The Vanitea Room, A Tea Salon & Eatery

Cute decor, bottomless mimosas, nibbles, and tea!

Service was excellent, food was good,

It's cute and the high tea is good. The rest of the food and coffee are very not good.

Great atmosphere

We recently attended the Drag Brunch at The Vanitea Room in Ottawa, and while the atmosphere and staff were lovely, the overall experience left us a bit underwhelmed—especially considering the price point.

Cost & Inclusions:
The event was priced at $69 per person, which included a $49 brunch and a $20 cover for the drag show. The brunch came with one drink (mimosa, Caesar, or non-alcoholic), two scones (about the size of a toonie), jam, clotted cream, baked beans, a potato stir fry, and a quarter of a churro waffle.

Food & Drinks:
The food was beautifully presented but very overpriced for the portion size. The mimosa was pre-mixed and overly sweet—you could barely tell there was any sparkling wine in it. The Caesar, on the other hand, was quite good. Unfortunately, the brunch felt more like a sampler than a meal, especially compared to pre-pandemic visits when you could choose from a few full meal options.

Service & Atmosphere:
The decor is stunning—very chic and Instagram-worthy. The administrative staff and servers were excellent: friendly, responsive, and helpful every time we called or interacted with them. However, food service was slow, taking over an hour to serve what seemed to be mostly pre-prepared items.

Drag Show Experience:
There were some hiccups with timing. We were asked to arrive later than planned due to delays with the performers, and although we were seated around noon, the show didn’t start until 1:00 PM. The performance itself was fun but felt rushed—just six songs in total (three per queen), and it wrapped up by 1:50 PM. It was clear they were trying to turn the venue over quickly for the next brunch at 2:00 PM.

Final Thoughts:
While we appreciated the ambiance and the staff’s friendliness, the value for money just wasn’t there. The food portions were small, the drinks underwhelming, and the show—though enjoyable—felt hurried. Sadly, we probably wouldn’t return for the brunch, which is disappointing given how much we enjoyed it in the past.

What a beautiful experience Vanitea
Room is. My daughters and I enjoyed a Sunday brunch in amongst what felt like a step into a space away from daily life.
We enjoyed a fantastic meal filled with flavour and the most amazing home baked bread. The music was spot on
A nostalgic 90’s vibe. Excellent service

Brunch at Vanitea is always a delight! Hind and her employees welcome you to a sublime English tea experience, bottomless brunch or quick tea and scone!

Sydney and I will see you soon!

Great ambiance and service. Delicious eats.

Booked on April 8th for a Bridal party tea, arrived with guests who had flown in from out of town only to find there was no record of our reservation and were made to feel like it was our mistake, “after all it’s Mother’s Day weekend and we are fully booked”. Was able to get my 175$ deposit back and found a restaurant for lunch- definitely not the bridal party vibe we were looking for but, they could accommodate us on no notice.
15 minutes after we left Vanitea, I received 2 phone calls telling me they found my reservation, how sorry they were and that they hoped I would give them another opportunity to host us. They blamed Open Table but as my party was for 7 people, I had to speak with a human to book so it was. Indeed human error. I suggest if you are booking for a special event that you do many follow up calls to ensure your party will take place without hiccups. Disorganization may be their worst enemy since the food looked lovely as I stood waiting for my card charges to be reversed.

Four of us came for a Mother’s Day tea. The decor is lovely and the service is pleasant. The food is delicious. Overall a great experience. The paper menus and plastic champagne flutes were the only thing out of place in an otherwise elegant location and experience.

Good food

Loved it! Just had mothers day brunch it was delicious. Such a beautiful place and cozy atmosphere

Overhyped

The Vanitea Room offers a delightful, cosy atmosphere with exceptional tea selections and delicious pastries. The friendly service and charming setting make it the perfect spot for a relaxing afternoon.

Amazing brunch spot!