As an afternoon tea connoisseur, I have really enjoyed exploring tea rooms in the Bay Area. Spoiler alert, they are all phenomenal. Here I will catalogue what I found to be the best parts of each tea room to help you plan your next tea time adventure in the Bay. I also provide recommendations for making a day of exploring sites around each tea room.
Lovejoy’s Tea Room
Location(s): San Francisco, CA (and Redwood City and Pacifica)
Lovejoy’s Highlights: Best experience across multiple locations
Lovejoy’s Tea Room has three locations, one in SF, one in Redwood City, and one in Pacifica (which goes by Lovey’s). I had my 30th birthday at the Redwood City location and couldn’t have asked for a more fabulous celebration in February 2020 when I was blissfully unaware of the pandemic to come.
As compared to other Bay Area tea rooms, Lovejoy’s has some of the most memorable sandwich selections, especially for vegetarians like myself. Lovejoy’s multiple locations are also great if you want to make a day of hiking in Pacifica or exploring Redwood City downtown before treating yourself with afternoon tea.
SIP Tea Room
Location: Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA
SIP Highlights: Most fanciful details
SIP Tea Room is located right next to Golden Gate Park and features fun tea-themed decor. We went the first weekend that they had reopened in 2021 and they celebrated by offering free glasses of wine along with their tea service which was a lovely treat.
SIP has some of the fun and fabulous tea decor around. Their clotted cream, curd, and jam for their scones is also especially delicious. This popular tea room books up in advance to be sure to check for a reservation before trying to check it out.
Crown and Crumpet
Location: Japantown, San Francisco, CA
Crown and Crumpet Highlights: Best savories
Crown and Crumpet is located in the heart of Japantown. This is a sparsely decorated space, so nondescript that you might have to recheck your GPS a few times to make sure you are in the right spot (enter through a glass door somewhat hidden away by other restaurants in the area). I went here for a fun afternoon catch up and, appropriately, wore a crown and ate crumpets.
Although the ambiance is not as extravagant as other tea rooms (like K Patisserie, for example), Crown and Crumpet has some of the best food of any tea room I have been too. The crumpets are marvelous as are the sandwiches and sweets.
Tyme for Tea
Location: Fremont, CA
Tyme for Tea Highlights: Most whimsical
I had the pleasure of celebrating a friend’s birthday at this Fremont tea room. If you are in the area, I recommend checking out the Niles Silent Film Museum if you are interested in learning more about Charlie Chaplin and other silent film stars.
Tyme for Tea definitely wins for my favorite tea pun! Their desserts were among my favorite and their tea tray had a unique staggered style.
Lisa’s Tea Treasures
Location: Los Altos, CA
Lisa’s Tea Treasures Highlights: Best service
Lisa’s Tea Treasures is one of my top favorites in the Bay Area. The combination of amazing food and charming decor was truly remarkable. I celebrated the new year here in January 2021 sporting a fun fascinator.
The decor is stunning and very immersive in the upstairs area of this lovely location. The service was also remarkable: fast, friendly, patient, and the waitress kept us entertained with her lovely humor and fun spirit for our whole tea service.
K Patisserie
Location: San Jose, CA
K Patisserie Highlights: Best decor
If you find yourself in South Bay, the most gorgeous tea room around is K Patisserie. When I went during the summer they had afternoon tea service only one weekend a month, so be sure to look into getting a reservation in advance.
Without a doubt, K Patisserie wins for most beautiful decor. The ceiling is covered in gorgeous faux flowers and even the plates look like gorgeous flowers. I also love that they label everything with tiny labels. They also offer boba tea versions of tea drinks, which is a unique treat to be pair with full tea service. The portions of food are very generous so be sure to come hungry!
Alexander’s Patisserie
Location(s): Cupertino, CA (and Mountain View)
Alexander Patisserie Highlights: Best desserts
Alexander’s Patisserie has a beautiful tea service around the holidays with locations in Mountain View and Cupertino. The tea features finger sandwiches, scones, and an array of gorgeous mini desserts on a circular tea setup.
By far the highlight of this experience was the beautiful and delicious tiny desserts which included macarons, fancy chocolates, and gorgeous mousses.
Malaya Tea Room
Location: Alameda, CA
Malaya Tea Room Highlights: Best tea fusion experience
Malaya Tea Room is a Malaysian/British afternoon tea fusion experience inspired by the owner’s memories growing up in Malaysia during the British Malaya era. Traditional British tea sandwiches are complimented by Malaysian flavors like kaya (coconut jam) and kasturi limecurd. The highlight of the experience for me was the Malaysian pull tea. Although this frothy beverage resembles chai with it’s spice profile and creamy sweetness, Malaysian pull tea has a flavor all its own and I strongly recommend checking it out if you haven’t tried it.
Whether you are looking for fabulous decor or scrumptious crumpets, there’s a Bay Area tea room to suit your taste. Wherever you go, be sure to look into reservations and feel free to wear your fanciest fascinator for a delightful afternoon.
Millennial's Delight 