Serenitea Cafe and Boutique

Excellent afternoon tea! I consider myself to be sort of a tea connoisseur. I have sampled afternoon teas in most of Chicago’s luxury hotels and visited many tea rooms in England. Serenitea Café offers a delicious and authentic afternoon tea experience and is much more affordable and accessible! The sandwiches were very good and the scones (warm from the oven) were among the best I have ever had. I also appreciate the variety of tea they offer, including my favorite Assam with out the usual upcharge. I plan to return often!

Treated myself, two other pastry chefs and a expert quilter to high tea here today. The tea selection demands a menu of its own with over 100 choices. Of course, we shared 4 different ones. The robust Russian Caravan being my favorite. Their chicken salad served on a asiago roll was the highlight for the sandwiches. Flourless chocolate mini cupcake was only equaled by their lavender butter cookie. We all had a delightful delicious time.

We have visited Serenitea again, this time for my mother’s birthday. I just wanted to share that our second experience was every bit as good as our first. The service is still friendly and attentive, and the food is still made fresh just for you. You especially gotta love the hot baked sweets. It feels like someone is baking especially for you at their home. Everything smells so good and is delicious.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking you won’t be full after your meal; after you’ve tried all the varieties of tasty treats laid before you, you’ll be stuffed! And of course, the tea is very good as well. Everyone at your table should order a different kind so you can sample the vast variety on offer. We also purchased some tea to go, so we can enjoy our favorite flavors at home.

This was such a delightful surprise. We had eight women in our party and we thought we might have to sit at two tables. The server opened up the leaves on a square table converting it to a larger round table. We were able to sit together and sample each other’s tea selections, which were out of this world! My personal favorite was the ginger peach flavored green tea, but all of us got a different tea and all the teas were yummy.
What was especially nice was that we were afforded the time to actually drink our tea and have comfortable conversations with one another. The finger sandwiches and scones came to our table about 20 – 25 minutes after our tea service. And we even enjoyed more delightful conversation during the lunch service of the dainty sandwiches from traditional cucumber and watercress sandwiches, to small chicken salad sandwiches, to the delicious scones. Refilling of our teapots was next so each of us had more yummy tea. The atmosphere made me wish I could do this weekly. It was a relaxed pace at which we were served our food and desserts so we never got too full too fast and we were able to enjoy each and every scrumptious bite. There was plenty of food, and it is not served as fast as other restaurants who want to turn the tables over quickly though. So come hungry, just not too hungry if you expect your first bite in ten minutes. This is a tranquil dining experience that should not be rushed. Treasure each peaceful moment which describes Serenitea to a tea!

How this place didn’t have a line out the door is beyond me. The most perfect Sunday afternoon with my boyfriend and sister. We tried a white, blend, and back tea. All delicious. Not to mention every thing that we ate as part of the afternoon tea was the new best thing I ever ate.
I don’t know what clotted cream is. Not gonna lie. The simple fact it’s clotted anything makes me sick. But I could literally put that stuff on a dirty shoe and I’d eat it.
And the service was phenomenal, Elizabeth showed the perfect balance of attentiveness. Friendly but also let us enjoy our conversation.
Best. Place. Ever.

I hosted afternoon tea for myself, my daughter and three friends The food was delicious– sandwiches, scones and desserts all wonderful. The ambiance is charming and the service gracious and cozy.
Despite that we had neglected when making the reservations to specify that one guest is vegetarian, the server and owner quickly accommodated the last minute change. If you fancy afternoon tea service Serenitea Café will delight

This place’s slogan is an «escape from the everyday» and it sure is. You walk into a different, very small, world, filled with every tea-​themed item possible. It’s a mad-​hatters tea party without the hats. I made a reservation through my Groupon and discovered there were no tables ready for the four of us, so we were sat in the waiting area. Because we were on a time constraint, we asked if we could just be served where we were. It was a tiny table, but we would make it work. And we were glad we did so, because otherwise we would have been waiting for an hour before one of the parties left and we noticed that another party was walking in as we would have been seated and then they would have to wait an hour as well. Not cool to do the over-​booking thing.
Aside from a leg of the sandwich tower being dunked into my friend’s tea, we pulled off the tiny table situation and still managed to enjoy ourselves. The tea was to our liking and the sandwiches were quite tasty as well, especially the cucumber sandwiches. The scones were a bit on the overly dry side, but they were served with clotted cream and jam, which was the important detail for me anyway. The desserts afterwards were a bit much as we were already full, but we dove into them. The strawberry mousse in phyllo dough wasn’t to my liking, and I’m not into flourless chocolate cakes as it was too chocolate-​y, but the green tea and lavender cookies were interesting and flavorful, even though I did feel like I was eating potpourri. It was nice that the desserts were still warm as we had to wait for them to actually finish baking, again not good for those with a time constraint.
The service was friendly and welcoming and we certainly felt like we were guests in someone’s home. We appreciated they made our tiny table work, although I would suggest they not overbook the next time around. When you come, make sure you have two hours to spend, as the waiting time and service will take about that long.

I purchased a groupon and brought a friend who is not really interested in tea… and she even enjoyed her visit! Heather was a great server… happy, friendly, helpful. The tea was excellent, and I loved all the sandwiches and pastries. The scones stole the show, as they were so delicious! The space is lovely and inviting. What a great place!

One of my friends was celebrating her birthday by hosting an afternoon tea party and Serenitea Café and Boutique. Earlier in the month, I was helping her choose fancy tea spots locations to celebrate her birthday and an eye-​catching Unilocal reviewing reading «something something… LAVENDER COOKIES… something something» caught our attention. What on earth are LAVENDER COOKIES?! How have I not tried them before. Therefore, I was very happy that she chose this place to celebrate.
She booked a party of six with no trouble, and when the day arrived, the staff were very accommodating. A gentleman went over the tea menu and graciously explained the differences in tea and recommended his favorites. Since there were six of us, he advised us to each order a pot of tea and rotate teapots which we did. Accompanied with the teas were a delicious assortment of finger sandwiches (watercress and cucumber, roast beef, and chicken salad), scones (cinnamon, raisin, vanilla, and chocolate), and desserts (cherry cheesecake, chocolate puffs, and LAVENDER COOKIES). The highlight of the meal had to be the LAVENDER COOKIES that had a surprising garden medley taste with an aromatic hint of lavender. Lovely. Simply lovely.

The baked goods and tea sandwiches were delicious as was the tea. The atmosphere is cute but confusing. A mix of formal and dated.
Also staff should dress nicer and not in t shirts and sweatshirts.
I’d come back for the food and tea.

I enjoyed afternoon tea at Serenitea as part of a Groupon that I shared with a friend. It is located off one of Marion in downtown Oak Park. It’s a small café with less than 10 tables. There were a variety of flavored black and herbal teas to choose from. Afternoon tea consisted of three different sandwiches and a scone, followed by three different mini desserts. The scone was amazing. A perfect scone that wasn’t dry was a pleasant surprise.
Allow about 1 ½ hours for tea, sandwiches, and enjoyable conversation.

Lovely place to meet friends. Small and cozy. This is not the place to go if you want a large meal. A light lunch or a pot of tea with a small dessert, this is the place.

It was a lovely quaint casual experience on a frigid Sunday afternoon. The owner Tracy & the server Ken (not sure of his name) made sure everything was pleasing, just top notch service. I love the mango green tea & the fresh sandwiches, chicken salad on croissant, roast beef with gouda cheese, warm delicious scones with clotted cream & preserves. Then we had a plateful of cute gourmet desserts, the lavender cookies that were so unusual & oh so good, the flourless chocolate cupcake, etc. We will be back when we’re in the area again.

I went 2 Sunday’s ago and used a groupon on tea service for 2 for $ 30 but I also used a promo code. This was my first time trying tea service. It was very quiet and there was only one other party. It was worth the price paid. The pesto chicken salad sandwich was my favorite from the stand of snacks. Don’t come too hungry if you’re not a tea person. The snacks alone, to share, will not fill you up. I had a pot of chocolate strawberry tea and my friend had blueberry muffin. We tried each other’s. Mine tastes exactly like chocolate covered strawberries. I could only taste blueberry in my friends tea. The servers were pleasant & everyone takes their time and snack and desert is prepared/​cooked to order. So if you’re in a rush, this isn’t for you. Street parking wasn’t too difficult to find on Sunday afternoon.

A wonderful place for tea enthusiasts and those who appreciate the tradition of tea time. Unlimited pots of cinnamon and pumpkin spice tea along with finger sandwiches: chicken salad, turkey & Swiss, cream cheese and marmalade, as well as desserts: cinnamon and blueberry scones, green tea cookies and cheese cake bites will all make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. Perfect for a chilly Midwestern afternoon and an experience that is fit for a Prince or Princess ie; EVERYONE! The owner was genuine and personable. She came out of the kitchen to speak to me about all of my curious inquiries about the shops beginnings and it only made me appreciate tea time the tenth degree more. Don’t think twice about trying Serenitea!

The real deal: tea, scones and real clotted cream in real china but without pretension. How very interesting and excellent that the most authentic, down to earth British tea in Chicagoland is served by a Black-​owned business in Oak Park.

So, some of the reviews here made me check that I had the right place because they don’t match my experience at all.
It’s true that this isn’t a traditional «high tea» place and I was taken aback by that at first. Quickly, though, I became very glad of that fact!
«High tea» (as it is known; the actual, correct term is afternoon tea) is typically tea, some finger sandwiches, a scone with clotted cream and jam, and petit fours, all served on a three-​tier tray. The price of these typically are as low as $ 20 but are usually more in the $ 35-​$ 45 range.
At Serenitea, I was given a pot of very delicious Assam tea which had been soaked in merlot, a large chicken pesto sandwich (so big I ended up taking half of it home), and one of the best scones I’ve ever had (this coming from a person who’s married to a Brit and has dragged him all over England, Scotland, and Wales looking for cream teas). What was the bill? About $ 15! Amazing value!
The ambiance was nice. It had covered tables, dainty dishes, and a beautiful painted mural on the back wall. Plus there was an adorable little shop where I found some very reasonably-​priced jewelry! Oh and they do sell the tea they serve so I took a bit of that lovely Assam home with me.
The staff was so nice, too. As our group left our server insisted on giving us all hugs, like we were family. The chef came out to meet us and chat, as well.
Overall I loved just about everything. Such good food and tea at such a great value!!! I’ll definitely become a regular :)

Serenitea is a real gem. My dad and I have been going here for a while now and the owner, Miss Tracy, is lovely. The spot is a bit tucked away from the main hustle and bustle of downtown Oak Park, but I promise you the experience is worth it.
The café is cozy and has a few tables with comfy chairs where you can sit and dine and/​or drink and be served by Tracy or her other nice staff members. You can also take things to go, but I recommend staying. The tea choices are plentiful so if you’re like me that is an awesome thing! There are lots of black teas (like cinnamon, spicy chai, pumpkin spice, Earl Grey Lavender, English Breakfast, etc), greens teas (some of which I cannot pronounce but are tasty), white teas, fruity teas and some caffeine-​free options. So much to choose from! You can order a cup or a pot. If you’d like to try different kinds you could order by the cup, but I always get the pot. There’s about 3 – 4 cups in a pot, depending on how much you pour. So you definitely get a lot of tea, but I also think the pot is a better, relaxing experience. You sit and enjoy. No one is rushing you out the door.
There are also scones with clotted creams (drooool), lavender shortbread cookies (Tracy’s speciality… double drooooool), various cakes and pastries and nice light, fresh made sandwiches and salads and on occasion soup. I LOVE the cucumber sandwich. Sometimes Tracy makes it with lots of fresh veggies but on my last visit is was the traditional English cucumber sandwich — super creamy cheese with cucumber and chives on wheat bread with no crust! I felt so British and classy! My dad usually gets the roast beef and it’s a decent size sandwich but nothing for the monster appetite… that wouldn’t be classy, ya know? Sandwiches are served with a side of potato salad or kale slaw. Deeee-​lish!
You can also call ahead and arrange for high tea service. I personally have not done this but I have seen it in action. It’s so fancy, dahling. There are also lots of books about tea, various recipes fitting for afternoon tea and all in all it is a great spot to pass an afternoon pleasantly with yummy food and great tea! Please check it out if you’re looking for something new to try in Oak Park!

Today, my daughter finished her homework right after school, so as a special treat, I took her on a walk up to the little tea shop across the park from us. Serenitea was not so inviting when I first stopped in, right after they’d opened, but they’ve since repainted (including a lovely garden doorway that Kavi was just entranced by – she doesn’t think she’ll ever be able to paint that well). It’s much more charming and cozy now!
$ 2.50 will get you a lovely warm scone with clotted cream and jam; another $ 5 would get you a pot of tea to go with it. They also have sandwiches and the like; I’ll have to come back with a good book sometime and settle in for a nice lunch. But for now, Kavya felt very grown-​up, having a scone in a fancy chair. Also, she thought it was delicious! (I stole a bite, and attest to the deliciousness; I would’ve had more, but she guarded it fiercely from then on.)

Great atmosphere! We went here a few days ago and it was so good. The tea is amazing. Theresa has done a great job with making it cozy and relaxing when you walk in.
We tried the lavender cookies/​biscuits and they were freshly made. I would highly recommend it to anyone who lives by and or visiting Oak Park!