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.