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Camellia Tea Room
Categories: Food Coffee & Tea Restaurants Sandwiches Coffee & Tea, Sandwiches [Edit]
828 1st StBenicia, CA 94510
(707) 746-5293
- Hours:
Tue-Sun 11 am - 4 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dessert, Lunch, Brunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
46 reviews for Camellia Tea Room
Review Highlights
"9 you get a pot of tea plus 2 yummy scones."
(in 17 reviews)
"...place, I always order the tomato soup and Blue Lady Tea."
(in 3 reviews)
"The scones with the devon cream and jam were delicious."
(in 3 reviews)
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46 reviews in English
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Review from Nikki M.
Albany, CA
11/2/2011
I am in love with this place, I always order the tomato soup and Blue Lady Tea! The people are always friendly! It's just such a cute place!
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Review from Trishia P.
Long Beach, CA
12/15/2011
Went here after rave reviews from my best friend.
Unfortunately, after today's lunch I'm not sure if I'll return. The restaurant is in a beautiful historic building in Downtown Benicia. However, food and service has yet to be desired. Yes, the place can be full, as they are only open Tuesday to Saturday from 11 to 4PM. I had the Traditional Tea for $22 - a three tiered selection of tea sandwiches, scones - cream and jam, tea cakes and petit fleurs and two pots ($3 each) of tea: White Christmas and Christmas Blend.
The place was packed today which is understandable but I never got hot water refills or a water refill. That's very important to me.
Food and tea was average...nothing to rave about. I've been to nicer tea rooms in San Francisco. They were nice enough to accommodate to my cranberry allergy. -
Review from Debbie R.
Oakland, CA
12/12/2011
I've been to the Camellia Tea Room many times over the past several years and yesterday was likely my last visit. I'm willing to give places a chance, but when I see a negative trend that can't be chalked up to a few off days, it's not worth my continued patronage.
Camellia is a bit of a novelty restaurant and has the feel of a tourist attraction. You know that feeling when you're someplace where the staff sees way too many people and the personable friendly element of the waitstaff disappears and you feel like you're troubling them by your mere presence? This is how I felt yesterday, at least with my waitress. I just don't feel like the service is consistently good. There was one woman there who seemed to understand how to treat people, but for the most part, they all seem flustered and didn't have or want to take the time to provide enough personal attention.
The food is okay -- not great, not bad, just good. The Traditional Tea comes with an assortment of finger sandwiches, scones, and dessert items. Nothing is too adventurous in terms of flavor combinations. The gingerbread on our tray had a burnt crust, so clearly they aren't paying real close attention to what they send out.
I think this place has a lot of business because people love the idea of a traditional tea and there just aren't many places who do it. No competition no imperative to be better. -
Review from joanne d.
9/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is cute and I've passed by it for years now and never set foot till I had a Bachelorette tea party to go to here. The staff was really nice and helpful telling us what everything was. They did an awesome job catering to our big group, about 15 of us. I so fell in love with the Creme Brulee tea. I swear I finished my whole teapot because it was that good. We had the different finger food like my fave the cucumber sandwich and the sconces was delish. There's really nothing horrible I can say about this place. I will definitely come back with other girlfriends.
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Review from Jennie C.
Hercules, CA
3/18/2011
I've always had a good experience at this tea room.
I love the location, the service is pretty good and the pricing is on par with other Bay Area tea rooms.
I haven't been to this tea room in a few years since I no longer eat gluten. However, I think that several of their menu items may be gluten free (don't quote me on that, ask first).
Besides their traditional afternoon tea (three tiers, sandwiches, scones and sweets), they also serve salads, soups and a huge twice baked potato (tasty!). I'd be curious to see which salads, soups and if the potato are gluten free - because I would love to eat those again. It would also be nice to have a gluten free sweet if they had one available.
I recommend this tea room. -
Review from Claire L.
Benicia, CA
3/7/2011
3.5 stars or 4? I'm torn. So I think this place will get 3.75 stars instead.
The convenience of a lovely tea room locally is great, and the location itself is great. Right on First Street, so parking isn't too bad, and if you are early for your reservation, you can easily entertain yourself by looking at shops on First Street.
For a relaxing afternoon tea, I recommend the Cream Tea which is your choice for a pot of tea plus two scones with Devon cream and strawberry jam. The scones are delicious and the whole thing is around $10. My mom likes to get the Savory Tea which I believe is just one dollar more and comes with an assortment of finger sandwiches. But my sweet tooth will always draw me to the Cream Tea.
The tea selection has a pretty nice variety, with the standards of basic black, green, and white teas, as well as herbal infusions (caffeine free), along with some more exotic flavors such as Russian Caravan - a smoky black tea. My favorites are the Russian Caravan, Assam, Irish Breakfast, and this one that I want to say is called Creme Brulee or something like that. Very delicious. I'm not sure if they have it all the time though.
The reason I am not rounding up to 4 stars is that the service is very hit or miss. Sometimes the servers are friendly and helpful but other times all you get is major snob attitude (in fact, this is primarily what I've experienced). Also, there is only one restroom which is rather inconvenient if you've come from out of town and have consumed one or two pots of tea.
But despite the so-so service, I still enjoy coming here and enjoying afternoon tea every now and again.
Reservations highly recommended! Especially during the holiday season. -
Review from Christina O.
Walnut Creek, CA
8/2/2010
I came here recently for a Bridal Shower for a close friend of mine. After traveling from Sacramento stuck in serious traffic - and thus having a really rough day already, I was greeted by a nice locked door. I was able to see that my friend and her guests were inside, but for some reason, I was locked out!?!? Granted I was 15 minutes late - but I figured that when I RSVP'ed that I would be there, that it was enough - I was going to be there come hell or high water! When I finally got "let" into the Camellia Tea Room - the service was terrible.
To tell you the truth, I would have never picked out this Tea House. There are so many other, better Tea Houses to go - with better service, better food, and better tea. From my understanding, the price was really not worth the hassle.
My ultimate reaction to this place is - really? save yourself a trip and AVOID! AVOID! AVOID! -
Review from Ayesha S.
American Canyon, CA
9/5/2011
It is a cute little place and a nice hang out with friends if you feel like being fancy.
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Review from donna c.
Vacaville, CA
8/9/2010
My friend has been raving about this place for months. Last week I finally caved in and went...Now, I'm going back tomorrow.
I loved the atmosphere. Our waitress was very friendly and super cute. We ordered tea with the tiered tray. Sandwhiches, scones, and desserts. The scones with the devon cream and jam were delicious. I adored the cucumber sandwhiches, too. I was actually to full to hit the desserts but they looked delicious.
I chose the Cherry Blossom tea. I could definately taste a hint of cherry blossom. I added a lump of the brown sugar and some milk. It was heavenly.
The place is clean, has great service, and lots of cute gifts to go.
I can't wait for tea tomorrow.
Oh and, I picked moderate for the pricing because most things seem to be in that range...However, you can dine inexpensively there and be satisfied. -
Review from Angela C.
Benicia, CA
4/19/2010
If you want traditional tea, this is the place for you. Set in a historical building, it feels like you're in a formal parlor for afternoon tea. Lovely. The food is flavorful and fresh and the tea selection is great.
The teapots are darling - a miss match of traditional pots. I recommend getting a few teas and share with your friends so you can taste a lot of them. My favorite is the creme brulee and the blue-something (it's their most popular - ask for it).
The prices are a little high. But, it's worth it! I recommend getting traditional tea. If you're there, you might as well do it right. And if you go with a friend, share it with them and get a salad on the side and share that with them too. -
Review from Desiree A.
Vallejo, CA
7/20/2010
The Camellia Tea Room is one of my favorite local tea rooms.
Pros: It is located in a historic building with beautiful architecture, local artwork on the walls and an amazing ornate ceiling. The staff is friendly and familiar and always a pleasure to speak with. The afternoon tea is delicious with an assortment of tea sandwhiches, scones and sweets. I highly recommend trying the Tomato bisque soup. It is creamy and flavored wonderfully and absolutely the best I've ever had. The vegetarian sandwhich is also tasty with it's delicious mix of walnuts, avocados, tomatoes and cucumbers.
Cons: The Camellia tea room is usually very busy so you have to call ahead for reservations, even in the middle of the week. They close at 4pm, but sometimes if you walk in around the last seating at 3pm you can get a table without a reservation. The prices are slightly higher than than other bay area tea rooms, but it's worth it for the overall experience.
Again, one of my favorites -
Review from Lydia B.
Oakland, CA
9/28/2009
Chocolate Bread Pudding.
go now!
Everytime I've been here, I've seen the ladies who lunch - how adorable is that?
The food is remarkably surprising: my lunch partner and I had sandwiches - a turkey and a tuna. Both very good and served with a small side of really interesting rice. I had a tea smoothie of some kind which was, again, remarkably surprising. The meal was wrapped up with chocolate bread pudding. Ive never had better bread pudding. so good.
I told the waitress that I would be back every day just for the chocolate bread pudding, and she definitely looked like she was expecting me when I showed up a few days later with a different person. For that, I give the service itself 5 stars. -
Review from Stephanie W.
Arlington, VA
11/10/2008
My aunt works a few days at the tea room and has always brought me small bags of the specialty teas whenever she visits. I haven't seen my aunt and uncle in a while, but I went to visit them this weekend for a desire to return to the small town feel for a bit, but also to see them before they move to Houston around Christmas.
I went inside the Camellia Tea room for the first time on Saturday afternoon after trying their various teas for the last few years. The decor is cute, but not overly feminine and the staff are helpful and courteous. The loose leaf teas, however, are great. I have one in my possession at the moment called "Blue Lady" that I purchased for $8 for a 4oz bag. It has a slight hint of coconut without being too sweet.
I haven't had their tea ceremony before, but their loose leaf prices are better than quite a few places in Berkeley, so I'm happy about that. I think I still have my preferences for other tea salons, however.Listed in: Just a Cuppa' Joe
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Review from Maya S.
Denver, CO
9/6/2006
So I just started my brand new job. It's so new that I should really be getting ready for bed so I am rested for my SECOND day of work. And this said job is in Benicia. I knew nothing about Benicia. Nothing. But now I know one thing for certain. They have a tea room! And I am all about tea rooms. Seriously...ABOUT!
This is not one of my favorite places thus far but I am dying to go back and try more of their food and that says something. Surely. For $9 I got a few little sandwiches and a little orzo salad and a pot of tea. The 'wiches were tasty but a little skimpy on the fixin's. To their credit, the watercress on raisin bread was super good and I despise raisins. (Why, you ask? Just watch Benny and Joon and you'll get it.) They have really mastered their tea offerings. I had a Creme Brulee tea that would have melted in my mouth if it was solid. (Liquid can't melt, genius.)
The setting is charming if a little toned down for a classic tea room. I think maybe my biggest mistake here was wanting to taste too much. I'm sure that if I just ordered a full serving of one sandwich, I would have been happier. I won't know for sure until I go back. Hm, maybe tomorrow. -
Review from gail p.
Mad River, CA
6/9/2011
It's just ok. Sweet looking and I LOVE tea rooms. Nice tea list, but the service can be slow and unfriendly. I know it's not England, but more authentic choices would be helpful.
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Review from Vanessa G.
Concord, CA
3/28/2010
Can't say enough about this place and apparently everyone else can't either. "M.F." has delivered the description pretty accurately. Love, love, love this mini-girls day out venue. Instead of your usual lunch out with your friends, you should really consider this cute spot as an alternative. The environment really slows down time and I never felt rushed or unsatisfied.
you MUST try the chicken artichoke sandwich!
Thanks Camellia for a great time :) -
Review from Linda C.
3/21/2007
Goodness, completely, absolutely adorable and the cutest little brunch/tea place EVER.
Went here with sister and mom, and had a great time. Tons of different types of tea and just walking out of here made me feel all London-ish! :) Get the Traditional Tea completely with scones, mini sammiches, muffins - 20 bucks for a cute little time with the girlfriends? Absolutely amazing...
More for an all female party though :) -
Review from Sweetieade S.
Chino Hills, CA
Updated - 2/14/2010
Valentine's Day visit to the tea room. We arrived 10-15 minutes prior to our reservation, but were quickly seated. We chose the Traditional Tea for $22/person. We just ordered "1 order" because we wanted to try other things and I think it's great that they provide that option.
The Traditional Tea comes with an assortment of small finger sandwiches (cucumber (2), roast beef (1), egg salad (1), two scones (lemon poppy, currant) with strawberry jam and Devon cream, and an assortment of sweets (red velvet cake, raspberry heart shaped cookie, lemon tart) served on a three-tiered tray.
We got the Japanese cherry blossom tea, and I liked it much more than what we got last time -- Yunan. We also ordered the tomato bisque (a bowl is HUGE i might add and it was just okay) and the Stuffed potato which came w/ a small house salad. The salad was great, the candied pecans went really well with the salad. Mashed potates blended with Gruyere cheese, green onion and sour cream, served stuffed in a baked potato. The baked potato came with sour cream and it was a large portion as well.
This visit was better than my last, and I look forward to my next. I'm giving 5 stars because it's close by, clean, quaint, and the service is great. It's a great way to "get away" and relax for just a bit.Listed in: What I like in NorCal
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/15/2008
Nicely decorated. Had the afternoon tea -- Sweet Tea. As for tea choice, selected Yannan (A black… Read more »
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Review from Kendall L.
Martinez, CA
12/25/2007
Ladies, if you bring your guys here, consider that they may not enjoy it unless they are completely secure in their sexuality. It is hyper-feminine in a Victorian way. My man loves tea and treats so he truly enjoyed it. The fact that he was the only man in a room full of women was a bonus! The service, perfect. The tea, perfect. The snacks, perfect. We didn't have the funds for a full lunch but all of the food that passed our table made us salivate. The salads and sandwiches looked huge and scrumptous. I purchased two types of tea for home. Victorian Rose has proven to be a hit with my 9-year old son!
I can't wait to bring out of town guests for a treat! If this business is ever put on the market, I would love to buy it!
http://www.camelliatea... -
Review from Michaela B.
Petaluma, CA
1/20/2007
Perfect for bridal showers! I hosted my best friend's bridal shower here, and it went off without a hitch (well, except for the people who flaked at the last minute and then I ended up having to pay for their share of the tea sandwiches and scones). The food is fantastic, the venue itself is great (very cute -- but not sick-to-your stomach cute) and I liked the service. And the time limit for showers is 2 hours here, which is better than 1.5 hours, which I found was the case at several other teahouses I had looked into.
Some tips if you are planning a shower:
* Book well ahead of time to make sure you get your date. There are two seatings for big parties: 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
* Keep updating the tea room folks on how many people will be there. You can call up to the day before your event to change your numbers. Changing numbers on the day of is difficult, though -- you're pretty much stuck, which is what happened to me when those people flaked.
* The teahouse will provide a gift table and a cake table if requested.
* They also give the bride-to-be a cup and saucer set as a gift -- very cute. -
Review from Sarah T.
San Francisco, CA
8/1/2010
All I have to say is ICK. If I wasn't hosting a bridal shower here for some 30 people I would have definitely left and gone somewhere else. I can't say many niceties come to mind about our visit.
From the moment I walked in they felt the need to rudely reiterate our "two hour" time limit. Then began complaining to me that all my guests hadn't arrived by exactly 3pm, as if I wasn't completely aware of it myself. After nicely telling them the first time that people were traveling from all over to come to this thing and I'm sure everyone will show up soon she kept rudely pestering about it and in front of the other guests and bride to be, no less.
The worker that lords behind the counter is a complete and utter jerk.
The place reeks of old people and stale carpet.
The air conditioner is non existent.
Come here if your day demands good scones, mediocre tea and a surly attitude from your host.
**UPDATE**
So, the owner of this establishment emailed me very promptly. I've included her response to my listing and my email back to her.
Casey G. has sent you a message on Yelp:
Your Review
"Sarah,
Please accept our sincere apologies for your unpleasant experience. I'm assuming your party was yesterday afternoon...please correct me if I'm wrong. The woman behind the counter yesterday is an employee, not the owner. We are very troubled that she treated you the way she did. There is no excuse for such poor customer service, and we will certainly follow up with her about this. The owner was in the kitchen yesterday during your party, and I wish you would have asked to speak with her so that she could have addressed your complaints and tried to make things right. We do have air conditioning and would have been happy to turn it on if we had known anyone was uncomfortable. Again, we are very sorry for your experience yesterday.
Sincerely,
Casey Garcia
Camellia Tea Room"
********
Hello Casey,
I'm also very sorry for our experience at the Camellia Tea Room. I sincerely appreciate your note, concern, and effort to assuage the ultimately disappointing and unsatisfactory experience. Yes, we were in fact the 3pm party from Saturday and had I known how unwelcoming the staff would be we definitely would have booked our party elsewhere. As I explained in my review, this event was a bridal shower - an event, like a wedding day, that we can't re-write. While I was busy dealing with a lost cupcake lady, a shaking, and nervous bride to be, fielding phone calls and emails from late guests, as well as running around all day concerning myself with the other details for our place settings, it would have, of course, been easier on me to have felt welcomed by a more hospitable and friendly staff member. Part of the reason we wanted to have the tea party at your venue was to help with some of the party details. Instead, after months of planning and arranging, we are left with the memory of a rushed, abrupt and rude service as we tried to celebrate the impending nuptials of my best friend.
I really appreciate your apology, however, a business must be accountable for all employees, top to bottom, management and wait staff. Given the type of event we were hosting, it would have been wholly inappropriate for me to address this issue with the owner or upper management during the party. As you can imagine, the party was rushed and disrupted enough and any absence of mine to address the issue at the time would have further dampened the spirit of the party. Given the rude and verging on impertinent attitude of the hostess as we waited for the remainder of our party to arrive, I certainly did not want the issue to become even more disruptive and explosive in front of our guests.
I chose the Yelp forum to alert future customers, and give the Camellia Tea Room the opportunity to really rectify the situation. An extension of good customer service, above and beyond a nice, but simple apology, especially considering our expectation and the amount it took to accommodate our guests for tea and finger sandwiches.
In all honesty, I expect more. Not much more-- I am not blindly demanding a full refund. But certainly I expect as I would of any reputable establishment, an act of good faith signifying your commitment to doing good business. Honestly, if gratuity wasn't built in, I wouldn't have left it.
Sarah -
Review from Britney C.
San Francisco, CA
9/4/2008
I'm not big on tea, unless it's from Long Island.
It's a cute little place. The finger sandwiches and pastries were good and they have the most precious tea pots. Would've been better is there was liquor in those pots though.
The place was packed on a Sunday afternoon and with all the people and hot tea, it can get a little warm and stuffy inside.
But all in all, I have a great time with the girls! I wouldn't suggest taking your BF here though.... -
Review from Alice L.
Oakland, CA
6/23/2008
I picked Camellia Tea Room for my birthday party's first stop. Great tea selection, good food and wonderful price, plus, staffs are so friendly that you can not named the second tea house around the bay area that has it all (most of the 'wonderful' tea house I been is twice as pricier as Camellia).
I had the Traditional Tea ($20) with three tiers of savory, sweet and pastries plus a pot of blue lady - which is a coconut, strawberry and kiwi flavored black tea, wonderful, wonderful choice. My girlfriends ordered varies food and tea, including their smoothies, and everything is great!
We are talking about our second trip already, so it won't be long..... -
Review from matt w.
Oakland, CA
2/12/2011
Outstanding Curry Chicken Salad.
Very friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating staff.
This was our first time at Camellia Tea Room. Staff went out of their way to seat us on a very busy day. The salads and sandwiches were fresh and very good.
We plan to go back for Traditional Tea.
Reservations are suggested.
Thank you! What a fun place! -
Review from Cory R.
Suisun City, CA
10/11/2010
Please book your events elsewhere- customer be ware! I was overcharged for the baby shower that I hosted here on 10/09. Per the Camellia website, it is $22 per person and I was charged $24 per person. I even called two days before to confirm headcount, date, and price. The owner said that she is trying to update the website with the price change. And here is what I say...as a professional, she should have honored the price. Any reputable company would have done so- especially since it is her mistake and error for advertising the wrong price. In addition, if this wasn't a party, this would cost a customer $22. The owner feels that for a party you should be charged $2 more per person plus 18% gratuity. Really??
I should have read the other reviews on Yelp before booking this. There are lovely tea rooms in San Francisco and even Dixon if you don't want to travel to the city. Stay away from the Camellia. -
Review from M F.
Albany, CA
10/31/2009
I have been to Camellia Tea Room on several occasions for their afternoon teas.
It is a small shop, perhaps able to seat 40 people inside. On the sidewalk are several tables and 6-8 additional people can sit there. Parking is on the street. The shop is wheelchair accessible. Camellia is neat, clean and attractively decorated. Their bathrooms are spotless. On the day I visited, the hanging light fixtures each had grapevine wreaths decorated with artificial Fall colored leaves, a bit of sparkle and big artificial crows. The individual tables were covered with full length white table cloths. On top of each table was a fresh rose and individual wine colored cloth napkins. The ceiling is painted in an attractive pattern.
On the day that I visited, I had a reservation and noticed that the shop was crowded, but the three waitresses and the owner were all busy serving their guests. I ordered darjeeling tea as well as the high tea. Per my waitress, there were no alternatives on the tea menu if you had a nut or dairy allergy. They could, however, substitute an additional cucumber sandwich if you were a vegetarian or 2 cookies instead of a nut cake. I requested sweetener as well as milk for my tea.
When my three tiered tea tray arrived, the waitress placed it on my table and proceeded to walk away with no comment which is very unusual. I asked her if she would describe what was on the tray. She said a bit impatiently, "That is a cucumber sandwich, that is a turkey sandwich and that is a vegetable sandwich". and thought that was enough and was ready to walk away again. I asked her what was in the vegetable sandwich and she said, "chopped carrots and zucchini". I asked her about the scones and she said "That is a current scone and I guess, the other one is as well." Again... she was ready to leave. I asked her about the desserts, she said "That is a cake, that is a pie and that is a cookie."... It was nice that she pointed out the cake, pie and cookie.... I have no doubts that I could have done the same...Perhaps she was tired, overworked or just had a bad day. The other waitresses smiled when they filled my water glasses, came over to my table to see if I needed anything else or checked my tea pot.
OK.. .the meal. The tea was served in a hot pot and was good. The milk pitcher was unfortunately warm as if it was straight out of the dish dryer. The cucumber sandwiches were on white bread and nicely displayed. They also tasted good. The turkey sandwich was on wheat bread and consisted of a thin slice of turkey and some canned whole cranberry sauce. OK The vegetable sandwich was on a slice of baguette and had chopped carrots and zucchini in some sort of base. It was only OK. As for the two current scones, they turned out to be one current scone and one plain one. I did not mind. The scones arrived warm accompanied by a small dish of strawberry preserves and another of whipped cream. The desserts were a large piece of walnut cake, (just OK) a tiny bite size (one bite) pumpkin pie with perhaps 1 tablespoon of filling and a big swirl of cream. It unfortunately did not taste like pumpkin just pastry dough and whipped cream. The decorated cookie, was OK. In all, the food was adequate, but did show thought. Presentation was pretty with a flower bud on the top tier and a sprig of mint on the lower tier. The sandwiches used a variety of bread and were different shapes. The presentation tray was pretty.
The service of one of the waitresses could have been substantially improved. A special afternoon tea unfortunately became a bit less special.
Of note, when I called in to make my reservation, I got a "Hello" not "Camellia Tea Room, May I help you." . When I asked for a reservation, the person on the other end said "We are very busy today" and said it several times. I then mentioned that I could call at another day. She then said "Well, what time do you want?" I advised that the time did not matter as I was free all day. She then said x pm was available and I took that time. The woman's comments seemed impatient. Perhaps she was just tired, but it was a bad first impression.
Have always experienced excellent service at Camellia. A new customer, however, might not feel the same way and decide to go somewhere else.
Visiting a tea shop is not about just drinking tea with a sandwich or cookie. It is about relaxing and treating yourself as well as your friends and family to a special event.Listed in: Tea Time
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Review from Vlad L. and Robyn Y.
Benicia, CA
Came back to the tea room this summer while I was studying for a big exam. I just needed to treat myself one day, so I decided to order the cream tea- two scones with cream and jelly, and tea.. so delicious and a perfect amount for breakfast. I remembered that the chai tea blew me away last time, so I ordered it again. I was devastated to find out that they changed food distributors, so their chai was completely different! It tasted great, but I came in expecting the old chai. I will be back, but next time I'll try a different tea. Saw some people throwing a bridal shower inside- looks like such a cute place for that kind of event.
Listed in: Dessert!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/16/2009
Camellia's has a pleasant English country feel. We came here to have traditional tea on a lazy… Read more »
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Review from Selina L.
Berkeley, CA
5/25/2008
Maybe I'm biased since I'm an actual Limey, but what kind of tea room is closed on a Saturday at tea time (4:00 PM for those of you who don't know it)? The owners should specify their hours on the website...
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Review from Malika K.
Los Angeles, CA
7/27/2006
Victorian style afternoon tea done proper! What's not to love? It's funny cause there are usually only women here and sometimes like one guy...makes me think of that book "The Witches". Anyhoo...they have many types of yummy tea varieties to choose from all delivered in antique china-ware, along with tasty delights like scones with cream and tiny finger sandwiches(See why only women come here?).
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Review from Leah A.
Benicia, CA
12/29/2008
I've been here twice. The first time was an okay experience. The waitress seemed a bit slow. When making reservations the second time the lady was short with me and seemed annoyed. When we got there one person at my table got her tea WAY earlier than the rest of us and then the other waitress served it to her again. I used to waitress and I just feel like they need a jump start or something. It's very pricey but the little treats are good. I don't think I'd come back though, somethings missing.
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Review from Janet P.
San Leandro, CA
4/11/2008
This is the kind of place you can dress up with lace gloves and a hat for. A group of us went for tea and finger sandwiches and boy, do they give you a lot! All of them were pretty tasty, including of course, the cucumber ones. A fun place to go with the girls.
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Review from Deena M.
Hickory, NC
12/13/2007 1 photo
When I lived in California, this was my favorite spot. I was a monthly (and sometimes weekly) regular there for eight years until I moved too far away to continue my visits. A friend hosted my baby shower there, which was wonderful. My favorite waitress is Sandy . . . she is attentive and pleasant . . . a very gracious woman. Lavender scones are a delicious treat as well as their curry chicken wraps. Reservations are necessary on weekends and during normal lunch hours. I sincerely miss being able to sit and relax here . . . lucky you if you live nearby! (Some patrons are dressed up when they come to tea but this main street in Benicia sees so many weekenders that there are often patrons in casual clothes as well.)
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Review from C.G. T.
Vallejo, CA
2/2/2010
Great Tea! My husband and I love tea and I know tea rooms are typically girly, but my husband is a good sport and can't turn down a good cup of tea. Friendly staff, good tea and scones. Its kind of tight spacing. The menu is a bit confusing, but staff explained. The portions are European sized..in other words, don't expect the typical HUGE American meal. $9 you get a pot of tea plus 2 yummy scones. You may want to ask what kind they have, they have different ones and you may have a preference. I didn't know to ask in advance, but pleasantly surprised with currant(my fave) and lemon poppy seed. The tea was outstanding.
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Review from Jean-Arellia T.
Vallejo, CA
2/16/2009
it's frou frou and bougie. Sometimes I feel awkward because I'm the only brown, single, non-mother, or under 40 year old there. But it can be a fun spot for a nice tea party with the girls, or baby shower party. What's really cute is the teddy bear tea party they offer for the little ones. It's a good once-in-a-while place for tea. other then that, go buy some nice tea at whole foods or trader joes...
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Review from Amanda m.
Goleta, CA
10/10/2007
I have fond memories of visiting this tea room when I was a little girl..aww! :P I grew up in Mare Island and when we took trips over to Benicia, the tea room was so fun and grown-up feeling. They had a big selection of tea's, even one that a little kid could like..I remember the food was pricey and you didn't get much, but they felt so much more posh to me. :) Later for high school, my family lived in Benicia (c/o 2003 woot) but I never visited the tea room again..It's a very special trip if you have daughters, I highly recommend it!
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Review from Ashley G.
Vallejo, CA
2/23/2010
Came here for a bridal shower and it was very charming. It was pretty small so hard to move around in though. We had finger food which was ok...the tea was great though if you are a tea lover.
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Review from Lelly L.
Dublin, CA
6/8/2008
Instead of catching up on things over some cocktails on a Friday or Saturday night (the usual...) a couple girlfriends and I decided to opt for a different experience and try out Camellia Tea Room for Sunday brunch. The location is cutsie, located in old town Benicia. The food is delish and not too heavy... we ordered a Traditional Tea three-tiered tray and a couple quiches. The sandwiches, scones (which were surprisingly NOT dry as most are) and quiche were really good. As far at the sweets platter.. nothing was really exciting and we left that alone. ..which says a lot since I usually am a dessert lover. It was okay since we were full as it was. All in all this was quite a refreshing and delightful outing and we'll definitely return again, as well as continue this ritual with my girlfriends to try out other tea rooms in the Bay. Fun times to just be a girly-girl.
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Review from Kels D.
San Ramon, CA
11/19/2010
Phew! My problem with this place was the amount of perfume that one of the people working there was wearing. It was so strong that it affected the meal, and in such a small restaurant was not acceptable. So -- please -- person there who wears way too much perfume (you probably know who you are) -- wear it outside of work or else water it down a bit. Would have given the tea room 3 stars if not for the smell issue. Good location, easy parking when I was there on a Saturday mid-day. The menu is fairly extensive for a tea room, however, the price of the actual tea 'meals' (e.g. cream tea) seems high for what you get. On the other hand, the salads are reasonably priced and the tea that I had was wonderful. Would be OK for small-ish groups, but it was noisy and crowded the day I was there, with only one restroom and people lined up to use it.
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Review from Shadi G.
San Francisco, CA
2/16/2011
When you walk into the Camellia Tea Room, you immediately notice that the estrogen levels abound. It's a girl thing. And if you're not one of us, well, you wouldn't understand. I'm not saying a man cannot come and partake of tea and crumpets here. On the contrary, the staff is warm and friendly no matter your gender. But a spotting a male here is definitely a rarity. The decor is vintage and lovely. Over the years, I have made this a special place to visit for some good, old-fashioned "girl time." From mother to grandmother, from sister to friend, I have sipped tea and eaten tiny sandwiches, scones and tartlets for moments and hours that remain memorable and irreplaceable. Choose your tea, and it arrives in your personal, English tea pot. Lumps of brown and white sugar are within easy reach to sweeten the pot. The tiered silver tray with delicacies and tiny roses sprinkled is guaranteed to take away the stress of practical, ordinary life. And for a moment in time, all is well with the world. Make reservations. Order the Traditional Tea. Sip and enjoy!
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Review from Rosalee C.
San Francisco, CA
7/13/2008
tea and crumpettes, anyone?
how about cute cucumber sandwiches? i don't even like cucumber but i ate these good ones!
