The ambience was beautiful including the table setting. When you walk in very captivating. The service however was poor. Our waitress was not attentive at all to our group. I had to get up to go find her and ask for menus for our table to look at tea options. She was very slow and not accommodating at all. They seemed under staff so maybe that contributed to the poor service. I have been to other tea rooms with better service.
Amie Farkas
This was a wonderful tea room. It was beautiful and elegant from the moment you walked in. Each place setting was daintily set with fine China. The tea selection was wonderful. I recommend the Paris or the violet macaroon teas. The treat tower was gorgeous and set with the most delicious sandwiches and warm bites, like their amazing mini beef wellington‘s and chicken pot pies, and scrumptious quiche. I have been to many tea services all over the world and tested many scones. That strawberry white chocolate scone was the best I have ever had. It was perfection in a bite. The desserts were super decadent and rich, just the right topper to the perfect afternoon.
To top it all off Marlene and Alma were so sweet and friendly. I am a lady of size and it was very comfortable. My friend uses a wheelchair and they were so helpful and accommodating to her as well. I highly recommend this beautiful spot for a wonderful afternoon lunch or special occasion.
MB D
A dear friend from work treated my wife, me, and three other colleagues this afternoon. I honestly did not know what to expect, however, the experience was so lovely I am compelled to leave this review. Although the interior space was beautiful, the weather was so pleasant we were seated outside. We requested two types of tea as well as soup, some warm items, fruit, and pastries. Everything was delicious. Thank you to the lovely lady that attended to our needs.
Cathy Del
We had my daughter in law’s surprised baby shower last Saturday , February 01. I would’ve given it a 5 star if they have at least 2 stalls or two restrooms. They only have one toilet for the size of the venue especially it’s mostly women who attends this Tea party. They are very organized considering there were only two workers. One server and one who helps with the clean up. The sandwich and pastries was enough. The decor and tea sets are beautiful too. It was a nice experience. My rating is 4.5, but if’s just my preference to have enough bathrooms. Parking is a few spaces but there are street parking available across since it’s located inside the nice neighborhood in Del Mar.
Seapearl Pearl
I want to thank Jackie for being so kind and for her amazing service! I needed to add more food for my To-Go order and she made everything so prefect for my birthday. Jackie is a superstar! Definitely coming back!
Suleima Castañeda
I went with a friend for afternoon tea and had a wonderful experience. The shop was beautiful, intimate and well cared for. The smell of the food and tea wafted from the kitchen and it felt very cozy and inviting.
We interacted with Jackie, Alma and Marlene herself - all the ladies were extremely inviting and personable. They were definitely a huge part of what made this such a wonderful experience. The tower of savories and sweet treats was beautifully plated and delicious. The apple cinnamon scones were flaky, tender and were perfectly sweet. I had only ever had dry, hard and floury scones - these scones were so good and i wish we could have bought a dozen ahead of time. Marlene was especially kind and even showed us a blueberry scone and a raspberry and white chocolate scone. The shop changes their menu often and even have special menus for different holidays, I definitely want to return to try those.
The tea was so wonderful I had to buy the violent macaroon tea. It smells beautiful and tastes light, floral and was steeped just right.
Tl;dr - Marlene's tea and cakes is delicious, has great service and is delightful.
Debbie Reiner
Lovely decor and ambiance with gracious service details that provide a relaxing tea time experience.
Joanne Lighton
Such a pleasure to experience this place! As you enter, your eyes are in for a treat - the ambience is spot-on for a wonderful gathering featuring tea and cakes. The atmosphere is fun, not stuffy; dressy yet casual, and conducive to good conversations. The food is superb (the scones are amazingly moist and flavorful), and we all felt well-pampered by the friendly staff. Highly recommend!
Roxanne Farmer
We’ve had afternoon tea all over the country. And this one is perfect. The first thing you might notice is the lovely setting. Both inside and out. We sat outside on a lovely autumn day. It’s like being in an enchanted garden. The flowers were blooming in profusion, and hummingbirds flited around the periphery. They already had a pot of tea waiting at our table. And what a tea! It was chocolate mint. Jackie, our server, was always prompt, gracious, professional and accommodating. The music was the perfect level. We could enjoy it, but easily converse without having to raise our voiced to be heard. Marlene is a genius in the culinary arts. Every bit we ate was sumptuous. The soup, the tea sandwiches and other savories. The savories were quite creative and included a delectable tiny quiche and even a bite-sized beef Wellington. The second tier of the tea tray had one of the best scones ever. And the plate was garnished with melon slices cut into whimsical shapes like hears and flowers. There were also fresh grapes, pineapple and strawberries cut into fans. Our table and both of the lower tea tiers were decorated with fresh flowers. Marlene tends lovingly to her outside plants and it shows. We were offered a wide choice of teas for a second pot. We chose the Roasted Almonds and Fruit. It has roasted caramelized almonds, apple, beet root and cinnamon. It’s caffeine free as one in our party has a sensitivity to caffeine. But we would have selected it anyway. The top tier of the tea tray had the bite sized deserts. I think our favorite here was the lemon chiffon in the cute square cup with a blueberry on top. Not only were the tea and surroundings perfect, but Marlene herself is as charming as can be. And her creativity doesn’t stop with the tasty treats, she had all kinds of specialty teas celebrating the seasons and cultures around the world. You could come here every month and have a new and relaxing adventure. Do yourself a favor, visit Marlene’s as soon as you can. You deserve it. Call for reservations, then enjoy the anticipation. You’ll be glad you did. We’ve already scheduled our second visit to this gem of a tearoom.
Dr. Maryam D. Far
Have enjoyed tea here on many occasions. The owner is marvelous. The tea and the food is superb. Worth a visit. Best to make reservations. Great place to buy gift cards for the holidays to give as gifts. Ample parking.
Everything was EXCELLENT, ambiance, food quality, presentation and service-!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: High Tea Tea Sandwiches Quiche Beef Wellington
Lisa Ramos
I went to Marlene’s with a great group of friends. The tea was wonderful, food delicious, service top notch, and place beautiful. I have never had a cucumber sandwich before and was shocked to find it didn’t taste like I thought it would, so good I wanted more. All in all, a place I want to visit again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tea Setting, Scone with White Chocolate, High Tea Tea Sandwiches Quiche Beef Wellington, Creamy Butternut Squash Soup, Mini Beef Wellington, Cucumber Sandwich, Tarte Tatin, Table Setting
Peta Taylor-Smith
Wonderful experience! Food, Service, Atmosphere was 10/10.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kitty Ryan
Had a great time enjoying the atmosphere and the yummy food. Can’t wait to go back for a relaxing time with friends soon
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: High Tea Tea Sandwiches Quiche Beef Wellington
Karla Garcia
This place is one of my favorite places in San Diego. Marlene is so creative with her food and it's DELICIOUS. The rotating menu keeps things interesting We love the tea selection, Lady Londonderry and Paris teas are divine. The atmosphere is perfect, you are just surrounded in a beautiful calming environment. Love love love!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: High Tea Tea Sandwiches Quiche Beef Wellington, Mini Beef Wellington, Cucumber Sandwich, Tomato Basil Soup
The ambience was beautiful including the table setting. When you walk in very captivating. The service however was poor. Our waitress was not attentive at all to our group. I had to get up to go find her and ask for menus for our table to look at tea options. She was very slow and not accommodating at all. They seemed under staff so maybe that contributed to the poor service. I have been to other tea rooms with better service.
This was a wonderful tea room. It was beautiful and elegant from the moment you walked in. Each place setting was daintily set with fine China. The tea selection was wonderful. I recommend the Paris or the violet macaroon teas. The treat tower was gorgeous and set with the most delicious sandwiches and warm bites, like their amazing mini beef wellington‘s and chicken pot pies, and scrumptious quiche. I have been to many tea services all over the world and tested many scones. That strawberry white chocolate scone was the best I have ever had. It was perfection in a bite. The desserts were super decadent and rich, just the right topper to the perfect afternoon.
To top it all off Marlene and Alma were so sweet and friendly. I am a lady of size and it was very comfortable. My friend uses a wheelchair and they were so helpful and accommodating to her as well. I highly recommend this beautiful spot for a wonderful afternoon lunch or special occasion.
A dear friend from work treated my wife, me, and three other colleagues this afternoon. I honestly did not know what to expect, however, the experience was so lovely I am compelled to leave this review. Although the interior space was beautiful, the weather was so pleasant we were seated outside. We requested two types of tea as well as soup, some warm items, fruit, and pastries. Everything was delicious. Thank you to the lovely lady that attended to our needs.
We had my daughter in law’s surprised baby shower last Saturday , February 01. I would’ve given it a 5 star if they have at least 2 stalls or two restrooms. They only have one toilet for the size of the venue especially it’s mostly women who attends this Tea party. They are very organized considering there were only two workers. One server and one who helps with the clean up. The sandwich and pastries was enough. The decor and tea sets are beautiful too. It was a nice experience. My rating is 4.5, but if’s just my preference to have enough bathrooms. Parking is a few spaces but there are street parking available across since it’s located inside the nice neighborhood in Del Mar.
I want to thank Jackie for being so kind and for her amazing service! I needed to add more food for my To-Go order and she made everything so prefect for my birthday. Jackie is a superstar! Definitely coming back!
I went with a friend for afternoon tea and had a wonderful experience. The shop was beautiful, intimate and well cared for. The smell of the food and tea wafted from the kitchen and it felt very cozy and inviting.
We interacted with Jackie, Alma and Marlene herself - all the ladies were extremely inviting and personable. They were definitely a huge part of what made this such a wonderful experience.
The tower of savories and sweet treats was beautifully plated and delicious.
The apple cinnamon scones were flaky, tender and were perfectly sweet. I had only ever had dry, hard and floury scones - these scones were so good and i wish we could have bought a dozen ahead of time.
Marlene was especially kind and even showed us a blueberry scone and a raspberry and white chocolate scone. The shop changes their menu often and even have special menus for different holidays, I definitely want to return to try those.
The tea was so wonderful I had to buy the violent macaroon tea. It smells beautiful and tastes light, floral and was steeped just right.
Tl;dr - Marlene's tea and cakes is delicious, has great service and is delightful.
Lovely decor and ambiance with gracious service details that provide a relaxing tea time experience.
Such a pleasure to experience this place! As you enter, your eyes are in for a treat - the ambience is spot-on for a wonderful gathering featuring tea and cakes. The atmosphere is fun, not stuffy; dressy yet casual, and conducive to good conversations. The food is superb (the scones are amazingly moist and flavorful), and we all felt well-pampered by the friendly staff. Highly recommend!
We’ve had afternoon tea all over the country. And this one is perfect. The first thing you might notice is the lovely setting. Both inside and out. We sat outside on a lovely autumn day. It’s like being in an enchanted garden. The flowers were blooming in profusion, and hummingbirds flited around the periphery.
They already had a pot of tea waiting at our table. And what a tea! It was chocolate mint. Jackie, our server, was always prompt, gracious, professional and accommodating.
The music was the perfect level. We could enjoy it, but easily converse without having to raise our voiced to be heard.
Marlene is a genius in the culinary arts. Every bit we ate was sumptuous. The soup, the tea sandwiches and other savories. The savories were quite creative and included a delectable tiny quiche and even a bite-sized beef Wellington.
The second tier of the tea tray had one of the best scones ever. And the plate was garnished with melon slices cut into whimsical shapes like hears and flowers. There were also fresh grapes, pineapple and strawberries cut into fans.
Our table and both of the lower tea tiers were decorated with fresh flowers. Marlene tends lovingly to her outside plants and it shows. We were offered a wide choice of teas for a second pot. We chose the Roasted Almonds and Fruit. It has roasted caramelized almonds, apple, beet root and cinnamon. It’s caffeine free as one in our party has a sensitivity to caffeine. But we would have selected it anyway.
The top tier of the tea tray had the bite sized deserts. I think our favorite here was the lemon chiffon in the cute square cup with a blueberry on top.
Not only were the tea and surroundings perfect, but Marlene herself is as charming as can be. And her creativity doesn’t stop with the tasty treats, she had all kinds of specialty teas celebrating the seasons and cultures around the world. You could come here every month and have a new and relaxing adventure.
Do yourself a favor, visit Marlene’s as soon as you can. You deserve it. Call for reservations, then enjoy the anticipation. You’ll be glad you did. We’ve already scheduled our second visit to this gem of a tearoom.
Have enjoyed tea here on many occasions. The owner is marvelous. The tea and the food is superb. Worth a visit. Best to make reservations. Great place to buy gift cards for the holidays to give as gifts. Ample parking.
Restaurantji Recommends
Everything was EXCELLENT, ambiance, food quality, presentation and service-!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: High Tea Tea Sandwiches Quiche Beef Wellington
I went to Marlene’s with a great group of friends. The tea was wonderful, food delicious, service top notch, and place beautiful. I have never had a cucumber sandwich before and was shocked to find it didn’t taste like I thought it would, so good I wanted more. All in all, a place I want to visit again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tea Setting, Scone with White Chocolate, High Tea Tea Sandwiches Quiche Beef Wellington, Creamy Butternut Squash Soup, Mini Beef Wellington, Cucumber Sandwich, Tarte Tatin, Table Setting
Wonderful experience! Food, Service, Atmosphere was 10/10.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Had a great time enjoying the atmosphere and the yummy food. Can’t wait to go back for a relaxing time with friends soon
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: High Tea Tea Sandwiches Quiche Beef Wellington
This place is one of my favorite places in San Diego. Marlene is so creative with her food and it's DELICIOUS. The rotating menu keeps things interesting We love the tea selection, Lady Londonderry and Paris teas are divine. The atmosphere is perfect, you are just surrounded in a beautiful calming environment. Love love love!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: High Tea Tea Sandwiches Quiche Beef Wellington, Mini Beef Wellington, Cucumber Sandwich, Tomato Basil Soup
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