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American Tea Room
Category: Food Coffee & Tea Coffee & Tea [Edit]
401 N Canon DrBeverly Hills, CA 90210
Neighborhood: Beverly Hills
(310) 271-7922
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 10 am - 6 pm
Sun 12 pm - 5 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
39 reviews for American Tea Room
Review Highlights
"...had a delicious iced rooibos blend called Lemoncello mixed..."
(in 3 reviews)
"Earl Grey Tea Cake with Victoria."
(in 3 reviews)
"Randy & David are so knowledgeable and friendly."
(in 5 reviews)
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39 reviews in English
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Review from SeaElle T.
Los Angeles, CA
Updated - 1/30/2012
I was with friends a few weeks ago when I journeyed back into American Tea Room. It was nice. I think next time when I go, I'll buy something for myself. I mooched a few cups of a green tea off of my friend and enjoyed it immensely. I had a good experience this time. I'll be back next time I'm in the neighborhood.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/18/2011
I was ecstatic to find another tea room in LA. I looked around for a bit and was half expecting… Read more »
Comment from David B. of American Tea Room 3/18/2011
We are sorry that this customer felt the need to give us… More » -
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Review from Kenneth G.
Los Angeles, CA
1/14/2012
Aww this place. I'd move in and never leave. Ambient is so comfortable, warm. Tea selection is amazing and packing some as a gift is always my option. It's original and cute and people will appreciate it. With their staff, you won't go out empty handed.
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Review from Teresita C.
Los Angeles, CA
12/16/2011
Really good theme and rich ambient. Dedicated to tea, for real. Modern, clean, almost like an art gallery. I'm quite amazed with choices I have, options are incredible. Prices are in order for such quality. Plus you can get very useful tips on herbs and flavors. Dedicated no doubt.
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Review from Brittany B.
Los Angeles, CA
5/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
What a fun place to stop in and have a pot of tea! They have a great selections of Valerie confections and will give you a free tea cake if you check in on yelp - well at least they are supposed to, but I didn't get one :(
Great, unique tea flavors!Listed in: 90210
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Review from Chris K.
Marina del Rey, CA
8/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great tee selection. I personally like the Marakesh.
Providing sample tea was key in deciding what to get.
Great service, employees know a lot of teas.
The tea is little expensive though worth the price!
The store also has good vibe. -
Review from Alice H.
3/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
"Hey, want to be my date to a Tea*Vent? I have a Groupon."
Good discount, yummy tea, and a punny title? Count me in!
While most of their Tea*Vents (that is, tea tasting event, hehe) take place on the weekends, their weeknight ones are on certain Wednesdays from 7-8pm, after the store closes. For $30 (half off with the Groupon!) it was a great deal and a very worthwhile experience.
I fell in love with the store's architecture and layout. Wall to wall tins boasting the tea's name and origin, artsy studio lighting, a mezzanine area for their stock and office area (sorry, real estate nerd), and of course swirls of intoxicating aroma from their exquisite collection of teas and tea blends. The evening was featuring florals in honor of spring, and the teas were paired with creations by their exclusive chef Valerie.
1. Brin d'Amour Corsican Cheese paired with Provence
I was a bit wary of this one since I'm not a huge fan of cheese, but the flavors paired surprisingly well. The tea had a pleasant floral note, a great start to the floral-themed evening.
2. Mastro Salume with Bao Zhong Royale
Really yummy slightly spicy salami went really well with the spiciness in this Taiwanese black tea. I liked the way the tea smelled in the steam more than the way it tasted though (reminded me of roasted lotus seeds).
3. Pea Tendril Galette with Silver Needle Jasmine
This was my favorite pairing of the evening, both tea and food. Apparently the chef was inspired by pea tendrils she found fresh at the farmer's market that morning, and the pastries looked, smelled, and tasted absolutely scrumptious. The tea was, to me, the epitome of springtime. The jasmine gave it a subtle sweetness that I really enjoyed.
4. Earl Grey Tea Cake with Victoria
LOVED the lavender in the tea cake. I could've eaten a dozen of these. The tea was a bit strong but I loved how in-your-face the rose flavor was. Second fav of the evening.
5. Sugar Plum and Walnut Loaf with Kabusecha Plum
A little bit overwhelmingly fruity for my liking; it reminded me of a tropical iced tea, but served hot. Didn't care for the loaf thanks to my slight walnut allergy.
The products they have in the store are great - I love the Bodum double-walled glasses. And who could forget the "voluptuous" teapot... quite the novelty item. Please look for it - it'll make you smile.
The service was surprisingly friendly for being smack in the middle of Beverly Hills, especially Randy, whose friendly smile and greeting made us feel very welcome when we first walked in. Come check out a Tea*Vent! Info is on their website. Parking is either street or one of the BH garages nearby. -
Review from BustA G.
Pasadena, CA
3/28/2011
Co-owner, David B. gave us a brief run-down on what to expect. American Tea Room offers Groupon deals about every 6 months. My fave tea/food pairings went with garlic naan and curried chicken. Valerie Confections also serves food at a few local farmers' markets and doesn't have a sit-down restaurant. I was tempted to ask for some honey or sugar but that would've ruined the tea tasting experience.
Afterwards, I had a private conversation with David who shared his initial resistance in signing on as a one of the first "California" Groupon merchants and that so far Groupon has worked out well for his business.
Excellent customer service, nice presentation and ambiance with background Indian music being played while we sip'd & nip'd in Bollywood. Good setting for bridal shower or ladies' get together. American Tea Room embraces social media to communicate with its' customers. -
Review from Jackie T.
Irvine, CA
4/5/2011
Wonderfully great selection of tea leaves.
Service was awesome and the lady serving us had very good knowledge of the variety of teas they sell.
If you are into tea--you must check this place out.
We bought some imported green tea from Japan and must say that the tea quality is top class. Loved that.
Definitely recommend. -
Review from Hannah S.
Cupertino, CA
7/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
With the help of Groupons, I've now visited American Tea Room twice. My first Tea*vent was a five-star experience. They had five different teas with five food pairings. I loved that you could go back for seconds on the teas and finger foods you enjoyed. You also asked questions about teas as you pleased.
Second time around, not so. We sat for an hour listening to a slideshow presentation with all photos. I enjoyed the presentation because it was informative and one of the co-owners (the friendly one) of the place gave it. He was a good speaker and very funny. Each tea was filled and brought to us by Megan, their new helper (she was super kind and helpful) and out of the five teas, we had three food pairings (brought to us by the other co-owner of the place who will be named Z for now). We got one tiny quiche pastry, another was a tiny cracker with cheese on top, and then the final food pairing was a tiny piece of what was basically Almond Roca, except made by Valerie Confections in Silverlake (really like her stuff so I will have to visit some time).
After the presentation was over, I asked Z, who was behind the counter, if they had anymore of the quiche pastries. (I was positive they had MORE than the number of people that were there). He responded by saying, no, it is one per person and if I wanted to have more, I can order another for $4. Hellz-to-the-no. I'm not paying $4 for another tiny little pastry when I already paid $20 to come to the Tea*vent. So I smiled at him and said, "okay, thank you."
Later on my boyfriend wanted to buy a set of tea which consisted of nine little canisters of different tea leaves in a pretty box for $75. We didn't like a few of the canisters in the set and wanted to switch out for canisters from another set. We asked Z and he gave a big schpeel about how they absolutely cannot do that as they've prepared the sets in advance and they cannot be switched out. Z goes on about how from a business standpoint, that would not be profitable, and then takes us to other parts of the store to show us our other options, which was to buy tea leaves in bigger canisters or pouches of different sizes, which would all have costed a lot more. We just wanted a sampling of nine teas in little canisters.
Now, I'm not complaining about not being able to get more quiche pastries (although three tiny finger food thingys is hardly a "food-pairing") nor the fact that we can't switch out already prepared tea sets. What really rubbed me the wrong way was that every time we spoke to Z, he made $$$ out to be such a huge deal, like that's all he's out to do. Yes, I know as a business owner you want to make your business profitable so you can make a living. However, you achieve that by making your customers happy and feel comfortable, not alienate them with the issue of money. I've been to plenty of other places where the owner would've said, "The food pairing was only prepared for one per person, but I can see what I can do to get you another one." "The tea set is prepared in a specific way and it would be very difficult to put other tea sets together if we mixed and matched them." The fact that it was always about his profitability made it a huge turn off.
Not sure I would return to give American Tea Room my patronage again. -
Review from aysha m.
Los Angeles, CA
10/19/2011
I walk by here on my lunch break almost every day and finally decided to check it out today. I'm glad I did! Almost immediately after I walked in the store Randy greeted me and asked me if I would like to try one of the two hot teas they had brewed. They have little cups of the teas out so you can smell them before tasting. When I explained that I was looking for a gift for a friend who drinks iced teas he gave me a brochure on three of their "Stars on Ice" and then showed me each of their teas. I ended up buying two of them and Randy put them in a gift bag and proceeded to give me a sample of one of the teas so I could try it myself. He also told me to stop by again as they always have a few hot teas and ice teas brewed to sample. Talk about great customer service! After my visit today I purchased a Gilt City deal for one of their "Tea-vents" in November. Can't wait to see what that's going to be like!
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Review from Shannon R.
Los Angeles, CA
7/4/2010 67 Check-ins Here
Tea has always been a major part of my life. Whenever I was sick as a kid, my mom would make me a "magical" concoction of Lipton's Lemon Lift with a little honey. Then when I visited Ireland as a teenager, I became infatuated with the culture of tea, and began hoarding boxes of Bewley's Irish Breakfast and Lyons Gold Blend (I still have a box stored somewhere, haha). Then in college, I would spend hours in Remedy Tea Bar studying with a White Knight Latte or a pot of Champagne Oolong, and really began to appreciate loose leaf teas and all the amazing ways one can experience them.
And then I moved to LA.
I've sustained myself mainly by ordering canisters of Remedy's loose leaf tea over the internet, but I've really missed having a little tea haven to call my own. My first visit in to American Tea Room, I was a little overwhelmed, didn't know if I could trust the quality to justify the prices they were charging, and quickly popped out to continue on my day. But the place stuck with me, especially since their "Brioche" tea had tasted amazingly similar to Remedy's "Christmas Cookie." If American Tea Room could stand up to Remedy's high quality, well then....it's worth a serious try!
I came in again on a slow day, and found myself in front of "Extreme Vanilla," blown away by what the label read. Green tea blended with hand-cut vanilla beans?! That's DECADENT. I avoid artificially flavored teas like the plague, but this was the real deal. One of the owners (Randy) confirmed my discovery and taught me everything there was to know about the tea, from harvest information to proper brewing methods. It was so refreshing talking to someone who is clearly passionate about tea and really knows his stuff.
I came in a few days later to help my boyfriend find a gift for his aunt. There's this gorgeous set of three teas in pyramid sachets for $40, perfect if you're unsure whether the recipient has enough knowledge to handle loose leaf. And since we were celebrating our anniversary, my boyfriend also treated me to 60 grams of Milk Oolong, an amazing rare tea that is actually creamy and sweet on its own. I know, I'm a lucky girl, haha!
The tea is expensive, so I would suggest being smart about what you invest in. Regardless, you'll be buying quality, and if you allow the staff to assist you, you'll get a serious education.Listed in: Any Time is Tea Time
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Review from Priscilla Z.
Los Angeles, CA
12/12/2010
Beautifully decorated room.
Delicious smell with friendly assistant.
Assorted tea and tea wares, also accopanied with some cookies and honey.
I just like this store a lot.
Since I'm can't take caffiene, I chose the blueberry oneand the cocoa latte, smells sooooo good.
And the kind assistant gave me a small pack of milk oolong, it smells so creamy and like chocolate a lot..
It is overall a nice store -
Review from Davin D.
4/25/2010
If you like very overpriced flavored tea (e.g. vanilla blueberry green tea); American Tea Room is for you.!
If you enjoy fairly priced, quality tea that can stand on it's own; American Tea Room is not for you.
Upon entering ATR my first impression was "This place is beautiful". And it is a nice relaxing space to browse and explore. They carry some nice quality Japanese and English style brewing equipment. But it is all over priced and most of it commonly found in other shops. I was interested in one artisan made Japanese match bowl. So I asked the employee if the bowl's wooden box that is signed by the artist is available. The employee than replied "Oh.. we just throw those away".
So I than proceeded to look at their tea selection. It is extensive. However it seems most of it is favored or blended with herbs. Now this is not my taste. But I believe that if you are going to call your self a "tea" room you should have a better selection of fresh unfavored tea. When I inspected a few teas that I was interested in they smelt stale, old and once again very over priced.
I was further shocked to find out that will not brew a sample of any tea that you are interested in. So they expect me to spend an arm and a leg for something that I cannot sample. I have been to many tea stores in both Los Angeles and the Bay Area. And all will let you sample a brew before you buy.
I was advised by the employee that if I wanted to try something I could order a cup of it at their tea bar. I thought to myself "OK.. I'll spend a dollar or three to try this tea". But than he told me the price. I was shocked! Wow.. I guess they don't need my money.Comment from David B. of American Tea Room 6/1/2010
I just wanted to clarify a few things: If you purchase an… More » -
Review from Mia S.
Artesia, CA
11/15/2010
I admit I am writing this from a biased point of view to start out with. The tea is overpriced already. I have a pretty good nose and taste for teas, and I know I can probably get the same stuff at least 50% off. I can understand why they overprice their teas though... it's rodeo dr and they have to pay the lease somehow.
Staff is very friendly especially if you're a noob on teas -
Review from sara l.
11/8/2007
BAH, HUMBUG! I don't like this place. It's expensive, stuffy, and the people who work there are stuffy, too. They feign like they know a ton about tea, but they don't. Plus, when we were talking about teas from different places, a guy who worked there told me I *couldn't* have gotten high quality tea in Hong Kong, because the tea growers save their *finest* leaves for Le Palais Des Thes! Screw you, man, you ass.
As much as I enjoy a fine jasmine, I'm not into caffeine these days, and I'm a bit of a rooibos connoisseur. I can't tell you how dissappointed I was to take home some their blueberry rooibos blend, only to find its acidity WAY unbalanced.
Yeah, I'm bitter from my bad experience there. But they're the ones who are snobs and a half! For good tea, and better prices, visit Chado (on 3rd or in Pasadena). -
Review from Carrie R.
Los Angeles, CA
6/29/2007
This place is a little slice of Heaven on Canon Drive.
Finally stopped in the other day after oh, I don't know, passing by a few dozen times on the way to the hair salon. Well this day happened to be 800 degrees outside and I was dying...yes, dying...I practically crawled on hands and knees into the place in search of something icy and refreshing to quench my cotton mouth and to soothe my beaded forehead.
Alas...not only was I greeted by the most glorious cacophony of scents, but I found that they indeed had tea to drink along with rows and rows of leaves to purchase! I ended up going with the Black Tea with Apricot and was so not disappointed! I even asked to be put on the mailing list and am planning on coming back for a purchase or 20.
The best thing...I commented on the aroma when I was ordering and mentioned that I thought it smelled like blueberries. So what does the lady behind the counter do? She handed me a sample to take home of Blueberry Organic Decaf Tea!! And I can make it hot or cold! BRILLIANT I tell you.
And next time I'm so getting one of those delicious little cookies sitting on the counter. MMMM. -
Review from Julie G.
Los Angeles, CA
4/3/2008
Oooh, the creme de la creme of tea. I've been holding off on my review of this for my tea review list. Here goes:
While sitting at my everyday dining room table, I sip on the green rooibos blend of Saint Tropez and I am suddenly transported to the south of France, with delicate floral scent and a tropical aftertaste - this tea is absolutely PERFECT!
So before we go any further, I'd like to remind readers that Le Palais Gourmet's tea epiphany is a French company in Beverly Hills, only two blocks from Harry Winston and Cartier jewelers. So, don't get your knickers all in a twist over their prices...let me remind you again: France in BEVERLY HILLS - two of the most expensive shopping experiences in the world. Now that that's out of the way... Like any other tea store, their teas are unique to them, though there are some crossovers to compare with others.
Yesterday, I took home over $300 in tea from Le Palais. Included in that was 4 oz of their premier Gyokuro for $160 and premier white for $80.00. You can now think to yourself, 'holy shit, what is wrong with this woman? She's crazy.' No, not crazy, but definitely luxurious. Tea IS like wine collecting and I'm here to point out a few things about Le Palais des Thes. I have several varieties of Gyokuro (Japanese cultivated Jade Dew green tea) to compare to and their Yame Gyokuro is truly exquisite. However, without a very advanced tea palate, or a particular taste for green tea, then that statement is for a select audience. If you are not among the select audience and are looking to get to know excellent Gyokuro without spending $160.00, I can offer two other suggestions in LA (Wing Hop Fung or Lupicia Tea).
Many of Lupicia's teas are similar to those at Le Palais with the slight advantage of not having to find parking in Beverly Hills and the option to buy in smaller quantities which makes it more affordable (in the short term). All that aside, Le Palais has excellent prices on their typical grades of green, black and rooibos, at around $15.00 per 4oz bag. Compared to Lupicia, their prices are lower because you are getting more for your money in the long term. At Le Palais you just have to pay more up front.
Getting to their teas: They have luscious, unique flavors. They have an especially good selection of hard to find green rooibos (red is more common) with tropical, floral and berry tones that are unmatched by any other tea company. There is a close similarity in green rooibos varieties of Lupicia's Jardin Sauvage and Le Palais' Saint Tropez and Cote Azure teas. Le Palais has a better selection and the prices are comparable if not a little bit less. I LOVE their Brioche flavored black tea - so French.
The staff at Le Palais is not as down-to-earth as most other tea shops in LA, but I'm back to reminding the reader that this is Beverly Hills, and you are at the Cartier of tea stores. They know their tea and when you are selling tea at $60 per oz, you can understand why they may be touchy about their tea. This is real luxury trading. Centuries of tea traders risked their lives on ships for a commodity this precious. Given that there is some high-brow pretense, Matthew (the tea genius who helped us) was very sweet and helpful. He had no clue what I would buy when I walked in, especially after I told him "I was cheap" when it came to tea, as I prefer Chinatown any day of the week to Beverly Hills. He still managed to be incredibly attentive, useful and respectful of my total lack of knowledge about certain teas.
Overall, you cannot go wrong with Le Palais des Thes. Their Le Palais Gourmet line of teas is undeniably exquisite. Excellent for gifts of fancy types and stunning quality for everyday drinking. -
Review from Jemina O.
Los Angeles, CA
8/6/2006
A pot of tea?
-Oui!
With cookies and biscotti?
-More, more, si'l vous plait!
Cool kids will love the modern decor while theophiles will appreciate the variety. A little on the $$$ side but good tea is hard to come by. They have a good selection of white, red, black, mate, wu long and green tea as well as blends. Choose your poison: loose or packaged. The gift sets are wonderful and come with an impressive Theophile guide.
On my last trip I had a pot of a smoky earl grey (reminiscent of lapsang souchong) and came home with Windhuk (red tea or rooibos with a hint of vanilla). I am already contemplating on my next visit and which tea to try. The Thes du Hammam and The des Concubines both sound yummy.
http://www.palaisdesth...Listed in: goody
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Review from Lauren M.
Savannah, GA
1/18/2011 83 Check-ins Here
I'm addicted. Love the tea here. I have meet some of the sweetest people here.
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Review from Stephanie W.
Oakland, CA
1/9/2008
Every year during the holidays, I get online or phone down to "the tea palace" (is that what it is in French??) and order up some of their uber delicious, seasonal, holiday tea. It is the best of the best. I also recommend the Thes Des Songes (kinda fruity) and any of their delicious Rooibos teas (my current obsession).
I've been a huge fan of this tea shop for years. When I worked down the street at CAA, I would come here during my very short lunch break to sneak free cups of yummy tea and try to forget that my life revolved around my Napoleon-esque boss.
Quietly perusing the assortment of beautiful tea cups helped me find my Zen in a town that doesn't really know what that word means. -
Review from Andrea L.
Pittsburgh, PA
2/23/2008
This was the perfect place to blow my money on a girly gift my cousin didn't even like.
But DAAAAMN did it look charming.
And at least he pretended to like it. -
Review from Ben H L.
1/3/2010
I came here after doing my touristy walk down Rodeo and after not entering a single store that I could realistically afford, my group wandered off to the Beverly and Canon street businesses to check out the restaurants and others. On the corner was American Tea Room and since I've grown up on tea, I went in to ask them about finding a peach green tea since I couldn't find one in the Bay Area...they immediately turned me to a peach/passionfruit green tea that they had a few bags of. A quarter pound bag, $17. I was hesitant at first but after taking a whiff of the tea...I was blown away. Hell why not?
I was a bit disappointed when I got home and brewed a cup...I made sure not to pour the water past boiling point per their instructions but the smell did not convert when the tea leaves mixed with water. Oh well...it was worth a shot and with the selection that they have, ask them to brew it for you there before you decide to buy. -
Review from Princess H.
Manhattan Beach, CA
4/29/2010
Was this store not called something different before? Something like Fleur de Thé, Salon des Thés, Le Palais des Thés, or..... Maybe I am mistaken.
Anyways. I happened to go into this store thinking it would be nice if they carried Ginger flavored tea.......and they did! I sniffed two different types of ginger tea and decided to get a bag of Ginger Mate.
It is strongly ginger flavored and feels good on my throat. -
Review from Jennifer O.
Alhambra, CA
1/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
the most friendly and helpful staff.
the place is beautiful and smells so good!
the tea they have to sample (4 kinds are brewed for your tasting) are perfect.
the tea for sale and on display are amazing.
i bought 3 bags of loose tea, a tea scoop (to measure my tea perfectly for a cup) and some Big Island honey.
the teas i brought home are amazing. i think i've found my new favorite teas! the Brioche does smell and taste like a bakery! my husband loves the Nirvana (green tea). and we're both in love with the Cocoa Latte. it's caffeine free so it's perfect for a dessert tea. and it tastes like it has milk, but it doesn't!
we came for the tea (and love it) but will be coming back for the service. :)Listed in: Tea
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Review from yuri c.
9/9/2010 1 photo
so out of fluke, i found this tea shop. from the outside, it looked like a sign for those "american girls" store with the blue, red and white sign, hahaha. but who would have thought i'd find a really awesome blend i've never heard before!
it is true- there are maaany tea blends that a purist, like myself would not try. i don't believe in mixing some kind of dried fruit with some kind of herbs on top of an already perfect green/black/oolong/puerh/rooibos tea. and there were plenty of these, in which were available to sample. but i must admit, there were few that were nice, and i could see some people enjoy them. of course there were many single origin teas from japanese sencha to indian assam that were available too.
many were pricey, but if you want the finest teas for a fair trade, that's what you pay for. bird pick tea for example have fine teas that are pricey too. but they are harvested and roasted to perfection, and you can smell and taste the difference. if you can't tell and appreciate that, well stick to lipton then!
so what was the most exciting find here was the celtic blend. i know english blends, irish blends, and scottish blends, but CELTIC!? it reads: "A robust blend of Indian Blacks (Assam & Nilgiri) and a Chinese black to create this strong and flavorful classic." and let me tell you, it's a great black tea blend for sure. i already tried it plain and with milk. it is amazing!Listed in: Sipping on coffee and tea in…
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Review from Marissa C.
Oakland, CA
12/26/2008
As far as loose leaf teas (really, the best and only way to drink tea, IMO), Le Palais Des Thes has got it down to a science. The displays, the tastings, the service, the teas themselves - all of it is impeccably executed. The gentleman, Matthew, who helped my husband and I was super professional and very pleasant. He was obviously well-educated about teas and walked us through the different blends they offer. We ended up taking home the Brioche (it's like being transported to a french bakery) and the Immortal Green (like a little piece of zen).
Really the only thing that's not so great is having to decide which of the delectable teas you'll take home with you! (This is Beverly Hills after all and you're going to pay for this kind of quality - c'est naturelement). AND, the fact that this is their only location! Please come up to San Francisco - I promise to be a regular customer! :) -
Review from Sherri A.
Los Angeles, CA
8/22/2011
This is our new addiction - the organic coconut tea is to die for! We stumbled in without really be interested - they were so gracious without being pushy that we hung out awhile .....and we got hooked! They should give courses in customer service - what a nice combination - finding someplace where you like the service and the products!
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Review from Mo F.
Los Angeles, CA
10/21/2010 1 Check-in Here
I've known about this incredible tea shop for awhile and now that it's a tea room, I had to come in to enjoy especially after reading all the great reviews here. Randy & David are so knowledgeable and friendly ! The tea selection is world class ! I was very lucky to have Golden Yunnan as one of the sample teas of the day which I loved so much that I had to buy it. The guys were so gracious that I decided to stay & enjoy high tea. The scones, homemade jams, salmon tart, petit fours & various sweet treats were all beyond extraordinary ! The tea (Kensington) that Randy selected for me was perfect ! I will definitely be back !!!
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Review from Elisa B.
Beverly Hills, CA
2/19/2011
I was not a tea drinker until I entered American Tea Room. I love to walk in for a moment to unwind smelling the latest brew created for sample. You can take a seat at the bar and have a some very delicious treats to go along with your youth brew.
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Review from Atahualpa C.
Los Angeles, CA
9/19/2010
As far as drinkable substances go, tea is among my favorites (I won't get into my love of wine, bourbon). That being said, I was looking for a good tea shop near to Santa Monica and found the American Tea Room. I am a big green tea and earl grey drinker so those were to the first ones I went to. The place smells great and is beautifully laid out, so I took my time walking around. One of the owners greeted me and pointed out some tea that was available to sample. I had a delicious iced rooibos blend called Lemoncello mixed with sparkling lemonade and a warm green tea blended with melon, which tasted of honeydew and spinach. I made my way to the Marrakesh (their take on Moroccan tea) and bought a bag. I didn't stay long since I just wanted to get a sense of the place. The Marrakesh, by the way, is great. I love mint tea but I also love the pure greens. Theirs was a Chinese gunpowder tea blended with organic spearmint. I liked it specifically because the green tea was not at all overpowered by the spearmint, which added a more subtle, fresh undertone. Of course, I went back.
Tea is a journey of tastes for me. It doesn't always have to be sweet, it doesn't always have to be dark or bitter or what have you. It can taste like anything and indeed, should. This time, I tried some more free samples (they always have some available) and ordered a pot of tea to sit down with and read. I got a pot of the Golden Yuunan Needles, which they said was one of their most popular pure blacks. I was very impressed. It was smooth, woody, not at all bitter, with notes of tobacco and molasses. The tea itself is a bit more expensive to buy loose, but $8 for a pot of very rare organic tea and a cookie, it was hard to complain. I see the appeal of this place, especially in the heart of Beverly Hills. They import directly from the source and have an amazing selection of pure greens, blacks, and oolongs. A lot of which I have now tried or bought. They definitely have something here for everyone too, as they had quite a few blends, especially of rooibos (flavored with chocolate, flowers, fruit, whatever you fancy). If you are looking for tea of real quality and class and not just another tea bag from a supermarket, you should go here. -
Review from Scott L.
Los Angeles, CA
8/17/2011
I thought I loved tea but these guys take it to a whole other level. Their tea is incredible . Fastest mail order response I have ever seen. I ordered a huge box and my dog chewed it all up, they gave me a 20% discount on the replacement tea. Gotta love these guys.
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Review from Diana H.
Park La Brea, CA
10/20/2007
I was having a lovely Saturday morning roaming the streets of Bev Hills with my fab NY bag, new Marc by Marc Jacob sunglasses, and adorable denim capri pants. After making some savvy investments at the Anthropologie on Beverly Drive, I scooted my always well-attired hiney over to Canon Drive for a quick stop at Edelweiss Chocolates for those dark caramallows and toffeemallows that I recently discovered on a yelp research quest. As I turned onto Canon, I suddenly found myself face to face with a slight obstacle to my chocolatification: A tea shop. My heart started fluttering as I peered in the door at the adorable little tea pots and Japanese-style cups on display. The good Diana (Leslie), said, "No, Diana. You just spent more than your allowance at Anthropologie, and you already have a cupboard that is well-stocked with different varieties of tea. You have no business here. Keep walking!" The bad Diana (Veronica) started whimpering. "Don't listen to her Diana! She's the one who convinced you that vegan chicken curry salad was a good idea!" I nodded in agreement, and Veronica did a little happy dance as I made my way into the wonderfully welcoming, fragrantly pleasing tea shop. Leslie quickly shut her mouth as she took in all the cleverly organized cannisters of tea leaves. (She's a serious Virgo... cleanliness and structure pleases her.)
After a lovely chap quenched my shopping-induced thirst with a delightful peach mango iced tea sample, an adorable lady wearing just about the cutest eye glasses this side of tomorrow, began giving me a sensory tour of their overwhelming selection of green teas. Jasmine! Coco de menthe! Plum Sencha! There was even a chai green tea blend! It was all very perplexing! Cute glasses asked what flavors I liked and was perfectly polite when I said I didn't normally fancy mint, peppermint, cherry, or lavender infused tea blends. I seemed to be contradicting myself, but it really can't be avoided when one has multiple personalities battling it out for supremacy! After some severe hemming and hawing, I finally settled on the first one she showed me, the Immortal Green, a Japanese Sencha blended with peach and passion fruit. At $15 for a bag of 30 servings, it's really a smashing deal! Ok not smashing. But shhh, don't tell Leslie! (She's still bitter that I let Veronica convince me into purchasing the tea infuser ball for a scant $5. It's really quite necessary though. How am I supposed to use loose tea leaves without the help of an infuser ball!?)
While Leslie began ignoring me after the $21 was charged to Debbie Debit card, all was well once Cute Glasses packed up my purchases in a fabulous brown bag with blue tissue paper, and threw in two free samples for the Plum Sencha and River of Heaven (infused with lilac and blood oranges!!!). Leslie's kind of a pushover. I know I can convince her to go back for more of the seriously delightful Immortal Green that went oh so deliciously with my post lunch chocolate macaron from paulette on Charleville. Oh dear, did I forget to mention that detour too? -
Review from ben c.
Los Angeles, CA
3/9/2006
This is the best tea shop in la. They have an excellent assortment of teas. The only down side is that its also the most expensive tea shop. If you're into premium teas you should definitely go there. My favorite tea there is the Ryokucha Midori. If you like more flavored tea then the Fleur De Geisha which is a nice sencha with cherry blossoms.
Listed in: Tea is good.
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Review from thomas s.
Westwood, CA
7/2/2009
I'm pretty much addicted to White tea. It's hard to find quality white tea that isn't mixed with anything else so I was happy to find that this store stocks it (and hundreds of other kinds of tea). Everyone in the store is super friendly and super knowledgeable. They have an excellent selection of tea accessories - they have strainers that fit on top of mugs that make a morning cup of loose tea super easy. They are a bit more expensive than Lupicia but the selection is so much better and the staff is so much more helpful.
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Review from Renee F.
Los Angeles, CA
1/5/2010
I wandered in here in search of a gift. I like tea but am not a tea afficianada. I was a little overwhelmed with the vast selection and had no idea how to proceed when I was helped by one of the owners. Randy, a former studio exec turned tea specialist poured me samples of six different teas as he explained them to me, every so often insisting I lean over to inhale the magic from an artfully blended mix of loose leaves. The samples were $4 a bag and the best part is I'm dating the gift recipient so I get to try them all. So far I have to say the Martinique blend is heavenly. Can't wait to try the brioche! Thank you again Randy!!!
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Review from Shannon M.
Los Angeles, CA
11/13/2008
I am in this store at last once a month for stock up on supplies. Brioche & Vanilla Black Tea are a couple of staples. Once you start drinking teas from here, you will never want any other tea.
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Review from Jen hearts L. A.
Los Angeles, CA
5/19/2010
I did a very smart thing when I strategically chose a dentist blocks away from both Sprinkles Cupcakes and American Tea Room. Now I simply can't wait til my next dentist appointment.
I was given some Teavana loose tea for my birthday last year, and suddenly I'm obsessed with loose tea. I googled around for other tea stores I could check out and found American Tea Room, and wouldn't ya know...right near my dentist! Perfect.
Cut to my last dentist appointment, where I could barely contain my excitement as Dr. Pavlin picked and scraped at my sensitive teeth (usually a torturous ritual that leaves me in knots). Then, during the polishing phase, as I watched bits of flavored gel fly out of my mouth and land on the protective glasses they supplied me with, I knew I was getting close to the end. Suddenly I was rinsing and spitting and practically throwing my insurance card at the front desk clerk while bragging about where I was about to go shopping.
American Tea Room, you are a haven of brewed deliciousness. I have to stick to decaf and was surprised to find some mighty tasty choices in that department. I was steered towards the Chai Rouge, which I've purchased twice now. And the two times I've been in this store, I've been showered with free samples at the checkout counter. Free tea!!!
The second time I went in, I was told they were about to close (it was about 5:55pm) so I hurried over to my usual chai blend and grabbed it. But at checkout, Katie did anything but rush me. Instead she pointed out every little event they were having, explained how I could have parties and gatherings there, gave me a flyer and her card, told me all about their tea bar, and then prepared a heaping free sample of their Choco Late organic cacao blend for me. Which is amazing with milk and honey in it (sorry Dr. Pavlin--my sweet tooth cannot be ignored), but even by itself is pretty dang satisfying. I had such a pleasant experience there, and while I'm not rich (yet) and have no business shopping around Rodeo Dr., the people in this store don't make me feel like Julia Roberts in her hooker outfit. I can spend my $14.00 on my favorite tea blend every six months after a tooth cleaning, and be on my way with dignity. -
Review from Colleen B.
San Diego, CA
2/9/2011
We enjoyed a delicious pot of tea accompanied by lovely cookies on a recent weekend afternoon. The helpful staff helped us select several unique teas that I am looking forward to enjoying at home.
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Review from julie p.
Beverly Hills, CA
9/29/2010
I love tea and I used to shop there when it was palais de the. After going through the store, I picked out some flavors I liked. I have to say I was very disappointed with the quality of the tea, also the sales person wasn't knowledgeable at all. It's just not the same. That's a shame. Maybe I was just spoiled by the former. Don't think I'll be going back.
