By Fiona Good-Sirota By Fiona Good-Sirota | May 31, 2024 | Food & Drink, Guides,
A quintessential high society staple—dating back to socialites in 19th-century London—carries on in Chicago today with petits fours, fine china and loose-leaf black, green and herbal teas. Brush up on your etiquette and embrace a timeless tradition with these picks for afternoon tea in Chicago, curated by Modern Luxury’s editors.
140 E. Walton Place / Website
The Drake’s Palm Court—visited by the queen and Princess Diana—offers 17 loose-leaf tea blends like English breakfast, Earl Grey and cocoa and vanilla-infused Mélange du Cap. Guests can dine on a three-tiered assortment of treats, including artisanal finger sandwiches, homemade scones and bread and petits fours served with lemon curd, fruit preserves and chef-crafted English Double Devon Cream.
330 N. Wabash Ave. / Website
Often credited as the birthplace of afternoon tea in 1865, The Langham offers an entirely indulgent experience, topped off with macaroons, finger sandwiches, petits fours and more. Enjoy panoramic views of the skyline, live classical music, exclusive loose-leaf blends and specialty menu offerings from executive chef Damion Henry, all while soaking up the hotel’s historic ambiance.
160 E. Pearson St. / Website
Visit the Ritz Carlton signature teas, pastries, scones and amuse-bouches. Satisfy your sweet tooth with strawberry sponge shortcake, blueberry yogurt tarts and banana cream pie macarons. Or keep things savory with Caprese, jumbo lump crab, shaved cucumber, or 400-day aged parma ham finger sandwiches.
108 E. Superior St. / Website
From finger sandwiches served on silver and bone china to steamy cups of freshly brewed tea, afternoon tea at the Peninsula Chicago is a must-try for guests of all ages and dietary preferences. Held in The Lobby, the Peninsula’s grandiose dining lounge, tea service can be offered vegan, gluten-free and kid-friendly, with a children’s afternoon tea menu filled with sweet treats and mini sliders. Starting June 22, the hotel will debut “The Art of Tea,” designed for families with children ages 8 to 12, featuring three courses—including Little Bakers, Tea Party Planning and Budding Artists—followed by afternoon tea. Participants will receive a booklet on Peninsula Hotels’ timeless tradition, tea etiquette and the storied history of afternoon tea. Each class is offered for three consecutive weeks on Saturdays from June 22 through Aug. 17 at 2:30 or 4:30 p.m.
230 N. Michigan Ave. / Website
Boozy afternoon tea is held each Sunday at Pendry Chicago’s lobby dining destination, Bar Pendry. Dig into chicken katsu, cucumber cups, angel food cake and strawberry tarts, all while sipping on your favorite nonalcoholic Rare Cellars Tea—with selections like barrel-aged 2012 chocolate Pu-erh, magnolia blossom and wild blueberry noir. Visitors can also choose from boozy (and spirit-free) tea cocktails like the Mallorca melon shrubbery-infused “You’ve Met Your Matcha,” the “Tea Totaller Toddy” with Kentucky Spiritless 74 and the Gentleman Jack-spiked “Sunday Morning Sour.”
85 E. Wacker Drive / Website
Sip hand-picked Rare Tea Cellars and Sparrow Coffee loose-leaf teas and enjoy a basket of freshly baked scones at an afternoon tea hosted by LondonHouse Chicago. Located on the second-floor Bridges Lobby Bar, tea is accompanied by a lineup of sweet and savory light bites helmed by executive chef Elizabeth Sweeney and executive pastry chef Thomas Gorczyca. The menu features white chocolate raspberry truffles, strawberry crostinis, beet-cured salmon sushi crepes and more.
113-125 N. Green St. / Website
SoHo House’s first-floor bar and patio, The Allis Bar, offers a chic weekend afternoon tea service. Dine on a curated selection of seasonal scones, ginger snap cookies, raspberry crumble bars and homemade egg salad. Sip Soho English breakfast, blueberry hibiscus and jade cloud Rishi Teas, or rev things up with the spot’s signature “Sparkling Afternoon Tea,” which includes a glass of sparkling Brut or rosé.
120 E. Delaware Place / Website
With innovative tea blends like spiced bourbon vanilla and smoked honey cardamom and towered trays with savory bites and decadent desserts, the Four Seasons afternoon tea is not to be missed. Visitors can sample praline rocher tarts, caramelized banana foie gras ganache, pomegranate profiterole, deviled eggs and petite trifecta lobster rolls, among other menu offerings. Top it off with a complimentary glass of Collet Champagne and the liquor pairing of your choice.
521 N. Rush St. / Website
Amp things up with The Gwen’s Tipsy Tea Party, complete with bottomless booze-infused (and spirit-free) tea, a live DJ, rotating tiered towers and various a la carte dining specials. The spot’s four tea-time packages each include a tower stocked with light bites like curried deviled eggs, rainbow cake, butterfly panna cotta, red pepper muhammara, mango passionfruit cheesecake bites and more.
2108 N. Clark St.; 131 N. Clinton St. / Website
Neighborhood Patisserie, Vanille hosts an afternoon tea filled with authentic French light bites, curated blends, seasonal pastries and macarons. Indulge in petit croissants with Black Forest ham, gruyere cheese and dijon shallot aioli; pain de mie bread with cucumbers and herbed crème fraîche; and traditional scones and French madeleines with fruit curd, raspberry jam, and English Double Devon Cream.
See also: The 14 Best Hotels In Chicago
Photography by: ALISON HENLEY/GETTY IMAGES