Palm Court

Beautiful tea time with live harp. Amazing selection for teas, scones, sandwiches and small bites. I enjoyed my time here. You can also ask for more for the pieces that you liked. The staff was very attentive too!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Palm Court at The Drake is my go-to for an elegant, unforgettable high tea. The stunning setting, live harp music, and top-tier service make it a Chicago classic. Unlike most high teas, they offer a second round of one dish—a unique Midwestern touch. Everything from the tea to the scones is perfection. A must-visit! #PalmCourtChicago

Luxurious brunch, brilliant harpist playing during our meal, the ambiance of the fountain was beautiful and the tea was amazing. I’ve never been filled up by pastries/high tea food before but this was very filling and delicious! Also plenty of vegetarian options

If this review is helpful, please make sure you leave it a like 👍🏽🎅🏿🎅☃️.My bestie and I decided to have a lovely Christmas High Tea here at the Palm Court in the Drake Hotel . The atmosphere was wonderful. The tea had a lovely robust flavor. The 3 tier curate food was tantalizing . I know that they do High Tea all throughout the year, so I would definitely recommend you go here. Make sure you dress appropriately. You will definitely want to take pictures and enjoy this lovely occasion.

I came with my family for the holiday tea time. We made reservations in October for our December date to ensure we had a table. The inside of the tea room is grand, as there is a elegant fountain in the middle of the room and the decor is classy. There was a live harpist and she played such beautiful music that set the tone for the evening. Aside from just christmas music, she played modern hits too. If you go on certain days there are carolers - we didn’t pay for them to come but we could hear them at other tables and they put on quite a show. Once seated, we started with tea. I got the Tropical Garden blend and was impressed with how vibrant the fruit flavors were, as I could taste each hint of the different fruit. The tea cups and plates for the table were adorable. For the food, they serve a big tower of a variety of finger foods and dessert cookies. For the finger foods, my favorites were the turkey sandwich and roast beef. Im a sucker for a deli sandwich so these were right up my alley. The cucumber roll had unique flavors but not my favorite and I wasn’t a fan of the smoked salmon bite (I like smoked salmon but wasn’t feeling this one). For the snacks, the little biscuits melted in my mouth and the jam served with it was vibrant. The mini pecan pies had a great flavor too. For the little dessert bites, the salted carmel macaroons were the star of the show for me - The chocolate cube with the drake button on top were good too. You don’t go for the food but it is sufficient for a meal and there is plenty to fill you up. The service was wonderful, as our waiter did a great job of ensuring we had all the food and drinks we needed. I was pleasantly surprised to know the tower of food was bottomless. Overall this is a unique experience - While it is pricey, I found it worth it for the quality time i got to spend with family, while enjoying delicious tea, snacks and a curated holiday atmosphere.

Quite overpriced for the service and food quality we received. The sandwiches were especially dry. The table was crowded with items. The service didn’t feel as high quality as the price tag. Still a fun experience though, will not do it again

Holiday tea at the Palm Court is such a fun vibe! The room was decorated beautifully and they even had carolers. The service was prompt and attentive throughout our afternoon service. I was there for a bachelorette and they brought out a special dessert for the bride when they found out. The tea and food were alright - nothing special. It’s pretty expensive, but not out of range of what’s typical for afternoon tea. Definitely a special treat / girls weekend type of event. I highly recommend going for a special occasion!

Very disappointed in the entire tea service. For 2 people, we had 1 Bellini each and the high tea service and our total was over $200. While I normally wouldn't care about the price, the service and quality of the experience did not match the bill. In terms of the food, the quality was quite poor. The scones were small and dry, the sandwiches were mostly just bread with little on them, and one of the desserts was burnt and inedible. The environment was chaotic and not what you'd expect from a higher end experience. The tables were crammed together, the chairs were uncomfortable and looked like something you'd rent for an event, and it was incredibly warm. For the service, each patron is only provided one plate, and all tiers of the service were served at once, so there was no room on the table. For the price point, this was not worth it. I would not recommend this venue, and suggest The Drake focus on the customer experience more.

I've been to high tea before and it sure is expensive. But the high tea experience here is well worth your money, and is probably the best high tea you can get in the city! The atmosphere is so lovely. There are flowers all throughout the space, surrounding a fountain in the center. There was a harpist playing contemporary pieces, which really set the mood. The food was scrumptious. Elevated finger sandwiches, cakes, macaroons, scones, etc were all on the menu for us. They paired perfectly with the tea options. The tea is loose within the pot so you do need to strain it yourself, though I think it makes the tea much more flavorful. The servers come around to refill the tea kettle with more water and also replenish the food! If you can't finish everything, you are allowed to box it up and take it home. I could not have asked for a better place for high tea! The atmosphere, food/tea, and service were extraordinary, especially for the price.

Food was ok but not good. Tea was fine. However service was terrible. Our server didn't explain what was included with the tea. She was irritated that we were not ready to order within a couple of minutes of being seated. We saw her roll her eyes as she walked away. After we ordered and received the food/tea she never came to check on us. I had to stop the manager to ask if we could have some water drinking water as she never served us any water. We had run out of hot water in our tea pots for a while and had to Ask for that as well. My friends and i will not be going back.

Amazing experience with afternoon tea at Palm Court at The Drake Hotel. We'd been trying to visit for awhile, and it finally worked out for our schedule. Palm Court is stunningly gorgeous! The tea food is a fixed collection of both sweet & savory finger foods. So delicious! You then choose from a wide variety of teas. Service was exceptional!

Went here one evening with friends around St. Patrick's Day. The St. Patties themed pastries were so cute! Not only were they cute but they tasted delicious too. I really liked the cucumber Sandwich and the salmon sandwich. The tea tasted average. The servers were very accommodating towards us and refilled our tea pots as much as possible. They also refilled our tea tray which was my favorite! The whole place feels like a palace. Many of the decorations take on a white, marble, and gold theme. Very beautiful background for picture taking and insta photo worthy. But it is very expensive. It was about $90 per person. It is a nice place to experience at least once in your life!

Been here several times and always loved it. The ambiance is unbeatable- there's always a harpist, a fountain, an amazing centerpiece, and ornate decorations. I had the Des Vehines tea and thought it was wonderful- great notes of vanilla. Unless you LOVE citrus, I would avoid 7 Citrus because it's incredibly citrus and not exactly desirable in our opinions. As for the food, the cucumber sandwiches were everyone's favorite. The beef and swiss wraps were decent (a little dry and could use a sauce), the fire roasted chicken was not worth trying, and the shrimp sandwiches were pretty good overall. The desserts didn't hit like they usually do here. They were all just okay, and we ended up leaving the top of our tower pretty full. It's a seasonal menu so I'm sure this will be fixed in the future. The plain scones, however, were great! Everyone loved those. Our waiter, Sead, was over-the-top wonderful. He made sure our elderly grandmother could find the accessible ramp to the bathroom, he was incredibly attentive, and very kind. We hope that when we come back we'll get him again!

This has been on my list of things to do and I finally made a reservation on Christmas, hoping it would be a great experience based off photos. When we checked in, the front desk seemed very chaotic. We were seated in about 10 minutes. I guess since it was Christmas it was so noisy and filled with a lot of children, which to me didn't suit the vibe of "high tea". Our server was very friendly and nice and offered us additional servings of sandwiches. The food however seemed very average for The Drake hotel, the desserts also were on the sweeter side and not very unique. For the quality of food and ambience I would not come back as it does not justify the cost

Booked the Holiday Tea with a dear friend in the main Palm Court dinning space. Yes it was very beautifully decorated and the lady playing the harp was quite talented HOWEVER $85 USD for finger sandwiches and herbal tea is a steep price and I'm not convinced the "experience" was worth that much. Service was just subpar. Waiter didn't keep our water glasses full, we had to ask for more tea and fruit preserves. I was a bit shocked the waiter had neck and hand tattoos in such a high class establishment. In all, I guess I expected attentive top notch service for how much people rave about this place. This isn't the "royal treatment" or even on par with many of Chicago's popular restaurants. Pros: if you ask, they will accommodate allergies or food sensitivities, otherwise it's a fixed menu for everyone. The lobby is gorgeous with the Christmas tree and flying angels overhead. Perfect for holiday pictures. It was mid-week so not very busy for lunch. Cons: with gratuity and tip, it was over $200 USD for two people, no alcohol for a hotel restaurant and not plentiful. Didn't feel like an "experience" which is how it's advertized. I think going to The Drake hotel to see the lobby or have a bevvie at the bar would be enough to check the box and say you saw it, but skipping the High Tea wouldn't be a big loss.

I absolutely LOVE coming here for holiday high tea! The service is exquisite and the ambience is amazing. You get to select the tea of your choice and they will replenish any treats that you enjoy. I had the Montagne bleue tea which is a mix of black tea, lavender,berries and rhubarb. It is so refreshing and relaxing. The tea sandwiches and scones were delicious. We had an awesome server named Javier ! Beautiful experience and I can't wait to return.

It's just amazing to experience this tradition! TIPS- 1. Leave time to walk around the hotel and take pictures (especially when the holiday decor is up). 2. You can ask for seconds. All being over 40, the desserts were just too much sugar for us. We asked for extra finger sandwiches. 3. Definitely dress up!

If you are not on a budget, go one time. I took my daughter and my mom for a three generation holiday outing/ gift experience. This restaurant is located in the Drake, an old fashioned elegant hotel. The palm court is elegantly decorated for Christmas as we speak and could have been a scene from the 40's , 50's etc ( timeless old fashioned feel ). The wait staff was kind and attentive. The actual tea was good - I chose the fruit blend one that had mango, pineapple, peach - yum. The food is OK. At best. For 85.00 per adult and 35 per child ( up to age 12) it should be more special. They do give you a refill on sandwiches so the quantity part is fine, it's the quality that just needs some improvement. Nothing bad per say but nothing absolutely delicious ( the desserts were particularly mediocre at best ). Pay one time for the experience to make a memory with loved ones. Overall, I'm glad we did but won't likely be back unless the food served gets a an overhaul.

What a lovely afternoon tea at Palm Court! With a gorgeous interior and charming decor, this is the perfect place to catch up with friends and feel a lil' fancy over some tasty bites and sips. We joined for the holiday tea and were welcomed warmly by the staff and beautiful sounds of live harp playing. Our server was very knowledgeable and patient while going over the impressive tea menu. I settled on the seasonal Sugar Plum Fairy, which was excellent! After a short time, the tea tower with all of the delicious-looking bites came out. The variety and presentation was beautiful! The sandwiches included cucumber, roast beef, turkey salad, and gravlax. I enjoyed them but expected a bit more for the price- the bread seemed dry and flavors rather simple. The turkey salad was festive and the group favorite. The sweets array was really impressive, however! We all loved the seasonal stollen bread, which was moist and perfectly spiced. The light and buttery scones were delicious with the clotted cream, jam, and lemon curd. The assorted pastries included mini cakes, peppermint iced brownies, fig spiced custard, and macarons. The cakes lacked a bit of flavor to me, but the brownies were decadent and tasted like an Andes mint in fudge form. The macarons were tender and custard surprisingly light. Overall, the food was not exceptional but definitely still enjoyable. The reason to come here is the experience and ambiance. My friends and I had a great time and would definitely return!

Had a lovely time at high tea at the Palm Court! I grew up coming here with my mom so it was nostalgic to be back. The tea service was lovey. They have a nice selection of teas- herbal, black, green, and some seasonal varieties. I had a call seasonal herbal tea which was lovely. The food is pretty standard high tea food- sandwiches, scones, and desserts. They also had delicious deviled eggs. You are able to ask for more of anything (complimentary) which is great. I love the flowers and the fountains here. We were lucky to be sitting right next to it!

Tea at the Drake was such a lovely experience. We were disappointed we hadn't been sooner! From the start, the staff was very friendly, warm, and welcoming. The flowers, decorations, and vibes were wonderful. I really enjoyed the tea I ordered, but it was fun to try other people's tea at my table. I recxommend getting different types of tea to be able to share! The food was delicious. There were a couple of sandwhiches I didn't love, but the others made up for it!! Make sure to come hungry because they will keep giving seconds! We went at the end of March, and it was an Irish themed menu. The desserts were also delicious. All in all, it was a lovely time and I look forward to a future occasion that brings me back!

I love The Palm Court high tea! Love it. Love the ambience, the fountain, the flowers, everything! The staff was fantastic, always checking in, always keeping my tea cup full. Food was excellent. The lemon cake with lemon curd was fantastic! The desserts were only ok, but I don't have a sweet tooth at all. So take my opinion about desserts with a grain of salt . The sandwiches were great. The cucumber one was absolutely delicious! I highly recommend the experience!

Hear me out!! I love the concept of tea time. Who doesn't love to get dressed up, put your pinky up while sipping tea out of fine china, eat finger foods, and pretend you're a super classy B every once in a while?! I know I do! Doing that here, however, not so much. We had a reservation on Saturday 2/24 for 4:30pm. They have a harpist play Thursday-Sunday until 5:30pm if I recall correctly. We had a party of three and 2/3 were checking in while the other parked. The host, Goff?, snubbed us and made us wait until our third was there. The place looked half empty and half of that were influencers being heavily catered to. We ended up being sat at a small table for two between three other tables. A third chair was awkwardly added but we made it work. Our server Sead? was very kind. He was doing his absolute best but the whole vibe was off and rushed for me. He recommended the Drake Blend and it was absolutely delicious. I would love to brew that at home daily. The food was incredibly subpar. Everything looked so pretty but the taste fell short. My favorite of everything was the plain scone with clotted cream. I could've ate the clotted cream with a spoon - it took me straight back to a favorite childhood breakfast that my grandma would serve us with pita bread and chai. I also liked the cucumber tea sandwiches and Ruben rollups just fine. I wanted to like the salmon sandwich thing but I found a hair on one and lost my appetite. The swans on top were cute but stale pastry and cream. All in all, I couldn't believe our bill was $87/pp before tip. My SIL ordered two Bellinis ($28) but I still can't believe our bill was that high even with a 3-way split. Not worth it in my opinion. Especially since we were told we had to leave by 6pm sharp because of an event that night. Which was fine if we were warned sooner because it felt like we had just got our food and already having to leave. The energy was negative, aside from our server, and the harpist only played for about 20 minutes (which supposedly is why the rate is so much higher, so that was a bummer to pay for and not really get to enjoy). The venue is way overdue for a renovation too. Gave me grandmas living room vibes without the love and care we get from that fab lady.

I went to palm court to celebrate a birthday and it was my first time having finger food and tea. I loved the selection of tea. Each person can select one type of tea (and it gets refilled with hot water). The palm court was kinda pricey for tea and pastries, but worth an experience. I would try another place for English tea. Regardless I liked my experience and loved seeing everyone dressed up like Queen Elizabeth!

Had a great time with my British boss at the holiday tea. So busy with a live harpist playing holiday numbers ... loved my tea and the service. Javier was very attentive and great at checking if we needed any refills . It's an experience one must indulge during the holidays.

Had a lovely "spooky" afternoon tea in October. Agree with what other reviewers have said: space is a bit cramped. Definitely some dated items that could use a refresh. But it's a classic space for a reason and I enjoyed being part of a tradition that has gone back generations. Our server was very prompt and I felt the whole experience was a well-oiled machine with getting people in and out. I was impressed that you could get refills of the food items! For no extra charge. That definitely seemed like an added bonus. Very sweet experience but I'll probably try another Chicago afternoon tea first before returning to this one.

Decor and service were top-notch. I came for the Christmas tea with carols at 11am and felt like I was living in luxury. The portions are huge, and I don't think anyone in my party ended up finishing the entire set. My favorite items were the scones, smoked salmon bread, turkey salad, and the peppermint brownie. The carols were a nice touch, too.

I came here for the holiday afternoon tea, and I was really excited as I heard so much about how amazing this experience is. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. The food was just okay - there were some things I really liked (I'm looking at you, roast beef sandwich) and some things that were just really awful (fig custard, a soupy disgusting thing that resembled the consistency of apple sauce). The decorations were really nice and the carolers were good, but overall this is really overpriced and something I will not be returning to.

Pros: They do have valet parking for $20 for 3 hours which isn't too bad if you know how much they charge for parking in the city of Chicago. The whole ambience of the Drake hotel is very classy and elegant. They started the service on the dot and it was done in a timely manner. The bathroom for the ladies was very impressive as well. It's actually a powder room and there are stalls that have their personal bathrooms included. Everything was neat and thoroughly cleaned throughout each service. The food was just divine! I absolutely loved the variety of sandwiches that you're given and they bring out more of your party needs them. We had cucumber sandwiches, Reuben wrap, chicken teriyaki sandwiches, and smoked salmon. They all tasted amazing! They had a live harpist and it was just wonderful! Cons: None Overall: It's a great experience and I would highly recommend it!

I loved my high tea experience here. The interior is absolutely stunning and magnificent. It's like you're in a movie! We were seated right next to the beautiful water fountain in the middle. Our server Javier was phenomenal and provided the BEST service for us. He gave us recommendations for our tea selection and explicated everything so seamlessly. He was so personable and checked up on us often. The finger food was 10/10 and tea was 10/10!! I highly recommend this experience if you haven't tried it out yet!

I was really curious how this tea experience at The Drake would turn out due to the mixed opinions I've heard about it. I made a reservation about a month and a half in advance on Open Table, but it is probably possible to get reservations within a shorter time frame. Even though we were about 15 minutes late to our reservation, we were seated soon after arriving. Our waiter came by and explained the ordering process. Each person can have their own flavor of tea. There are so many different flavor profiles to pick from on the tea menu. I loved the The Des Vahines tea. This tea has notes of vanilla and almond. Initially, they bring out samples of every food item from the menu. Almost all of the food items were at least a 8/10. We especially liked the smoked salmon sandwiches. I was surprised to learn that we would have the opportunity to re-order additional finger sandwiches and pastries without paying additional fees. I haven't had this experience at most of the other tea's I've been to. We stayed for almost 2 hours, but I would have been totally content staying longer if I didn't have another activity right afterwards. The décor inside this place is stunning and the harpist played great songs. The price isn't cheap (Currently about $70 per adult before tax and tip), but not horrible for the area and atmosphere. I compared the pricing of The Drake versus other hotel tea's in the downtown/gold coast area and this one comes out $15-$65 less than most of them. The Langham and Peninsula Hotel's seem to have the highest prices, but I would like to try both of those eventually too.

The Palm Court is inside the Drake, which was visited by the late Queen and the late Princess themselves. I made reservations for an afternoon tea experience to bring my mom for a little date. We were provided the Palais de Thes menu which lists 17 unique tea blends in which one can choose from; once the order is taken, the 3-tiered tea tray filled with finger sandwiches, breads, scones, petit fours, and housemade preserves, lemon curd, and English double Devon cream are brought out. Service was nice, but nonexistent - we had a hard time finding or getting our server's attention to refill our pot of teas, get replacements, and try to order more food. There was a lot of waiting around. There was a harpist that played for the portion of the afternoon, but she arrived kind of late, and her setting up took quite some time. There were also frequent pauses and breaks in between. While the fountain and the space was nice to look at, the place was not well lit and was more dark, super echo-y, and very loud with the amount of patrons in there. I'd think the place would stagger the seating, but it was so packed. Definitely not one of the preferred places for an afternoon tea. +nonexistent service +located inside the Drake +valet and self-parking available

This is for the afternoon tea experience. It was definitely an interesting time, and although there were some highlights, the price is just a bit much when all is considered. First off, the Fruit Garden tea was fantastic, and I don't typically enjoy tea all that much. The petit fours and other edible items were pretty good albeit a bit unspectacular overall. You can get seconds on some of the items (at least once). However, at $70 per adult, which doesn't include any alcoholic beverages should you choose to imbibe, the price makes it far less appealing. There are much better deals and experiences to be had for less than that.

I had high hopes coming here, but unfortunately had a very bad experience. First of all, the area is stunning, but the tables are very crowded which makes the environment feel very cramped. If the seating was reduced by around 40%, it would be much better. Clearly they were trying to fit in as many people as possible. Our table was missing silverware and napkins despite making a reservation in advance. Our server was inattentive and quite rude. She snatched the menu out of my hands and half assedly explained what was on it. When our tea was brought out, she very aggressively placed it on the table, spilled some of it, and left without saying a word. The three tiered stand was placed right between me and my husband on our very small table so we couldn't see each other at all. We had to lean to the side to be able to speak to each other. This might be nitpicky, but I expect better for something that costs $81 per person. The pastries were not great - kind of boring and something you can find at any grocery store. The sandwiches were quite mushy, but maybe those just weren't my taste. While we were there one of the large silver balls attached to the fountain fell off into the water. It was left there floating around the fountain the whole time we were there. I'm hoping they removed it sometime after we left. Overall, we were very disappointed by our experience here.

Loved it. First experience and we couldn't have been happier. Once we got seated our waiter Amir was on point from start to finish. He made sure that we understood all of our options and helped choose our teas etc. Drinks including the kiddie cocktail were yummy with unlimited refills and the whole ambience was perfect. The harpist added a special touch. We left full and happy.

We usually try to do tea here at least once or twice a year. I would say that it has nothing to do with the flavor/temperature of the teas or the food being served, it is all about the experience of having high tea. I have been to afternoon tea at The Ritz (London & Paris), Harrods, Fortnum & Mason in London. Yes these were sublime experiences, but for me high tea is just another way to spend a leisurely afternoon and being in Chicago, this is one of the places I like to go to do just that. You can get tea for the little ones for $35 and for adults it is $74. For the upcoming holiday season, there is a new menu and on certain days you can make a reservation so you are there to hear Holiday Carolers; that will cost you $78. The service has always been impeccable and the food lovely. The décor is wonderful and elegant. Honestly, it isn't just about the tea and food, it is about community and wearing fascinators and drinking bubbles with my tea, while watching The Doctor sip on a single malt whiskey and The Queen on a mimosa now that she is old enough to do so. Before that it was a sparkling non-alcholic drink in a flute. Reservations are most definitely required; I am not even sure if they do walk-ins, so I would not recommend it. I have had people over the years complain about the price and I always tell them that this is not a Lipton tea kind of place. For a lower cost, you can get a tea and sandwich from Starbucks and call it a day.

I mean, I'm in awe really. This was my first time doing a high tea experience (shoutout to my best friend for taking me here for my birthday!!!) and it did not disappoint. My friend has made a reservation at 4pm which is exactly when we arrived. We had to wait around 10ish minutes to be sat because it was really busy! I also want to preface by saying Palm Court is inside the Drake Hotel which is absolutely beautiful. There's a big fountain and fixture in the middle of the dining room at the Palm Court, along with a harp player that's there for a few hours, I believe. The service was great. The hostesses especially were so attentive, polite, and professional. We didn't really know how the high tea service worked and our server was happy to explain! This is definitely an upscale, elegant type of tea party, so I recommend diving into the experience and dressing up for it. The tea, pastries, and finger sandwiches - WOW. I mean seriously, sooooo delicious! Definitely the best tea I've ever had. We got the Super Plum Fairy tea and Chai tea. Definitely recommend both, and you can't forget the sugar cubes ;) I was pleasantly surprised by the food. I thought it would be okay and did not expect to be blown away by the pastries. The cucumber sandwiches were sooo fresh and flavorful. The little scones with the trio of jam, lemon meringue, and whipped butter were FANTASTIC. I really enjoyed all the food and tea. This was such a unique experience and I recommend coming here with a friend. I'll definitely do this experience again!

TL;DR: Great atmosphere and solid tea I loved my experience at the Drake for afternoon tea. The harpist was a great touched and loved hearing Taylor Swift and some random Christmas songs thrown in there too. The waiter was very nice and caring. He even asked if we wanted a picture together, which was so fun! The Drake blend was the best tea I have had in a while and liked that they kept refilling the teapots with warm water. The platter assortment was yummy and appreciated the sandwich replacement at no cost. The scones were my favorite with the jam, butter, and lemon curd. I loved my experience here and did not feel rushed to leave. I would come back for tea here again!

Afternoon Tea at Palm Court was picture perfect; there was a professional harpist, unlimited refills on tea, and a beautiful running fountain in the center of the room. The three-tier pastry display was amazing, but the macarons were definitely my favorite! I got the Mélange du Cap tea, and it's perfect if you have a sweet tooth. The service was amazing, and I will definitely be back soon!

Came for afternoon tea and sat right next to the fountain, The atmosphere was great. Some of the ladies even wore white gloves and fascinators. Nice selection of pastries, sandwiches, and deserts but the star of the show was the cucumber sandwiches. These were made the traditional way with tomato jam and cream cheese without dill. Nice selection of teas. I ordered the house blend which was very berry-like. Sipping tea while listening to a harp play in front of a nice fountain makes for an easy Sunday. Service was great and they will bring you extra cucumber sandwiches.

We came for afternoon tea at the Palm Court. It is very sad that Hilton has let the once glamorous Drake Hotel fall into such horrible disrepair but this review is for the Palm Court tea experience only. For $69 per person, it is an over-priced experience. The food offering comes in a traditional three tiered tea service. The scones were non-traditional but good, the sandwiches felt low quality, and the desserts were awful in my opinion (with the exception of the macaroons which were delightful). The restaurant stank, it smelled like an old bar with a dank stale-beer in the carpets odor. The service ware / china felt cheap. However, the floral decorations did feel extravagant and a nod to the hotel's now lost grandeur. The service was rushed, inattentive, and seemed pointless given the tea service is prix fix. They did do a good job of keeping water refilled and offering hot water to refill teapots during the service. If you're looking for a luxury tea service the Peninsula or Langham offer higher quality experiences. Sadly, until new ownership or management take over, The Drake is best to be avoided.

Old world elegance in the city of broad shoulders! There's nothing like afternoon tea at The Drake. The ambience gets taken up a notch during Christmastime with the decorations, harpist and Carolers on most days. Scones, sandwiches, desserts and tea were all great. The service and staff was very friendly. Not sure why the rating is so low but I imagine many things can occur with such a large/popular operation. Nonetheless, this is a very unique destination in Chicago if not the nation. Enjoy a luxurious afternoon in the Gold Coast! Some tips - You can make reservation well ahead of when it opens up on open table...you just have to do it directly with them. Holidays and weekends are booked quickly. Club international is their room that is attached to the main palm court area with the huge centerpiece. Not as fancy but certainly great if that's the only thing available.

The venue is beautiful. However, the tables are small and the food wasn't the best I've had for afternoon tea. For double the price of the other places, I don't think it's worth it. I was also surprised that the desserts weren't the same when we ordered the same menu. It was said to be red velvet but it seemed like only one was red velvet and the other slice was some weird fruit cake. The tea also went really quickly. I got the sugar plum one and even with the strainer, it does leave a lot of bits in the cup. It does feel a little rushed when they take your plates. They did have someone playing the harp, which was nice.

Nice atmosphere and space but badly let down by mediocre food and ambivalent service. The place trades on its heritage and is well over priced relative to the standard of food served. Drinks including tea were fine but food less so. Bread had that texture of staleness suggesting made too far in advance. Savory sandwiches were nothing special and were under represented relative to abundance of very average cakes. It could be so much better if they knew what they were doing and cared to improve. Should be better for the top dollars they charge. Try the Russian Tea Room in the Loop for better food and better service.

I came here for the holiday afternoon tea on a non-caroler day and it was a great experience overall. This is a wonderful thing to do for locals and visitors alike. The Drake hotel really knows how to decorate for the holidays and everything is so festive and vibrant. The tea room feels cozy yet sophisticated, and the staff is very welcoming and helpful. They have a live harpist providing some relaxing music, which adds to the elegance of the whole atmosphere. This would be a nice place to bring the little kids in your life too. And if you ever wanted to go some place where you would want to wear a fascinator, then this would be it! I appreciated the fact that guests could have a quality conversation across the table from each other without raising their voices. My favorite tea sandwich was the cucumber one with spiced tomato jam and cream cheese. A sandwich bread for some of the tea sandwiches were a bit dry- like they'd been sitting out all morning. Our table had a trio of three teas (jasmine, Darjeeling Margaret's hope and the nutcracker). My personal favorite was the jasmine- it was fragrant and light. I didn't really care for the nutcracker tea because of the strong cinnamon notes in it. In between the scones, the macaroons, apple parfait and cookies, I felt like there was definitely a sugar overload situation going on. There was not a lack of food to go around per person and we had quite a bit of leftovers. They do have some alcoholic beverages for an additional cost- I tried their Bellini and it was excellent!

I've been doing Holiday Tea at the Drake for the past three years. We always enjoy ourselves but this year was lacking a bit. Firstly, they have increased the price on the days that they have Carolers. I always appreciated the carolers, but it feels a little icky that they are now charging more for them. Service was also much slower this year. No one came by for a long time to ask if we wanted more of the finger foods or to refill our hot water. There were plenty of people coming by to refill our regular water however. It's a good experience, but after going consecutively for a few years, I feel like some things are slipping a bit. After tip, for adults you will end up spending about $100.

Came here at the recommendation of a friend who said that this was her favorite place to get afternoon tea in the downtown Chicago area! I love afternoon tea, so I immediately made a reservation! You definitely need to make a reservation here as the place books up relatively quickly, so definitely plan ahead! Overall impression is that this *might not* be worth the price of the afternoon tea. It's a set ~$75/person price and there was nothing too spectacular about the food or drink options included in the tea. The ambiance was stunning and beautiful, and there was even some gorgeous live music from a harp player as well, but all of that might not equal the price of admission I'm sad to say. None of the food was all that remarkable other than these curry chicken salad puffs. All the other small bites we had we were finding issues with, whether it be that the sandwich bread was too dry or a dessert was too sweet, etc. The service was great though, they constantly came by to provide more hot water for your tea and there was a wide range of tea options as well. All the cutlery and china was gorgeous as well and everything in general is such high quality in the surrounding space, it puzzled us to no end that the items that actually mattered, the edible things, were not on par with the superior quality the entire surrounding environment basked in! Even the bathrooms were stunning! One nice thing is that they will come around once you've finished all your small bites and ask if there are any you want more of, for no extra charge! We only asked for a few more of those curry chicken salad puffs because that was genuinely the only bite, out of ~15 unique bites, that we wanted seconds of, if that is any indication of how disappointing the food was! All in all, I would say at most one time here might be good enough if you have $75 you are willing to spend on an afternoon tea, just to experience it? If there is a different price for children, I could totally see myself coming here with my nonexistent, maybe future child one day and get dolled up together and have a cute little spot of afternoon tea just for the fun! I did see one or two tables doing this and it looked sooo cute! But other than that, I probably will not be coming back here anytime soon and also will probably not recommend this to my friends just given the steep pricing! If they did pricing by a la carte, then maybe? But that isn't the traditional vibe that comes with afternoon tea.

Quite pricey so jsut go in aware Good service Hit or miss on the food but in general, really tasty and delicious and interesting flavors. I thoguht quite unique and they let you have seconds and thirds too. The tea was jsut so good Loved the harp and decor. So fun and fancy

Do not waste your time and money. The Food is horrible. Staff have no idea how to serve their guests. No one showed on our table for 30 min until we had to call them about our service., No one told us refill is included untill we payed the check. They do not know anything about Afternoon tea tradition. Not recommended at all.

We had an afternoon high tea which was lovely. Grandmother, mother and seven year old daughter. The atmosphere and decor were lavish and service was great. The harpist was playing and the food was great. Valet service was smooth and cheerful. The price is still pretty outlandish, otherwise it would be 5 stars.

Came here on Sunday before flying home. Was able to easily store our bags with the bellman. We were lucky to get a last minute reservation for 12 when they open. Azmir was our server and he was just the best. Very attentive and kind. Took our photo for us too! Really enjoyed the live harpist and assortments of tea time items. The chicken sandwich was my favorite savory and the scones with jam and cream was just what I wanted. They have a nice selection of teas too. There is a 1.5 hour sitting time so we tried to respect that. I would definitely come back. It's a casual setting but people did dress up and wear hats which was nice.

Very nice experience. The Teas are really good. Food is really good. Carolers and servers are awesome. During the holiday it's decorated with harp player. Very nice experience. It's not cheap but it's worth trying for experience purposes.

A nice place for afternoon tea, delicious food, great service, decoration is beautiful.

Came here for holiday tea with a friend. I'd never done tea at the Drake (or really tea service anywhere) so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. It was great! You get to pick one tea from their extensive menu (I picked sugar plum fairy, which was one of the special holiday offerings). We only got to pick one tea, and what they do is keep filling the pot with more hot water (and as you might guess, the tea gets more flavorful the more it steeps in the pot. The food offerings were also delicious: finger sandwiches, scones, macaroons, other sweets, etc. It was a good balance of savory and sweet options, with some toppings for the scones as well. You can ask for more of any of the food offerings. You can also order wine, and we both got a glass of sparkling wine as an add-on. Since it was still holiday tea there was a harpist playing some Christmas tunes, other winter songs and other good medleys. The only downside to the experience is that there isn't a lot of room for everything, especially on a small table for 2. The food comes on this big tower and then there's the tea pot, the strainer, the teacup, and food plates (plus our wine glasses) so it got a little hard to navigate. It's also pretty pricey, though I felt it was worth it for the experience. I believe the non-holiday tea is a bit less expensive, and I imagine that would be a great experience as well.

My boyfriend and I took our family to the holiday tea party experience on Thanksgiving and it was an overall pleasant experience. We were seated right the way with a reservation and next to the fountain & the harpist, which had a great view and a good photo spot. Each of us ordered a different tea and got to share with one another. I especially enjoyed the fruity kinds. I was worried about the desserts not being filling but we ended up not finishing 1/3 of them! (90mins also flies by when you're sipping tea with family). The sandwiches stood out while the rest of desserts tasted more on the average side which is why I give 4 stars, but it was enjoyable with good company. Our server Maddison is a sweet sweet lady and definitely added to the high tea experience. This is something I'd recommend taking your family to in Chicago for holiday specials :)

I took my friend here for her milestone birthday, and it was such a wonderful experience! Amir is such a patient and helpful server. It's is on the pricey side but considering you can have your tea refilled and the food is also replenished at your request (included in the price) we didn't ask for anything extra and were still very satisfied. The harpist was the chefs kiss on such a gorgeous experience. I'm looking forward to being someone back here again.

First of this place is gorgeous! The staff and service are great. I tried a few cocktails from our table and they were all fantastic. The sandwiches were okay. Most of the bread was pretty hard/stale. I assume they make it all ahead of time and it dries out. The dessert selection was okay. I do agree if you are used to a London tea time it's not the same. This place is pretty busy and had a ton of kids doing tea time. Not as relaxing as it should of been but it is the holiday time.