Cafés and tearooms for afternoon tea in Vancouver
From cucumber sandwiches to modern day pastries, these cafés offer the finest afternoon tea service in Vancouver.
Soffee Café
1426 8th Ave W, Vancouver BC V6H 1E1The interior of Soffee Café – an unassuming glass-fronted café on West 7th – could be a transplant of a 19th century Parisian parlour. Velvet chairs, antique cabinets and lace tablecloths provide a traditional setting for afternoon tea: one that’s worth skipping lunch for. For the savoury portion, enjoy stuffed mushrooms, finger sandwiches, prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, and shrimp cocktail. Indulge your sweet tooth with cream puffs and cupcakes. At $25 per person for the demi tea, and $39 for the full tea, this is one of the pricier options on the list, but it feels as luxurious as it costs.
Neverland Tea Salon
3066 Broadway W, Vancouver BC V6K 2H1Neverland describes its soul as coming from a “place of creativity, inspiration and gluttonous self-indulgence”, and their afternoon tea reflects this. Amidst the decadent Victorian-style interior, delicious delights are to be had. Ranging in price from $25 to $43, based on the tea selection or champagne additions, the afternoon tea menu rotates seasonally. The winter menu includes a mouthwatering selection of finger sandwiches with a twist. Fillings include ricotta with marinated vegetables and pine nuts, slow-roasted pulled pork, and Spanish grilled cheese. Be sure to leave room for the wickedly rich desserts, though, such as a chocolate gingerbread mousse cake.
La Petite Cuillere
55 Kingsway, Vancouver BC V5T 3J1Delightfully vintage in Mount Pleasant’s Brewery District, this teashop’s interior feels like a 1930’s parlour – and has the charm to match. Their afternoon tea offerings are varied – from Le Petit Fromage Tea (cheese and tea), to high tea (finger sandwiches, cake and scones), to afternoon tea (a full tiered service with additional delicacies.) Their extensive range of loose-leaf tea is both adventurous and traditional, with many blended in-house for a truly unusual gift. During summer months, be sure to try some of La Petite Cuillere’s homemade iced tea as an accompaniment, too.
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
900 West Georgia Street, VANCOUVER BC V6C 2W6Afternoon tea is synonymous with luxury, and nowhere else in the city oozes Old World charm quite like the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. Their signature Tea at the Top is an eye-watering $54 but such extravagance is rewarded with exotic finger sandwiches, Dungeness crab cakes, foraged mushroom tartlets and many more savoury delights. The sweets – financier cakes, macarons and mille-feuille – are just as elegant. For a special occasion, this tradition – now taken on the 15th floor with gorgeous views of the city – is a real treat.
Secret Garden Tea Company
2138 40th Ave W, Vancouver BC V6M 1W5Kerrisdale’s worst kept secret, this delightful salon prides itself on quality, and it shows. Since 1995, sisters-in-law Kathy and Erin Wyder have provided tea, coffee and cake to West Side residents and visitors jonesing for their treats from afar. Their high tea service books up quickly, likely due to the traditional yet original take on the ritual. Winter offerings include egg pinwheels, seared prawns on brioche, peppermint crackle cookies and an eggnog meringue torte. You even receive a take-home treat to relive your experience later… if you aren’t too full, that is.
Xi Shi Lounge
1128 Georgia St W, Vancouver BC V6E 0A8For a contemporary take on traditional afternoon tea, Xi Shi Lounge in Vancouver’s five-star Shangri-La Hotel is an original option to try. Large red lanterns hang above low-slung, angular sofas while contemporary patterns add a luxurious feel to the modern space. For $44, tea aficionados will enjoy a range of sandwiches, but the desserts deserve the most attention, with mouth-watering options in flavours that speak to both East and West. Add a glass of sparkling wine – or champagne – to your experience for a true indulgence.
Adonia Tea House
2057 41st Ave W, Vancouver BC V6M 1Y7With its impressively large shelves packed full with tea tins and trinkets, Adonia Tea Salon tips its hat to history in both its decor and reverence to the history of afternoon tea itself. Ask their staff about its origins, and you’ll receive a charming description that spans centuries and continents. Similarly, everything from the tablecloths to china sets look authentic and timeless. In such a setting, it’s easy to get lost in a natter with friends while enjoying tea for $29, which includes a three-tier stand adorned with various freshly made sweets and savories regularly rotated with the season.
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