Quiet place to eat in. Seasonal Salad with a tea to go
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kristy
I have been here a couple of times and service seemed nice previously but today was kind of upsetting. It took awhile for the food to come out.Then the bread for the egg sandwiches were dry. It also felt like they were rushing us by the way they kept looking at our table to clear it out. On top of that, the table next to us seemed to be celebrating the same occasion but we were treated differently, i.e. not as attentive to our party/unwelcoming. Yes, we are and yes that table was all... iykyk.... I honestly wish I could take my tip back because service and food were not up to par but the ipad tipping nerves got the best of me. I am really disappointed as it was a special day for me and because I hyped this place up for my guests who have never been there and was let down.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
Laura Caton Gilstrap
Fun afternoon with good food, specialty teas, and an authentic English Tea atmosphere. Dress up, make a reservation, and enjoy a 2-hour break to actually talk to the people you love to spend time with!Parking: Weekdays, parking is easy. Weekends can be more challenging but still walkable. If you have someone with mobility issues, consider dropping them off if parking is scarce.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tea Sandwiches and Pastries, Shepherd's Pie and Scones, Fresh Fruit with Whipped Cream, Freshly Baked Scones, Chocolate Mousse Cake Brownies Lemon Tart Desert, Tomato Basil Soup, High Tea, Cream Scones and Quiche, Sandwiches, Cucumber Sandwich Egg Sandwich Chicken Salad, Tomato Soup, Pumpkin Soup
Mehdi Nazari
My girlfriend & I recently visited the Grand tea room for her birthday, hoping to enjoy a lovely afternoon tea service. The tea room has a charming, cozy atmosphere that makes you feel like you're stepping back in time.However, I was quite disappointed with the service, or lack thereof, that I experienced. Upon arrival, we waited over 15 minutes with a few staff walking by and acknowledging us being there. The tea room did not appear to be unusually busy, so I'm not sure what caused the delay in service. After waiting so long, we decided it was best to leave and take our business elsewhere.I really wanted to like this place, as I had heard good things. And the ambiance is undoubtedly delightful. But the poor service left a sour taste and ruined what was meant to be a special outing. I hope this was just an "off" day and not the norm, as I believe this tea room has a lot of potential.I did get a phone call from the business apologizing for what happened which was nice, but what I had in mind was more of a free or half off session for us to go back there when wasn't the case.My suggestion to the owners would be to ensure the front of house is well-staffed and that all guests are greeted and served in a timely manner. Even if there is a short wait, simply acknowledging guests and setting expectations can make all the difference. With some focus on improving the service, I'm sure this could be a real gem of a tea room.
Lisa Rhone
Everything was exceptional, the food, atmosphere and the service. We will be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Laura Morford
We saw The Secret Garden and had tea. Great show and fabulous tea. Everything was delicious!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fresh Fruit with Whipped Cream, Freshly Baked Scones, Cucumber Sandwich Egg Sandwich Chicken Salad
Julie Guadagni
Charming tea spot. Delicious food with many options for tea. Delightful experience and will definitely return.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fresh Fruit with Whipped Cream, Freshly Baked Scones, Cucumber Sandwiches Egg Salad Andwiches and Chicken and Cranberry Croissant Sandwich, Afternoon Tea, Sandwiches, Cucumber Sandwich Egg Sandwich Chicken Salad
Stephen Spencer
We went here on a recommendation from our daughter. I expected this to be a place only woman go to, but to my surprise I loved this experience! First off it is unique. I haven’t done a tea tasting like this before. We had two hours from 11 to 1 at a reserved table. You can’t get in without a reservation. During this time you can try all there teas, which is extensive. Then they serve you small amounts of food but by the time we were done, we were all full. The experience started with a mixed fruit dish with cream, so fresh. Then a soup, we choose tomato basil, it was delicious. Then the small snack flight started. Small sandwiches. Loved the chicken salad, then scones, small velvet cake, and other snacks. If your a foodie you will love this place!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tea Sandwiches and Pastries, Shepherd's Pie and Scones, Fresh Fruit with Whipped Cream, Tomato Basil Soup, High Tea, Cream Scones and Quiche, Afternoon Tea, Sandwiches
Yolanda O'Connor Aliaga
Everything was beautiful!!! However the sad situation came up when we were practically invited/forced to leave the premises because we "just ordered" something equivalent to perhaps 1.5 hours and supposed to leave. I just had a loss in my family, and thought attending The Grand Tea Room could it be a way to reconnect to myself with the company of a dear friend.We both were very disappointed with the last part of our experience at this Tea Room.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: High Tea, Afternoon Tea, Sandwiches
MJ Montoya
Very delicious tea service provided by wonderful people. The Paris tea and cherry walnut scones were the highlight for me but everything was so flavorful!
This is a truly wonderful experience for friends and family and even dates! I have been so impressed every time I've come here. We get the full package and are drunk on tea when we leave!Vegetarian options: Sandwiches, fruit, scones, etcKid-friendliness: Great for well behaved kiddos
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shepherd's Pie and Cranberry Scones, Shepherd's Pie and Scones, Tomato Bisque, Tomato Basil Soup, High Tea, Tomato Soup, Sandwiches, Cucumber Sandwich Egg Sandwich Chicken Salad
Rebecca L.
What a cute small tea room in downtown Escondido. Parking can get busy here so plan accordingly along with reservations! I came at 4pm on a Friday and it was more than half full. I can't imagine what the weekends are like. My friend and I opted to get the light lunch. I'm not sure if they were sold out or because we went at 4pm we didn't get the savory item that came with it (quiche). In replace of it they offered us a scone. Not too sure if a sandwich would have been more of a fair trade. They offer a range variety of teas mostly black or green with limited white teas. The scone was light and wasn't so dry like other places that I appreciate. I thoroughly enjoyed that each tea pot had their own candle warmer which kept the tea warm and a drip catcher. The little things make a difference! I would love to come back again and hope to try full spread with dessert, but because of the time of tea seating I didn't want to be stuffed for our dinner reservation. The price is comparable to other tea rooms that I have visited before. I would recommend this place to anyone, but please don't forget to make a reservation in advance!
Betsy S.
I came here to celebrate an early 30th birthday brunch with my gals and I have to say that this place is lovely for a small get together with your friends. It was all of our first time doing a tea room, and little did we know there is one in Escondido!I applaud the cute little antique shop that welcomes you as you walk in, and the vintage decor all along the walls plus the silverware they use. The tables are spread apart nicely in order to give everyone privacy. Beware of speaking loudly in this establishment, as it's meant to be of an inside voice tea time place and to be respectful of others around you. We all opted for the 2-hour Grand Tea experience with 2 tea selections, which was $40 menu items which included the starter fruits with whipped cream, soup or salad, and the beautiful 3-tier stand of pastries and sandwiches! The Tomato Basil soup was by far made really fresh and the right amount of consistency, it was delicious. As for the sandwiches, they're small bites so don't expect much. One of them was a croissant tuna sandwich, egg salad sandwich and a cucumber and mayo sandwich. I really loved the Shepherd's Pie and the quiche! Both delightfully cooked and made with love.Some of the pastries were pretty dry, especially the strawberry scones. I was looking forward to that the most at the end, so that was unfortunate. We couldn't finish the rest of the pastries, so we took them home but the chocolate mousse dessert they had was yummy! I really liked that one. We loved the different teas we tried. We got the Crème Brûlée tea with caffeine and a Lady tea with peach hints. They were lovely with the unlimited tea selections! If we had weren't so full, we would've tried more.Would I say that it's worth $40? Not completely, you do pay for the experience and although it's supporting the business, I wish the assortments had more variety and slightly bigger bites for the sandwiches. Other than that, it was such a cute brunch experience with aesthetically pleasing places for photo ops :)
Diana N.
Came here to celebrate a birthday. The atmosphere was cozy and charming. I appreciated the timeless elegance from the decor and antique furniture and soft lighting. We got the grand tea experience, a 2 hour experienceFirst course- fresh fruit with a whipped creamSecond course- Choice of a Spring salad or tomato basil soup2 Teas for the table, and we had a choice to swap out for other teas to try through out. The 3 Tier stand was presented nicely with: Chicken salad croissant, egg salad sandwich, open face cucumber sandwich, a quiche or Shepard pie, scones and other small bite desserts. I would give the food a 3/5 - Some of the desserts on the stand were too dry, not as flavorful. The sandwiches I enjoyed more. I loved the selection of teas that are offered here, I wish we were able to try more but I think we ran out of time to order more. My favorite tea from what we tried was the Crème Brûlée with milk and a little dash of sugar. Overall, I was not disappointed for my first tea room experience here.
Quiet place to eat in. Seasonal Salad with a tea to go
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
I have been here a couple of times and service seemed nice previously but today was kind of upsetting. It took awhile for the food to come out.Then the bread for the egg sandwiches were dry. It also felt like they were rushing us by the way they kept looking at our table to clear it out. On top of that, the table next to us seemed to be celebrating the same occasion but we were treated differently, i.e. not as attentive to our party/unwelcoming. Yes, we are and yes that table was all... iykyk.... I honestly wish I could take my tip back because service and food were not up to par but the ipad tipping nerves got the best of me. I am really disappointed as it was a special day for me and because I hyped this place up for my guests who have never been there and was let down.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
Fun afternoon with good food, specialty teas, and an authentic English Tea atmosphere. Dress up, make a reservation, and enjoy a 2-hour break to actually talk to the people you love to spend time with!Parking: Weekdays, parking is easy. Weekends can be more challenging but still walkable. If you have someone with mobility issues, consider dropping them off if parking is scarce.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tea Sandwiches and Pastries, Shepherd's Pie and Scones, Fresh Fruit with Whipped Cream, Freshly Baked Scones, Chocolate Mousse Cake Brownies Lemon Tart Desert, Tomato Basil Soup, High Tea, Cream Scones and Quiche, Sandwiches, Cucumber Sandwich Egg Sandwich Chicken Salad, Tomato Soup, Pumpkin Soup
My girlfriend & I recently visited the Grand tea room for her birthday, hoping to enjoy a lovely afternoon tea service. The tea room has a charming, cozy atmosphere that makes you feel like you're stepping back in time.However, I was quite disappointed with the service, or lack thereof, that I experienced. Upon arrival, we waited over 15 minutes with a few staff walking by and acknowledging us being there. The tea room did not appear to be unusually busy, so I'm not sure what caused the delay in service. After waiting so long, we decided it was best to leave and take our business elsewhere.I really wanted to like this place, as I had heard good things. And the ambiance is undoubtedly delightful. But the poor service left a sour taste and ruined what was meant to be a special outing. I hope this was just an "off" day and not the norm, as I believe this tea room has a lot of potential.I did get a phone call from the business apologizing for what happened which was nice, but what I had in mind was more of a free or half off session for us to go back there when wasn't the case.My suggestion to the owners would be to ensure the front of house is well-staffed and that all guests are greeted and served in a timely manner. Even if there is a short wait, simply acknowledging guests and setting expectations can make all the difference. With some focus on improving the service, I'm sure this could be a real gem of a tea room.
Everything was exceptional, the food, atmosphere and the service. We will be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We saw The Secret Garden and had tea. Great show and fabulous tea. Everything was delicious!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fresh Fruit with Whipped Cream, Freshly Baked Scones, Cucumber Sandwich Egg Sandwich Chicken Salad
Charming tea spot. Delicious food with many options for tea. Delightful experience and will definitely return.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fresh Fruit with Whipped Cream, Freshly Baked Scones, Cucumber Sandwiches Egg Salad Andwiches and Chicken and Cranberry Croissant Sandwich, Afternoon Tea, Sandwiches, Cucumber Sandwich Egg Sandwich Chicken Salad
We went here on a recommendation from our daughter. I expected this to be a place only woman go to, but to my surprise I loved this experience! First off it is unique. I haven’t done a tea tasting like this before. We had two hours from 11 to 1 at a reserved table. You can’t get in without a reservation. During this time you can try all there teas, which is extensive. Then they serve you small amounts of food but by the time we were done, we were all full. The experience started with a mixed fruit dish with cream, so fresh. Then a soup, we choose tomato basil, it was delicious. Then the small snack flight started. Small sandwiches. Loved the chicken salad, then scones, small velvet cake, and other snacks. If your a foodie you will love this place!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tea Sandwiches and Pastries, Shepherd's Pie and Scones, Fresh Fruit with Whipped Cream, Tomato Basil Soup, High Tea, Cream Scones and Quiche, Afternoon Tea, Sandwiches
Everything was beautiful!!! However the sad situation came up when we were practically invited/forced to leave the premises because we "just ordered" something equivalent to perhaps 1.5 hours and supposed to leave. I just had a loss in my family, and thought attending The Grand Tea Room could it be a way to reconnect to myself with the company of a dear friend.We both were very disappointed with the last part of our experience at this Tea Room.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: High Tea, Afternoon Tea, Sandwiches
Very delicious tea service provided by wonderful people. The Paris tea and cherry walnut scones were the highlight for me but everything was so flavorful!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Afternoon Tea
Restaurantji Recommends
A delish high tea experience. The cakes and scones were tasty and savory foods a nice changes from sweet.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tomato Soup, Cucumber Sandwich Egg Sandwich Chicken Salad
This is a truly wonderful experience for friends and family and even dates! I have been so impressed every time I've come here. We get the full package and are drunk on tea when we leave!Vegetarian options: Sandwiches, fruit, scones, etcKid-friendliness: Great for well behaved kiddos
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shepherd's Pie and Cranberry Scones, Shepherd's Pie and Scones, Tomato Bisque, Tomato Basil Soup, High Tea, Tomato Soup, Sandwiches, Cucumber Sandwich Egg Sandwich Chicken Salad
What a cute small tea room in downtown Escondido. Parking can get busy here so plan accordingly along with reservations! I came at 4pm on a Friday and it was more than half full. I can't imagine what the weekends are like. My friend and I opted to get the light lunch. I'm not sure if they were sold out or because we went at 4pm we didn't get the savory item that came with it (quiche). In replace of it they offered us a scone. Not too sure if a sandwich would have been more of a fair trade. They offer a range variety of teas mostly black or green with limited white teas. The scone was light and wasn't so dry like other places that I appreciate. I thoroughly enjoyed that each tea pot had their own candle warmer which kept the tea warm and a drip catcher. The little things make a difference! I would love to come back again and hope to try full spread with dessert, but because of the time of tea seating I didn't want to be stuffed for our dinner reservation. The price is comparable to other tea rooms that I have visited before. I would recommend this place to anyone, but please don't forget to make a reservation in advance!
I came here to celebrate an early 30th birthday brunch with my gals and I have to say that this place is lovely for a small get together with your friends. It was all of our first time doing a tea room, and little did we know there is one in Escondido!I applaud the cute little antique shop that welcomes you as you walk in, and the vintage decor all along the walls plus the silverware they use. The tables are spread apart nicely in order to give everyone privacy. Beware of speaking loudly in this establishment, as it's meant to be of an inside voice tea time place and to be respectful of others around you. We all opted for the 2-hour Grand Tea experience with 2 tea selections, which was $40 menu items which included the starter fruits with whipped cream, soup or salad, and the beautiful 3-tier stand of pastries and sandwiches! The Tomato Basil soup was by far made really fresh and the right amount of consistency, it was delicious. As for the sandwiches, they're small bites so don't expect much. One of them was a croissant tuna sandwich, egg salad sandwich and a cucumber and mayo sandwich. I really loved the Shepherd's Pie and the quiche! Both delightfully cooked and made with love.Some of the pastries were pretty dry, especially the strawberry scones. I was looking forward to that the most at the end, so that was unfortunate. We couldn't finish the rest of the pastries, so we took them home but the chocolate mousse dessert they had was yummy! I really liked that one. We loved the different teas we tried. We got the Crème Brûlée tea with caffeine and a Lady tea with peach hints. They were lovely with the unlimited tea selections! If we had weren't so full, we would've tried more.Would I say that it's worth $40? Not completely, you do pay for the experience and although it's supporting the business, I wish the assortments had more variety and slightly bigger bites for the sandwiches. Other than that, it was such a cute brunch experience with aesthetically pleasing places for photo ops :)
Came here to celebrate a birthday. The atmosphere was cozy and charming. I appreciated the timeless elegance from the decor and antique furniture and soft lighting. We got the grand tea experience, a 2 hour experienceFirst course- fresh fruit with a whipped creamSecond course- Choice of a Spring salad or tomato basil soup2 Teas for the table, and we had a choice to swap out for other teas to try through out. The 3 Tier stand was presented nicely with: Chicken salad croissant, egg salad sandwich, open face cucumber sandwich, a quiche or Shepard pie, scones and other small bite desserts. I would give the food a 3/5 - Some of the desserts on the stand were too dry, not as flavorful. The sandwiches I enjoyed more. I loved the selection of teas that are offered here, I wish we were able to try more but I think we ran out of time to order more. My favorite tea from what we tried was the Crème Brûlée with milk and a little dash of sugar. Overall, I was not disappointed for my first tea room experience here.