Hi @MaladyNelson and all,
So are these more plush / bountiful Afternoon Tea places recommended here… would the food be too much for 2 people? (I don’t like wasting food.)
Or are they meant to replace lunch / dinner?
Thanks.
Afternoon tea is usually meant to replace dinner (unless you’re having a very late supper), and can easily replace lunch as well if you have a big breakfast that day. That’s assuming you’re having the full afternoon tea; i.e., sandwiches, scones, and pastries.
As above, I’ve had good teas at the Peninsula, Huntington Library, and the Rose Tree Cottage in the past. I haven’t had it recently, though.
I have found the Peninsula to be the highest quality tea - food, tea and service - and most consistent. It is definitely a meal replacement for us. I have also been to the Langham several times. I don’t find the service to be as quite as good as the Peninsula and it is harder to get Saturday reservations, but it is still a good experience in my opinion. Even with much lowered expectations, we didn’t like anything about the Huntington tea experience. Rose tea cottage was too cutesy for my taste, but I haven’t been in a long time. I’ve been to the Montage BH tea once about two years ago and the service was laughable, but I will likely give that a try again. Also on my list to try is the the Bel Air Hotel (haven’t been since it became a Puck managed site), the Beverly Hills Hotel and more casual and less pricey American Tea Room.
I second @heidi 's assessment of The Peninsula’s afternoon tea. Also, I’ve always treated afternoon tea as a substitute for lunch - albeit one with copious sweets.
Thanks @theartgirl, @heidi, @MaladyNelson. Got it. 
On a side note, is it possible to enjoy The Peninsula’s afternoon tea service with just their great teas and maybe a smaller selection of sandwiches? I really want to just enjoy some tea and ambiance in a relaxing afternoon, and still keep dinner plans.
Thanks!
Just eat less. You’d still pay the same (60/person?).
To make it worth your while, you can ask them to bag up additional treats to take home aside from the standard cake they give you as a souvenir.
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IME, you can order one aspect of the afternoon tea - e.g. tea and sandwiches, or tea and scones (cream tea) - at a reduced price. I’ve done it without a problem in various cities whenever I haven’t wanted a full afternoon tea. I’ve never known a venue to bring fewer sandwiches, though.
Of all the places mentioned . What kind of tea are they serving . I’ll relay this to my sister . She travels to LA a lot with her husband .She like English style . That’s all I know . And her favorite tea is Mariages Freres . Marco Polo . She’s really into her teas seriously …
@Emglow101 - I am not aware of any places that serve Mariages Freres in LA, or at least labels what they are serving as such.
@Emglow101, I didn’t see Mariages Freres tea at American Tea Room, but they used to carry it at Williams-Sonoma - not sure if they still do.
@Chowseeker1999, I really liked American Tea Room. I didn’t try their afternoon tea, but my understanding is that it’s $20 per person and comes with one pot of tea, a few scones, jams, petit fours, chocolate, and possibly a sliver of cheese. All of the baked goods are from Valerie Confections. Although their afternoon tea is quite modest, everything is well curated.
If you’re going for a pampered experience, I would recommend The Peninsula. American Tea Room is situated on a bustling stretch of Santa Fe (south of the Arts District) and has an industrial chic aesthetic.
You can see photos and read about my visit to American Tea Room in greater detail here: Downtown Afternoon Place? - #17 by Srsly
Here’s Liz O.'s photo of her afternoon tea at the Beverly Hills location of American Tea Room, which is currently closed for remodeling: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/american-tea-room-beverly-hills?select=I1StIM7Ebl4G0_Mw5y7N3w
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@Emglow101, I discovered that Heritage Fine Wines in Beverly Hills carries a nice selection of Mariages Freres tea, including Marco Polo. They also fly in bread and punitions from Poilane. I’m a big fan of this Parisian bakery, but the bread must suffer a bit from the flight. I haven’t been to Heritage Fine Wines yet, but I hope to stop by soonish.
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Hi @foodshutterbug,
Thanks for the ideas. 
How is Mignon Wine Bar as a place to eat? Or did you just enjoy it for the tea?
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I like it - Very urban, intimate setting. With great pastas these days.
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Thanks @J_L. Ooh! It’s “Centra Pasta Bar” now? I remember your post and bookmarked it. 
I wanted to try it, but didn’t remember it was “Mignon Wine Bar”. So is this Centro Pasta Bar pop-up semi-permanent right now? Thanks.
One of the best lunch deals in DTLA. If not the best.
Uni pasta for $15? Ridiculous. Hand-made too.
But it’s so inconvenient from FiDi esp. during lunch. This is what makes GCM such a darling for the weekday lunch crowd. If they ever get Angel’s Flight up and running again, the lines at GCM may wrap around the block and snake all the way down to Pershing Sq.
When I asked, Santos intends for “Cento Pasta Bar” to be around a long time, so no worries.
The lovely bite of the spaghetti had me thinking it was dried pasta but forgot to ask. Still an insane deal, which can be polished off with their two other pastas, antipasto, a glass or two, and be back in time for a nap… err work. 
Just remembered - when in Venice, Zinque on Venice and Abbot Kinney Blvds offers Marriages Freres. Was grabbing a cuppa when I saw two cases rolling in via FedEx from Fence.
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Thanks for the info, @bulavinaka! It’s very much appreciated. Abbot Kinney is a lot closer to home than DTLA. I can’t wait to get a cup of Marco Polo at Zinque. It’s been years since I’ve had Mariage Freres tea. I used to buy it at Algabar in West Hollywood.
I’m not a tea drinker . But really like the Marco Polo . Always served at my sisters house .
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I love their tea also and order it directly from their online store.
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