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The Four Seasons Tea Room
Category: Food Coffee & Tea Coffee & Tea [Edit]
75 N Baldwin AveSierra Madre, CA 91024
(626) 355-0045
- Hours:
Tue-Sat 11 am - 4 pm
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Parking:
- Street
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
48 reviews for The Four Seasons Tea Room
Review Highlights
"My favorite had to be the pumpkin bread with cream cheese."
(in 3 reviews)
"The jelly they give you is delicious with the scones."
(in 22 reviews)
"...fantastic (1 cookie, 1 dolce de leche dessert, 1 lemon bar."
(in 9 reviews)
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48 reviews in English
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Review from Jenny K.
11/18/2011
we've walked by this tea room on many occasions while going to dinner.
after looking up where i should take auntie to afternoon tea, i chose the four seasons tea room since it was located closer to the other places i had planned. bought a http://restaurant.com gift certificate also. used the certificate with no issues.
four seasons tea room is actually pretty spacious inside. when you enter, there is a room on the left and one on the right. outside there is a patio area that must be nice in the spring/summer. they also have limited tea cups, tea, etc that you could purchase.
we ordered the "afternoon tea"
those teapots are heavy! i've been to many tea rooms. they had the biggest teapots of any place i've visited so far. when i looked inside the teapot, i noticed they used a teabag twice the size of normal ones too.
tea selection is plenty but fewer than other places.
tried the pear & pomegranate black tea and the english breakfast. i liked my pear & pomegranate fragrant tea.
with "afternoon tea", you get 5 mini sandwiches that come decorated with flowers -- such a beautiful touch. now, at first glance, you would think that it wouldn't fill you up, but it does! note that the pumpkin tea sandwich was more like pumpkin bread with cream (like dessert)
by the time our scones arrived, we were actually kind of full probably from three or so cups of tea (and sandwiches) !! they looked like biscuit rounds. nice texture and taste. we shared one scone and took the other home cuz there was still dessert.
dessert was lemon bars, shortbread cookies, pumpkin cheesecake. tried the lemon bar which was small but for my full tummy, it was all i could eat. course, i had more tea. got a box for the ones i could not consume at the time for later.
after we finished our tea, we thought that we should've ordered just to tea sandwiches+ dessert w/o the scone OR scone+dessert w/o the tea sandwiches since it was too much.
i will be back to try other teas. =) -
Review from Kathy L.
11/30/2011 8 photos
After a restaurant .com groupon, the bill came out to about $30-40 for 2. Pretty cheap compared to some other places I've been to, but it's also more of a homey, your grandma made it, type of feel. For afternoon tea, you get a HUGE pot of tea, 4 or 5 sandwiches, a freshly made scone, and 3 types of dessert. It doesn't seem like a lot of food, but you leave FULL. Probably from all the tea!
The second you walk in, you can smell the scones baking in the oven. Nothing beats the smell of something yummy baking in the oven. The scones also come with this amazing whipped cream/butter mixture that is so smooth and light and creamy all at once. Of the sandwiches, my favorites were the pumpkin with cream cheese and the chicken salad. You could really taste the chicken in it. For tea, I had the Victorian rose, but I think next time I'd try a more bland tea, or at least one that wasn't sweet because pairing the slightly sweet tea with the sweet desserts was too overpowering at the end.
Overall, a very pleasant experience and you can easily sit there for an hour or 2, sipping on your tea and having a good conversation with your date or friend. Only reason I'm only giving 3 stars is that I'm always comparing tea rooms to the Rotunda at Neiman Marcus in San Francisco, and though way more expensive, is one of the best tea experiences I've ever had. -
Review from Abby C.
11/25/2011 9 photos
Food/Cost: (3/5) The Salad Tea, Sandwich Tea, and Cream Teas ($17.50) are overpriced for the teeny portions you get -- yes, even for afternoon tea standards. The more sizable Afternoon Tea ($22), which combines the sandwich and cream teas, is a better deal. Between my friend and I, we ordered one Cream Tea, one Sandwich Tea, and an extra scone ($2.50). We had a pot of the Pomegranate tea, which was lovely. The sandwiches are petite, but delicious and gorgeously presented with edible flowers. You get 5: cucumber with dill butter, egg salad (my favorite), chicken salad, tomato basil, and pumpkin bread with cream cheese (the last one is seasonal). The Cream Tea came with a small sliver of lemon bar, a pumpkin bread with cream cheese topping, a shortbread cookie, and a scone. I found everything well made and rich in taste, but nothing extraordinary. The best part was the scone that came fresh from the oven and piping hot; it paired well with the raspberry jam and cream. The cream is is the lightest and unsweetened one I've had among the tea houses in the SGV, but I like mine a tad heavier -- personal preference though. All in all, the tea snacks here are well made and delightful, but miniscule. I'd pay $5 more and get the Afternoon Tea.
Ambiance: (4/5) This isn't your high end, glamorous tea room, but it's super cozy and cute. If you were in a Pride & Prejudice novel, you'd be having tea at the Bennets' cozy manor or Mr. Collins' & Charlotte's cottage, not at Lady de Bourgh's estate. Think your grandmother's English cottage, completely filled with small tables already arranged with cheerfully colorful tea sets. We came on a Friday afternoon around 11:15am when they first opened and there within 30 minutes there was already a brisk amount of business. Between the two dining rooms and patio area, there are many tables available, but reservations are highly recommended.
Service: (3/5) The lady who greeted us emanated warmth and welcome. She let us choose our table, gave us the tea and food menus, and then disappeared for a bit longer than I preferred. After we finally placed our order, our selection came out pretty quickly. She came once to check on our tea level, but that was it. Just so you know, after you get the bill, you go to the front to pay. We didn't know that and sat there for awhile wondering where she disappeared off to again.
Location: (3/5) Four Seasons is nestled on Baldwin Ave in the Sierra Madre foothills, which is this sleepy little commercial area in east downtown Sierra Madre with a old town feel. Not only is the relaxing vibe in this neighborhood great, parking is pretty easy to come by, which is another perk. There's plenty of street parking around and a lot across the street. There's not a whole lot to do around here (its mostly filled boutique shops, cafes, a church, and school), but its a nice place to visit on a leisurely day -- just don't come when the kids get off school as that would definitely give you a startling contrast to leisure.
Overall: (3/5) The place is adorable and I may consider returning for a special occasion; however, as far as afternoon teas go, Four Seasons didn't particularly impress me one way or the other. -
Review from Emily L.
San Gabriel, CA
10/27/2011
I never been there before but I have to write this review and let people knows there rick with those daily deals site, cause some of them are spam.
Here's what happen.
I bought the "$14 Tea time for two" from Kgb Deals today, I was so exciting to call make reservation for the next Sat. Before I hang up the phone I told that lady I have the voucher from the "Kgb" and she said we have to pay extra $5/per person since because it's Saturday the tea set is different.
I told her but the site didn't show we have to pay extra if we use on Sat.
(Normally most of the ppl have work in the weekdays who will have time to go high tea, also they don't open on Sunday so Saturday is the only chose for us.)
Guess what she said "Oh...but we don't make money from this deal so we have to charge the extra", I dun get it if you don't want to lost money then why you post this deal on the site?
Most of the business or restaurant are trying to use those daily deals site to promo their service and ppl can get the good deals. If the customer like their service they will come back for sure.
$5 is not big deal for me but this is cheating they just are fooling around, it just make me feel upset.
Here's the site what they show on Kgb:
http://www.kgbdeals.co...
So I cancel the reservation and send the complain to Kgd deal ask for the money back.
I will never ever go there, even it's 1/2 price cheaper then Langham. -
Review from MARTHA B.
Irwindale, CA
1/14/2012
I purchased a gift certificate from http://Restaurant.com for several places I never been. I figured I can try something new and get $25 off if I like it fine if not it won't be so bad cause I got $25 off. I tried to get my fiance to go with me to The Four Seasons Tea Room, he would not have it. He said that's something you do with your girlfriends ok. Well after a nice hike to Chantry Flats a friend and I thought it would be a nice lunch. We walked past a mexican restaurant which smell great and food looked delicious but I was determined to try the tea house. When we walked up we thought it was closed looked completely empty we walked in there was a party of four ladies whispering to each other. I asked the lady cleaning a glass, table for two she said "oh I'm sorry we just don't have anything open" she must of seen the surprised look on our face cause than she asked " do you have a reservation?' no we didn't . So she said"you need to make a reservation specially on Saturdays, I will find a table for you and set it up it's gonna be a few minutes but next time please make resrvations". Ok there was one whole room totally empty with at least 10 tables the other room where the 4 ladies were had another 6-7 empty tables she than came set up a table took our order. Ok tea was good but when the sandwiches came I honestly thought it was just one order and they were gonna bring the other one shortly, waited she came by I asked she said no that's 2 orders 10 pieces cut 1/4 size each with flowers on the tray REALLY, we ate those tiny lil things so quick I almost bit my finger. Than came the scone delicious I must say needless to say gobbled that down dessert ughhh frozen tiny piece of Chocolate tart, lemon bar, and a cookie $56 wow after $25 certficate it was still $30 unbelievable. not worth it at all. Oh did I mention it was so quiet in there it was almost creepy. I know we would of had a much better meal for $30 not to mention what we could of had for $56. Experience yes will we go back HECK NO!!!
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Review from Miko C.
5/30/2011 2 Check-ins Here
What screams "girl's day" more, than going out for tea?!? OK, well tea for me and hot cocoa for Princess Fifi. What a blast!
This place is so cute. It is a quaint little tea house in beautiful Sierra Madre. The staff was super nice and very attentive.
Ordered the Afternoon Tea and the Salad Tea. Decided to order Earl Grey for myself and Princess Fifi ordered hot cocoa.
The salad was huge and I dived right in to the mixed greens, almonds, mandarin oranges, crumbled bleu cheese tossed with a house vinaigrette. I really enjoyed being able to eat something green and fresh.
The Afternoon Tea included five different finger sandwiches. My favorite had to be the pumpkin bread with cream cheese. It was slighly sweet and oh so good. I also enjoyed the cucumber with cream cheese.
The highlight of the meal were the scones. You could tell that they were fresh out of the oven. OMG, they were soooo good! They just seemed to melt in my mouth. The jelly and whipped cream with the scones sent me to another world. I would go back just for these little gems.
Dessert consisted of a lemon bar, a cappuccino square, and a shortbread cookie. All were yummy, but I must say I would have preferred three more scones. Mmmmmm.
Overall, it was a nice experience. I would definitely go back! -
Review from Anna B.
Pasadena, CA
11/18/2011
Loved their scones made fresh upon my order, it was absolutely yummy. the prices are on the high side for the tea services, but with a http://restaurant.com certificate, it was just fine. will be back!
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Review from CalBear H.
Berkeley, CA
3/22/2011
We were in the area and in the mood for high tea, googled this place and decided to give it a try. While I don't want to bash a cute little place run by two old ladies, I do have to say the tea they serve is hugely disappointing. First, they come in TEA BAGS. Rule of thumb, if I'm paying more than $5 for the tea, they should not come from tea bags. Adding insult to injury, it wasn't the fancy kind of tea bags, it was probably the cheap kind you get from Safeway/Vons. The finger sandwiches were just alright, not the worst I've ever had.
I gave it 2 stars instead of 1 because the cookies were freshly baked and they were the best part out of all this.
I highly recommend going to downtown Pasadena and going to Chado or Tea Rose Garden instead. -
Review from mavis l.
Los Angeles, CA
8/6/2011
I had a coupon from go-pasadena-so i'm not sure if this affected our experience.
The tea itself was lovely-we ordered the sandwhich tea and the cream tea.
Both were very good-although the portions were quite small. I've had tea's in both the US and the UK that were much more generous.
Bottom line-good for a lite snack-but in my opinion very overpriced. -
Review from rose g.
Monterey Park, CA
1/28/2011
i just came here again with a girl friend today :) Yay~
Afternoon tea for two, which includes 10 finger sandwiches, 2 freshly made scone, and dessert!
I noticed the sandwiches were different than the last time I came here (about an entire year ago). I suppose the sandwiches are seasonal. We had 5 sandwiches for each of us, 10 total (Chicken w/ cranberries, Cucumber w/ cream cheese, Thinly sliced apples w/ some sorta cream, Pumpkin bread with cream cheese, and Egg salad). My favorite has to be the Chicken with cranberries!! But, they're all pretty good :) The pumpkin sandwich was delicious, too. My friend told me they make their own bread (for the pumpkin one, at least).
Then came the scones. Omgggg, sooooo goood! They're fresh out of the oven, flakey on the outside, soft on the inside. The jelly they give you is delicious with the scones! I think I saw little berries in there, haha. Their scones are to rave for!
We didn't have enough room to finish all the dessert, but the lemon bread was REALLY REALLY goooood. The chocolate fudge brownie was really fudgey and sweet. It just melts on your finger, lol. Anddd, there's a sugar cookie. We took whatever we couldn't finish, home. :D
$22 a person+tax+gratuity= almost $28!! But, if you get the coupon off of http://www.restaurant.... , it'll only be $16 a person INCLUDING tax and gratuity :). Go go go. There's a sweet little lady that runs the place, and she's always hustling from table to table. haha cute
I want to add that for those who aren't familiar with http://restaurant.com, I would purchase the certificate when they are 70%-80% off (which happens quite often). Don't buy retail price ($10), buy it when it's 2-3$ -
Review from Rebecca M.
Los Angeles, CA
10/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
Cute place for a date. Good selection of tea and little sandwiches.
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Review from Alice K.
Irvine, CA
8/20/2010
This is the 3rd tea room I've been to, and once again, I was not let down. The tea room is located in a very quaint neighborhood, and is an ideal place to catch up with your mom, grandma or girlfriends. :)
I ordered the Afternoon Tea for $22 which included 5 varieties of sandwiches (check their website for descriptions), 1 freshly baked warm scone (really good), 1 lemon bar, and 1 short bread cookie along with the House blend tea (Daejeeling & Assam blend). This is a pretty good deal compared to some other tea rooms I've been to. I'd probably share an Afternoon Tea with someone next time though, because by the time the sweets came out, I was way too full to enjoy it. The tea tasted pretty good.. I like my tea with a little bit of milk and sugar :)
This tea room is cute inside and out. The silverwear, furniture and decorations are old-fashioned, creating a warm, comfortable atmosphere for all to enjoy.
The owner is very sweet, and service is great as well. Free parking is pretty easy to find in the area, which is another plus. -
Review from Leni A.
1/6/2011
Came here on Xmas Eve day. After reading reviews on Yelp, I was looking forward to having the banana bread sammich but was disappointed to learn that it was a seasonal sammie usually served in the Fall (and maybe Spring--i forget). We had their Afternoon Tea pkg and the other tea sammies were tasty but nothing really to rave about.
The tea we ordered was the Darjeeling and Assam blend. It was smooth but I'd agree with what my friend said that something about it just cuts off. I'd recommend it nonetheless.
While I was expecting a quaint tea room, I found the converted home to be kind of dank and musty. Quite the turn off. And I dunno if it was short staffed that day but it seemed as though one (nice) woman was waiting on all tables, which led to slow service. Luckily (for them), my gfren and I had a lot of catching up to do. We had a nice time there but I don't know that I would be coming back any time soon. -
Review from Stomping S.
Los Angeles, CA
8/3/2010
As the son-in-law of an ex-tea room owner, I was excited to return to the experience with my wife and sister-in-law. We all have years of experience in the family tea room business... even had our wedding reception at a tea room. I would say the place did well at capturing the tea room aesthetic, and I thoroughly enjoyed reminiscing. Also on the positive, I thought the scone was quite good.
As for constructive criticism: tradition is good in tea fare but can be limiting. My hangups here were that the tea was brewed from standard single chamber bags (e.g. Bigelow or Twinings), not sachets or loose-leaf tea. A simple adjustment there, plus removing the teas after the brew cycle, can make a world of difference in taste. Also, the tea sandwiches were the basic wonder bread variety, whereas simple improvements in bread variety and interpretations of the basic meat salads could make the food seem more "real". Finally, the small dessert tray was good but very sweet. We enjoyed the items but could not finish due to sweetness.
Good for conversation and tucked away in Sierra Madre, which makes for a nice escape. -
Review from Celi L.
Arcadia, CA
6/21/2010
I was lucky to get in on Saturday around noon as I learned ususally Saturdays are by reservation only. Since I was alone and there was a cancellation, the lady let me in.
I got a room all the myself for about 30 minutes and ordered the "Afternoon Tea" set. It's a cute little dainty place and the atmosphere is relaxing. The sandwiches come decorated with flower petals and they provide unlimited refills to the tea. The sandwiches are delicious and the fresh-baked scone was fantastic! I enjoyed the jam and cream that came with the scone. In fact, the homemade cream was so good, I couldn't resist eating a scoop of it alone =P. The only thing, I found not so great was that my tea tasted a bit diluted, it could be the type I ordered (decaf Victorian Rose) so I'll try something else next time. It is seemingly pricey, $22 for the Afternoon Tea set but it is well worth the experience! -
Review from Christy H.
Los Angeles, CA
12/16/2010
I had afternoon tea here last week with my sisters. This place is in a converted house so it's very cozy and warm inside. The hostess that greeted me was a little abrupt and not too friendly. I was a bit concerned, but whatever. We had a coupon.
After we were all seated, it took awhile for the hostess to come back and take our order. She asked if we had a coupon and we showed her the coupon. She told us that we could not share and would have to order another tea (we originally planned to just order 2 afternoon teas and split between the three of us). So we ordered 2 afternoon teas and the sandwich tea with one pot of the house blend tea and one pot of the peach-apricot tea. Side note: I'm not a fan of fruity teas but was pleasantly surprised by the peach-apricot.
The sandwiches were delicious! I really enjoyed the cream cheese sandwich and the presentation was really nice. The tea was really good (which was great, because this tea place only has a selection of 4-5 different teas), the sandwiches were tasty, and that chocolate mousse dessert thing was AMAZING. I thought the scone was tasty, but it wasn't really a scone. It's more like a biscuit than a scone. But still good. And, I'm happy to report that the hostess warmed up quite a bit over the course of our afternoon tea. She was really attentive and even poured our tea for us quite a few times!
Overall, not my favorite tea place in the area... This place is a bit overpriced, but it's decent. -
Review from Tom B.
Sierra Madre, CA
7/2/2011
Delightful for Mother's Day. My wife loved coming here with the girls. Great atmosphere and fun!
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Review from Pamela S.
Pasadena, CA
6/9/2010
Circumstances of my visit: Went on a Wednesday in June between 1 pm and 2:30 pm.
Had the Afternoon Tea with house tea. The house tea was wonderful, especially with cream and sugar. Loved the sandwiches, particularly the egg salad and cucumber. The scones came HOT with globs of Devonshire cream and raspberry preserves. Was too full to try the desserts, but they looked fantastic (1 cookie, 1 dolce de leche dessert, 1 lemon bar). I was impressed by the presentation of the food and the Victorian ambiance of the tea room. Also, the service was warm, friendly, and attentive. The Afternoon Tea was average-priced, which was totally worth it.
Minor comparisons to other tea rooms:
1.) there are unlimited tea refills
2.) the scones are served HOT
3.) parking is fairly easy to find and free
4.) the bathroom is cute and very clean.
I do however think it's weird that I had to share a pot of tea with my friend. Granted we wanted the same tea, so perhaps that explains the shared pot. I'm just curious what would have happened if we chose different teas (?). -
Review from Tiffany C.
Fresno, CA
9/19/2009
If I could rate solely on ambiance, I'd give The Four Seasons Tea Room somewhere between a 4.5 to 5. Nestled in a sleepy part of town, this quaint little tea room is like another world, one in which time seems to slow to a crawl as you sit and enjoy a quiet afternoon with your friends. The service is attentive and considerate, and you get the sense that they genuinely want you to be comfortable.
Unfortunately, the food is nothing to write home about. The peach and pomegranate tea was nicely fragrant and seemed like a promising start. Aside from the banana and cream cheese, the sandwiches were ho-hum; my friends and I could have made our own for half the price. Moreover, the mango and cream cheese dessert tart was overly frozen and seemed a little stale. The best part of the meal was the scone, which was fresh out of the oven and went perfectly with the cream. But one scone doesn't make a meal great.
The price...here's where they get you. Each person is required to order one tea item, but regardless of how many items you order, each table only gets one pot and thus one choice of tea. Considering one of our orders was the Salad Tea, we were essentially paying $17.50 for a small plate of salad. The salad was good...but NOT worth almost $20.
You pay for the ambiance and service, for the chance to be able to relax with friends while sipping tea like a princess. But the next time I get the urge for a tea party, I'll just stay home and make my own sandwiches. -
Review from Oro O.
Burbank, CA
5/9/2007
So my coworker asked me today, "Hey you want to join us for some tea?" I said "OK" before knowing what I was getting myself into.
After I found out in the car where we were heading, I was thinking "ACK! Act like a lady for a meal???!?! ARE YOU CRAZY!?!?"
This was my first "British" or "English" tea experience ever so I was kinda nervous I wasn't dressed for it. Fortunately, we came on a Wednesday so it wasn't too busy and casual dress is acceptable. After all, you're at "home" :).
Like many other places in Sierra Madre, this is a small homey place opened by a "mom/pop". One of the ladies with me said it was a mother and daughter who opened this tea room.
On the outside, it looks like any other house. In the inside, it looks like the living room and dining area were converted into the tea room for guests to enjoy some "afternoon tea". Each table were set up beautifully with decorated china tea sets.
The prices are hefty.. about $17.50 - $20/person. Depending on your order, you will get unlimited refills of the tea of your table's choice, tasty small sandwiches (chicken, egg, cucumber+dill, apple cinnamon, and one other that I forgot), a scone (oven fresh with real whipped cream and raspberry (?) jam--I **HIGHLY** recommend this!!! You can always walk it off later!!), and serving size desert (shortbread cookie, raspberry cheesecake, lemon meringue). Everything tasted really rich and homemade.
Oh yeah! The floral decorations on your sandwiches are edible! I don't know what they them were, but the pink flower's tangy, the red flower's sweet, the big green leaf was lemony, and the small green leaves were minty. :)
My coworker, who had came here before, said that she came on a Friday and it was packed then so she suggests calling ahead of time to make reservations.
Hours, according to their business card, is "Tues-Sat 11am-4ish". -
Review from Michelle K.
Los Angeles, CA
8/6/2007
Imagine being in your grandmother's house for tea - that is, if your grandma was a Brit, loved floral patterns and all things girly, and could whip up a kick-ass scone (with devonshire cream and ambrosial raspberry preserves).
Each set of china is a unique porcelain teaset, as is each set of silverware (none of those stainless steel imposters). After you get over feeling like you might crush a tea cup, it really is quite nice.
You're better off if you get the Full Tea (s'wiches, scones, and pastries) for $22? or the Scone Tea (just tea & scone). You must get a scone, the rest is passable, but delightful. i especially liked the banana bread/cream cheese sandwich.
They're super accommodating here, too. We threw a friend's bridal shower in a side room and it worked out great. no bumps at all, they allow for decorations and no extra charge. -
Review from Valarie C.
Burbank, CA
12/17/2008
Here I am, yelping about tea rooms again! Aside from the lovely service and the authentic early 1900's furniture (big brownie points from me here), the Four Seasons Tea Room is housed in a building that is the same vintage as my house. So, The Tea Room is like spending time in my own living room -- very calming.
Have you noticed that pro-tea room yelpers are female? Are there ANY Y-chromosomers willing to "come out" as tea room patrons? Come on, I challenge you. Be real men and step up! Scared of a little scone and marmalade?
I should probably not do this, but I will tell you that I took my now 6'6" and 25-year-old son to this establishment a number of years ago. He said he enjoyed it, even if his beefy hands looked like they could pulverize the dainty bone china cup they held.Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from Gwen n Jez C.
Alta Loma, CA
8/6/2008 2 photos
A great little treasure in Sierra Madre! Nothing better than a cute little bungalow house, sipping some wonderful tea, eating some piping hot scones with cream and jam, and chatting with some friends.
We chose the "afternoon tea" menu option which had a nice sampling of everything. It costs about $22 per person but they have less expensive options as well.
Our sandwiches were really good and nicely decorated with fresh flowers a very cute touch we had cucumber, chicken salad, egg salad with olives, tomato and basil, and banana bread with cream cheese sandwiches.
We had fresh piping hot scones served with cream and jam.
we had apricot tea which my friends and i had multiple cups!
and for sweet endings we had lemon bars, dulce de leche bars, and shortbread
this will definitely be high up on my list of places to always go with my friends for a cute ambiance and a place to sip on tea and chat -
Review from Elizabeth T.
Los Angeles, CA
7/1/2009
On your way up Baldwin, a little further than Bean Town, is the 4 Seasons Tea Room. This is a privately owned business - one which serves tea and tiny sandwiches and pastries. The Tea Room is really a house changed into a restaurant. 2 front rooms are filled with tables and the others are a kitchen and hallway/cashier room.
The house is wooden, and you can hear the hollow beneath your feet as you walk thru. The decor is American Country: lots of wooden furniture, doilies, and of course, fine bone china and silver for you to dine. Outside in back is more seating under a shady patio, and a lovely backyard for which to bask in the sun whilst enjoying your tea. Sadly, they do not tolerate animals here, regardless of whether they're well-behaved.
I've only been here twice, but each time, I've seen the same 2 ladies: one's a cashier and the other serves. The server is nice; always checking up and refilling us with hot tea. I've never talked to the cashier before...
If you decide to have your tea here, you can expect a menu of various teas, sandwiches, and pastries. My favorites are the cucumber and Cream cheese sandwich, the English Breakfast Tea, and the scone. Yum!
What can I say that hasn't been said... well, it's kinda pricey. I mean, for each person, an "afternoon tea" (sandwiches, tea, scone, and dessert) comes to $22.00 before tipping. Not that i mind since I know what I'm getting and I'm satisfied with it, but it's just a lot to pay if you appreciate quantity more than quality. http://restaurant.com helps with this, by the way.
Oh yeah - outside of mine, I've never seen a man in this joint. This place is usually filled with giggling and chatty/gossiping ladies.
it's a pretty quiet place besides the clinking of teacups and spoons and the soft opera music playing in the background. Overall, it's a lovely little tea house and I would be back just because they really do put a lot into making this place dainty for you ladies (and men) who like to drink tea and eat tiny foods out there. -
Review from Rona M.
Los Angeles, CA
1/31/2009
Granted, I came when I'm kind of on a dietary restriction and I couldn't fully participate in the whole tea experience, but the service was really odd. First of all, my friend and I arrived a little bit early and were waiting for the other 2 people in our party. We were able to sit down right away, and as we were already settled in, our server came and told us that we needed to move to a different table because this one sat 5 people and not 4. I would normally not harp on this, but the tea room was pretty empty at this point and later on, they sat another party of 4 people at the same table.
When the rest of our party arrived, we proceeded to order and were told that we could only get 2 types of tea among the four of us. I've been to many other tea rooms where I've been able to order my own tea. We asked if it was possible to get a third tea but our server said no because tea is expensive. At the rate of $22 per person for full tea, one should have some choice in the tea they may order. Also, when we requested to split an order, our server at first refused to do so (to their credit it does say so on the menu - however, I had called on Wednesday and they said they would be able to do it).
The tea that I had was weak, but my fellow patrons liked the sandwiches and said the scones were very delicious. I'll most likely give them another chance, and hopefully they can improve on their customer relation skills. -
Review from Ivy P.
Glendale, CA
10/27/2008
Came here last Saturday with some girlfriends. Very cute decor. We all ordered the afternoon tea. Comes with four types of tea sandwiches (cucumber/dill, turkey cranberry, pumpkin/cream cheese, and watercress) all very tasty. We ordered two types of teas earl grey and lemon cooler. Then came piping hot scones with fresh whipped cream and raspberry jam. Then for dessert we had a pumpkin mousse bar, lemon bar, and shortbread cookie. I only tried the lemon bar.. very yummy.
I would come back again, if I had a good reason. Service was prompt. Couldn't finish everything, but they will give you boxes to take home whatever you'd like.
The only problem was.. we could barely hear each other talking. You'd think it would be a quiet afternoon at a tea house. But we practically had to yell at each other to be heard. The place was full.. some ladies just don't know how to use their indoor voices... tsk tsk.. ... -
Review from Adri N.
Los Angeles, CA
2/7/2010
Super cute tea house.
I had the afternoon tea with the house blend as our beverage of choice. Assam is my new favorite tea. Their blend was good with sugar and milk and straight.
The sandwiches were good. Even the flowers that garnish the sandwiches are edible! They were all tasty, except for the white carnation like flower with the purple edges. That one had a bite to it.
Scones were fantastic. They come right out of the oven and are served with cream and raspberry jam.
I liked the lemon bar so much that I made some the next day.
So $22 (nee $28 with tax and tip) for the ambiance, eating and drinking off of fine china, a bright cheery room to sit in and chat with friends, and not having to do the dishes. Sounds good to me. -
Review from Danielle D.
Pasadena, CA
Updated - 2/16/2010
Oh, I adore this tea room! It is in the adorable little bedroom community of Sierra Madre in a converted house. Each of the little tables is graced with a teapot and matching cups. The owner selects each of them at estate sales- each of them are beautiful and unique.
The scones are out of this world. You must try them! YUM!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/12/2009
Of all the tea places in the Pasadena area, the Four Seasons is far and away my favorite place to… Read more »
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Review from Hellie N.
Temple City, CA
6/29/2009
This is a cute little tea place tucked in on Baldwin Ave in Sierra Madre. We went to try out the afternoon tea, which included 5 tea sandwiches, your choice of tea (we were only given one choice per table), freshly baked scone and 3 different desserts.
The tea sandwiches were a-okay, but the presentation made up for the taste. The scone was spectacular!!!! I guess all the butter that goes into making it helped! The tea was pretty good, although I would have prefered having my choice of tea (rather than a choice per table).
I didn't think that the tea sandwiches will fill me up but it did. I didn't even finish the 3 types of desserts!!
the price is a little on the high side, but the experience is totally worth it. The service was attentive and the waitress was very pleasant.
there's an outdoor patio area with about 6-7 tables so you can have a small private party there for special occasions. -
Review from Gyl E.
Arcadia, CA
11/10/2009
This is my favorite tea shoppe to take out-of-town friends. The location is beautiful, the food plentiful and delicious and the tea selection is outstanding. The owner is hard-working and still always pleasant.
The scones are soooo good, and they always give you lots of cream to put on top. -
Review from mel b.
Mountain View, CA
2/27/2009
Very cute decor and quiet on a weekday afternoon. Came here with my mom and sister because we had a http://restaurant.com coupon. The sandwiches were tasty and so was the scone. Dessert was a little too rich for me but by then i was pretty full.
Even with the certificate, the bill came out to $60. Considering what I got for the price, i thought it was pricey. It's a lovely place to try-out but i don't think we'll be coming back.
I have to mention, we had a baby and a stroller which they accomodated for us and gave us a larger table near the window with room for the stroller. No ramps in the front though.
But, the server was very nice and we had good service.....of course, we were only one of two parties there at the time. =) -
Review from LORI F.
Los Angeles, CA
8/3/2010
My mom was visiting from Dallas and I brought her here for her Birthday. We got the Afternoon Tea and it was divine! We opted for the ice tea experience (which was a first!). I got the Marigold Black Tea (floral and coconut hints) and she got the Hibiscus Tea (floral, tart, mint, cinnamon and vanilla hints.) Both were to die for! We first had the sandwich service, then came the warm scones, then the dessert service. The surroundings are full of flowers and antique furniture, fixtures, and dishes. This would be a great place for a party! I'll definitely be back! It's a cozy, relaxed, and dainty English Tea experience.
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Review from Vy N.
Westminster, CA
1/8/2010
Great sandwiches.. tasty tea.. You feel like gilmore girls but more hicks like walking down the streets of this sleepy town. The place looks like a small cottage, very cute. The sandwiches were very filling and it was a great deal only because we got http://restaurant.com coupon. I would definitely come back.. but not without my coupon!
Listed in: Excuse me I am gonna be classy…
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Review from Elaine W.
Rowland Heights, CA
6/30/2010
This place does not compare to Tea Rose Garden. I did enjoy the food, especially the scone because it was hot, but it was not enough and it took too long. Also, we didn't have a choice of tea. There were four of us and a child and we all had to get the same thing or it would be extra. What upset my friend with the child, was that they charged a split fee for her just for the extra scone. The server said it was also for the setup. If that was the case, she could've sat on my lap!
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Review from Judy K.
Los Angeles, CA
3/27/2010
People who have given this place a 4-5 star rating either have low standards or have some type of preexisting relationship with the owner or the little sleepy town of Sierra Madre. This was by far the worst tea experience I've ever had. Seatings on Saturdays only occur at 11 and 2:30 p.m., supposedly because they're so busy. You would think that with mandatory seating periods and reservations that the kitchen would be adequately prepared to serve its guests at 2:30. Not the case.
I arrived at 2:20, received menus at 2:30, and given the EXTREMELY LIMITED menu, placed our orders a few minutes later. We received our pots of tea immediately but did not touch a bit of food until at least 3:15! We were starving by then, and 5 tiny little sandwiches did not do the trick. About 30 minutes later we finally received our warm buttery scone. Another 30 would pass before we received our obviously store-bought cheesecake bite, lemon bar and shortbread cookie.
Even with a http://restaurant.com coupon, the $22/person fee, tax and the 18% gratuity that was automatically charged although not a penny of which was deserved, I still ended up paying $32 (in addition to the $25 gift certificate!).
The owner had mumbled excuses about having to serve a big party and the oven not working, etc. but it is simply inexcusable to have such poor quality food and service when reservations were made, times are already set, and prices are so high. If you want a real tea experience, try Tea Rose Garden in Old Town Pasadena, or Chado Tea Room or the tea room at the Huntington Library, etc. This was the WORST I've ever been to. -
Review from Linda V.
Anaheim, CA
6/14/2010
Perfection. The delicacies are yummy. Served with an impeccable prissiness.
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Review from Maria L.
Monrovia, CA
2/28/2010
I've been here a few times. The location is very calm and serene away from the city ...it is located in a little cottage in the tiny town of Sierra Madre:) I've been here twice for work parties...the always give us the private room in the side...great service always:) I know alot of my friends have had their daughter's bday parties here..and they love it:)
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Review from Jenny W.
Glendora, CA
Updated - 7/12/2009
i still like the four seasons, for the most part. but today's service made me question my loyalty to the place.
the food was, as always, good and very nicely presented. but what we found particularly annoying was the fact that the two servers came over to check on the level in our teapot every. five. minutes. i shit you not.
i realize there's a fine line between irritating and attentive, but seriously - with as busy as they were, you would think they had better things to do than to constantly scurry over and lift the lid on the teapot and ask if we needed more tea. you know, like maybe SERVING THE REST OF THE COURSES?
after a while, it was just comical, and the teen ended up having to go up to the desk and ask for a to-go box and our bill. and then they automatically added 18% gratuity to it - and we only had four in our party.
i'm sure i'll return, because those scones are really delicious, but it's gonna be a while before i can get over this visit.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/1/2008
this is one of my favorite tea rooms in all of the SGV. it's cute, quiet, and a great place to sit… Read more »
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Review from Sher H.
Glendale, CA
7/4/2010
I have been to this tea room twice with my High Tea group I organize. We meet once a month after I schedule a tea at various tea rooms. It is a great way to try new tea rooms and also meet other tea lovers and make friends.
Rosa the owner is a gracious lady and works hard. The first time we were there we had one whole room to the right as you come in with was about 14 of us. One of my favorite things were that she bakes the scones and serves them warm after you have had your tea sandwiches. The tea room is set right on a corner in the cute and quaint town with it's little shops in Sierra Madre. It makes you feel like you are on a vacation some of us thought as we browsed and bought some goodies after our tea.
I haven't been there in quite awhile so we will go there for our next tea event. -
Review from Diana U.
6/18/2009
This is a really cute place to come with your girlfriends. We felt like princesses at the Four Seasons Tea Room! The service was great and the sandwiches were more filling that I had thought they'd be. We all got an order of "Afternoon Tea" which gives you tea, sandwiches, scones, and desserts. The scone is to die for! They come straight from the oven and are sooo delish. We came with the http://restaurant.com certificate as well and the 4 of us girls paid a little over 20 bucks each. This place is a really quaint place. I am not sure if I would come back any time soon, but it is sure a great experience.
