Blue Willow Tea Shop

We were hoping for a quick snack ahead of our cruise, not appreciating the sitting times for high tea. The owner was lovely and so accommodating setting us up with a wee tea between sittings. The drinks were refreshing, and the variety, taste, and freshness of the food was top tier. We loved the decor and lots of options for takeaway and British products.

We came here for high tea while visiting the area, based on the many positive reviews — unfortunately, we were very disappointed. There were six of us, and the bill came to over $300. The restaurant charges per person, even for an 8-year-old child who didn’t eat any sweets. While that policy is understandable (though a bit unreasonable), what really let us down was the food quality. The savory options were very limited — the only meat was a tiny piece of bacon inside a mini burger. The desserts tasted like they came from a supermarket in bulk, not freshly made at all. But the most unacceptable part was the fruit. It was clearly not fresh — visibly dull, with browning edges. When we asked about it, the server insisted that it was “very fresh,” “just bought,” and “just cut,” and even told us that all the other guests were enjoying the food and only we had complaints. Please see the photos — I’ve never seen such “fresh” fruit before. Taste can be subjective, and we don’t usually comment on service. But food quality — especially freshness — is non-negotiable. Unfortunately, this experience was not worth the price, and we would not return. Latest review： I do not accept the explanation about the watermelon not being fresh, because it was very clear that the fruit was not fresh. The pineapple and melon skins were already turning dark, and the strawberries were dry and discolored. These fruits had not even come into contact with any cream, and the photos clearly show their condition. I didn’t feel any sincerity from the owner in addressing our concerns. I was told that there were 80 guests that day and we were the only ones who complained. However, during the meal, I overheard guests at the next table quietly expressing similar dissatisfaction about the food — they just didn’t bring it up to the staff, perhaps because they were more polite. Maybe I’m a more particular or even “mean” guest, but after paying this price, I simply cannot accept being served food that is so clearly not fresh. While I understand that businesses want to defend their reputation, dismissing customer feedback instead of taking it constructively is not the best look. I sincerely hope you take this as a chance to improve, not deflect.

The Blue Willow Tea shop truly blew my Mom & I away. She has a gluten intolerance & their team still offered her such a great variety. Our server Caroline was lovely, made great suggestions, and really went above and beyond to ensure we had everything we needed. Lovely ambiance, well curated gifts & tea’s. Definitely worth the drive! Our new high tea spot for years to come!

Our group of 3 enjoyed our tea time. Great service. Delish tea options and many many nostalgic things to shop for. Recommended for a girls getaway destination. Not recommended for families. It’s very tight space with many things for kids to touch (or break)

We were at the docks in Gravenhurst looking at the steamship's and we came across this cute little tea shop..We went in and were blown away by how cute this tea shop is. There were so many different tea cups and tea pots on shelves for. There were table and chairs set up with teacups and saucers on the table. Everything is in a baby blue colour theme. At the back is teas, jams and other stuff for sale.We bought 2 scones $7 and they were delicious. And a jar of ginger jam $10.50. The lady working there was very friendly. Along the hallway is more cups and saucers on shelves for sale and the hallway is has lighting along the top of the ceiling.This place has high tea which I would love to try one day.

We were absolutely delighted with the catering provided by the Blue Willow Tea Shop for our recent event. The quality, presentation, and flavour of everything exceeded our expectations. A special thank to all for their professionalism and for bringing such warmth and elegance to our celebration. Your contribution truly helped make the day memorable. Highly recommend!

Went for high tea with a friend, and the service from the lovely ladies here never disappoints! The food was delicious compliments to the chef 😄 They have a great selection of tea to choose from as well. Must try spot in Muskoka for high tea if you're visiting or local! Will definitely be returning!

Exceptional high tea experience. The staff is great, the atmosphere is darling. The location is perfect. We come here on a regular basis and we are never disappointed!

Blue Willow Tea Shop is the BEST! I have been a handful of times and every time the service, food, tea and atmosphere is amazing. Everything is beautifully done. The food is truly top notch and all the decor is so lovely. You feel like you're in England and all the staff is wonderful. We recently enjoyed the Fall menu and it was one of my favourites. This place is a true gem!

This place is beautifully appointed with blue and white teacups and saucers in lots of perfect checkerboard square display cabinets. First, this would NOT be possible where I live in earthquake-prone California. And second, this would be a dream for someone with OCD (or a nightmare if you started moving them a hair too much). We sat outside facing the harbor plaza. Unfortunately you can't see much of the water from there but we did get serenaded by the Muskoka Ukelele Club who were performing in the gazebo. We started at a table that was only partially shaded (so beware when making reservations). Thankfully, having a 2pm rezzie meant the patio cleared out so we got to move to a totally shaded table. But cue the wasps. As soon as the jam came out one emerged. Our server gave us little glass covers for our jams and a decoy jam to put at another table to solve the problem. But about then - with original wasp over at decoy jam - of course another wasp joined us. I then made it my mission to trap it under one of the glass covers and that I did, freeing it before we left so as not to startle the person bussing the tables. The husband doesn't eat pork and doesn't like cheese, so that knocked out all five items on Tier One of the high tea tray. He ended up getting a large egg salad sando to replace those items which didn't feel as special for him. Since vegans abound, having a menu to suit them (and my non-vegan husband) would be nice. The kids and I had (from best to worst): 1) Croissant with brie and cranberry (highlight of the whole tea). 2) Sausage roll (anything involving bread is good). 3) Watermelon feta bruschetta. 4) Charcuterie just consisted of a slice of smoked gouda (I think) and a slice of salami. Eh. 5) Cucumber cream cheese sando (fine but it's even better when mint is blended into the cream cheese). I liked that they tried to make an assortment of savory items for the first course instead of just making sandos. Tier Two: scones (blueberry, cranberry, and plain), clotted cream, and jam. I prefer scones a bit more biscuity or bready. Blue Willow's were a bit leaden. The desserts of Tier Three were all kind of eh. They included: Smores brownie (too sweet and the marshmallows on top didn't help), Chocolate mousse (too sweet, didn't finish), Butter tart that was too runny (we didn't finish it), Chocolate dipped cherry (fine but melty because of the heat), and Blueberry cheesecake with edible flowers. (This was the best of the desserts but it was really soft because of the heat. A few days later our leftover cheesecake was improved after it had firmed up in the fridge.) I wish they brought the food in courses. At tea places the scones are always cold by the time we finish with the first tier, and this time the heat definitely affected some of the desserts. I really liked my husband's maple tea brewed from a bag. I asked where it was from but they didn't say. The kids and I had fruity iced teas because of the heat and they looked lovely and colorful with pieces of fruit. I had the strawberry kiwi, the daughter had the blueberry white tea, and the son had the best one - the watermelon oolong. The service was good. High tea at Blue Willow was a reasonable price of $39 CAD ($28.66 USD). By comparison, in the San Francisco Bay Area high tea is now around $46 American. Kathleen's High Tea Rankings 1) Claridge's, London 2) Le Parloir, Montreal 3) The Fairmont Empress, Victoria B.C. 4) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Tea at One Aldwych, London 5) Aubrey Rose, La Mesa 6) The Dining Room at Butchart Gardens, Victoria B.C. 7) Crown and Crumpet, San Francisco 8) The Grand Tea Room, Escondido 9-10) Lisa's Tea Treasures, Campbell, Los Altos 11) Tea Upon Chatsworth, San Diego (closed) 12-14) Lovejoy's, San Francisco and Redwood City; Lovey's, Pacifica 15) Chado Tea Room, Los Angeles (Japantown) 16) Alexander's Patisserie, Mountain View 17) White Heather Tea Room, Victoria B.C. 18) Sip, San Francisco 19) Tyme for Tea, Fremont 20) Dushanbe Tea Room, Boulder 21) Satori, San Jose 22) Charles Chocolates Tea, San Francisco 23) Ampersand Science Afternoon Tea, London 24) Marlene's Tea and Cakes, San Diego 25) Malaya Tea Room, Alameda 26) Camellia Tea Room, Benicia 27) House of Commons, Denver 28) St. Julien Hotel, Boulder 29) The Tearoom, Oakland 30) Tea Time, Palo Alto 31) Lisa's Tea Treasures, San Jose (closed) 32) Samovar, San Francisco (Page St.) 33) Shakespeare's Corner Shoppe and Afternoon Tea, San Diego 34) The Huntington Langham Hotel, Pasadena 35) BLUE WILLOW TEA SPOT, GRAVENHURST 36) Cafe du The, Burlingame 37) Julian Tea and Arts Cottage, Julian 38) McKenna's Tea Cottage, Seal Beach 39) Cuthbert's Tea Shoppe, Dickens Fair (Daly City) 40) Satori, Saratoga 41) Dartealing Lounge, San Francisco

We loved our experience here! The china is beautiful, the view of the water is gorgeous and the food is delectable! It is a special place and everything is delicious. The service was also great. It is recommended to make a reservation before arriving, as it's a small place. We will come back!

Amazing, thoughtful food choices. Great service. Beautiful atmosphere. Love coming here again and again.

If you are visiting the Gravenhurst area, and you like tea rooms, you simply must check out The Blue Willow Tea Shop. Nice view of the water. Friendly staff. Great service. Moderately priced. Freshly made variety of sandwiches, scones and sweets. Charming tea room area with tiny shop to purchase "all things British." A truly delightful experience!

Very cute place offering high tea or afternoon tea. Booking ahead is recommended, they don't have many seatings. If you walk in, likely you won't get in. There is a huge collection of various tea accessories for sale at the shop, including 27 different types of teas. I got the afternoon tea, the portion size is good. Everyone in our seating didn't finish our assortment of desserts and took it to go. The view is nice, it's tucked in the harbour square with view of the water. Patio seating

Arrogant owner talking to us in a manner like we couldn't afford the high tea. Very unpleasant.

Loved it! The food is very fresh and flavorful. Good pricing. Great service! I got a tuna salad with cucumber wrap accompanied by soup AND salad for a minimal upcharge. My co-worker ordered the tuna and corn wrap and raved about it. As we sat down, we were promptly greeted and offered tea, of which, they have a nice selection. To end in a sweet note, we also split a scone, they had plain and blueberry, both served with strawberry jam and cream (so English). The scone is baked fresh daily and was perfect. We'll definitely return when we're back in the area.

Cutest little experience. Love the food and service. I went here for a client meeting and I'm already so excited to plan my next visit.

Very sorry to see they have changed menu and now only do high tea. Not sure this will prove to be a positive change. used to Visit twice each summer with friends for lunch but changed venue this summer. Most reviews shown are prior To menu change and Covid.

I cant even express how disappointed I am in this place. For multiple reasons. I had originally booked for 4 adults, then called back and asked to add 3 more and they said they could not accommodate. Having restrictive seating due to covid 19 I could completely understand. Just my husband and I ended up going, as we could not have the entire group join us. They only have 4 breakfast options on their menu, which is fine. Easy to make a decision on what to eat. However, what my husband ordered, is not what he recieved. My eggs seemed as though they were cooked then possibly microwaved? They were like a rubber sponge....if that makes any sense. We brought this to the attention of our server and he brought over whom I assume was the manager maybe the owner? I'm not sure. She immediately had her back up and before even saying anything to her she looked at my husband and said "that's exactly what you ordered....the only difference is"...and right there proves it was NOT what he ordered. An english muffin breakfast sandwich is NOT opened faced egg on brown toast. I told her my omelette didnt seem right and without even asking to remake, or try to fix anything she took the plate from infront of me and told my husband and I to leave. My husband said I'll take the bill, she said no just get out. At that point we were the ONLY people on the patio, so I'm not sure why the could not accommodate the rest of my family. But I guess it's a good thing! We will never be returning to this restaurant.

Quaint and lovely little place. We had a Delicious quiche that was piping hot and ended our meal with a scone with clotted cream and jam. Their scones are some of the best i've had! Our server was so lovely and made really great recommendations and checked in on us just enough. We will definitely be back!

I don't give out my stars that easily but this place gets all 5! We were in Gravenhurst last summer and were surprised to see a quaint little tea shop by the docks. So before heading home we tried their high tea and that turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip! The ambience is very relaxed, casual, overlooking the lake. It's a great spot to spend an afternoon. Service was warm, friendly and efficient. The tea was good (though I thought nothing extraordinary - I love tea but not a connoisseur so they all taste the same to me lol). The real star was the tray of goodies that come with your tea - scones and sandwiches and biscuits and all the little bites of absolute delight! The scones IMHO were the best we've tasted. The egg salad sandwich was a burst of flavor. Everything on that wonderful tray was divine. They do serve lunch and dinner but we only had afternoon tea. But if our experience is any indication, their other menu items must be great too.

Just finished a delightful and enjoyable high tea. Everything including the service was great. If you are gluten free try to book in advance and let them know. The gluten free sandwiches and sweets were excellent

4.5 stars, eh? A couple summers ago, stumbling back down to the docks after a long day of shopping and strolling "downtown" Gravenhurst, husband and I spied a new restaurant on the wharf. Curious -- and hungry -- we investigated. It turned out the be the adorable, airy, breezy and light, much-welcomed, much-appreciated, totally different Blue Willow Tea Shop. Which is actually more of a tea room than a tea shop. You can enjoy lite fare of soups, salads and sandwiches at lunch. Heavier British fare is featured at dinner (dinner served Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday only), such as bangers and mash, kidney pie, and fish and chips. Or you can partake in high tea on your visit. I do so love a proper, British high tea. Something about tiny sandwiches and cubes of sugar that makes me feel ever so refined. This is how husband and I roll when we visit the Blue Willow, and at C$20 a pop it's a deal. Besides, how often do you have high tea, hunh? At Blue Willow you're served a variety of finger sammies and other delectable savory small bites; delicious, dense scones with jam and clotted cream (mmm, clotted cream); miniature cookies and cakes; and your choice of a pot of tea from over 20 varieties that the shop carries. I like the green rooibos and the sweet Monk's blend. High tea is only served during a brief window of time in the afternoons, typically starting at 2:00 and ending between 3:30 and 4:30. Service is quiet and good, and the location of the Blue Willow is awesome -- right on the wharf with water views. The tea room itself is also adorable without being grandmotherly or cheesy. The space is bright, sunny, spacious and pleasant. The Blue Willow is a really wonderful addition to Gravenhurst, and a fun place to have a bite and a sip while you're in town!

I love the atmosphere. All the finishing touches make it so special. The food is wonderful, you actually feel great after eating. Desserts are amazing! The price is a little more, but I think it's worth it for the experience. Being on the water is a bonus as well, but be sure to mind their hours. They close early.

A disappointing experience. We (2) went there for High Tea on Saturday afternoon. 1. Reservation which was made the day before and confirmed on Saturday morning was nowhere to be found when we arrived (on time). Rather unfriendly waitress, who insisted there wasn't a reservation nor a table available. After becoming a somewhat more assertive, a table was prepared for us within minutes, without much enthusiasm though. 2. Quite a pleasant ambience, British as you would expect from a tea room. 3. Started of with delicious sweet potato soup. 4. The High Tea was rather mediocre. Typical High Tea items were missing such as cucumber sandwiches, cones..just to name a few. Those items which were on the tray were quite ok. 5. Most disappointing was the quantity. We had ordered High Tea for two, but what we got was hardly enough for one person. 6. Most frustrating was the the price: $45 for 2 ( High Tea without the soup) !! Bad value for the money. Can't recommend the place. Won't go back.

I always like to go here with my parents as it is very nicely laid out and the meals are always absolutely amazing! Which was the case today as well. The only (huge) downfall of the place is that it gets very very noisy and you can't even talk to your mom who is sitting right beside you. This is the only reason we eat here only once in a while.

Great food, not so good customer service, alright decor, prices a bit high for the value of what you get. When we got there, the place was extremely busy with next to no tables available. We were asked which table we preferred to sit at, so we picked a table that hadn't yet been cleared off, and they took quite the while to finish clearing it off. Even after we were seated, there were still dirty cups on the table. While the server wore clothing that reflected the environment quite well, I was not a fan of how she used an i-device to collect the order. It seemed not only tedious, but it also seemed to take much longer than the amount of time it would have taken to collect the order on a notepad. Service was extremely slow, and when we did receive our order, the dressing for my salad for instance was missing (while I was specifically asked what kind of dressing I wanted, and my answer was collected). We waited an extended period of time (it was at least 20 minutes) for our bill and ended up getting up from our table trying to see if we can pay at the front desk where there was a little store selling some of the things they served. The waitress saw us on our way out, and said she'd be right back with our bill, and returned with it shortly. All-in-all, the food was quite good, but due to the rest of my experience at this venue, I would not return there again.

Stopped in on our way home from camping in Arrowhead. We were shabby and smelled like smoke but the staff welcomed us in with warm and friendly smiles. I came for the afternoon tea but instead got the chicken pot pie. My husband had the Guinness beef stew. The Pot Pie was thick and full of carrots onions and celery. The perfect combination. They don't short you on chicken either. There was no bottom crust. Just a little piece of fluffy crust on top. I wish there was more it was so good. The beef stew was loaded with cubes of beef. Both meals were wonderful. GD the sticky toffee pudding for dessert. It was nice but I wouldn't order it again.

Great location. Good service. Decent food but nothing to dispel any myths regarding British food.

Had high tea there today. Great service, fresh food. A little pricey but you get what you pay for with the view!

Great High Tea, English style. Lovely home baked pastries and scones. Clotted cream and jam and lovely finger sandwiches. Made you feel like you were in Britain. Popular spot for tea so service may be a little slower, however we are never in a rush anyway.

Outstanding! We've been to the Blue Willow more than a dozen times and every time it has been great. The service, food and atmosphere are wonderful.