Top 5 Tea Houses In Los Angeles For Mother’s Day
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There is nothing quite as delicate or regal as an afternoon tea spread (@Langham_London/Twitter).
Classy, elegant and usually packing a sassy punch or two, there is no one quite like Mom to help us through those rough patches. From life altering decisions, to the color pallette of your prom ensemble, boy or girl, Mom usually had a say in everything.
And she was, and is, almost always right.
Not to mention, those rough, moody, broody teen years were, in hindsight, quite despicable. She put up with your awful attitude more times than you can count, and still loved you anyway.
So how to repay the most amazing person in your life? How to match the class and sass?
Why, afternoon tea, of course. With all the beautiful trimmings and British sophistication, most can’t help but get wrapped up in the charm of classy afternoon tea.
For us girls, fascination with afternoon tea can likely be traced back to those lovely days around a plastic miniature round table, decked out with pink plates and shiny cookies, with tiaras atop our heads and stuffed animals joining us for the meal. As we grew out of our princess dresses, the obsession continued with long flour-filled afternoons spent perfecting the herb scone recipe found online, and hours spent at the local tea shops around town and exploration of all things tea.
Just me?
In any case, Mom is sure to appreciate a more upscale version of the tea parties of afternoon past. Unlike the classic Mother’s Day Brunch or family BBQ, the afternoon tea outing is a bit more unique, and will make Mom feel just that much more special on her very special day. The three beautiful tiers of bountiful goodies, laden with hot, crumbly scones, delicate finger sandwiches and decadent desserts, accompanied by porcelain dishes filled with piping hot warm-your-insides goodness; what more could you ask for?
Check out these five spots around L.A.
With locations in Downtown Los Angeles, Pasadena and Hollywood, you can easily get your tea fix at this tea room. Chado is the place to go if you want some quality tea out of your experience. With over 200 teas to choose from, Chado is more concerned with serving a wonderful brew than giving you an afternoon tea experience. You can even visit the loose leaf tea bar and take some home to enjoy later. That is not to disparage the afternoon tea, however. Following the three-tier tradition, Chado will fill your mom's tummy will scones and sammies galore.
Dining with elegant china is bound to make both you and your Mom feel like a Queen... or King (@stregishotels/Twitter).
Unique in its library location, Rose Garden Tea Room serves its customers unlike many others with a buffet style service. All-you-can-eat scones and finger sandwiches are the star of the show, along with the often forgotten clotted cream. Less sweet and more decadent than whipped cream, spreading clotted cream over a steaming scone can bring joy to any celebrating mama.
Located in Beverly Hills, this tea room, dubbed the Living Room, is known for its upscale, ritzy style. With dishes such as a savory caviar cake, this is not a tea room for a newbie. Nevertheless, the Living Room will make you feel right at home with lavish couches pulled from Downton Abbey's sets - or so it seems. Your meal, known as the Royal Tea, will not be eaten in silence but in the company of a pianist and classical harpist. This one is certainly not for the faint of heart - or the flimsy wallet - but will most definitely wow every mom.
Full of classic British charm, Rose Tree Cottage touts a unique tea blend and their own branded preserves. There is a butler, a cat that lives in the area, a set menu, and the whole tea house is a small cottage owned by an older couple. All in all, quite the package, but also quite the adventure. While the menu may be set, its offerings vary according to what's cooking in the kitchen, ensuring the freshest food. Options are also mouth watering, and include personal-sized hot apple pies and sticky toffee pudding.
Though it may seem a bit more hodgepodge than most of the tea rooms in the Los Angeles area, its homey charm combined with its old-English attitude make it a worthy contender. Not to mention, they have been voted one of the top tea houses in the nation, and are often touted as the cure for Downton Abbey withdrawals. Bring mom here before she starts desperately exploring the Internet for season five spoilers.
Another one of the classier options, the afternoon tea at Biltmore is visually spectacular. The dessert spread is particularly riveting, and includes the ever-sought-after french macaroons, along with a thyme caramel tart accompanied by chocolate ganache. The scones are unusually flavored with pistachios and currants, giving the Biltmore an edge on the classic butter variety. The tea sandwiches are bite-sized bundles of joy, with choices such as a crab BLT. Their tea list is short, but full of robust winners and true classics.
Requiring no specific kind of attire, Rendezvous Court allows you to be casual in an upscale environment, perfect for the low-key mom you're trying to spoil.
