We enjoyed a very nice afternoon tea on 1/3/2026. food, service and atmosphere are great! This is the third year in a row that we do the holiday afternoon tea. Mostly because it’s a great place to celebrate Xmas with family and friends. I do remember that in past years, I would get a special treat for my birthday since it falls around Xmas time, and even though I stated in the notes when I made the reservation that we were celebrating a birthday and also confirmed when I checked in at the Zorba Lounge, and again when asked by the waitress, I didn’t get a treat at the end. I was a little disappointed by this.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Simmysimsim
We visited Zorba Lounge at the Arista Hotel on December 7th for the Holiday Afternoon Tea to celebrate my daughter’s birthday. While the lounge itself is beautiful, with live music and a lovely atmosphere, the regard for my daughters food allergies was very negligent. I have two daughters, and one has a severe peanut, tree nut, and sesame allergy. I clearly noted this allergy in the special requests section when booking on OpenTable and also confirmed it verbally with our waitress when we arrived. She assured me she would “triple check.” When the food tower arrived, however, almost everything contained allergens. The macarons were made with almond flour, the buns had sesame seeds, and many of the desserts contained nuts. At first, we only noticed the sesame buns and thought the desserts were safe since we had been told multiple times that the allergy had been checked. When the waitress returned, we asked her to confirm again. She apologized and told us that everything else should be fine. However this was not true. My daughter ate a dessert that contained hazelnut and began having an allergic reaction. Only after this happened did the waitress return with the chef, who then told us that almost ALL of the desserts contained nuts. Even more upsetting, the chef implied that this situation was our fault and said we should have listed the allergy in the special requests section,which we did. I even confirmed it after we left the hotel that I put it on my Open table reservation. At that point,my priority was on my daughter who was having an allergic reaction so we rushed out quickly. While nut free desserts were eventually brought out, this only happened after the reaction and after we were basically blamed.The waitress herself was very kind, and the tea and ambiance were nice, but none of that makes up for how dangerous this experience was. I would strongly caution anyone with food allergies before attending afternoon tea here. Would give 0 stars if i could.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 2
Faith
Teh server was very attentive. She checked on allergies and dietary restrictions and then was able to cater our selections to meet our needs. The holiday decorations and ambience were lovely. Champagne offered more than once and also we were provided with a second tea selection. It was enjoyed by all.
Wanda
The Zorba Holiday Tea is absolutely the perfect way to christen the Holiday Season! The teas and sweet & savory foods were delicious and the ambiance / music was so festive. Thank-you to the entire team for a wonderful holiday experience! 🎄
Judi
Attentive service, lovely details, such as the tea timer and amuse bouche. Delicious and abundant food. Loved the piano player and the sweet gift to take home. On par with the best afternoon teas in Chicago!
Lisa
My Mom and I go to tea a lot the whole staff super friendly this place is Beautiful we love it
Olivia
I usually take part in this afternoon tea service around Christmas time! This was the first time trying the autumn service and it did not disappoint! I was very impressed by the cocktail menu and the pre dish served before the traditional food tier! 10:10!
Lauren
We had afternoon tea at Zorba Lounge while spending a wonderful weekend staying at Hotel Arista. It was divine! The atmosphere was perfect. The food display was wonderful and so tasty. Tea was lovely. Everything about the experience was perfect.
Theresa
We enjoyed the Autumn Tea at Zorba Lounge. There were only a few other people in the lounge which made our service commendable. The wait staff were very attentive and wonderful. Enjoyed the woman who sang and played a keyboard. Our only concern was the price of the tea, especially since we only received one set each of our food items. At other places that have a "tea" that we attended we usually received a few of extra food items. Lastly, the food items were delicious.
Mary
We had afternoon tea. It was wonderful. The food was delicious and the sever was very attentive.
The food was average - 3 out of 5 stars. The steaks were just okay…needed seasoning (could have been great, however they were missing a kick of salt). The service was spectacular! Geoffrey, thank you for your hospitality! 5 out of 5 stars for the level of service and the quality of drinks coming from the bar!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
S C
Food was average…steak is under seasoned…needs salt badly. No salt on the tables. Service was FANTASTIC. Bartender was phenomenal, you really need to give this guy a raise! Drinks on point, gave us exceptional service. Thanks for a great evening.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 5
Brian Kalupski
We stayed at the hotel Arista for two nights during our wedding, Oscar made sure we were taken care of at all times. The morning after the wedding we headed to grab some breakfast before heading home. Madeleine was our waitress (and bar tender from night before) made us feel right at home. She had excellent understanding of the menu, recommended the steak and Eggs which was cooked to perfection. Not to mention the absolute beauty of a bloody marry that revived my wife and I after a long night of drinking. I highly recommend stopping in to Zorba bar for a drink from Madelaine or grabbing breakfast or lunch next door even if you’re not staying at the hotel, its worth every second.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Becca
Had a wonderful experience at Zorba enjoying tea service on a May Saturday! The ambiance was great, service was great, and food was tasty! Loved the champagne during and the macaroons we got to take home. It was our first time and will be back!
Roselyn
The experience was delightful! From the lovely serve ware to the delicacies, every aspect was presented with such care and grace. Their tea selections were curated with care, as was their choice of vendor, Rare Tea Cellar. It shows a commitment to bringing their guest a truly memorable experience!
We enjoyed a very nice afternoon tea on 1/3/2026. food, service and atmosphere are great! This is the third year in a row that we do the holiday afternoon tea.
Mostly because it’s a great place to celebrate Xmas with family and friends.
I do remember that in past years, I would get a special treat for my birthday since it falls around Xmas time, and even though I stated in the notes when I made the reservation that we were celebrating a birthday and also confirmed when I checked in at the Zorba Lounge, and again when asked by the waitress, I didn’t get a treat at the end.
I was a little disappointed by this.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We visited Zorba Lounge at the Arista Hotel on December 7th for the Holiday Afternoon Tea to celebrate my daughter’s birthday. While the lounge itself is beautiful, with live music and a lovely atmosphere, the regard for my daughters food allergies was very negligent. I have two daughters, and one has a severe peanut, tree nut, and sesame allergy. I clearly noted this allergy in the special requests section when booking on OpenTable and also confirmed it verbally with our waitress when we arrived. She assured me she would “triple check.” When the food tower arrived, however, almost everything contained allergens. The macarons were made with almond flour, the buns had sesame seeds, and many of the desserts contained nuts. At first, we only noticed the sesame buns and thought the desserts were safe since we had been told multiple times that the allergy had been checked. When the waitress returned, we asked her to confirm again. She apologized and told us that everything else should be fine. However this was not true. My daughter ate a dessert that contained hazelnut and began having an allergic reaction. Only after this happened did the waitress return with the chef, who then told us that almost ALL of the desserts contained nuts. Even more upsetting, the chef implied that this situation was our fault and said we should have listed the allergy in the special requests section,which we did. I even confirmed it after we left the hotel that I put it on my Open table reservation. At that point,my priority was on my daughter who was having an allergic reaction so we rushed out quickly. While nut free desserts were eventually brought out, this only happened after the reaction and after we were basically blamed.The waitress herself was very kind, and the tea and ambiance were nice, but none of that makes up for how dangerous this experience was. I would strongly caution anyone with food allergies before attending afternoon tea here. Would give 0 stars if i could.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 2
Teh server was very attentive. She checked on allergies and dietary restrictions and then was able to cater our selections to meet our needs. The holiday decorations and ambience were lovely. Champagne offered more than once and also we were provided with a second tea selection. It was enjoyed by all.
The Zorba Holiday Tea is absolutely the perfect way to christen the Holiday Season! The teas and sweet & savory foods were delicious and the ambiance / music was so festive. Thank-you to the entire team for a wonderful holiday experience! 🎄
Attentive service, lovely details, such as the tea timer and amuse bouche. Delicious and abundant food. Loved the piano player and the sweet gift to take home. On par with the best afternoon teas in Chicago!
My Mom and I go to tea a lot the whole staff super friendly this place is Beautiful we love it
I usually take part in this afternoon tea service around Christmas time! This was the first time trying the autumn service and it did not disappoint! I was very impressed by the cocktail menu and the pre dish served before the traditional food tier! 10:10!
We had afternoon tea at Zorba Lounge while spending a wonderful weekend staying at Hotel Arista. It was divine! The atmosphere was perfect. The food display was wonderful and so tasty. Tea was lovely. Everything about the experience was perfect.
We enjoyed the Autumn Tea at Zorba Lounge. There were only a few other people in the lounge which made our service commendable. The wait staff were very attentive and wonderful. Enjoyed the woman who sang and played a keyboard. Our only concern was the price of the tea, especially since we only received one set each of our food items. At other places that have a "tea" that we attended we usually received a few of extra food items. Lastly, the food items were delicious.
We had afternoon tea. It was wonderful. The food was delicious and the sever was very attentive.
Restaurantji Recommends
The food was average - 3 out of 5 stars. The steaks were just okay…needed seasoning (could have been great, however they were missing a kick of salt). The service was spectacular! Geoffrey, thank you for your hospitality! 5 out of 5 stars for the level of service and the quality of drinks coming from the bar!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Food was average…steak is under seasoned…needs salt badly. No salt on the tables.
Service was FANTASTIC. Bartender was phenomenal, you really need to give this guy a raise! Drinks on point, gave us exceptional service. Thanks for a great evening.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 5
We stayed at the hotel Arista for two nights during our wedding, Oscar made sure we were taken care of at all times. The morning after the wedding we headed to grab some breakfast before heading home. Madeleine was our waitress (and bar tender from night before) made us feel right at home. She had excellent understanding of the menu, recommended the steak and Eggs which was cooked to perfection. Not to mention the absolute beauty of a bloody marry that revived my wife and I after a long night of drinking. I highly recommend stopping in to Zorba bar for a drink from Madelaine or grabbing breakfast or lunch next door even if you’re not staying at the hotel, its worth every second.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Had a wonderful experience at Zorba enjoying tea service on a May Saturday! The ambiance was great, service was great, and food was tasty! Loved the champagne during and the macaroons we got to take home. It was our first time and will be back!
The experience was delightful! From the lovely serve ware to the delicacies, every aspect was presented with such care and grace. Their tea selections were curated with care, as was their choice of vendor, Rare Tea Cellar. It shows a commitment to bringing their guest a truly memorable experience!
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