“But indeed I would rather have nothing but tea.” – Jane Austen, Mansfield Park
Situated along the oldest occupied neighborhood in California and in the heart of San Juan Capistrano, the Teahouse on Los Rios has been a favorite of locals’ for years. Overflowing with charm, and a sense of stepping back in time to the regency age, this teahouse is sure to make any Jane Austen superfan (or for those of us with a soul of a 90 year old woman) swoon. Family run, the teahouse has a sophisticated, yet wonderfully cozy interior where you can sit in a variety of rooms, all with their own English theme and character.
The Teahouse on Los Rios
The Menu: The menu has a lot of different options including sandwiches, salads, soups, entrées, desserts, and includes a selection of High Tea services. To say that they have a few tea options is a complete understatement, and you’ll find yourself wishing they had some sort of Costco-style sampling system so you could try all of them!
The Food: On our most recent trip to the teahouse, we ordered one of their signature High Teas: The Los Rios Tea, a scone with raspberry preserves and California clotted cream, and two types of tea. The Los Rios Tea includes: a currant scone and all the fixings, (four) assorted finger sandwiches (all hail the cream cheese and cucumber one…it’s delicious), fresh fruit with cream and brown sugar (sometimes they don’t serve it with cream, but it’s definitely better with it), and even an edible flower from their garden (which tastes like Earl Grey tea in my opinion). We ordered two pots of tea, one was a vanilla black tea, and the other was a new flavor: chocolate mint rooibos. You get a TON of tea (and I don’t use that word lightly), so we recommend asking for some containers to go! You can even put the tealeaves in a separate cup and try using them to brew a batch at home.
The “Los Rios Tea”
The presentation of the food is gorgeous, and the mix-and-matched teapots and cups add some character and charm to the table (on our recent visit we even got to use a commemorative teapot celebrating the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton.)
The Service: The service at the teahouse is exceptional and one of the reasons people keep coming back. The servers are wonderfully informative, quick, and very personable. You’ll feel like the Queen herself when you sit down for tea at this place.
The Ambience: The ambience of the teahouse, as stated above, is more than charming. Decked out for the holidays, it is apparent that a lot of work goes into the look of this place, and all the decorations brought some holiday magic to both the interior and the patio. There is even a small gift shop where you can buy loose leaf tea, tea sets, and even try on some crazy hats that are worthy of Duchess Camilla.
The Gift Shop
Spoon Score: 4.5 spoons/5
Overall, the teahouse is a wonderful place to go for a High Tea experience! They are a little pricy, but the service and portions make it worth it especially on a special occasion. Since the teahouse is located on Los Rios Street, there are also a variety of shops and even a train depot that you can check out. To learn more and check out the full menu of the teahouse, check out the link below!
The Teahouse on Los Rios
Happy Eating,
2 Wild and Crazy Foodies
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