The Tea House on Los Rios

Sat here for 1 hour waiting for some tea, two scones and finger sandwiches and the short, blonde server finally came out saying the tea needed time to steep (an hour’s time??)… Called twice to make reservations and never got answered. I’ve been coming here since I was little and service just sucks. If you come, ask for Manuela, the only person who seems to get things done here. This place seriously needs some improvement on the service, because expensive tea should at least come with a smile. Food is good, except everything is very small, but hopefully you won’t have any other plans for the day.

Cozy place to stop for some really good quality loose-​leaf tea. The scone was ok, not the best I have ever had but it was a good snack while on a driving break. The ambiance is very old-​world and garden-​like. Prices are a bit steep but for a tea connoisseur it is a great place.

I often go to tea houses. This one is average. The setting is very pretty and service was good. A big plus was the fact they had menu items besides traditional tea sandwiches. My husband said the curry chicken was delicious. It was the actual tea meal that was average. The scone was good, but nothing to rave about. They also only offered a raspberry jam and no lemon curd to go with the scone. The tea sandwiches were just okay. They had a good variety of teas. If you are enjoying a fun day on Los Rios Ave & seeing the Mission, stop in here. I would not make a special trip to have high tea here. Many better tea houses around Orange County.

Overall a nice experience, however there were a few negatives. We were a party of four, on a Friday morning at 11:30. I think they were busier than normal for this time of year, because the weather was so nice — so the service was very slow. Three of us selected one of the tea packages on the menu. The scone, cream and preserves were great. The finger sandwiches were ham salad, egg salad, cucumber/​cream cheese and chicken salad. It seemed like they were made the day before because the they were stuck together and the bread was a little soggy. Also, not much filling. Another aspect that struck us odd was that the honey that came with the tea was Smuckers, served in those little plastic packages that you peel the foil off the top, that you see at Denny’s or IHOP. We expected something a little classier for this place.
Anyway, still a nice place and we will probably try it again.

My mum was visiting from Australia over Christmas and I thought she’d love this place… a traditional english tea and scones! The service was great, the food was delicious, the setting was super cute… we even got a history lesson from our waitress (did you know that Los Rios is the oldest longest continuously residential street in California!). I’ve been back twice since my first trip in December!

Such a cute place; too bad it’s not like the tea room I’m use to. This was a la carte; where as I’m use to the 3 tier mixed plate goodies for 2 or more… I ordered the basic: finger sandwiches, scones, and tea. Simple, was as expected but husband ordered the prime rib. Shared it with my husband. Oooh, tasted so smooth like butter and just melts in your mouth! Just right and perfect. It was the best steak I’ve had. The 4 star was four the rest of my food was, «meh».

This place is really cute. I came here with my Mom, Cousin and a couple of Aunts for a nice lunch. We had reservations and were seated outside. It was a nice sunny day out. Our waitress was very sweet and helpful. We were all new to high tea, none of us have ever experienced it before. I ended up ordering the Mission Tea set with English breakfast tea, my Mom split with me as always, but got her own tea. There were also some really good sounding entrée’s on the menu that I wanted to get, but I wanted the tea time experience. My two Aunts ended up getting some good entrees and I knew I could share a bit with them. Our tea came first. We loved the cute flowery cozies on the tea pots. My Aunt really wanted them. We each got little tea cups along with saucers. I loved my tea, just added some cream and sugar and it was delicious.
My scone came first. I’m not a big fan of scones, but these were awesome. It was crisp and crunchy on the outside and soft and crumbly on the inside. It was a little sweet since it also had currants in it though. The clotted cream was smooth and silky. The jam was also pretty sweet so I didn’t put too much on. A really good scone, it went perfectly with my tea. Next came my cream of potato soup. I got it with all the fixings, cheese, bacon and green onion. It was alright, the soup itself was kinda gritty and watered down, not as creamy as I’d like. But I ate it all since it was a pretty small serving.
Our entrees came out all at the same time. I think the finger sandwiches were my favorite of the whole meal. I loved the cream cheese with cucumber and the chipotle ham sandwiches, those were the best, if only they were bigger. The egg sandwich and the chicken sandwich were a bit on the dry side though. Needed my tea to wash them down. I also tried my Aunts entrée’s of course. They got the English pasty and the Shepard’s pie. The entrée’s were very disappointing. The meat in both dishes were overcooked and dry. The potatoes in the Shepard’s pie were gritty and seemed instant. I liked the pastry on the pasty though, it was flaky and soft. They were just kinda meh. I’m glad I didn’t end up getting an entrée.
My Cousin and I both got to choose a dessert since we both got the Mission tea set. I chose the dessert trifle and she chose the chocolate ganache. I really liked my trifle, it was nice and light and not too sweet. I didn’t try my Cousin’s dessert, I was stuffed. I love the tea, atmosphere and service here, but the food is just alright.

I loved this place. We shroud of friends planed a babyshower for one of our dear friend. And everything came out so perfect !!
The customer service is awesome !!
Love the tea. Yum
It was an awesome experience. The place is so cute. Perfect for a ladies day. Romantic couple time !!
A cute little Boutique

It was my first time having brunch and tea at this lovely place. I took my mother and she definitely loved it. They have some amazing, delicious scones and the tea is just delicious! Melissa was our waitress and she was beyond friendly and was super attentive. I will definitely be going back for sure!

12÷14÷15− Another lovely time and great memories with great company. David provided excellent service to our party of 9. Thank you for another wonderful experience!

This was a lovely little place to have afternoon tea. It was a nice break from the hustle and bustle that Los Rios can get on the weekends. With all the brunch places full, it was a great affordable place to have breakfast.
Due to it’s historically preserved area, it’s a cute little cottage with what looks like a lot of the original foundations with period furniture in the interior. We sat outside on the lovely patio. It’s very cozy and gets a little busy, but the tea was nice, the food good, and any time I’m back in the old downtown historic area, I’ll be making a pit stop at the tea house! The best part, they also serve brunch for those who aren’t that into tea (WHY the hell not?!). Regardless, the table next to us all had food that smelled amazing and I can’t wait to come back and try more things on their menu. One snacky visit at a time.

My daughter brought me here for a mother’s day treat a couple years ago and it became our place. :) Yeah, it is a chick place.
1. Space is an remodeled old house. Decoration, dishes they use, little boutique, and food they serve… they put though into everything. If I must complain, it’s the bathroom. It’s clean, cute and spacious but they just don’t have enough for their restaurant capacity.
2. Food: They do not just have chick food. They have amazing chicken dish and even prime rib. We usually go for their tea time. They have different plan and different pricing. Their tea is amazing and you must try their scones.
3. Service: If you go for the mother’s day or Sunday blanch I recommend you make an appointment. Their staff haven’t rotated since two years ago. My daughter and I alway have a same older polite lady serving us. :)
Something extra: This tea house is located amongst many cute stores on the street of Los Rios. They are all remodeled old houses and my daughter and I fantasize to live there.

Beautiful settings. Courteous staff. A perfect place to come with your girlfriends, daughters, in laws… a high tea experience mixed wt a dose of feminity. You feel like an early 19^th century lady here. Awesome experience. We have the Bread pudding with brandy sauce, freshly baked currant scones, Prince lost bread minus the bacon. & the Victorian tea. We’ll definitely be back again.

I came for sunday a few weeks a go with a girlfriend. My food tasted burnt, and they changed portion sizes for the cake.
Maybe it’s a sunday thing?

On a busy Sunday afternoon we were able to get a table outside by the fountain. Very quaint setting and our waitress was very friendly and helpful in selecting food and tea. Our salads were really tasty and larger than expected. We also got currant scones w/​cream and jam, baked fresh daily and delish. Our tea service was perfect, and so was the lemon tart dessert we had. The little touches of flower garnish on the salads and dessert and the overall atmosphere of this place made for a very special lunch. It’s a perfect place to come with girlfriends, daughters or to have a shower or lucheon/​party. We will definitely be back.

I love this place. The service is really good. The staff are all nice and polite. The settings are beautiful. They put flower and plant in the plate which makes the dish more enjoyable. It’s good for girls chatting, dating, and gathering.
Besides, it’s great for kids especially little girls. It makes them feel like a princess.
The food is yummy. They have various kinds of tea to choose. I got a peach and apricot tea which smells really good.

I feel reluctant to rate the Tea House so. The scones were excellent, as were the finger sandwiches. We enjoyed the shepherd’s pie as well, as the consistancy of the potatoes were right on and the sauce was savory without being too salty. However, we were sorely disappointed by the service. Our waitress was curt, and she often dropped utensils down in a clumsy clutter. She did likewise with the plates and cups, which created a harsh din to an otherwise pleasant afternoon. I found their policy about one tea cup per pot a bit stingy too, especially considering how much tea they give you.
I would think a tea house would pride themselves on customer service, since this is part of the charm of going. Still, though, despite the quality of food, I think I’ll take friends elsewhere next time.

Excellent and relaxing. You can get a proper tea and or a great lunch or dinner. Perfect for birthdays anniversaries or special occasions. Best to make reservations especially at holiday times

Alright, here goes. I came here for my 25^th birthday with 10 of my polite friends. The service was HORRENDOUS. It took 20 minutes to get seated, even though I had set the reservations *two weeks* in advance. We came for brunch and were not even seated in time to order off the brunch menu.
It took another 20 minutes to get WATER once we were seated.
It took another 15 minutes at least to get MIMOSAS once we were seated. We didn’t even have anybody come by to ask what we wanted before then. Also, the pomegranate mimosas are $ 2 more than the orange mimosas, which it does not say on the menu. We got to find that out when we got the check.
**EIGHT OUT OF TEN** GLASSES WE WERE BROUGHT HAD LIPSTICK STAINS ON THEM. Why they were not even CHECKED before they were brought the to table is beyond me. Disgusting. Unsanitary. How did they get a passing grade?!
It took about another 30 minutes for our scones to be brought out and an hour for our food to be brought out. I cannot believe it.
THEY DID NOT GIVE A SINCERE APOLOGY NOR ATTEMPT TO MAKE ANYTHING RIGHT BY US. I never ever give scathing reviews but this place deserves it. Awful. I work in service industry myself, and this place left a *rancid* taste in my mouth.
On top of all this NONSENSE we were forced to leave a 20% tip on the bill. No wonder they did not bother with good service.
We did not even get around to ordering tea because this place was so terrible.
Don’t bother. Cute location. Awful staffing. Good luck.

This place deserves five stars. Beautiful setting, very polite and courteous staff.
Our server was like a loving mom. Food was delicious and fresh. The quality of the food and teas is pretty good. I believe it’s not expensive if you take the quality in account.
Over all, great experience.