Afternoon Tea in Chicago: The Complete Guide

Chicago's afternoon tea is a hotel story first. Three of the country's grandest services sit within a few blocks of each other on and around the Magnificent Mile, and the oldest of them has been pouring for nearly a hundred years. But the city's tea culture runs deeper than the lobbies, into a Loop institution across from the Art Institute, a Taiwanese teahouse in Chinatown Square, and a ring of suburban rooms that regulars guard closely.

Every listing below is verified against the venue's own published information. Hotel services here run Friday-through-Sunday schedules and change menus seasonally, so confirm the current seating before you book.

The Magnificent Mile Hotels

The Drake's Palm Court is the reference point, afternoon tea has been served there for nearly a century, with individual pots drawn from 17 Palais des Thés blends, a three-tiered tray of finger sandwiches, from-scratch scones with Devon cream, and a live harpist on weekends. The current published service runs $86 for adults and $38 for the children's Prince & Princess tea, with a champagne upgrade at $18.

The Peninsula serves a seasonal, themed tea in The Lobby, Friday through Sunday, with vegan, gluten-free, and children's menus and live music. The Langham's Pavilion pours the hotel's proprietary blends under a soaring ceiling with river views, the same tradition the Langham launched in London in 1865, with live classical music on weekends and themed services through the year. All three sit at the top of the price scale and book out; reserve early.

The Loop Landmark

Russian Tea Time is the city's most distinctive tea table. Founded in 1993 by a family of immigrants from Uzbekistan and sitting directly across from the Art Institute, it serves Eastern European and Central Asian cooking alongside a daily afternoon tea from 11 AM to 4:30 PM. The published afternoon tea service is $69, pot of tea, scones, savories, and sweets, with a $30 samovar service for groups of four or more and a full pot of loose-leaf at $8 if you only want the tea. The vegetarian menu is extensive.

Chinatown and the Suburbs

In Chinatown Square, Saint's Alp Teahouse is the sit-down Taiwanese option, a broad tea and bubble-tea list with hot pot and dumplings, open daily until 9 PM. The suburbs hold the independent rooms. TeaLula in Park Ridge has stocked loose leaf since 2008 and serves a $55 three-tier afternoon tea by reservation Friday through Sunday, 11:30 AM to 2 PM, with a tasting club for regulars. Todd & Holland Tea Merchants on Madison Street in Forest Park is the west-suburban merchant, deep in black, green, oolong, white, and matcha. And on the North Shore, Madame Zuzu's in Highland Park, a tea house, café, and vinyl record shop with a live stage, opened in 2012 by Billy Corgan and Chloé Mendel, pours aged pu-erhs and ceremonial-grade matcha.