Captain’s Cottage

Went here with my mother and a friend and we had a great time! The place is under new management. The staff is friendly, the décor is lovely and quaint. And the food and the tea were wonderful! We had the full four courses along with our pot of tea. It was actually very filling and fun to try so many different things in each course. I loved the scone with lemon curd. Delicious. The sandwiches were tasty and I wish I had more room for the dessert! I’d go again and I think it’d be a great place to have a baby or bridal shower.

I went here with a group of 12 ladies about 9 months ago but haven’t gotten around to reviewing until now. The proprietor Lois is rather chatty and a bit dingy. She tells the same same story to all the guests so if you go a second time, you’ll hear it again. She isn’t very consistent about the hours of operations — this can be a bit confusing and irritating when you’re trying to organize a lunch for a group. As others have mentioned, she isn’t good about returning calls either.
Once you’re there and seated, the experience is enjoyable. It is a place filled with tea items and trinkets for sale. The Captain’s Tea has enough sweet and savory items to fill you up. There is a good selection of teas. It’s nice that there’s a mishmash of different style tea pots and tea cups/​saucers — not all boring white like at the Palace in SF. The main complaint was the not-​hot –enough tea. By the second fill, the water for some of the pots was just tepid. I expect HOT water for my black tea.
I will probably go again as long as I don’t have to organize it. I will also request hot water for the tea, in advance.

We called on Wednesday to ask about the hours and making reservations (we weren’t ready yet — still figuring out the best time). We were told that to make reservations, call back and if no one answered, just leave a message. So, we called back Wednesday afternoon to make reservations for Thursday. We called back Thursday morning to confirm. No one ever got back to us. So, we went at noon to have tea, with an excited 8-​year-​old. The door was locked and no one was there. I called from my cell phone and no one answered the phone. We left very disappointed.

Went here with group from garden club. Food was great and lots of it. Lois is delightful and a great story teller. I had the «Buckingham Palace» tea which was excellent and most importantly stayed hot. Place very quaint.

I love this place for high tea. The tea, service and food are awesome but what really makes this place special is the owner (?) who dresses in costume, talks to you in character, and really gets into her role. Great ambiance both from her, the service, and the atmosphere and interior design of the place that makes you feel like you are some place outside of time in the turn of the century, early 1900s, in some quaint seaside town. Definitely worth the trip to come here.

Thumbs way down. My guests were served cupcakes from Safeway with confetti sprinkles and other tiny store bought tidbits. The one cold cut sandwich (cut into 6 pieces– one for each of us) had the crust still on it. The owner assured me that there would be enough food served but that was not the case. I will not be back and do not recommend this tea house to anyone The décor had charm. I’m perplexed by the good reviews here.

This little house is very charming and the owner is very nice. However, the food was very disappointing both in quality and quantity. It was embarrassing that the sandwiches had crusts, with cold cut and cheese. The 1 st course was a cold english muffin and a tasty tiny scone, it went downhill from here. The sweets were all purchased tiny truffles and Safeway tiny cupcakes. I would not recommend this tea room. Will definitely not be coming back.

Not sure why all the great reviews other than the woman who owns the place is nice. When we went all the items served to us were from Trader Joes. The only thing that was homemade was the sandwiches and the pot of tea. Very overpriced for things I can get down the street at TJs.

I’ve always enjoyed this tea room. It’s quaint and the owner is welcoming.
I hadn’t been to this tea room in a few years after going gluten free. However, I was recently invited to attend a special afternoon tea event for a bridal shower, and the owner went out of her way to make my tea experience gluten free.
Instead of scones, I had rice cakes. They were actually pretty good with clotted cream, strawberry jam and lemon curd.
Instead of sandwiches I had a salad.
Instead of cake, I had fresh strawberries.
I appreciate that this tea room was so welcoming and accommodating.
Having tried the regular afternoon tea, I must say that I much prefer that one… maybe next time I’ll ask to bring my own gluten free bread so I can have a sandwich.
I highly recommend a visit to this tea room.

The Captain’s Cottage is a cute and girly tea house that is perfect for dress up and parties. I absolutely love that the hostess wears a costume and gives you a little history of the tea house and teas at the start of your tea experience.
Pros: Every inch of this place is decorated beautifully. The décor is über cute and cozy wih each table having its own theme ranging from country garden to nautical to afternoon tea with the queen. All tea times are scheduled and spaced apart so that the hostess has time to treat each patron like a special guest at her cottage. The teas are delicious as are the scones.
Cons: Because the tea times are specificially scheduled you must have reservations to eat here. There is absolutely no walk-​in seating available. Also, some of the flavors of the sandwhich bread and filling pairings are not so tasty. For example, in my opinion raisin bread /​egg salad just don’t taste good together. Also, when we first walked in the place had an odd rotten odour that was a bit concerning. After a few minutes of playing guess the smell, we realized that it was the odor of egg salad.
The food and teas here are average and I would rate them a 3, but the über cuteness of the cottage and the pleasantness of the host rate a 5. Beware men, every inch of this place is decorated with girly wonder. My male dining companion experienced cuteness overload, but I loved it.

I have been to a couple other tea rooms and selected Captain’s Cottage after some research for my birthday. I really LOVED the décor, the coziness of the cottage, the sweet country look AND the food. They serve the courses separately so nothing is cold. The scones were warm which was delightful, the lemon curd was delicious and so were the savories. The sandwiches were OK but then we are vegetarian and there are not many times when we get absolutely the best sandwiches outside. The third course was also a little tiny but by the time they brought out the desert we were all so full that it just didn’t matter. I was also happy with the tea choices, I like fruit flavors and those are not always predictable but I liked my Apple Spice.
We had a really bad experience with the attendent who was supposedly newly hired and it was Mother’s day and the proprietor left early. We had to wait ages due to the credit card machine problems and left back more than what would have been the tip because they did not have any change left. This spoilled the whole mood but then I don’t think this is what happens on a routine basis so I can forgive that and still say that on a whole it was a good experience. I am definitely going back there with friends and if this is a routine experience then I will give update my review with fewer stars ;). But for now… folks do make a trip to this place if you live close by. It’s worth the trip.

I just went to the Captain’s Cottage today with a couple of friends. This place is great. It’s super cute from the décor to the friendly lady who serves you and welcomes you. She’s really nice and occasionally mentions the Captain, which is quite entertaining. There is a wide selection of tea to choose from, I personally had the Buckingham Palace Garden Party tea, which our hostess says the Queen drinks. And how does she know the Queen drinks this tea, you may ask? Well, she calls her of course.
Along with the tea she serves crumpets, scones, sandwiches, salad and a little dessert. It was all very nice. The price was great. It’s only $ 17 per person! You really can’t beat the price.
Things to remember: 1) it’s reservation only, 2) they serve between 11am-​1pm

About a year and a half ago, I discovered the Captain’s Cottage while looking for a place to have my daughter’s 9^th birthday party. I can’t believe I’ve lived in the East Bay for so long and not known about it. Glad I do now.
We had tea, crumpets and all the rest for a group of nine girls in the Captain’s Room. They were all at one table and one other mom and I were able to also sit in the room but at our own table for two. It was absolutely wonderful! Lois, the proprietress, handled everything so spectacularly. Her demeanor, stories, etc. – all of it made it special and fun for the girls. At the end of the party, Lois even dressed up in different characters that went with the stories she had shared with the girls earlier. It was great! My daughter loved having a bell to ring (that summoned Lois) whenever they might need something in-​between courses. Lois is so on top of things, you don’t really need to ring the bell, but you know how nine year-​olds can’t resist.
This past weekend, my daughter and I went for tea – just the two of us. She’d been asking to go back ever since her birthday. We finally made time and it was, again, just wonderful. From the crumpets and scones to the crust-​less sandwiches to dessert. And there was a bell on the table. My daughter, again, couldn’t resist. I let her ring it once but not until we really needed something. :o)
One thing I haven’t mentioned yet because it’s hard to adequately describe is the atmosphere and ambiance. The cottage is too cute for words. I love every aspect of it. The décor is cute and fun. The background music is perfect. There are lots of things to look at and coo over. There is stuff for looking at and stuff for sale. Best of all, the prices are very reasonable.
So that’s my review. I’m glad I made time to do it. I don’t usually do these, but I was really impressed. When we had our second trip to the Captain’s Cottage, I felt like I should because I enjoyed it so much. I’d like others to have the benefit of my opinion because I think reading someone else’s when I was looking for a place for my daughter’s party is what made me check it out to begin with. I’m grateful to whoever posted what they did back then. Karma goes around!!!

Adorable, friendly lady who owns and does the serving at this place, please forgive me for uploading a pic of you even though I implied that it was just for my birthday photo album. I just couldn’t resist. You are a huge part of why this place is so special.
Other things that make this place special: you are surrounded by lots and lots of British, tea and related items for sale. It’s overwhelming in a good way — like being cocooned in tea ambiance. The décor is definitely girly, with the exception of the captain’s private room, which is in a nautical theme and can be reserved for private parties.
We sat at what I considered the best table closest to the fireplace (I don’t think it’s functional) on little couches.
I also love that there are three courses served at separate times: scones and crumpets with Devonshire cream, jam and lemon curd; tea sandwiches (unfortunately with the crusts still on) and salad; and tiny desserts. This means that your goodies aren’t getting air-​dried as you eat and even though the lady is working by herself most of the time, this means that she is guaranteed to come back at some point to give you another course and then you can order more hot water, cream or whatever. BTW, I’m not sure why some people are complaining that the food is bad. I have had high tea in almost every place that serves it in the Bay Area and the food here was great. Much better than the food at the Palace, for example, for much less.
This is a much more genuine and fun experience than going to a hotel for tea. Plus, it’s much cheaper than hotel tea. Unfortunately, you will need a car to get there. But I never realized how beautiful Pinole is. Actually, I never realized that there was such a place as Pinole.

My friend and I were very excited to go to the Captain’s Cottage, and turned up at 1:15pm on Saturday but found that they only seat people between 11 and 1 pm. What gives?

The atmosphere is great. Everyone was very friendly as we all moved around to see all the different items for sale. My Mom, Sister, Sister-​in-​law and myself had a wonderful 2 ½ tea… free from children and husbands and housework… etc. It was very relaxing and and laid back. The food was great. I thought I would still be hungry when it was done, but when we left we were all stuffed. I am planning to go back in the next few weeks… and I can’t wait!

I had tea here yesterday (9÷14÷07) with a friend and it was a wonderful experience. Actually, I am planning on taking my mom to have tea again tomorrow because it was so nice. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was quiet, serene, and homey.
I loved the décor of the place and the staff person working was very prompt and friendly. I would recommend this place to anyone who wants a quick little bite in a beautiful setting without all the day to day noise and chaos. I felt like it was a journey into the past.

Update: 02÷01÷08
Though I haven’t revisted, I plan to. I have learned that the menu has been updated.
They now have a Richmond baker making fresh scones and have added traditional English crumpets as well to the first course. The second and third courses have been combined, and all sandwiches are closed face on Beckmann’s Bakery bread. The second course also includes two warm savory selections (currently serving a petite cheese soufflé and a mushroom turnover) which is served with baby greens and a maple-​mustard vinaigrette dressing. Dessert is a trio of demitasse desserts (currently a chocolate truffle, a mini coconut macaroon and a shortbread tea biscuit).
There is a lot of whimsy, doilies, teddy bears and frilly knick knacks and Brian D’s report is very accurate.
The owner, Lois Boyle. decided she liked hosting teas in a 19^th century parlor after organizing a fund raising tea for 200 for the Richmond Museum. She thought other people would enjoy sipping tea from her pretty antique china while sitting on furniture from her family home.
There are 27 loose leaf teas to choose from which are actually good.
I’ve deleted the rest of the review because the food has changed. I’ll update when I re-​visit. It would be lovely to have a local tea room that has both good food and atmosphere.

I personally love Captain’s Cottage– it’s by far my favorite tea place (aargh, how did you beat me to the first review on this?!), and here’s why–
At Captain’s Cottage you are met by the proprietor, who is dressed in a late 19^th century New England housekeeping outfit– she serves the tea and snacks, and will occaisionally mention «The Captain» and his adventures. The Captain is of course completely fictional.
The décor is entirely in-​theme as a charming New England bed&breakfast parlor with a nautical look, and each room has a slightly different flavor with matching china service.
While the food isn’t that impressive, it is on the cheap side and there is certainly a lot of it. In addition, it is very creatively (!) described on the little menu. When your bill arrives, sometimes it is packaged as a «letter from the captain,» which I always find hysterical.
As another tea-​reviewing site phrased it, the overall experience is a bit like visiting an eccentric aunt. The theme is so consistent that it’s kind of like the Renaissance Faire or Dickens Faire, with the server acting her role while she executes the tea service.

Though adorable because of the smiling, bonneted old woman serving the tea, the fare here was regrettably substandard. The actual tea part was fine — it’d be difficult to mess that up – but the cottage smelled a little funky and several of the items were store bought (think pirouettes served on a glass platter and seafood salad served on pringles). The maple scones in the beginning were good, and because I was there for a small bachelorette event, I still enjoyed the overall event. Lisa’s Tea Treasures or Lovejoy’s are much better picks, though. Apologies to the lovely old woman in the bonnet, who also clearly owned the place.