From Beverly Hills To Austin, The American Afternoon Tea Scene Is Having A Moment

Photo Credit: The Maybourne Beverly Hills

Once the domain of finger sandwiches and doilies, afternoon tea in America is getting a glow-up. Across the country, a new wave of tea services is trading stiff tradition for high style—think couture confections, playful presentations, and savory bites that wouldn’t be out of place in a Michelin-starred tasting menu. From Beverly Hills to Austin, these chic interpretations are putting a modern, often local spin on the time-honored ritual—proving that when it comes to tea, the States might just be giving London a run for its Earl Grey.

LOS ANGELES

Photo Credit: The Maybourne Beverly Hills

Los Angeles just got a whole lot chicer—The Maybourne Beverly Hills has brought a beloved British fashion tradition stateside with the debut of Prêt-à-Portea: The Red Carpet Collection. After nearly two decades turning haute couture into haute confections at The Berkeley in London, the stylish afternoon tea finally makes its American debut—and it’s dressed to impress. Served in the hotel’s elegant Terrace Tearoom, just steps from Rodeo Drive, the tea is a playful mashup of high fashion and fine patisserie—an edible homage to some of the most iconic red carpet looks of all time. Think couture-meets-confection, with celebrity gowns reimagined as jaw-dropping pastries, plated on peach-and-white Bernardaud china. Yes, really.

Among the headliners:

• Björk’s legendary swan dress from the 2001 Oscars becomes a feather-light pavlova with passion fruit ganache and delicate meringue wings.

• JLo’s green Versace moment gets the dessert treatment as a lime-glazed coconut mousse with pineapple-lime chutney and mango glass.

• Zendaya’s soft pink Valentino gown from the 2023 SAG Awards turns into strawberry mousse with a lychee gelée core, perched on lemon shortbread and crowned with piped roses.

• And Billy Porter’s gold-dusted Giles Deacon look becomes a rich coffee mousse with pecan praline and chocolate feathers.

Other edible icons include Taylor Swift’s florals, Lupita Nyong’o’s pearls, Michelle Williams’s sunshine yellow Vera Wang, Angela Bassett’s cherry red Judith Leiber clutch, and Margot Robbie’s silver Chanel moment—each reinterpreted as a decadent, wildly Instagrammable dessert.

Created by Executive Pastry Chef Brooke Martin, Prêt-à-Portea is served Fridays through Sundays at 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM. Each experience includes nine couture-inspired pastries, a selection of delicate tea sandwiches and scones, savoury bites, and—naturally—a glass of champagne. Priced at $165 for adults and $65 for children under 12, it’s the most delicious way to get red carpet-ready in Beverly Hills.

NEW YORK

THE PENINSULA NEW YORK

Photo Credit: The Peninsula New York

The Peninsula New York is inviting guests to experience a garden of edible delights with the debut of its Van Gogh Floral Afternoon Tea—a whimsical, art-forward collaboration with the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG). Inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s most iconic botanical works, the experience will be offered in the hotel’s elegant Gotham Lounge from May 6 through June 28, 2025.

Timed to coincide with NYBG’s anticipated exhibition Van Gogh’s Flowers, the afternoon tea blends the artist’s expressive spirit with seasonal blooms, transforming the lounge into a living tribute to Van Gogh’s vibrant world. Expect florals on every level—from the room’s lush installations to each beautifully crafted bite.

Pastry and culinary teams have drawn directly from Van Gogh’s brushstrokes and favorite flora to create a menu that reads like a still life on fine porcelain. Sweet highlights include scones served with a chocolate paintbrush, a honeyed chocolate sunflower, a delicate vanilla cherry blossom, and a lavender sponge cake with blueberry and almond. On the savory side: Sunflower Seed Foie Gras on brioche, playful “potted plants” with truffle dip and porcini “soil,” and a refined Maine Lobster Roll. The menu is served with a curated selection of floral teas and a glass of Peninsula Private Label Champagne. Each tea booking includes a complimentary ticket to Van Gogh’s Flowers at NYBG—on view from May 24 to October 26, 2025—where guests can explore immersive floral installations and monumental sunflower sculptures. The tea is available Tuesdays–Saturdays, May 6 – June 28, 2025 from 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM and is priced at $135+ per person, which includes one ticket to Van Gogh’s Flowers and a glass of champagne.

THE CARLYLE HOTEL

Photo Credit: The Carlyle Hotel

Afternoon tea gets an inspired makeover with The Illustrator Tea at The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel—a beautifully curated experience where art meets indulgence. Paired with an elegant menu of sweet and savory bites, the ritual reimagines the traditional tea through a creative lens, offering a refined (and highly photogenic) pause in the day.

On the savory side, highlights include:

Black Truffle Egg Sandwich – soft egg salad on brioche, elevated with aromatic truffle

Jonah Spring Crab Salad – delicately layered in a buttery croissant, finished with citrus zest

Morel Mushroom Quiche – served warm, alongside a lightly dressed herb salad

Sweet selections are equally intentional:

Orange Date Scones – served warm with housemade lemon curd

Almond Financier – a rich, delicate almond cake with perfect texture

Assorted Petits Frais – a whimsical assortment of pastries designed for lingering

As the name suggests, The Illustrator Tea also celebrates creativity in visual form. Throughout the season, a rotating lineup of guest illustrators lends their signature touch, capturing the spirit of the experience through live sketching and curated works. Featured artists include Edith Young, Claire Dufournier, Lucia Dallett, Leslie Hamilton, and Jocelyn Mastroianni. Thoughtfully composed and effortlessly elegant, The Illustrator Tea is where taste, texture, and tone come together—one sip, one sketch, and one bite at a time.

WASHINGTON DC: THE ROSEWOOD WASHINGTON DC

Photo Credit: Rosewood DC
The Rosewood Washington DC is having a cherry blossom moment. While the afternoon tea offering remains an elegant staple for guests and visitors alike, this season brings something particularly enchanting in its limited-edition Cherry Blossom Tea experience, now available as part of a special spring package. Priced at $85, the Cherry Blossom Tea Set is as beautiful as it is delicious—an ode to the fleeting charm of sakura season, expressed through a thoughtfully composed menu of savory bites and patisserie-perfect sweets.

The savory selection includes:

Smoked Trout with Trout Roe

Truffled Egg Salad on Croissant

Miniature Lobster Roll

On the sweet side:

Golden Raisin and Lemon Zest Scones, paired with clotted cream and honey

Assorted pastries, including madeleines, macarons, and seasonal creations like a Raspberry-Thyme & Cherry Blossom Vacherin and a Passionfruit–Caramelized Pineapple Coconut Tart

Guests can choose from a curated selection of organic and sustainably sourced teas and coffees to accompany the experience. For those looking to elevate their tea ritual, the Deluxe Package ($105) includes everything above, along with your choice of a glass of Champagne, a Hugo Spritz, or a French 75—with additional pours from the CUT Wine List available à la carte.

HOUSTON: THE MARIGOLD CLUB

Photo Credit: Zach Horst

In the heart of Montrose, The Marigold Club is serving afternoon tea in an inspired way: with bold creativity, design-forward flair, and a serious appreciation for the ritual itself.

Here, tea isn’t an afterthought. It’s a full-sensory experience set in a sun-drenched atrium, where two-tiered towers arrive with the kind of savory-sweet balance that feels more curated than classic. Expect bites like:

Pimento Cheese Croquettes

Smoked Salmon Mousse on housemade sesame financiers

Chicken Salad Tea Sandwiches with walnut pesto aioli

Hazelnut Tarts layered with Gianduja ganache and praline

Pear Tarts with vanilla whipped ganache

And Earl Grey Tarts filled with bergamot curd

To sip, guests choose from an exceptional menu of single-origin teas by Brooklyn’s Bellocq Tea Atelier, all served in cheeky Polspotten teapots that put a playful spin on the classic tea service. For those who like their tea spiked, there’s a lineup of tea-inspired cocktails, including the So Little Thyme (gin, lemon, bergamot, thyme, and bubbles) and the Pink Slipper (Bonanto, cognac, grapefruit, and egg white). It’s Texas hospitality meets cosmopolitan cool. With its globally inspired menu, artful presentation, and fresh approach to tradition, The Marigold Club is leading Houston’s tea scene into a new era—one tiered tray at a time.

DALLAS: CAFE DIOR BY DOMINIQUE CRENN

Photo Credit: Nick Glover

Just when you thought Dallas had seen it all, Café Dior by Dominique Crenn — the impossibly chic culinary collaboration between Michelin-starred Chef Dominique Crenn and Maison Christian Dior — has unveiled a new offering that’s as refined as it is runway-ready: Afternoon Tea, reimagined through the lens of haute couture. Located inside the House of Dior boutique, Café Dior channels the elegance and artistry of the fashion house’s storied legacy into every detail of the menu. Chef Crenn—known for her poetic approach to food—blends culinary finesse with Dior’s iconic style, with dishes inspired by archival gowns and classic silhouettes. Now, the newly debuted Afternoon Tea experience ($75 per person, for two or more guests) offers a stylish pause that’s both grounded in tradition and completely elevated.

The savory tier includes:

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Caviar & Watercress Choux

Salmon Gravlax Crackers

For dessert:

Hazelnut Chocolate Cookies

Piña Colada Baba au Rhum

Banana & Sesame Canelés

Teas are available à la carte, with an elegant selection of green, black, and herbal blends—as well as a ceremonial matcha for those who prefer a more meditative pour. To take things to the next level, a glass of Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label can be added for an additional $25 per person. Refined, intimate, and deeply rooted in art and design, Afternoon Tea at Café Dior is more than just a midday indulgence—it’s an experience worthy of the runway.

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