. and they usually book up within the hour.
COST: $85
801 S. Pasadena Ave., Pasadena.
The Langham, with its spacious grounds, is a lovely spot for afternoon tea. Photo by Elina Shatkin.
The Langham (Pasadena)
Offered Thursdays through Sundays, the Langham's afternoon tea is decadent. Enjoy tons of tiny sandwiches and pastries, some of which change seasonally. The fruit and custard tarts are highlights, as are the macarons. After you've enjoyed your tea in the hotel's ornate lobby, take a walk around the hotel's gorgeous grounds as you digest.
COST: $79 + 20% gratuity and $15 parking
1401 S. Oak Knoll Ave., Pasadena.
Steep LA in Chinatown specializes in formal Chinese tea ceremonies. Courtesy of Steep LA.
Steep LA (Chinatown)
At Steep LA, where all of the tea comes from China and Taiwan, owners Samuel Wang and Lydia Lin specialize in presenting a formal Chinese tea ceremony. After you select a cup and whatever tea strikes your fancy, a host pours the water so your tea leaves can steep for the right length of time. If you're hungry, you can purchase à la carte items like a marinated egg, a cold mushroom sampler, or a Basque cheesecake. Bigger plates include pork noodles, oxtail borscht and chicken thighs with rice.
COST: price varies depending on what you order
970 N. Broadway #112, Chinatown.
The Fairmont Miramar offers a three-course menu with your tea. Courtesy of the Fairmont Miramar.
Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows (Santa Monica)
Afternoon tea at the Fairmont is an intimate experience. As you sip Lot 35 loose-leaf tea, enjoy a three-course menu — smoked salmon sandwiches, cucumber mint sandwiches, scones, profiteroles, etc. — in the Fairmont's Library and Ocean Terrace, small antechambers off the hotel's lobby. Offered Saturdays and Sundays at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m.
COST: $95 + $11 parking for two hours
101 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica.
Afternoon Tea at The London West Hollywood is sometimes themed, like this Wonka-esque tea situation. Photo by Elina Shatkin
The London West Hollywood (West Hollywood)
The London's afternoon tea changes themes periodically (the noshes at a recent tea were inspired by the movie Wonka). You'll sip Rare Tea as you nosh on sweets like mini pavlovas, eggnog custard tarts, and raspberry macarons. Available Saturdays and Sundays from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.
COST: $84 ($42 for any child 12 and under)
1020 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood.
Chado Tea Room (Little Tokyo, Pasadena, Hollywood, Torrance)
Chado offers a more affordable afternoon tea and with four locations, all of which are open seven days a week, you won't have trouble making a reservation. You can decide between a two-tier and a three-tier tea tray, depending on how hungry you are. If that's not enough, you can also add on a full-size salad or sandwich.
COST: $29 - $37
Japanese American National Museum, 369 1st St., Little Tokyo.
79 N. Raymond Ave, Pasadena.
6801 Hollywood Blvd., Suite #209, Hollywood.
1303 El Prado Ave., Torrance.
The tea service at Rose & Blanc Tearoom in Koreatown. Courtesy of Rose & Blanc Tearoom.
Rose & Blanc Tea Room (Koreatown)
It's easy to see why the ultra-pink Rose & Blanc Tea Room is a popular destination for bridal parties. The afternoon tea service, offered Saturday and Sundays, has three levels of noshes, each with a variety of sweets and sandwiches. Those bites might include an egg salad sammie with basil aioli, a smoked salmon, cucumber and dill sandwich, a scone, a macaron, a cream puff, and a pistachio and raspberry cream financier.
COST: $29 - $48
301 S. Western Ave., #202, Koreatown.
The T Room (Montrose)
Offering tea service seven days a week, the T Room's traditional high tea includes a lingonberry chicken salad sandwich, a tarragon egg salad sandwich, a cranberry scone, cookies, assorted petite desserts and fresh fruit.
COST: $32 ($22 for children)
2405 Honolulu Ave., Montrose.
The Cat & Fiddle offers an affordable and very British afternoon tea. Photo by Philip Guerette.
The Cat & Fiddle (Hollywood)
The Cat & Fiddle, which was located in a gorgeous space on Sunset Blvd. for more than three decades before decamping for a smaller location on Highland Ave., celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2022. On weekends from 12 to 4 p.m., the venerable British pub serves an unfussy and not-too-pricey afternoon tea (PG Tips) that includes a sausage roll, a few tea sandwiches, scones, cookies, and fresh fruit. They also have a vegetarian version.
COST: $38
742 Highland Ave., Hollywood.
The Culver Hotel (Culver City)
The Culver Hotel's afternoon tea service is back on weekends, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Savory bites include crab cakes, a vadouvan chicken salad, and a cucumber sandwich (you'll have to pay $16 extra for a smoked salmon and dill sammie). The desserts include scones and assorted petit fours.
COST: $65
9400 Culver Blvd., Culver City.
In gong fu tea service, which is offered at Callisto Tea House in Pasadena, tea leaves are brewed twice. Courtesy of Callisto Tea House.
Callisto Tea House (Pasadena)
At Callisto Tea House, afternoon tea service is available on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Instead of sandwiches, you get three open-face toasts alongside a scone, a cupcake, and of course, tea. If there are two of you, you can opt for the gong fu, a Chinese tradition where tea is brewed tableside in a small clay pot. After you finish the pot, the leaves are brewed again so you can experience their full flavor.
COST: $30
1359 N. Altadena Dr., Pasadena.
You can expect plenty of canapés at the afternoon tea at the Maybourne Beverly Hills. Courtesy of The Maybourne Beverly Hills.
The Maybourne Beverly Hills (Beverly Hills)
The Maybourne's afternoon tea includes canapés such as chicken paté with raspberry gel, smoked chicken salad, cauliflower panna cotta, and caviar. Aside from scones, the featured sweets include a dark chocolate pot de crème, a hazelnut pavlova, and a coconut religieuse. Served on the hotel's terrace and available on weekends, from 2 to 4 p.m.
COST: $125 + $20 for four hours of parking
225 N. Canon Dr., Beverly Hills.
Whatever else your afternoon tea does or does not have, it will almost always feature a scone accompanied by cream and jam. Courtesy of Ye Olde King's Head.
Ye Olde King's Head (Santa Monica)
Served Mondays through Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., afternoon tea at Ye Olde King's Head involves finger sandwiches, scones and pastries. Look for coronation chicken, cheese, and Branston pickle (a popular jarred chutney in the UK), egg and watercress, and the like. You can opt for the Traditional Tea (which can be vegetarian, if you like) or the slightly more expensive Royal Tea.
COST: $35 - $40 ($20 for children)
116 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica.
Hotel Bel-Air offers a posh afternoon tea on Fridays and Saturdays. Courtesy of Hotel Bel-Air
Hotel Bel-Air (Bel Air)
Hotel Bel-Air serves one of the fanciest afternoon teas in Los Angeles. Available Fridays and Saturdays at 3 p.m., it features two kinds of scones, caviar on a "confit marble potato," strawberry shortcake, and a salted caramel cream puff, among other treats.
COST: $135 + $20 parking
701 Stone Canyon Rd., Bel Air.
The Getty Villa is more than a museum. It also offers afternoon tea three days a week. Photo by CheWei Chang/Flickr Creative Commons.
Getty Villa (Pacific Palisades)
Inspired by the museum's recreated first-century Roman gardens and by its original Tea Room, which closed in 1997, the Getty Villa's afternoon tea is served outdoors in the garden Thursdays and Saturdays from 1 to 3 p.m. The menu changes seasonally and might include a roast beef and tomato sandwich, shrimp toast, smoked turkey salad, prosciutto and brie, carrot cake, chocolate mousse, and a mini bundt cake. Your reservation for Garden Tea grants you admission to the galleries.
COST: $55 ($30 for children) + 18% gratuity and $25 for parking
17985 Pacific Coast Hwy., Pacific Palisades.
At the Peninsula Beverly Hills, afternoon tea is served seven days a week. Courtesy of The Peninsula Beverly Hills.
The Peninsula Beverly Hills (Beverly Hills)
Every day of the week, the Peninsula Beverly Hills dishes out a fancy afternoon tea. It has all the expected sandwiches and sweets, as well as a few highbrow touches like a chicken salad sammie made with mascarpone and a rose champagne choux. Tea comes with a glass of bubbly.
COST: $125 - $135 + $15 for two hours of parking
9882 S. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills.
The Biltmore Hotel (Downtown LA)
On Saturdays and Sundays from 2 to 4 p.m., the Biltmore serves an afternoon tea in its Rendezvous Court. Nibble on salmon rillettes, caviar egg salad sandwiches, ham and cheese gougeres, passion fruit tarts, and chocolate galettes as you sip tea and a complimentary glass of champagne.
COST: $75
506 S. Grand Ave., Downtown LA.