Afternoon Tea in New York City: The Essential Guide
The Plaza's dome, Baccarat crystal, a Carnegie Hall landmark — and the downtown tea houses where the leaf matters more than the tray.
Tea Rooms.org Editors · September 1, 2026
New York has more ways to take tea than any city in America, and the gap between them is enormous. At the top sits the Fifth Avenue hotel tier, where a seating is an event and prices run past $100 a head. Downtown and in Brooklyn, a second scene runs on whimsy and neighborhood loyalty. And in the West Village, Nolita, and Greenpoint there is a third — small rooms pouring Taiwanese oolong and stone-ground matcha for people who came for the tea itself.
Every listing below is verified against the venue's own published information. Hotel seatings book out weeks ahead; several of the tea houses are walk-in only.
The Grand Rooms
The Palm Court at The Plaza is the reference point: more than 115 years of afternoon tea beneath the stained-glass dome, a 25-variety Palais des Thés collection, and three daily seatings at 11:00, 1:15, and 3:30 booked through OpenTable. On West 53rd, the Baccarat Hotel's crystal-laden Grand Salon serves the Prince of Wales Afternoon Tea and a Le Petit Prince children's tea; reservations open 30 days out and walk-ins are not accommodated. The Whitby's Kit Kemp Design Stories tea is the playful one — $95 per person for the seasonal service, $155 per person for the Royal Tea for Two, with ten specialty teas included. And beside Carnegie Hall, The Russian Tea Room has poured tea in its red-and-gold dining room for nearly a century; the Classic Afternoon Tea runs $145, with vegetarian, gluten-free, and children's menus alongside.
The Palm Court at The Plaza
$$$$Midtown Manhattan · New York
For over 115 years The Palm Court has been New York City's iconic destination for afternoon tea, served beneath the stained-glass dome at the center of The Plaza hotel. The service features a 25-variety tea collection from Palais des Thés alongside tiers of sandwiches, snacks, and pastries. Daily seatings run in three rounds starting at 11:00 AM, 1:15 PM, and 3:30 PM, booked through OpenTable.
Grand Salon at Baccarat Hotel
$$$$Midtown Manhattan · New York
The Baccarat Hotel's crystal-laden Grand Salon serves a daily afternoon tea program inspired by the royal households historically associated with the Baccarat brand. Themed services include the Prince of Wales Afternoon Tea and the Le Petit Prince children's tea, developed with premier tea masters. Advance reservations are required and open 30 days out; walk-ins cannot be accommodated.
Afternoon Tea at The Whitby Hotel
$$$$Midtown Manhattan · New York
The Whitby Bar & Restaurant at Firmdale's Whitby Hotel serves the Kit Kemp Design Stories Afternoon Tea, a vibrant service inspired by the designer's playful aesthetic. Tea is offered weekday afternoons from 1:30 PM and from noon on weekends. Reservations are taken through OpenTable.
The Russian Tea Room
$$$$Midtown Manhattan · New York
A Manhattan landmark beside Carnegie Hall, The Russian Tea Room has been a destination for afternoon tea for nearly a century. Afternoon tea is offered daily in the famous red-and-gold dining room, with classic, vegetarian, gluten-free, and children's menus available. The restaurant positions the service as a pre-theatre treat or special-occasion outing.
The Neighborhood Rooms
Alice's Tea Cup on the Upper West Side is the city's beloved eccentric — Alice in Wonderland decor, borrowable fairy wings, and a menu that runs from Tea & Scones at $25 to The Madhatter tea for two at $96. Tea & Sympathy has held its Greenwich Avenue corner since 1990 with traditional English tea, British comfort food, and a grocery next door. In Prospect Heights, Brooklyn High Low serves 'Traditional Afternoon Tea, Brooklyn Style' across themed rooms — a Secret Garden, a Pink Room — from a $30 cream tea to the $78 Grand Heights, weekends by reservation. Cha-An in the East Village takes the form to Japan: a second-floor teahouse dating to 2004, with a weekend Japanese afternoon tea at $68 built on yuzu cream puffs and warabi mochi, capped at 20 guests a session.
Alice's Tea Cup Chapter I
Upper West Side · New York
Alice in Wonderland-themed tea room on the Upper West Side known for its whimsical decor, house tea blends, and all-day brunch-meets-tea menu. Signature items include Alice's Blend and Birthday Blend teas and warm scones served with clotted cream and jam, and young visitors can borrow fairy wings. Online reservations are available through the website, with private events for larger groups.
Tea & Sympathy
Greenwich Village · New York
A Greenwich Village institution since 1990, Tea & Sympathy is a small British restaurant and tea room serving traditional afternoon tea and British comfort food. The adjoining Carry On Tea & Sympathy shop sells British groceries, sweets, loose teas, teapots, cups, and saucers.
Brooklyn High Low
Prospect Heights · Brooklyn
Established in 2020, Brooklyn High Low serves 'Traditional Afternoon Tea, Brooklyn Style' in a series of themed rooms including the Little Tea Room, Secret Garden, and Pink Room. Weekend tea service (Saturday and Sunday 10 AM to 3:30 PM) is by reservation only, with Friday seatings also available. A second location, The Parlour, operates in Park Slope at 69 7th Avenue.
Cha-An Teahouse
$$$East Village · New York
Second-floor Japanese teahouse in the East Village, established in 2004 around the concept of omotenashi (whole-hearted hospitality). Cha-An serves Japanese desserts and teas, and hosts a weekend Japanese afternoon tea ($68 per adult) with three tiers of sweets such as yuzu cream puffs and warabi mochi plus savories like egg sandwiches and inari. Seats are limited to 20 guests per session, and the teahouse also offers traditional tea ceremonies and mochi and flower-arrangement classes.
The Leaf Side
This is where New York separates from every other American tea city. Té Company in the West Village sources oolong directly from Taiwanese farmers and bakes the pineapple linzer cookie that regulars cross town for — walk-in only; staff text you when a table opens. T Shop, hidden at the rear of an Elizabeth Street storefront, hands you Korean artisan teaware and hot water to brew gong-fu style at the table. Floating Mountain on West 72nd is a second-floor gongfu sanctuary with ceremonies, classes, and a ceramics gallery. Setsugekka in the East Village grinds matcha fresh on a stone mill under tea master Souheki Mori. In Greenpoint, Kettl imports Japanese tea direct from producers and guides tastings across matcha, sencha, gyokuro, and hojicha. And Harney & Sons' SoHo flagship — roughly 250 varieties on Broome Street — keeps things accessible with an $11 tea flight and a $14 cream tea.
Té Company
West Village · New York
Intimate West Village tearoom from a company established in 2012 that specializes in oolong teas sourced directly from Taiwanese tea farmers. The tearoom serves Taiwanese loose-leaf teas alongside handmade sweet and savory tea snacks, including the signature pineapple linzer cookie. Service is walk-in only; when the small room fills, staff text guests when a table opens.
T Shop
Nolita · New York
Hidden rear-store tearoom off Elizabeth Street specializing in premium loose-leaf teas, including Chinese and Korean green teas, oolong, and puerh, with handmade teaware from Korean artisans. Visitors can have a leisurely cup of tea, book a guided tasting, or brew gong-fu style at the table with teaware and hot water provided. In-depth Tea Journey tastings are available by appointment.
Floating Mountain Tea House
Upper West Side · New York
A second-floor 'hidden tea sanctuary for gongfu tea' on the Upper West Side serving high-quality Chinese teas with traditional teaware. Floating Mountain hosts gongfu tea ceremonies, tea classes, one-to-one tea study, and events, alongside a gallery of handmade ceramic art from contemporary artists. Table reservations are available online.
Setsugekka Matcha Teahouse
East Village · New York
East Village matcha teahouse opened in 2017 by tea master Souheki Mori, a practitioner of the Japanese tea ceremony for over 30 years. Setsugekka serves hand-picked matcha from different regions of Japan, ground fresh on a traditional heavy stone grinder, and offers formal and open tea ceremonies and tea lessons. Seating is walk-in only, and the shop hosts workshops in calligraphy, ceramics, and other Japanese arts.
Kettl Tea Greenpoint
Greenpoint · Brooklyn
Flagship Brooklyn tea shop and tasting bar from Kettl, a company that imports exceptionally fresh Japanese teas direct from producers. Staff guide visitors through matcha, sencha, gyokuro, and hojicha selections at the Greenpoint shop. A dedicated matcha-focused sister location, Kettl Matcha Sen Mon Ten, operates nearby at 38 Norman Avenue.
Harney & Sons SoHo
SoHo · New York
The Manhattan flagship of the Harney & Sons tea company, open since 2010 on Broome Street in SoHo. The shop stocks roughly 250 varieties of tea across white, green, oolong, black, and herbal categories, with matcha featured prominently. It closes on major holidays.
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