CHIGuide
Where To Have Afternoon Tea In Chicago
photo credit: The Allis
Afternoon tea can feel like a bit of a scam. After all, the tea can be bought at the store for a fraction of the price. But that's not the point—a tea service is about the experience. It’s the opportunity to eat things like little cucumber sandwiches and mini tarts that make you feel like a giant, and the chance to let anyone with an unhealthy Downton Abbey obsession live out their aristocratic fantasies. The next time you feel like spending 90 minutes eating too much cake and drinking tea with your pinky up, here’s where to go.
THE SPOTS
Starting at $140 per person
Tea at The Peninsula is everything you'd expect—assuming those expectations include soaring ceilings, impeccable service, a complimentary glass of Tattinger, and cello players playing the theme from Pirates of the Caribbean. The tea selection is excellent, the pastries and cakes are fantastic, and you'll get a chocolate cupcake as a parting gift. This experience is perfect for a special occasion, or if you just want to dress up and try the best afternoon tea Chicago has to offer. Keep in mind: It’s usually booked up weeks in advance (only two seatings per weekend day), requires prepaid reservations, and, at $140 per person, is one of the most expensive options in the city.
Starting at $90 per person
Afternoon Tea at LondonHouse skews informal (service takes place in the hotel’s lobby lounge/bar), but you wouldn’t know it by the presentation of the food. Everything comes out displayed on a geometric tiered tray that’s probably from CB2, and you’ll find tasty seasonal bites like a duck sausage spring roll, pea falafel, and an asparagus tart instead of the usual cucumber sandwich. The sweets can be hit-or-miss with the flavors, but they’re always visually playful. Tea service is available daily, and most weekdays will be relatively quiet, with the exception of the occasional business traveler taking a Zoom meeting at the table next to you.
Starting at $85 per person
For a traditional afternoon tea that doesn't feel stuffy, go to the Ritz-Carlton. Tea service happens in a calm space with lots of big windows and skylights, and exceptionally deep chairs you can sink into while enjoying the creative snacks—like a lobster roll stuffed into a cannoli shell or a lemon buttermilk tart decorated like a baby chick. Presentation is clearly important, from the artfully designed food to the attentive but not intrusive service. Despite not having a large tea selection (only six options to choose from), the Ritz is one of the best spots for a relaxing tea service.
Starting at $70 per person
On Saturdays and Sundays from 12-4pm, The Gwen hosts a Tipsy Tea Party complete with cocktails, a DJ, and cute little hats you can clip to your hair. You’ll also get unlimited tea, plus small bites like curried carrot deviled eggs, tomato tulips stuffed with chives and cream cheese, and fantastic apricot-cranberry scones depending on the monthly party theme. Packages range from $70-$95, based on how much you want to approximate the Mad Hatter’s tea party (read: how tipsy you want to get). It’s a fun, boozy take on afternoon tea, and it’s great for groups. Just know that the fact that you’re in a hotel’s private events space is inescapable—the low-ceilinged, dim room is just a few feet from the lobby—especially on Sundays when things tend to be tamer.
Starting at $63 per person
The Allis is Soho House’s lobby bar and restaurant, and also happens to be where they host afternoon tea on the weekends. The setting means that the tea skews casual—you’ll be sipping tea out of fancy cups surrounded by hotel guests eating lunch and travelers at the communal table frantically sending emails before rushing to catch their flight. But this is one of the few tea services that's a great solo experience. There are plenty of small tables lining the big windows looking out onto Green Street, which makes for fun people-watching over a three-tiered tea tray stacked with mint chocolate tarts and lemon choux pastries.
Starting at $65 per person; available seasonally on a limited number of Sundays
Bar Pendry is the type of spot you reserve for a bachelorette party with that friend from college who yells “Woo!" Their Sunday afternoon tea (which includes a boozy option) is full of groups drinking champagne, a DJ spinning (sometimes very loud) music, and a crowd of tourists constantly walking by the windows. The space is small, and right off the lobby of the hotel on the main floor. All this can lead to more chaos than you'd expect during afternoon tea, but the food, unique tea-based cocktails, and the crackling fireplace are a great choice for a celebration.
Starting at $55 per person
The Un-Tea Afternoon Apéro at Sofitel Chicago is a pleasant and relatively affordable alternative to some of the pricier options on this guide. There’s a lot to like about this French-inspired service, including friendly staff and the fact that $55 will get you a tower of treats, plus scones, macarons, and an individual pot of tea to sip on in a very laid-back setting. Eating in the restaurant right off the hotel check-in desk isn’t quite as opulent as other tea venues, and you’ll be pouring your tea yourself. But you can still cosplay as a dowager by leaning into the “un-tea” theme and opting for a champagne add-on to go with the assortment of excellent truffle cream choux puffs, buttery foie gras sandwiches, and fantastically rich earl grey chocolate cake.
photo credit: Ken Kee
Starting at $10 per person
Ken Kee, one of our favorite Chinese restaurants, knows that a great afternoon tea experience doesn’t require cucumber sandwiches or for it to be on a weekend. On weekdays from 2-5pm, this 20-year-old Chinatown staple offers a casual Hong Kong-style afternoon tea menu with less common dishes like creamy toast dusted in Ovaltine, noodles with shredded ham and eggs, and their collaboration with Chiu Quon: egg tarts with peach jelly and sweet pineapple buns filled with truffle butter. Each dish is priced a la carte at $10 but comes with your choice of a robust milk tea or milk tea spiked with coffee. Bring a few friends to try as much as possible, and be prepared for leftovers because the portions are decidedly not dainty.
Starting at $69 per person
The Drake Hotel is the epitome of old Chicago glamour, and attending afternoon tea here is like being a cast member of the Real Housewives of Gold Coast. While the Palm Court is a beautiful space—there’s a massive water feature in the middle of the room, stone statues and pillars, along with hundreds of fake flowers—the food isn’t particularly inspired. But it’s worth overlooking the flaws because of this spot’s history, great tea selection, and excellent service.
Starting at $44 per person
"No frills" is the best way to sum up afternoon tea at Michigan Avenue staple Russian Tea Time. There’s no pretension here, just a casual Russian restaurant that happens to offer tea service from 11am until 5pm daily. For $44, you’ll get the basic tea service including one type of tea, some crackers with various toppings, and a few small desserts that may or may not be from Costco. Afternoon tea here feels less like a meal and more like a good snack option when you need to kill time before heading to the Art Institute across the street.
