The Best Afternoon Tea in America: 15 Rooms Worth the Trip
Palm courts, grand lobbies, a national park lawn, and a Loop landmark across from the Art Institute — the American tea services that define the form.
Tea Rooms.org Editors · September 1, 2026
American afternoon tea has its own canon. It grew up in grand hotel lobbies — palm courts, atriums, verandas — and was kept alive by a scattering of independent rooms that never stopped serving it. The fifteen below are the reference points: the rooms other venues measure themselves against, chosen from the verified listings in this directory. Every detail comes from each venue's own published information; hours and prices shift with the season, so check the listing before you book.
The Palm Courts
The Palm Court at The Plaza has been New York's iconic tea destination for over 115 years, served beneath the stained-glass dome at the center of the hotel with a 25-variety Palais des Thés collection. Three daily seatings — 11:00 AM, 1:15 PM, and 3:30 PM — book through OpenTable. In Chicago, the Palm Court at The Drake has poured tea for nearly a century: individual pots, a three-tiered tray of from-scratch scones with Devon cream, seventeen Palais des Thés blends, and a harpist on weekends. Service runs Friday through Sunday only.
The Palm Court at The Plaza
$$$$Midtown Manhattan · New York
For over 115 years The Palm Court has been New York City's iconic destination for afternoon tea, served beneath the stained-glass dome at the center of The Plaza hotel. The service features a 25-variety tea collection from Palais des Thés alongside tiers of sandwiches, snacks, and pastries. Daily seatings run in three rounds starting at 11:00 AM, 1:15 PM, and 3:30 PM, booked through OpenTable.
Palm Court at The Drake Hotel
$$$$Gold Coast · Chicago
Afternoon tea has been served in the Drake's Palm Court for nearly a century, making it Chicago's quintessential Magnificent Mile tea experience. Tea arrives in individual pots alongside a traditional three-tiered tray of artisanal finger sandwiches, from-scratch scones with house-made preserves and Devon cream, and petit fours. A live harpist plays on weekends.
The Grand Lobbies
Tea at The Adolphus is Dallas's most iconic service, a three-course tea in a hotel of 1912-era grandeur that pairs sandwiches, scones, and pastries with loose leaf from local purveyor Zakti; expect about two hours and book on Resy. The Brown Palace serves daily beneath the stained-glass ceiling of its Grand Atrium, a tradition since the hotel's Victorian heyday and Denver's defining tea. The Willard InterContinental is Washington's most storied — Peacock Alley and the Willard Tea Room, seatings at noon and 2:30, J'enwey loose-leaf teas, the hotel's famous scones, and a live harp. Nashville's century-old Hermitage Hotel pours Friday through Sunday at 2:00 PM in its Grand Lobby and Veranda, with a glass of bubbles, live music, and a Yellow Rose Tea honoring the suffrage movement.
Tea at The Adolphus
$$$$Downtown Dallas · Dallas
The historic Adolphus Hotel hosts Dallas's most iconic afternoon tea, a tradition served in the hotel since 1912-era grandeur. The three-course service pairs tea sandwiches, scones, and pastries with loose leaf teas from local purveyor Zakti, and typically lasts about two hours. Reservations are made through Resy, and discounted day valet parking is included.
Afternoon Tea at The Brown Palace
$$$Downtown · Denver
A beloved Brown Palace tradition since the hotel's Victorian heyday, afternoon tea is served daily beneath the stained-glass ceiling of the Grand Atrium lobby. The service pairs finely brewed blends with delicate sandwiches, fresh scones with Devonshire cream, and classic pastries, and stands as Denver's most iconic tea experience.
Afternoon Tea at The Willard InterContinental
$$$$Downtown / Penn Quarter · Washington
Washington's most storied hotel tea, served in the Willard's Peacock Alley (Friday-Sunday) and Willard Tea Room (Wednesday-Sunday) with seatings at noon and 2:30 PM. The service pairs savory finger sandwiches, pastries, and the hotel's famous freshly baked scones with premium loose-leaf teas from J'enwey Tea Company, accompanied by live harp music. In-suite tea service and to-go orders are also offered.
Afternoon Tea at The Hermitage Hotel
$$$$Downtown · Nashville
Afternoon tea in the Grand Lobby and Veranda of Nashville's century-old Hermitage Hotel, served Friday through Sunday at 2:00 PM. Service includes a glass of bubbles, live music, and complimentary valet parking, with recipes passed down through generations. Seasonal themed teas include the Yellow Rose Tea honoring the Women's Suffrage Movement and a holiday Nutcracker Tea.
The Resorts and the Coasts
The Greenbrier has served tea in its Upper Lobby every day at 4:15 since the 1930s — Tea Time Down South, with pastries, cookies, and often live music, complimentary for overnight guests and included in the day-visitor resort fee. The Veranda at the Moana Surfrider puts tea on an oceanfront terrace above Waikiki Beach at Waikiki's historic first hotel, with seven tea sets built around Hawaiian Coconut and Passion Orange Guava blends. Seattle's Fairmont Olympic has held its weekend tea in the Olympic Bar since 1924, with signature scones from a recipe passed down through generations. And Le Salon at New Orleans' Windsor Court opens each Friday-to-Sunday seating with a cocktail or sparkling pour before the tower arrives, harp or piano alongside.
The Greenbrier
$$$$White Sulphur Springs
America's Resort has served afternoon tea every day at 4:15 in its Upper Lobby since the 1930s, a white-glove tradition it calls Tea Time Down South. Freshly prepared pastries and cookies accompany hot and cold tea selections, often with live musical entertainment; tea is complimentary for overnight guests and members and included in the daily resort fee for day visitors.
The Veranda at Moana Surfrider
$$$$Waikiki · Honolulu
Afternoon tea on the oceanfront veranda of the Moana Surfrider, Waikiki's historic first hotel, with terrace seats overlooking Waikiki Beach. Seven specialty tea sets pair savory and sweet selections with Moana Classic teas like Hawaiian Coconut and Passion Orange Guava; the Royal Tea Set ($137) includes a tea-infused mimosa flight and an omiyage gift bag. Reservations via OpenTable or phone are strongly recommended.
Afternoon Tea at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel
$$$$Downtown · Seattle
Weekend afternoon tea in the Olympic Bar of the Fairmont Olympic, a tradition at the hotel since 1924. The menu features signature scones from a recipe passed down through generations, finger sandwiches, and seasonal sweets, at $79 per adult with a Little Kings and Queens menu for children. Hours shown are tea service times.
Le Salon at The Windsor Court
$$$$Central Business District · New Orleans
The Windsor Court's lobby salon serves a formal afternoon tea with seatings Friday through Sunday from 11am to 2pm. Service opens with a cocktail or sparkling beverage followed by loose-leaf tea, a tower of tea sandwiches, house-made scones, and desserts accompanied by live harp or piano. A rotating calendar of themed teas runs throughout 2026.
The Independents
Not every great tea needs a hotel. Russian Tea Time, a Loop landmark across from the Art Institute of Chicago founded in 1993 by a family from Uzbekistan, serves afternoon tea daily from 11 AM to 4:30 PM alongside Eastern European and Central Asian cooking. Tea & Sympathy has been a Greenwich Village institution since 1990 — a small British restaurant with a proper afternoon tea and an adjoining shop selling loose teas and teaware. St. Louis's London Tea Room pairs more than 90 loose-leaf teas with fresh scones from its own bakery, Wednesday through Sunday. Jordan Pond House has served tea and popovers on the lawn above Jordan Pond inside Acadia National Park since 1893; it opens mid-May, and most tables are held for walk-ins. And the Rose Garden Tea Room at The Huntington in San Marino serves tea overlooking the historic rose garden — same-day admission required, reservations up to three months out.
Russian Tea Time
$$$The Loop · Chicago
A Loop landmark across from the Art Institute, Russian Tea Time has been a beloved Chicago culinary destination for over thirty years, founded in 1993 by a family of immigrants from Uzbekistan. The restaurant serves dishes from the diverse regions of Eastern Europe and Central Asia and offers a daily afternoon tea service from 11 AM to 4:30 PM.
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.
The London Tea Room
St. Louis
The London Tea Room is St. Louis's authentic British tea room, serving afternoon tea, high tea, and a children's Wee Tea alongside more than 90 loose-leaf teas. Each seated service pairs a pot of premium loose-leaf tea with freshly baked scones, cream and jam, savoury finger sandwiches, and sweets, and an in-house bakery offers baked goods for takeaway.
Jordan Pond House
$$Acadia National Park · Seal Harbor
Historic tea house inside Acadia National Park, serving tea and popovers on the lawn above Jordan Pond since 1893, a tradition begun by proprietor Nellie McIntire. Operates seasonally, with the restaurant opening in mid-May; most tables are held for walk-in guests, and a Popover & Prosecco Bar serves guests while they wait.
Rose Garden Tea Room at The Huntington
$$$San Marino
Afternoon tea overlooking the historic rose garden at The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Same-day admission to The Huntington is required, and reservations open up to three months in advance via OpenTable; vegan and gluten-free menus are available.
How to Use This List
Nearly every room above requires a reservation, and several serve only on specific days or at fixed seatings. Open the listing for verified hours, the booking link, and the menu where the venue publishes one. If you are new to the ritual, read our plain-English guide to afternoon tea first — then pick the palm court nearest you.
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