Raise a teacup (and your pinkies) at these top spots.
Even with all the ninja parties, trampoline park bashes, and rock star celebrations your child might be invited to these days, for some kids, you still can’t beat a traditional tea party. What’s not to love about the chance to host friends for mini snacks, fancy teacups, and dress-up clothes? If you’re looking to up the ante from a simple at-home affair, we rounded up some of the best places in Chicago to host a festive tea party for your little lady or gentleman.
We found restaurants and time-honored tearooms that welcome kids and adults alike for elegant celebrations, plus one over-the-top at-home option. They all take care of the work, giving parents, babysitters, and nannies a chance to sip their own cuppa.
American Girl Place
Address: 835 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: 877-247-5223
Fees: Adults, $23 | Kids, $19
A tea party here is sure to be a hit for any American Girl devotee. Tea is served in the Water Tower Place store’s café, where dolls can sit at the table with party guests. Children choose from mint tea, hot cocoa, milk, or pink lemonade to drink and nibble on treats named after American Girls. (Think: Samantha’s cinnamon buns, Addy’s apple and Boursin cheese sandwich, and Kit’s chocolate mousse flowerpot.) Adults are served a more grown-up menu with vegetable frittata and caprese crostini, plus bellinis and mimosas.
Seating times for tea are from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Birthday party packages are also available at American Girl Place, as are a host of other services, including doll ear-piercing and doll hairstyling.
Ms. Newberry’s Traveling Tea Party
Address: The party comes to you
Phone: 708-951-0351
Fees: $500 for up to 18 guests
Host a fancy tea party at home without the work! This tea party pro swoops in and takes charge — even rolling up with a tea party trailer filled with supplies. Kids will love choosing costumes to wear while they sip and chat like grown-ups. Ms. Newberry entertains guests with an hour and a half of stories and crafts. She supplies the food, too, with lemonade, cupcakes, cookies, cheese, fruit, and pastries served on china handed down from Ms. Newberry’s grandmother. You don’t even have to worry about tables and chairs. Parties are designed for kids turning 4 to 8 years old.
Vanille
Address: 2108 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60614
Phone: 773-868-4574
Fees: Adults, $32 | Kids, $19
This French patisserie serves afternoon tea Thursday through Sunday at its Lincoln Park location and welcomes kids ages 4 to 12 with a special menu. Little ones nosh on petit croissants with Nutella and bananas, scones, cupcakes, and the bakery’s signature macarons, along with tea, hot chocolate, or apple juice. (You won’t mind chaperoning while nibbling pain de mie with marinated cucumbers, dill, and crème fraîche.)
Parties of more than four people can request the Vanille Salon, which can fit up to 10 guests. Plan ahead, as reservations are required with 48 hours’ notice.
Palm Court at The Drake
Address: 140 E. Walton Place, Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: 312-932-4619
Fees: Adults, $45 | Kids, $20
Tea at The Drake is a Chicago tradition kids can take part in. Their eyes will widen when they walk into the elegant Palm Court — ornately decorated and arranged around a dramatic fountain. The Drake has a special “Little Prince and Princess” menu suggested for ages 4 and up. The spread of kid-friendly bites includes finger sandwiches filled with turkey and cheese, and Nutella and jelly. Seasonal petit fours and English scones with lemon curd and double Devon cream will get kids in a festive mood.
Kids can pick an herbal tea from the Palm Court’s tea list or choose hot chocolate or a kiddie cocktail. Afternoon tea is served every day from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Make sure to reserve ahead of time — especially during the fall and winter holiday season, when tables go fast.
Lockwood Restaurant at Palmer House
Address: 17 E. Monroe St., Chicago, IL 60603
Phone: 312-917-3404
Fees: Adults, $45 | Kids, $22
There might not be a grander spot for a tea party in this city than the Palmer House. Your guests will be sitting pretty in the Beaux Arts lobby while munching on a kids’ tea party that includes hot chocolate, milk, juice, and soda, along with turkey sandwiches, scones, banana cake, and strawberry shortcake. Adults are offered prosciutto and asparagus sandwiches, financiers, and madeleines.
Give kids a history lesson and point out the Palmer House’s frescos, murals, and 24-karat gold chandeliers between bites. Afternoon tea is served from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m and reservations are required.
Did we list your favorite place for a tea party? Let us know in the comments below!
Atlanta, GA | Austin, TX | Baltimore, MD | Boston, MA | Burlington, VT | Chicago, IL | Cleveland, OH | Dallas, TX | Denver, CO | Detroit, MI | Houston, TX | Las Vegas, NV | Los Angeles, CA | Miami, FL | Minneapolis, MN | New Haven, CT | New York, NY | Orlando, FL | Philadelphia, PA | Phoenix, AZ | Pittsburgh, PA | San Diego, CA | San Francisco, CA | San Jose, CA | Seattle, WA | Tampa, FL | Toledo, OH | Washington, DC
