Friday Five
Enjoying an English afternoon high tea service is definitely an experience. There’s something whimsical about sipping from dainty little teacups and nibbling on crustless cucumber and cream cheese finger sandwiches to put you in a festive mood. Enjoying scones with clotted cream and petit fours on tiered trays lined with doilies is like having a childhood tea party realized.
During a pandemic, however, gathering at a teahouse for this kind of experience is not realistic. Fortunately, many places in the Bay Area have started boxing up their tea parties so you can enjoy one at a local park or in the comfort of your own home. So, sit up straight and raise your pinkies for these high tea experiences to go.
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Note: These options must be ordered in advance, and given the ever-changing restrictions, this information is subject to change.
1. Alexander’s Patisserie
This offshoot of the popular Silicon Valley steakhouse Alexander’s has a similarly sleek and modern vibe. Along with the usual English scones and Earl Grey tea you’d expect with a tea service, the Holiday Afternoon Tea includes a predetermined selection of gourmet seasonal items, such as leek and curry quiche, pistachio financiers, and Valrhona chocolate, to complement a freshly brewed cup of tea.
Each set is $58 per person (two-person minimum) and is available for pickup or local delivery through DoorDash every day except Mondays.
209 Castro Street, Mountain View; 19379 Stevens Creek Boulevard, Cupertino
2. Crown and Crumpet
Established in 2008, Christopher and Amy Dean’s teahouse — which they describe as “lots of fun and cheeky to boot!” — merges British sensibility with a fun, feminine, and very pink aesthetic. The Tea Party in a Box ($30 per person) makes for a great birthday celebration that both kids and adults will enjoy. It includes three tea sandwiches, one scone with clotted cream, jam, lemon curd, four sweets, and a tea of your choice. There are other large, small, and gluten-free options ranging from $15 to $40. Add-ons include custom-made cakes, fruit spreads, and a variety of fine tea blends.
Pickup is available Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
1746 Post Street, San Francisco
3. Lovey’s Tea Shoppe
Mismatched fine china, lace, and plenty of Laura Ashley–style florals make Lovey’s Tea Shoppe feel like a tea party at your grandmother’s house. Lovey’s is one of several sister establishments that are independently owned, each with their own unique twists.
The shop’s “coastal casual” spin on high tea boasts a large selection of offerings that are fairly traditional but far from boring. Options include a vast number of finger sandwiches, like ham with clementine jam and arugula, chicken apple walnut cranberry salad, and vegan roasted red pepper hummus and greens, plus an astounding 50 different tea varieties. Lovey’s also sells beautiful Victorian-style tea cups and saucers, tiered trays for serving your goodies, and other fun items to complete your high tea experience at home.
Options for two people run about $50 and include sandwiches, scones, crumpets, salad, petit fours, and tea.
Friday through Sunday: pickup, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; local delivery, 3 to 4:30 p.m.
4430 Coast Highway, Pacifica
4. Malaya Tea Room
Malaya Tea Room combines a prim British atmosphere with the tropical Southeast Asian feel of Malaysia. Their normal selection of tea sandwiches includes traditional options like ham and brie, cucumber and dill cream cheese, and bittersweet marmalade with salted butter. The shop’s Holiday Tea in a Box ($33 per person) includes seasonal options like turkey cranberry-chili, smoked salmon chive cream cheese, and chicken apple. The box also includes your choice of tea (Earl Gray, black, green, or herbal), along with a scone, canapé, two desserts, and Malaya’s twist on mincemeat pie: a Malaysian rendang chickpea pie.
One particularly notable add-on is the Malaysian shave ice — a popular frozen Asian dessert that usually includes toppings like red bean, grass jelly, and coconut or condensed milk — for an additional $12. The shop’s regular Afternoon Tea in a Box ($25 per person) will resume in January.
Pickup is available Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
920 Central Avenue, Alameda
5. Sip Tea Room
Friends Paula Dinnell and Shannon De Leon crossed paths on their adventures bouncing back and forth between England and the United States and joined forces to found Sip Tea Room.
Their neighborhood shop is “a modern take on traditional afternoon tea.” The takeout menu includes a tea service for two with finger sandwiches, scones, tea, and the like. You can also purchase tea accessories to make this a complete English high tea service, including cardboard tea towers, cups and saucers, teapots, and tea strainers.
The Holiday Tea for Two ($80) includes a generous serving of finger sandwiches, sausage or veggie rolls, scones (with clotted cream, preserves, and lemon curd), desserts, peppermint bark, fruit, tea, and a tea tower. Make this a lively grown-up tea party by adding a bottle of Da Luca Prosecco for an additional $20.
Orders must be placed 24 hours in advance and are available for pickup Thursday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
721 Lincoln Way, San Francisco
