Mary Cassatt Tea Room & Garden

We went on January 18th for the 12:30 seating. I have gone to a lot of afternoon teas all over the world because I love them. We had a delightful time. The doorman on duty was amazing, and it set the tone for our visit. At first, I was surprised to see that the Mary Cassatt room was not a separate room per se, as it was open to the lobby, but in the end, it didn't matter. The lady setting everything up and the guy helping her were just lovely. They were professional and friendly. The tables were classically set, with white tableclothes and matching china, and the harp player was just perfect. The tea and the presentation of the sandwiches and sweets were nice and we had a lovely view of the garden. I thought it was a well-done tea. The only thing that would have made it better would have been if we had tea strainers to strain the tea ourselves and if we had been offered milk. But overall, I still rate it 5 stars. A tip is if you are driving in and using the hotel's valet parking, ask the tearoom to validate your parking ticket as you will get a discounted rate.

I had a delightful afternoon tea experience. While the food was decent, the selection of teas truly stood out—each one flavorful and aromatic. I do wish they had a way to keep the tea warm for a bit longer, as it cooled after about 30 minutes. That said, a minor issue we encountered was promptly and professionally handled, as you would expect from a high-end hotel. I found the price to be well worth it, considering the impeccable presentation, ambiance, and exceptional service. Such a cute place for a family/friend get together or a weekend brunch date.

My mother, daughter and I had the most wonderful afternoon tea here. The staff (in particular AJ!) is so patient and helpful and accommodating. The food was absolutely delicious as was the tea. The harp player was superb and even played some Disney tunes for my little one. Its such a beautiful space, especially the garden. The best place in Philly for afternoon tea.

This place was awesome! So cute, such a real tea time. They do have teddy tea for kids, but it books fast. We did regular tea time, and my daughter is 8, and my friends daughter is 3, and they did well. The food is good, dessert delicious, and the tea is Amazing.

I had afternoon tea with my husband here for my birthday and they knocked the experience OUT OF THE PARK!! From the moment I walked in the door, it felt like being in paradise. Elegantly decorated, a beautiful woman playing the harp in the tea room, impeccable service, and beautiful and delicious savories and sweets. They made my special day so incredibly special!! If you're a fan of afternoon tea, DEFINITELY make yourself a reservation!! Also, try the butterfly pea flower tea!! It's delicious and it's blue!!

This is the only place I've ever done a high-tea session at and it's exactly what I was expecting from a high-tea experience. The teas were exceptional, the accompaniments were delicious, the service was attentive but not smothering, and the room itself provided a nice atmosphere. We also got the tableside matcha add-on and the server that prepared it provided some great insight and background information about the venue as well as provided the one of the best matchas that I've had. Highly recommend for any special occasion

Inside The Rittenhouse hotel, just off the lobby, is the Mary Cassatt Tea room. Seasonally, there is outdoor seating on a small patio, but we were seated inside on a cooler day. The staff was friendly and attentive while letting us enjoy all the food that was presented. There are a number of different packages available, each building on the next, with inclusions of a glass of bubbles, rosé bubbles, and caviar. They had a lengthy list of available teas, herbal to black, decaffeinated to caffeinated. The tour of treats ranged from sweet to savory with some amazing flavors, like the blue cheese and walnut scone, egg salad with caviar and miniature popsicle. Great experience and delicious treats. Can’t wait to come back!

Best birthday gift from my mom ever! What a great experience. When we walked in, someone was playing a harp, which made the atmosphere even fancier than it already was. Mary took excellent care of us. I highly recommend this place for celebrating a special occasion. You will feel like royalty. The tea choices were excellent and the food was so intricate and delicious. I will be telling all my friends about this place.

Lovely little alcove in the Rittenhouse Hotel with a live harpist and plenty of natural light made for a wonderful afternoon experience. The staff was friendly and attentive, the food was delicious, and the tea selection was wonderful! We were also informed that the menu changes periodically, so a return visit would be a different experience. We really enjoyed ourselves and would happily return again. I would note to anyone planning an afternoon tea who isn't also staying at the hotel, to make parking plans in advance and realize that city parking is expensive.

As a sucker for High Tea, I couldn't resist the urge to check out Mary Cassatt Tea Room. I had pretty high expectations for this place. Now that I visited it, I have a mixed feeling overall. I love that the menu of tea there has ample options, including one of my favorites, Genmaicha. The tea snacks were also a good mix of sweet and savory, with one of my favorites being the mini lemon curd pie with blueberry topping. Service was adequate, but at times a bit lacking, since we weren't checked on that frequently for whether we needed a hot water refill for our tea pots. Ambience-wise, the tea room was pretty classy, as one would expect of a place that's situated inside a luxury hotel caliber. In contrast with other Yelpers' experience, our tea time didn't come with a live harpist but we had some classical music playing on speaker in the background. For a pretty hefty price, my tea time at there is one that I won't be repeating frequently. I liked the experience overall, but I don't think it's worth the pricetag.

I booked a tea for 2 experience here recently. The space is a lot smaller than what I envisioned but I appreciated the amount of natural light the space has. I also loved the harp player playing well known songs made classical (like Bridgerton). The tea was good but the small bites were hit or miss. I don't know if I would ever go again but I would recommend others to try it once.

This was my first ever tea experience and it was amazing! It far exceeded my expectations. I went with two friends, one who is a tea connoisseur which was very helpful because she explained the teas, sandwiches and process to us beforehand. The canapes and sandwiches sounds basic but they are anything but that, very good. My favorites were the Truffled Egg Salad and Tuna Tartare. My least favorite was the Tomato & Mozzarella Panini. It needs some flavor, too bland. The scones with the butter and jam...yum! By this point I was surprisingly getting full. I did not think it would be enough food with the small sandwiches but it is. We finished up with the sweets (which we couldn't finish but did take home) but I made sure to taste them all. So very tasty! I could have ordered a cake sized serving of The Grapefruit Cheesecake Bar. Shamefully I forget the name of the tea I ordered. I prefer a fruity tea and the one I ordered for that expectation perfectly. We also had a bottle of champagne. The dining area was lovely. A lot of natural light and the seating is comfy. The outside seating area looked very nice and serene. Service was spectacular. Our waitress explained all the sandwiches, discussed tea choices with us and was attentive. Overall, a really fantastic first tea experience. I'm looking forward to going back! I think I've become a tea party girl.

I just went to Mary Cassatt Tea Room for a bridesmaid proposal. It is located In the Rittenhouse House Hotel. The staff there went above and beyond to make this so special for the bride to be. She said they were beyond accommodating and very attentive. They catered to several peoples food allergies. They even made personalized menus for the day. Our server the day of was very impressive. The atmosphere gives high class! As you enjoy tea, sandwiches, and petit desserts there is a lovely garden view and a harpist playing live music. The tea was delicious along with the sandwiches, scones, and desserts! I would recommend this to anyone interested in planning a special day!

My friends and I had High Tea. We had an amazing time. It was a lovely treat with a Harpist playing softly in the background. The service was excellent, and the food was good. We each ordered a different tea, and everyone loved their selection. Each person had their own pot of their selected tea. I'm trying to remember the correct name of the one I ordered! I think it was called the Queen's Garden or something like that,anyway, it was delicious and soothing. They gave us a variety of finger sandwiches and deserts. All of them were very tasty. This was my third time there after many years. I was not disappointed. This is a nice way to have some girl time, be treated special, and feel all fancy. We will definitely do it again.

What an experience. We took our mothers as a Mother's Day gift and left completely satisfied. The venue is just beautiful, the staff so friendly, and the food and drinks amazing. A special thank you to AJ Memmo, the afternoon tea manager, for providing a personal tea making experience at the end of the meal. I highly recommend this experience. A pro tip: make a reservation for a weekday. It's less crowded than the weekend. Something to be aware of: This is a ticketed event. You must prepay for tickets, including gratuity, and will be charged a ticket fee. Hey ownership: This ticketing process demeans the elegance of the experience. Please consider changing it.

Located at The Rittenhouse Hotel on the first floor, this space is less of a tea room and more of a tea area. It remains open to the lobby and there is seating both inside and outside. I had a group of 3 and we made a reservation a couple weeks ago. I will say that the reservation system isn't great as it requires calling in to make a reservation (though the confirmation will come from Tock) and most of the time I got a voicemail. Moving on--we got two signature tea sets ($70x2) and an additional person was $30. Each person got their own choice of tea. I ordered the Bella's Herbal Shay. The tea was really good. Looks can be deceiving and while it doesn't look like a lot of food, it definitely filled everyone up. The only issue I would say is that for splitting the items 3 ways, it was a little difficult as all the items came in sets of 2 which meant that there were items on the set that you weren't able to try at the end. Overall, I love the ambiance of the tea room. They had a harpist playing classical music which made me feel very fancy and the food was good. It is a little on the pricier side for tea but as it's located within a hotel, I can understand the price. Service was excellent too.

When planning my birthday that just came up, it was a big one, I decided to do it all. First thing on the agenda was going to one of the fanciest hotels in Rittenhouse and having high tea. Truly a magical experience with a musican playing an elegant harp as you enter the tea room, you are serenaded while you sip on tea accompanied by three tiers of savory treats, scones, and sweets. You can smell the tea leaves of any tea prior to ordering a pot and if you share one package (a tower and a pot) you get a second pot for $30.00 as there is a $30.00 sharing fee. All in I could not be more happy with the experience. As always people SYOY!!!

Pros - the atmosphere of this place is amazing. it's the absolute best place to just hang out with your girlfriends and catch up! - service is the absolute best. They were courteous and patient with us and our two little ones! - beautiful presentation of the tea snacks - They even had a Joovy high chair for my little one to sit in! - Offer indoor and outdoor dining Cons - although everything was really lovely, I cannot get over how expensive everything was especially since food portions were quite small - Space is quite small so I suggest making a reservation way ahead of time!

Inside The Rittenhouse hotel, just off the lobby, is the Mary Cassatt Tea room. Seasonally, there is outdoor seating on a small patio, but we were seated inside on a cooler day. The staff was friendly and attentive while letting us enjoy all the food that was presented. There are a number of different packages available, each building on the next, with inclusions of a glass of bubbles, rosé bubbles, and caviar. They had a lengthy list of available teas, herbal to black, decaffeinated to caffeinated. The tour of treats ranged from sweet to savory with some amazing flavors, like the blue cheese and walnut scone, egg salad with caviar and miniature popsicle. Great experience and delicious treats. Can't wait to come back!

Enjoyed a lovely Friday afternoon birthday celebration with my bf. We chose the Signature Tea package which gave us each a pot of tea (you get to select the variety) and a lovely spread of mini sandwiches, along with a tiered tray of canapés, scones, petit desserts, and mignardises to share. See my uploaded pics. I had the Jade Garden green tea and it was very good. The only reeason why I gave four stars is because there were so many more sweet desserts than the fantastic tea biscuits and scones. We wanted more of the biscuits and did ask for a few extra (we got one more of each of 3 kinds which was nice). Just wished there were more initially. If you prefer more of the sweet stuff, you'll be super happy. We left the entire bottom tray of sweets as after the first tier, we were already in sugar overload. Lol. We wouldn't go back but this was a nice place to try once and would recommend you try as well.

A great afternoon tea experience! It can be a bit tough to get a reservation here but it's worth the trip! They let you smell their various teas before they bring you out a complete afternoon tea service with savory and sweet bites along with some amazing atmosphere.

I visited the Mary Cassatt Tea Room at The Rittenhouse on Saturday to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday. I called ahead to make reservations, letting them know about our celebration and also letting them know that 1 of us (me) has a chocolate allergy. When we arrived, I confirmed that I cannot have chocolate, but my boyfriend could have it. We shared 1 Signature Tea package ($70 for the savories, sweets, and 1 pot of tea + $30 for a 2nd pot of tea.) I was very disappointed to find 5 pieces of chocolate on the tray that I was not able to eat. I assumed maybe 1 or 2 chocolate items would be provided for my bf to try, but 5 was almost an entire tier of the 3-tier presentation. I've also seen photos on Yelp from other guests that included Happy Birthday messages, but my boyfriend was not wished a happy birthday. I have deducted 1 star for those reasons. That said, the overall experience was lovely, and the 2 teas we ordered--the Bai Mu Dan (white tea) and Rooibos Des Vahinés (rooibos with Vanilla and almond)--both from the Paris brand, Palais des Thés, were excellent. The table was set beautifully and there was even a woman playing the harp, which provided lovely ambiance. The scones, Devonshire cream and mango jam were very nice. I also enjoyed the sandwiches, especially the Cucumber & Smoked Salmon with dill cream cheese and the Egg Salad with Caviar. I would visit again and recommend this experience to friends, but next time I would expect no chocolate at all on my tray when I've alerted them to my allergy.

Outstanding experience at the Marie Cassatt Tea Room at the Rittenhouse Hotel. We celebrated my sisters birthday and the staff went all out. We chose the Impressionist Tea which came with sparkling wine and a take home sachet of loose leaf tea. The tea selection was not your standard British high tea selection but a lovely variety of eastern and hybrid teas. There was a beautiful harpist playing which only added to the lovely ambience overlooking the corner courtyard. The sandwiches and desserts were lovely and when asking to swap out one sandwich for another the staff was very accommodating. Truly enjoyed the service and will definitely be returning!

I can't believe the reviews for this place. I loooove tea and doing afternoon tea so I was so excited to try. Even with a reservation, we ended up waiting 30 minutes for our table. That wasn't a big deal. Then we sit and we're sitting around without water or acknowledgement for another 15 minutes. Then we get the menu, incredibly overpriced but I'm thinking hey maybe it's worth it. Nope. The sandwiches are like 1/4 of a sandwhich. You get no food. And the deserts honestly were not good. Super sweet and cheap tasting/looking. Besides that - the seat cushions are covered in sweat stains. For the price you're paying, you'd think the seat cushions would be somewhat clean. I don't know - just couldn't believe the price for the experience. Bummed because I loooove afternoon tea spots!

Literally one of the most romantic, dainty places I've been to in Philadelphia! I dragged my husband along and while he was excited to come, he wasn't anticipating it as much as I was, but once we entered the hotel and heard the harp we instantly fell in love with this place! The tea selections are vast and delicious, and they give you the option to smell all the teas before choosing your tea pot as well which is a nice touch. The space has tall ceilings and a gorgeous garden view, you feel like you're in a Disney princess castle. Now let's get to the food. We did the lowest option because we do not care for alcohol, the price in bold on the menu is price per person (so for us $70 x 2 people). There is the $30 addition if you want to just share one of each piece with another person, but at that point I would think its worth just to get another set. You get 5 savory sandwiches and a tier of desserts and they were all FANtastic! Im always worried about desserts that look too pretty but can seem a little stale, that wasn't the case at all. The cookies and baked goods all had a fresh, slightly soft but crisp texture. The scones were not dry at all but buttery and pillowy, and the compotes that came with it were simply divine. The tiny savory snacks were fantastic to cut the sweetness. We were both full after the meal but I think for others with a big appetite may need something afterwards since its mostly sweets, but we still very much enjoyed the experience. I would highly recommend this place for a cute date! My husband and I would definitely come back again.

I visited London pre-pandemic and unfortunately never got to try a proper Tea Time with my friends. So when my friends from Philly thought of having tea time at the Rittenhouse Hotel, I was all aboard for the idea. As soon as I walked in, there was a harp player. The host was so kind and explained the different packages and teas available. I went with the Signature Tea which included a tea and all the savory, sweet, and scone options. The tea was given in a big pot. We all got different tea options so we could switch and try each other's tea. I loved every edible option given. First they brought out the tray of sandwiches. They were so delicate and presented very well. Then they present us with a big tray of scones and sweets (one type for each of us). Honestly, it all tasted so prefect, I don't think one item outdid another. Overall a perfect experience and can't wait to try this again!

This is a smaller, but nice tea room, located in the lobby of the Rittenhouse Hotel, directly across the lovely Rittenhouse Square Park. Initially, we wanted to come to the Rittenhouse for their famous Sunday buffet brunch, but were unable to due to scheduling. Having tea here was our second alternative, which turned out very enjoyable. My husband loves afternoon tea in nice places, and said that this was definitely a memorable part of our trip for him, thus far. The Tea Room is very tranquil and elegant with polished, yet friendly service. It's nowhere near as grand as the tea room at the Empress Hotel in Victoria, but it's also nowhere as crazy busy and loud with tourists roaming all over. The tea service is $55.00 for two, BUT there is an additional $25.00 for sharing. So, unless you're having tea by yourself, it will cost $80.00 for two. The food was good, but given the traditional quantities served during teas, it was definitely a light snack for $80.00. One point of note, though, is that the assortments were skewed more heavily towards the sweets, rather than the savory. I would've preferred more savory items, or at least a better balance between the sweet and savory selections. As an aside, we saw Neal Schon, with the rock band, Journey, as he apparently spent the night here before a concert performance. Unfortunately, although I was a Journey fan, I'm less of one now, because, well, he flat out didn't come across as a very nice person. However, that's no reflection on the Rittenhouse Hotel or the Tea Room. Overall it was a lovely experience, and we would return here. Be sure to make reservations in advance, since seating is limited.

I had not been to the Mary Cassatt Tea Room for a few years and I went yesterday afternoon. The service was great and the waitresses were very attentive. Unfortunately, that is the only positive thing I could say. The food was just not that good. It felt pre made. The presentation was just not to par with what the Mary Cassatt room use to be. When I went to the Tea Room several years ago it was a high end experienc r.e., for example, they let you select and choose your tea from a box of loose tea and every tea was explained. Sadly, yesterday's outing was disappointing. The environment (furniture) was outdated as well. For the amount of money that is charged for a traditional tea I would have expected better. Again, the staff was great.

My partner took me here for Valentine's Day (a bit late on the review, I know, oops!) and we absolutely loved our time here. There's live harp music which was such an unexpected and lovely touch - I don't remember the last time I've heard a live harp playing. It is quite pricey, but for the time you're there and the quality of bites and tea you're getting, we felt it was well worth the splurge. The interior is gorgeous, and there are huge bay windows that let light just fill the tea room. It's located in the Rittenhouse hotel, which is also a gorgeous space itself. Our hostess was extremely kind and attentive. We had a great assortment of sweets, scones (savory and sweet) and complimentary champagne. We also had tea of course (we each got a different pot) and they were really wonderful. Mine was a mix of Earl Grey, vanilla, and other flavors. They have a set menu on their website that lists everything you will get with your tea. I'm not sure if it is seasonal or rotates, but I would imagine that the selection changes from time to time. I think the only thing that would have made the experience better is if they served the sweet and savory at the same time (the savory bites came out first) or if they had less of the sweets - a lot of them were extremely rich, which was lovely, but some of the more candy-like bites (the chocolate truffles, etc.) were a bit much. Everything was absolutely delicious however, and we got to try a lot of interesting textures and flavors. Overall, I would highly recommend this place to celebrate an intimate birthday, anniversary, or any special occasion that warrants a bit of elegant spoiling. If it's for a birthday, we saw a girl next to us get an adorable cake shaped like a present for hers, so be sure to mention these sort of things when you make your reservation!

Today we had tea to celebrate my birthday at this tearoom. Birthday tea had been a tradition until Covid came along. I was so happy to see that they had reopened as I had such good memories from before. The room is still lovely with its view of the walled-in garden. It was a especially nice day. The harpist was a delight with her live music. The tea selection was interesting. The scones were excellent and the sweet treats were plentiful as well as delicious and quite beautiful to look at. However the tea sandwiches were a real letdown. They had either been stored too long uncovered in the refrigerator or at the wrong temperature. The poor little micro greens used as garnish were sad looking and wilted. The bread on the sandwiches was dry and stale with curled edges. The whole grain sandwich's bread had an off-taste as if it had been in a freezer too long. All very disappointing for a place of this caliber. I ate my sandwiches because I didn't to raise a fuss and make my Husband feel bad for bringing me there. I did quietly stop by the hostess stand as we were leaving to let them know of my disappointment. In addition, even though we were asked when we made our reservation if we were celebrating any special occasion, they did nothing special to mark my birthday. (They did say Happy Birthday.) I should note, that in the past, they provided a lovely little cake on a festively decorated plate to the birthday celebrant. I asked about this and they said they had a new pastry chef and that they hadn't quite gotten back up to speed yet when it came the "little extras." I explained that we came there and paid so much ($200+ for the basic tea for two with tax/tip and parking/valet tip) BECAUSE of those "little extras." He said he was sorry. With that we left. I will have to consider carefully before returning.

5 stars for ambience, service and tea, 3.5 for food. Bottom line, I highly recommend this spot for a date lunch. My wife and I have been talking about having lunch here for months. We saw a free Sat approaching so we booked it. We made a 2 pm reservation. We got there a bit early. The hostess seated us immediately. The tea room is long and narrow, and very nicely decorated. It is adjacent to a beautiful outdoor patio that adds to the atmosphere. We were quickly greeted by a very nicer server who had incredible knowledge on all of the available teas. Based on the server's recommendation, I ordered the milk oolong, and it was the best tea I have ever had. My wife got a black tea which she very much enjoyed. The live harp music was probably my favorite part of this experience. It was so relaxing. Just sitting there with the gorgeous ambience, soothing music, and amazing tea, I thought to myself: "this is living well." The sandwich and scones came first. The sandwiches were just okay, the egg salad sandwich was my favorite. The scones were the best part of the meal with respect to food. The savory olive scone with the whipped butter was delightful. The sweet scones went well with the strawberry jam and lemon curd at the table. The scones worked perfectly with the tea. The dessert was pretty good. The panna cotta was my favorite. The cheesecake was not that good. But, I was pleasantly full and very happy after my meal. We got the standard tea which was $55 per person. It came with mediocre sparkling wine. The other option was $80 per person and came with a better rose. I didn't care enough about the rose to pay an extra $25. I would def come back. My wife was in Heaven, and that alone made it worth it.

Excellent food & service. The space is small but not cramped. It feels cozy and even in the winter the patio is really pretty. The tea is better than any tea you've ever had. It's really filling food and we took home about 1/4 of our pastries to eat the next day. The harpist was really good and it was very serene.

Received superb customer service after the host worked out some reservation kinks for a party of 5. Lovely ambiance. Choose from a large selection of loose leaf teas. Exquisite pastries, scones, and finely cut sandwiches are provided along with a glass of bubbly. Very, very pricey per person. This was a birthday outing for a dear friend of mine. Both she and I agreed that we have had an even more luxurious afternoon tea with a lower price tag during our London trip back in 2018. However, I did enjoy my overall experience at this classy establishment. If you're feeling bad & boujee, you should sip tea at Mary Cassatt's Tea Room.

Years ago, I loved this tea room--the atmosphere, service, and food were all a delight. I brought guests with me on several occasions and we had an enjoyable time. The price before tip was around $35-45 pp and it came with two pots of tea, a three-tiered pastry stand with the usual array of miniature savory and sweet treats to share. My last visit (around 2018-2019) was very much disappointing (embarrassing) for both myself and my guest. The price had become astronomical and the value was terrible even for a high-end afternoon tea room--$150 for one shared pot of tea and a pastry tray which had to be created by Cinderella's mice using mouse crumbs from their meal as the bites were extraordinarily tiny. It hadn't been that way in the past. I suspect the new product and price were ways of discouraging certain population groups from frequenting the establishment.

If you're looking for high tea, and who isn't, this is the spot. The tea (and coffee) were excellent as were the sandwiches and desserts. The service was absolutely spot on. You can be served in their very comfortable dining room or outside on a picture perfect patio. Being from California, we're allergic to humidity so we chose inside and watched others outside. Highly recommended.

Fun experience! I brought my mom here to celebrate her birthday. We made the earliest reservation for Sunday. Portions aren't enough to be full but I think it's more of an experience. The tea selection was nice and we took some advice from our server. The atmosphere is so lovely, I called in advance and requested a window seat. The window seats overlook the garden so I would recommend doing that. Pricey for the amount of food you get but I had a lovely time. It's good for a special occasion type of thing. Also if you're celebrating a birthday you can let the Server know and they will bring a little birthday cake shaped like a Tiffany box at the end. A really nice touch!

It is always a super special occasion when I get to reunite with my esteemed travel/social critic/submarine businesswoman childhood neighbor and a ultimate foodie/Philadelphia native social butterfly. Instead of waiting for Taylor Swift to come to Philadelphia, I decided to fill the blank space with my ultimate good friend right of passage - Tea Time and Mary Cassatt (the Tea Room not the dead person) really delivers So many Tea times later (1 London and 5 in formerly Colonial Cities). This is tied as the best High Tea I have ever had (with the Boston Public Library). To start off - the Tea selection is exquisite extensive, but not excessively overwhelming. I had the Duchess's Dream Come True (in honor of Kate Middleton clearly). Super flavorful yet delivered in a soft well balanced slide (instead of punchy). The bites - from savory to the sweets are put together with artistic perfection that would make the real Mary Cassatt proud (google who she really is), although one sandwich is a half an hour off occasionally (artistic flair?). They are all super delicious and what I like about it is the large range of treats - so there are plenty of options. Oh and a tip - go for the full signature tea - because you only live once - and the Champagne is an extra bonus (its good Champagne too). Scenery - unlike most tea place there is not a ridiculous amount of deep colors, its light and bright to show the happiness of tea time in the land of Grace Kelly. Far and beyond - the service was by far the winning stroke. Even though they misunderstand our reservation name, they were always highly attentive (but not in an annoying way), and even apologized the one occasion they broke conversation. Oh and of course, they happily obliged to take the frequently dreaded request of taking a photo by the Christmas tree - and did a good job too. Now, I will say one difficult thing about this location is PARKING. The nearest parking lot is $20 and valet I think is $20 as well - so just keep that in mind. If you can find street parking then you have a certain set of skills many would want. Oh and the square is a good place to stroll afterwards for digestion.

When my birthday plans fell through, I decided to try something different: a visit to a tea room. I've always wanted to try one, but it just never worked out. I found out they were open 2-5 daily and luckily grabbed a reservation for 3 when they opened at 2. They also asked if there was any special occasion we were celebrating, so I mentioned my birthday. We were seated promptly around 2; although we had to ask for our own table (tried to seat us with another party even though they had many empty tables). I was disappointed that everyone dressed so casually (not the tea room's fault) and noticed all the other tables only ordered pots of tea and shared a tea service. (We each ordered our own tea and service, the $49 option since we wanted to try everything) They also sell items a la carte. We each tried a different tea (Duchess' first love, Jasmine green tea, and another I can't recall). They were all great but after they steep too long, they tasted a little off. I was a bit disappointed with the finger food; I had really expected finger sandwiches (maybe cucumber and dill or something similar), but the egg salad with bacon threw me for a loop and not in a good way. It was fun to try but I don't think I'd make it a regular event. Pinkies up!

Vibes: elegant, sophisticated, refined Afternoon tea notes: -Started with a glass of fairly dry sparkling wine -Choice of tea: A Day in Provence, a floral rooibos that paired better with dessert; server replenished hot water between plates -Scones were two-bite-sized, firm with almost a cookie-like feel; accompanying Devonshire cream was whipped and buttery, lemon curd creamy and tangy, and strawberry jelly pretty ordinary -Savory highlights: egg salad sandwich topped with caviar and blue crab salad over cucumber -Sweet notables: almond and pear frangipane and chocolate panna cotta on a buttery cracker Pluses: -Lovely service: we were asked if we wanted explanations for the teas and also described each item on the plate -Teas and some of the finger foods rotate through out the year

This place was just lovely. I had a wonderful time going here with my neighbors and would absolutely go back. It is expensive but I really enjoyed the experience and felt it was well worth it. There was a beautiful harp being played in the background which added tranquillity. Service was excellent and they made you feel special.The food was yummy and filling. My favorite part was the dessert (of course). I forget which tea I ordered but I really loved it. My friends also had a great time. There's just something about dressing up and going for afternoon tea that is so enjoyable.

I really loved this place! So sad it's been closed since COVID. Hoping the reopen. It's a high tea place where you get to pick from a selection if teas and also get a tower of sandwiches and scones followed by a tower of the cutest little (and tasty) deserts. They also include champagne or cider (in my case as I don't drink alcohol) with the tea experience. Overall a lovely place to just come and relax and have a lovely time.

This tea room is delightful! I have been to quite a few tea rooms and this one is definitely the classiest and most elegant. We did the full afternoon tea which included a pot of tea (per person), sparkling wine, assorted tea sandwiches, assorted scones, and assorted mini desserts. We loved the Mad Hatter and Azul teas the best. The tea sandwiches were delicious, however we could have used more of them. The scones were the best I've ever had, and they give you three per person. The mini desserts looked beautiful but they were just OK. It was a beautiful place to have an afternoon tea and to listen to a harpist playing. All in all, would give 4/5 and would definitely come back.

Loved the service and tea. Great experience with lovely ambiance. You get what you pay for. Definitely worth the money. The sparkling wine was also very good and so pretty for pictures. The waiter explained every dessert and tea in detail. The tea sandwiches were tiny but the scones and other desserts definitely fill you up.

Magical setting with class through and through. This is by far the finest cup of Earl Grey I've ever had with afternoon tea and the gorgeous work effort put into service and details of savory and sweet options surely must bring rave reviews from nearly anyone. Yes, it is expensive but a live harp while you eat and drink and impeccable surroundings does come at a cost, especially if paired with champagne, caviar, and clotted cream!

Pretty area for afternoon tea to catch up with friends. It's pricey and the portions are small (tiny!), but it's enough (sandwiches, scones, and dessert) as we walked out full. The champagne was a nice touch (included!) and if you call ahead (which my friend did) they will bring out a special treat...

I hosted my sister's bridal shower here and she was thrilled with the final outcome, but as a host, and as the person dealing with the catering team, I was severely disappointed. The lack of response from Jessica and Lanay, after multiple attempts to reach them by phone and email, was shocking for such a well-respected venue. We specifically tried to reach them regarding certain guests with life-threatening food allergies, and they did not get back to us until an hour prior to the event. As a result, 2 of my guests were unable to eat anything other than fruit plates that cost me $60 each and would have cost $4 had we bought the fruit ourselves from Trader Joe's. I also paid $80 a bottle for wine service and none of my guests received refills. The bride-to-be was also told there was no more champagne available prior to toasting her. At the end of the event, we were rushed out of the hotel by staff and did receive any help removing gifts that our guests brought. After all of this, we were charged almost $2000 more than the amount we had agreed to with Jessica and Lanay. When I tried to discuss this with them following the event, they tried to pacify me by offering me a free drink at the Library Bar. I don't know of any cocktails that cost $2000.

So what the hell is the Delco bum doing in such a classy joint like this with his pinky in the air enjoying afternoon tea? Well, you see, every now and then I have to get out and experience the finer things in life. It does happen once in a while. And, the wife always wanted to do this. So after much extensive Yelp research, I made a reservation here for Labor Day to have afternoon tea with the wife. My tip... if you ever want to experience the best the city has to offer, do it on Labor Day. Due to the lack of crowds in the city, you can have your pick. So, one thing that we need to get out of the way right in front. I came in thinking it was $30 a person. I did not see a $30 a person option on the menu. I saw the items a la carte individually priced, and I saw what is now called their Signature Tea Service for $49. I actually asked, and they did admit to me that the prices have changed. After a brief bout of internal crying, I said "Ah, what the hell!" Both the wife and I got the whole shebang. You only live once, eh? So, the $49 does include the champagne, or sparkling cider if you choose. So they have that going for them. Also, they do special requests, and given that my wife is pregnant they were able to make some special veggie sandwiches for her that didn't involve the raw meats. I will eat just about anything, of course. I chose the champagne, the wife had the cider. Now, for the record, the champagne served was Segura Viudas Brut Reserva. I made it a point to notice it on the bottle. It was nice, very light. It goes well with the tea. But, I have to call them out on something now that I have had a chance to look. On the web, many wine stores have that at $9 a bottle. I looked it up afterward because I was curious. Now, I'm not expecting Dom Perignon here. But couldn't they have served something a little more upscale, like in the $15 a bottle range at least? Oh wait... they called it champagne, but it's really sparking wine because it was from Spain. Champagne is really from France. Oh great, they lied to me now on top of it! I realize that I'm off track here. Truth is, I wouldn't usually complain about stuff like this. But at $49 a person, I'm noticing every detail. Paying a little more than you expected makes you picky. But never mind... I digress. I came into this experience with several expectations for my money. First, I wanted top notch service. I'm happy to report that I got that. No complaints about the service. I wanted to taste food that I wouldn't normally get to taste often, and I wanted to be wowed by the flavors. I got that too. Food quality was excellent. Some of the items were more memorable than others. But I did get some bang for my buck. My favorites included the egg salad sandwiches with bacon (which the wife loved), the chicken salad, the tuna tartare, the passion fruit tarts, and the scones. Speaking of the scones, I wanted to get scones that were as good as the ones I had in England in 2008. Well, there I probably set too high a bar. I still dream about the scones in London I had. These were quite good, but not quite as good. I did however devour mine happily with the cream, preserves, and lemon curd. I wanted to leave there not necessarily feeling full, but feeling satisfied. I'm aware that tea service generally doesn't involve huge amounts of food, but to hear the way people have been talking about it here on Yelp, I didn't expect to leave there hungry. I'm just going to say that I left there, and headed straight for the pizza place for a slice afterward. (But then again, I'm a big guy with a big appetite, so what can I say). However, I will complement them in that they actually gave us a few extra finger sandwiches at the end to take home. It wasn't very busy, it was at the end of the tea service, and I'm guessing they had extra. I appreciated the gesture. Look, in the end there really is nothing wrong with this experience. The food was wonderful, the room is beautiful, the service is top notch. I have nothing but positive things to say about the staff here. Kudos all around. I would have loved it at $30 a person (or maybe a little more with the wine). At $49 a person, it became a 4 star level experience instead of 5 to me. I don't think they've really bumped up the experience that much more from what I've seen in photos here from the past. Everything that everyone else got at a cheaper price before seems to be the same experience I got today at the new prices. But my wife loved it. So that's worth it. And my unborn child got a little gourmet meal coming down the pipes tonight, so I hope he enjoys that.

The Mary Cassatt Tea Room is the only place in Philadelphia to enjoy the elegance of high tea without trekking to The Plaza in New York. Ambiance: The tea room is beautiful. White table cloths, modern chandeliers, and a glass wall which leads out onto a beautiful courtyard - great for tea in the warmer months. You want to dress your best for tea here! The china was simple but sophisticated, overall adding to the experience. Food: Come hungry! You will get a full meal out of tea. You begin with 5 different finger-sized tea sandwiches and three different scones and spreads. The sandwiches are made up of varied ingredients including crab, salmon, turkey, and avocado. They are accommodating of all dietary restrictions and allow you to double up on a sandwich if you'd rather skip one of the offerings. The scones and spreads were excellent. After the savory course comes the best part, the dessert! They bring out between 10 and 15 finger sized pastries of all types and textures. Drink: The tea selection is seasonal and offers something for every taste. If you're not sure what to get, be sure to ask to smell the teas! I am a big fan of the Rittenhouse Blend which offers a light, floral flavor. For those that don't like tea, the french press coffee is also excellent. While there are two different offerings for tea (a $55 and $80 option), the only difference between them is the wine offered. I have only had the $55 option which includes a glass of sparking wine (the $80 offers an upgrade to champagne) which was good but felt unnecessary. Sparking cider is also offered as a substitution. Service: Service is great. Kidist who runs the tea room is friendly and knowledgable of all of the different teas and their history. She makes a point to remember repeat customers and goes above and beyond. One quick anecdote is that I came in for my weekly tea only to find that the tea room was closed for a private function. Without missing a beat, Kidist had me seated in the restaurant upstairs and had my usual order brought up to me - free of charge! Value: High Tea is good, but comes at a STEEP price tag at $55 per person. Good for a once in a while experience when you want to feel like royalty, but definitely not worth sacrificing a meal for at one of Philadelphia's more affordable spots.

Afternoon tea at the Rittenhouse Hotel-?? Not to be a hater but the first thoughts that entered my head were- super snooty and way too girlie for me! I was wrong on both acocunts. When I first entered the Mary Cassat tea room I was amused to see women dressed to the nines with large Southern hats on. I felt like they were all going to rush off to some horse race after tea. More surprisingly however was the number of dudes in the room- perhaps not so girlie after all?? As for the tea service/experience it was way more fun than tea should ever be. For $29.95 you're served a glass of champagne (yum), a pot of tea of your choosing with enough tea to leave you shaking from your caffeine high for hours, and loads of delic tea sandwiches (with the crusts cut off of course), scones, and pastries. Its all incredibly gluttinous and I loved every second of it. As I sat there slathering devonshire cream onto my freshly baked scone, I wondered if I could afford to up my daily coffee allowance to include $30 for afternoon tea, and where I could find myself a large hat above the Mason Dixon line. Overall a totally enjoyable experience, and not nearly as girlie or snooty as I imagined.

I thought the Mary Cassatt Tea Room was very nice but I really did not think it was worth the money. There are so many cute tea rooms in the area that serve an amazing selection of tea with the best scones ever. This one fell short. I will probably not return until I'm old and rich... and super conservative.

This review is just for High Tea. I think the Mary Cassatt tearoom on the first floor is really wonderful. I wonder if it's just as nice sitting in the garden patio as it is looking at it. My bf thought the organic English Breakfast tea was the best he has ever had and I really enjoyed my Darjeeling. The china is really gorgeous as well. One of my favorite things to do in London was to go to High Tea and I really missed it but was pleasantly surprised to find that Philly's The Rittenhouse and the Four Seasons both still offer it (The Ritz no longer does). The Rittenhouse's Tea isn't as nice as Manhattan's Plaza Hotel's, but I think it's comparable to Manhattan's Ritz's which is much pricier at $75 per person. The tearoom was really cold for some reason (draft through all the large windows?) but it's a really beautiful room. One thing I didn't like was that the tearoom is surrounded by couches and the lobby where people planning their weddings/private events or just chatting with other guests get a bit noisy. Also, when I call in to make reservations, they often don't know whether there is a private event in the tearoom so that tea is held somewhere else like upstairs, which is not as nice for afternoon tea, in my opinion. Overall, beautiful place to have tea. The scones and sweets are very delicious except the lemon meringue tart, and all the finger sandwiches were great, especially the tuna salad and egg salad.

This was a perfect afternoon tea. I loved the 'marry me again' blend. It's a fantastic Ceylon blend. A musician was playing the harp. Champagne was served with the $49 tea option. It was full service. Our server put napkins in our laps and poured our tea for us. I was able to get some of the tea blend to take home. They offered a child's tea for half price which my daughter really enjoyed. No cucumber sandwiches or PB&J, all the recipes were balanced flavor combinations and inventive ingredients. Our view of a twinkling garden out the window was gorgeous. My only critique was one of the desserts, a mini bundt cake shape with what tasted like a bread pudding type of thing, was very clearly burned on the bottom nearly halfway up the sides. I kept looking at it wondering why they served it in that burned state. There were 8 other mini desserts to have that were scrumptious so it wasn't too sad. But it was the reason I couldn't give 5 stars.

Superb, impeccable attentive service at the Mary Cassatt Tea Room, making the experience of afternoon tea quite luxurious and refined. I went on a weekday and the service did not lack (though no harpist on the weekdays maybe?). My sister and I had the whole shebang there including the glass of champagne. We actually liked the scones, but wished that they had given us more lemon curd and clotted cream. Overall a good variety of savories and sweets. The textures and flavors pretty spot on compared the my other afternoon tea experiences. The tea china was a plain white set. My sister had notified them it was my birthday and they were kind to bring a petit four (fondant wrapped chocolate cake) with a candle. The view was nice, as we sat near the windows overlooking the little garden. Definitely a nice place for a special celebration.

A lovely setting for an afternoon tea. The harpist that played took you to a different place...relaxing and I calm. I had the gluten free selections and they were excellent. The scones were amazing, the breads with the sandwiches were also so tasty. The sweet treats at the end were delicious small bites of heaven. Best gluten free I have ever had. Truly! I went to a lovely tea house in NYC a few months ago and had their gluten free selections...it was so disappointing and didn't quite know how things would go at The Rittenhouse but this afternoon tea very much exceeded my expectations. Also, the service was very attentive without being annoying. I would definitely go back the next time I'm in Philly.

I took my niece here last week to celebrate her 16th Birthday, it was truly a wonderful experience! Service was on point and all selections were delectable! My niece enjoyed it very much, for it was her first high tea experience! Will definitely be back!

My husband and I decided to spend a long weekend in Philadelphia since we're officially empty-nest couple. The Tea Room is inside of Rittenhouse Hotel, and you need to make reservation at least 2-3 weeks ahead of your afternoon team time (and with your credit info to hold your reservation) because the tea time is only from 2 PM to 5 PM. Once you reserved the table, it's yours for most of afternoon. The ambiance was very relaxing and traditional English tea house & table setting. There was also lived classical music. The tea selections were quite impressive which included various tea from Asia to Europe and South Africa. It's a good opportunity to try different types of tea that not what you usually have. The menu was simple - 3 types and all included glasses of champagne and great amount of tea sandwiches, scones and sweets to have. We got the basic signature tea type and we couldn't finish the food. The service staffs were also very friendly & attentive. They ensure our food allergies were notified to the Chef. Only one single complain was the scones were a bit on the dry side. Otherwise the whole experience was wonderful. We'll be back again for sure.

Had a lovely afternoon tea yesterday for our anniversary. The sandwiches and savories were varied and quite good. My favorite was the salmon and mascarpone. I had the wild woman tea which was very aromatic and fruity with a strong blueberry taste and a hint of currant. The sweets were amazing with so many flavors and different textures. We had a lovely glass of brut sparkling wine as well. Very elegant and a nice change of pace! The hotel offers valet parking at a discount ($20 instead of $30) so was able to pull up to the door and avoid the drizzle.