The Best Afternoon Teas in Los Angeles

The Rendezvous Court at the landmark Millennium Biltmore is one of the city’s most spectacular rooms. Originally the hotel’s lobby, the Rendezvous Court features a soaring, elaborately carved and painted wood ceiling, travertine walls and a central tiered fountain.

Afternoon Tea is served in the Rendezvous Court on Saturdays and Sundays from 2-5pm. Tea service includes an assortment of sandwiches, scones, pastries, to nibble on with a pot of fine-blended custom tea. Pricing for the Afternoon Tea is $65 per person for Traditional and $80 per person for Royal.

On May 15, the landmark Los Angeles Athletic Club (LAAC) unveiled the Kahuna Room, a tropical oasis and homage to the legendary Duke Kahanamoku - the father of surfing, multiple gold medal Olympian in swimming, and LAAC member who trained at the club for many years in the 1930s. Hidden down a secluded hallway lined with historic images of the club, the Kahuna Room is flooded with natural light, furnished with French-style banquettes, copper accents and palm frond wallpaper. The main focal point is a quote in pink neon from Duke: “I have never seen snow and do not know what winter means.” Sponsored by Absolut Elyx Vodka, the Kahuna Room will be available for English tea service, tea-infused cocktails, and an assortment of sweet and savory finger foods created by Chef Charles Olalia (Rice Bar) such as pork belly musubi, Portuguese style egg tart, and ponzu marinated cucumber sandwich.

Lounge in comfort while enjoying The Peninsula's famed Afternoon Tea, served in The Living Room at noon, 2:30pm and 5pm. The latter two seatings are accompanied by a classical harpist. The Afternoon Tea menu includes an optional glass of Champagne and a tower of traditional high tea requisites, from savory finger sandwiches to a selection of sweet, bite-sized pastries and scones. Teas range from traditional options such as Earl Grey, English Breakfast and a selection of soothing green teas to exotic flavored and scented teas like the Tropical Peninsula - a blend of black assam flavored with accents of mango, pineapple and blue corn flowers. Pricing is $75 for Traditional Tea and $80 for Royal Tea.

For the ultimate experience, indulge in the Imperial Tea ($87) which includes tea selection, menu, caviar canapé, and a glass of Champagne, Deutz, The Peninsula Label, Brut MV, France. The Imperial Tea also comes with the delightful Peninsula Page Boy Cap Cake wrapped to take home. Modelled after the white pillbox caps worn by early hotel pageboys, The Peninsula Cap Cake is a small white sponge frosted with white chocolate, filled with passion fruit mousse, and detailed with a gold-braided fondant.

Offered Thursdays and Saturdays at 1 p.m., Tea by the Sea is inspired by the herbs, vegetables, and fruits that grow in the Getty Villa’s authentic 1st-century Roman gardens. The Mediterranean-inspired seasonal menu includes savory sandwiches, sweet scones and tea breads, and gourmet desserts—along with fruits, cheeses, and a varied selection of teas. (Wine and prosecco are available for an additional charge.) Tea is served in the Founder's Room, an elegant space featuring floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Villa. Pricing is $39 per person. A special Children's Tea by the Sea menu (kids under age 8) is priced at $27.

After tea, guests are invited to join a culinary-inspired garden tour that begins at 2:30 p.m. Designed by the Getty Villa Education Department, the tour highlights the plants grown in the Getty Villa Herb Garden. You'll explore herbs and fruits that were once savored by the ancient Romans—several of which feature in Tea by the Sea's seasonal menu—and discover their meanings in Roman myth and art.

In his new book, Meghan: A Hollywood Princess, author Andrew Morton describes Rose Tea Cottage as "a little slice of England nestled in Pasadena." Rose Tree Cottage recently gained notoriety as the tea house where Meghan Markle prepared for her tea with Queen Elizabeth in October 2017. In an excerpt posted by Town & Country, Morton notes that "the centerpiece of owner Edmund Fry’s emporium is the serving of afternoon tea. Meghan has visited several times, not only to buy English gifts but to take afternoon tea."

For Anglophiles, it doesn't get more traditional or authentic than Rose Tree Cottage. The elegant Afternoon Tea is served on fine china from Tuesday through Sunday at 1pm, 2:30pm and 4pm. The menu includes Rose Tree Cottage loose leaf English Village Tea (a blend of Ceylon, Indian and Kenyan teas), finger sandwiches, roast beef with Yorkshire pudding, freshly baked scones and desserts. The English Village Shop carries Private Label favorites like traditional English currant, sticky toffee pudding, shortbread, teas and preserves. The shop also stocks a wide range of fresh and packaged foods, sauces, condiments, Cadburys, confectionery and books.

With a name like The London, you'd expect tea to be a nice affair, and indeed it is. Inspired by English country house conservatories and orangeries, the lobby level London Bar serves Afternoon Tea daily from 2-4pm. Priced at $48, tea service includes traditional tea sandwiches on house-made breads, warm currant & plain scones, sweets, and a curated list of specialty teas sourced by the London-based Rare Tea Company.

Set within the Rose Garden at The Huntington Library, the Tea Room offers an elegant experience inspired by traditional English tea service. From the sun-splashed dining room, guests can look out into the Rose Garden and nibble on scones, delicate finger sandwiches, and seasonal desserts, accompanied by a selection of herbal and Fair Trade teas or sparkling wine. Traditional Tea Service (tea selection, afternoon tea menu) is priced at $35, add a glass of prosecco for $7. The Huntington Rosé Tea Service is $55 and includes tea selection, afternoon tea menu, caviar canapé, and a glass of "J" Brut Rosé, Russian River or signature sparkling drink. Childen's Traditional Tea Service (ages 9 and under) is $20. Note: paid admission to The Huntington is required for all Tea Room guests.

Served Monday to Saturday at The Langham, Afternoon Tea with Wedgwood features specialty teas in tailor-made “Langham Rose” Wedgwood teaware. Afternoon tea is served in the Lobby Lounge, which features floor-to-ceiling windows with picturesque views of The Horseshoe Garden and San Marino. The extensive menu includes signature Langham Blends, Classic Scented White & Green Teas, Fruit & Herbal Blends, Black Teas and Flavored Black Teas. To accompany the teas, enjoy a selection of savory tea sandwiches, scones with Devonshire cream, fruit tarts, mousse torts and French macarons. 

Pricing is $62 for Wedgwood Tea and $21 for Children's Tea (ages 4-12). The Royal Tea ($85) includes Traditional Tea, fresh strawberries with vanilla whipped cream, signature Langham cookie, and Perrier Jouet, Brut, "Grand" Champagne, France, NV.