🫖 Scones, trays & clotted cream
SoCal afternoon & high tea
Curated by Simir Shah
19 spots across Southern California — add your zip or city to sort by what's closest to you
The Tea House on Los Rios
San Juan Capistrano
Set in a restored 1911 cottage steps from Mission San Juan Capistrano, with award-winning warm scones, tea sandwiches and petit fours. Picturesque and family-friendly — reserve on weekends.
🗓️ Reservations recommended · daily
💵 $$ per person
Montage Laguna Beach (Lobby Lounge)
Laguna Beach
Oceanfront luxury-resort afternoon tea in the Lobby Lounge with sweeping Pacific views and seasonal 'Tea with a Twist' menus. A polished special-occasion experience — reserve ahead.
🗓️ Reservations · select days
💵 $$$ hotel afternoon tea
Morning Lavender Cafe
Tustin
A photogenic, floral-styled cafe serving weekend afternoon tea with a pot of tea, scone, sandwiches and petite desserts. Trendy, Instagram-friendly, with a kids' price.
🗓️ Reservations only · Sat–Sun seatings
💵 $$ (~$39 adult / $29 child)
Grand Tradition Estate — Signature Tea
Fallbrook
An elevated three-course tea in the estate's Beverly Mansion ballroom with live music, set among lush gardens and waterfalls. An occasion-only event tea — dates release seasonally.
🗓️ Reservations · seasonal dates
💵 $$$ (special event)
The Empressa
Temecula
A pretty Temecula tea room serving fine teas, scones, finger sandwiches and pastries plus themed events (Bridgerton, Marie Antoinette). Charming and event-friendly — call to reserve.
🗓️ Reservations · most days exc. Wednesday
💵 $$ per person
Afternoon Tea at The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa
Riverside
Afternoon tea in the historic Mission Inn's Spanish patio with tiered trays of finger sandwiches, scones and pastries and live courtyard music. A romantic landmark setting.
🗓️ Reservations · select days
💵 $$$ hotel afternoon tea
McKenna's Tea Cottage
Seal Beach
A quaint Main Street tea cottage in Old Town Seal Beach with 37+ teas, tea sandwiches, scones and a 'Little Duchess' children's tea. Cozy and family-friendly — reservations required.
🗓️ Reservations required · daily
💵 $$ per person
The Olde Magnolia Tea Room
Upland
A traditional British sit-down tea in a 1900s brick building in Old Town Upland, with tea, soup, salad, scone, sandwiches and desserts. Cozy and authentic — reserve ahead with a deposit.
🗓️ Reservations (48h) · Fri–Sun
💵 $$ per person
Rose Garden Tea Room at The Huntington
San Marino
Refined tea with garden and rose views on the grounds of The Huntington; a dedicated children's tea makes it family-friendly. Library admission separate; weekends book months out.
🗓️ Reservations · daily exc. Tuesday
💵 $$$ (~$65; children's tea ~$29)
The Grand Tea Room
Escondido
A cozy North County tearoom in downtown Escondido with full tiered teas, 40+ loose-leaf teas and freshly baked desserts. Warm and traditional — two-hour seatings.
🗓️ Reservations recommended · Tue–Sat
💵 $$ (~$36–40)
The Langham Huntington, Pasadena
Pasadena
Classic grand-hotel afternoon tea with tiered trays, warm scones with clotted cream and a live pianist/harpist on weekends. A special-occasion favorite — reserve well ahead.
🗓️ Reservations · Thu–Sun seatings
💵 $$$ hotel afternoon tea (~$89+)
Chado Tea Room (Little Tokyo)
Los Angeles
A casual, well-loved tea room serving 200+ teas with a three-tiered rack of sandwiches, scone, macarons and cookies. Approachable and affordable; vegan/gluten-free options.
🗓️ Walk-in or reservations · Tue–Sun
💵 $$ (~$29)
Rendezvous Court at the Millennium Biltmore
Los Angeles
Opulent afternoon tea under soaring Moorish-Revival ceilings with gold leaf and a marble fountain in the historic Biltmore lobby. Grand, formal, special-occasion — reservations required.
🗓️ Reservations · Sat–Sun 2–5pm
💵 $$$ hotel afternoon tea
Rose Tree Cottage
Pasadena
A quintessentially English cozy cottage where a uniformed butler oversees a three-course set with famous scones, beef Wellington and sticky toffee pudding. Phone reservations only.
🗓️ Reservations only · weekend seatings
💵 $$$ (~$55+)
Tea Rose Garden
Pasadena
A charming Old Town Pasadena flower-shop-and-tea-garden serving individually designed afternoon tea trays. Relaxed and pretty for a casual special outing.
🗓️ Walk-in or reservations · daily
💵 $$ per person
The Britannia Tearooms
San Diego
An authentic British tearoom (home of Shakespeare's Corner Shoppe's tea service) with monthly menus, finger sandwiches, in-house scones, jams and curds. Cozy and themed — reservations required.
🗓️ Reservations · daily exc. Thursday
💵 $$ (~$40–53)
Afternoon Tea at The Westgate Hotel
San Diego
Tea in the Westgate's Grand Lobby amid antique crystal chandeliers and French interiors with live harp music, tea sandwiches, savories, macarons and cake. Elegant — reserve ahead.
🗓️ Reservations · Wed–Sun
💵 $$$ hotel afternoon tea
All Things Tea
Camarillo
A family-owned European tea room in Ventura County offering cream tea, afternoon tea and high tea with 130+ specialty teas and house-made scones and sweets. Relaxed and welcoming.
🗓️ Reservations recommended · Tue–Sat
💵 $$ per person
Botanica Afternoon Tea at Belmond El Encanto
Santa Barbara
Hillside luxury-hotel tea with a botanical twist — garden-picked savories, seasonal scones and zodiac-inspired tea blends. Sophisticated, scenic, special-occasion — reservations required.
🗓️ Reservations · Mon–Thu 2:30–5pm
💵 $$$ hotel afternoon tea (~$95)
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Before you book:afternoon tea is almost always by reservation, often only on certain days, and seatings at the grand hotels (and The Huntington) can fill weeks ahead — book early, especially around Mother's Day and the holidays. Several offer a children's tea, perfect for a little celebration.
Frequently asked questions
Where can you have afternoon tea in Orange County?
OC favorites include The Tea House on Los Rios in San Juan Capistrano, McKenna's Tea Cottage in Seal Beach, Morning Lavender in Tustin, and the oceanfront Montage Laguna Beach. Most take reservations.
What's the difference between afternoon tea and high tea?
Afternoon tea is the lighter, classic spread — scones, finger sandwiches and sweets on a tiered tray, usually mid-afternoon. 'High tea' was historically a heartier early-evening meal, though today most places use the terms interchangeably.
Do you need a reservation for high tea?
Almost always, yes. Afternoon tea is usually by reservation and often only on certain days; the grand-hotel teas (The Langham, the Westgate, The Huntington's Rose Garden Tea Room) book up weeks ahead, especially around Mother's Day and the holidays.
Is afternoon tea kid-friendly?
Many spots offer a dedicated children's tea, which makes it a lovely birthday or special-occasion outing for little ones. Cozy tea cottages tend to be the most relaxed with kids.