Tea Time: The Haute 5 Afternoon Teas in Los Angeles

You don’t speak often of crumpets, nor do you think constantly of tiny cucumber sandwiches and Devonshire cream, but that doesn’t mean you scoff at the idea of a tres civilized Afternoon Tea.  It’s very therapeutic to sit opposite a baby grand piano with your pinky outstretched and a porcelain cup of Mariage Freres in your hand – the problem is, outside the Ritz in Paris, it seems nearly impossible to have an authentic high tea experience.  One place may have tried their hand at ‘modernizing’ afternoon tea (the gall) where one may have forgotten strainers last time they poured your tea (imagine), so once and for all, we’ve compiled the list of Los Angeles’ 5 most haute Afternoon Teas.  Whether you wash down your scones with actual tea or with a glass of bubbly is entirely up to you.

The Living Room at the Peninsula Hotel

Perhaps Los Angeles’ most classic tea room, especially since the temporary closure of the Bel Air Hotel, the Peninsula Hotel’s Living Room is a light and friendly atmosphere where your Afternoon Tea is often met with a live harpist or pianist as well as a perfectly lit fireplace and an array of crystal chandeliers.  Their Imperial Tea begins with a Miniature Caviar Cake and Strawberries with Whipped Cream – not a bad way to begin anything, really.  Continuing on, you’ll devour Currant Scones, Egg Salad and Smoked Salmon Sandwiches, and finally indulge in Chocolate-Vanilla Profiteroles.  The requisite tea in your Afternoon Tea will, of course, be provided.  That is, unless you’ve ordered champagne.

The Living Room at the Peninsula Hotel is located at 9882 S. Santa Monica Blvd. in Beverly Hills 310. 551.2888

Gardens at the Four Seasons Hotel

When you’re not sneaking into the bar at the Four Seasons for a nightcap, show your face at a less scandalous hour for their classic, chic afternoon tea.  On Fridays and Saturdays from 3pm, you can sit in the Gardens located on the ground floor of the hotel affording you the kind of people-watching and quiet gossip inherent in any successful bout of afternoon tea.  While it rains and snows during teatime in other, less fortunate cities, here you can sit in the outdoor patio and enjoy a little sunshine with your perfectly prepared Green Tea, your mini-scones and sandwiches, and a tres respectable touch of the bubbly.  Wouldn’t want to make a scene.

The Gardens at the Four Seasons Hotel is located at 300 S. Doheny Drive in West Hollywood 310.273.2222

Royal/T

Traditional high tea, with its whispered conversations about your neighbors’ shockingly inappropriate outfit, is not where you like to hang out.  Unless your tea comes with a side of naughty, you’re barely interested.  If that’s the case, head to Culver City’s wild and imaginative Royal/T for your afternoon tea filled with requisite canapés, a three-tiered tray, a pot of tea, and cute waitresses dolled up like French maids.  To your right you may find a huge print of some up-and-coming artist’s idea of teen angst, in the shop toward the front you’ll find more than just Hello Kitty memorabilia, all while you’re sensationalized experience of contemporary Japan-a-la-Los-Angeles is made complete with their delectable Milk Tea and a side of sweets.

Royal/T is located at 8910 Washington Blvd. in Culver City 310.559.6300

Jin Patisserie

The Japanese, like the French and English, quite enjoy their ritual of afternoon tea.  If you can’t yet handle the din of Royal/T in the afternoon, Jin Patisserie is a blissfully calmer and sleeker experience of high tea.  With their charming outdoor courtyard and absurdly delicious Homemade Butter Cake, Jin Patisserie will make you wish afternoon tea could be as regular as a child’s naptime or your grandfather’s 6 o’clock glass of brandy.  Their Afternoon Tea Set includes a pot of infused tea, Finger Sandwiches, Scones, Butter Cake with Clotted Cream, Praline, and a Chef’s selection of mini pastries.  Bring a kid under ten year’s old and the little tyke can order a glass of milk or orange juice that comes with fresh strawberries, finger sandwiches, and a slice of butter cake.  It’s never too early to learn how to ‘high tea’ properly.

Jin Patisserie is located at 1202 Abbot Kinney Blvd in Venice 310.399.8801

Huntington Rose Garden Tea Room

Walking through the enormously beautiful gardens at the Huntington Library and Gardens in Pasadena reminds us all of our estates in the English countryside, so why shouldn’t those strolls inspire within us an insatiable desire for afternoon tea? Luckily for us, there is the Rose Garden Tea Room located conveniently amidst a bed of aromatic and colorful roses.  They’ll serve your tea of choice, freshly baked scones, an array of small sandwiches, as well as an array of cheeses, fresh fruit, and those particularly tiny desserts.  While they don’t enforce a dress code on their esteemed guests for tea, you’ll want to remember your parasol and chapeau. It would be only right.

The Huntington Rose Garden Tea Room is located within the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens at 1151 Oxford Road in San Marino, 626.405.2100