The Best Afternoon Tea in NYC
Fourteen afternoon teas in New York, from the Plaza's Palm Court and the Baccarat's crystal salon to a Japanese tea at the Waldorf and a $60 pot in the West Village, with prices, booking windows and the 2026 holiday teas.
The best afternoon tea in New York is still the Palm Court at the Plaza, where $130 buys the Central Park Tea under a stained-glass ceiling, and the 2026 Holiday Afternoon Tea ($165) opens for booking from November 18. For the most dramatic room, it is the Baccarat Hotel's crystal-lit Grand Salon. For the most interesting tea, the Japanese afternoon tea at the Waldorf Astoria's Yoshoku, which reopened the hotel's tea tradition in 2026. And for value, a $60 pot and scones at Tea & Sympathy in the West Village. Below are fourteen afternoon teas, with prices, hours, how far ahead to book and what is planned for the holidays.
Afternoon tea in New York is mostly a hotel ritual, and it is not cheap: the big hotel teas run $125 to $150 per person before champagne, tax and an automatic gratuity that is often 18 percent. They are also booked solid in December. If you want a holiday tea, book the day the window opens. If you just want tea, go in January, when the rooms are calm and the prices are the same.
One update for anyone using an older list: The Pierre no longer serves afternoon tea. Its tea pages now point to the general dining page, and the Two E lounge opens at 5pm as a jazz lounge.
At a glance.
- 01The Palm Court at The PlazaThe original New York tea, served under a stained glass ceiling
- 02Grand Salon at the Baccarat HotelThe most glamorous room, lit by Baccarat crystal chandeliers
- 05Yoshoku at the Waldorf AstoriaA Japanese afternoon tea with teas from Brooklyn's Kettl
- 13Tea & SympathyA relaxed, $60 tea with proper scones in the West Village
- Cost
- $125 to $150 per person at the big hotels before tax and tip
- Best time
- Go in January, when the rooms are calm and prices are the same
The grand hotel teas
The original New York afternoon tea, served under the Palm Court's stained-glass laylight, with palms and a house blend, The Plaza Blend No. 1907, made with TEALEAVES. The Central Park Tea is $130, the High Society Tea with The Gilded Age is $150, and the Grand Imperial Tea is $265; the children's Eloise Tea is $120 for 12 and under. Champagne by the glass runs $37 to $48. Tea is served daily from 11am to 4pm in three seatings, with an 18 percent gratuity added automatically.
Holiday 2026: the Holiday Afternoon Tea is $165 per person, bookable on OpenTable, with the first available date November 18, 2026. Booking: OpenTable opens 60 days ahead (90 for hotel guests); cancel at least 72 hours ahead or pay $75 per person.
The most glamorous tea room in New York: a long salon across from MoMA, lit by Baccarat crystal chandeliers. The Prince of Wales tea is $149 ($186 with Lallier champagne, $199 with Laurent-Perrier rosé), the Princess of Monaco is $125 and the children's Le Petit Prince is $85. There is also a caviar tea from $329. Tea runs daily from noon to 5pm. For a drink here after dark, see our hotel bars guide.
Holiday: the 2025 holiday edition was a Tinsel Tea at $155 per person; 2026 has not been announced. Booking: online only, at least 30 days ahead; no walk-ins.
The Peninsula's tea is served in the Gotham Lounge on the lobby mezzanine. The autumn Signature Afternoon Tea, from September 9, 2026, is $130 per person plus tax and 18 percent gratuity, with a glass of Peninsula private label champagne for $25 more. It runs Wednesday to Sunday from 3 to 6pm and is closed Monday and Tuesday.
Holiday: not yet announced for 2026. Booking: through the hotel's tea page or by phone; note that the kitchen cannot accommodate celiac or strict vegan guests.
The St. Regis frames its tea as Caroline Astor's drawing-room ritual, served now in La Maisonette, with Palais des Thés teas. It is $135 per person, paid in advance. Bookable slots on OpenTable are Friday to Sunday, starting at 1pm. It is a quieter, more intimate alternative to the Plaza a few blocks north.
Go for: a weekend tea in one of Fifth Avenue's grand old hotels. Booking: OpenTable, prepaid.
The Waldorf Astoria brought afternoon tea back in 2026, but not in Peacock Alley: it is a Japanese afternoon tea at Yoshoku, the hotel's Japanese-Western restaurant, from chef Ry Nitzkowski and pastry chef Jennie Chiu, with teas from Brooklyn's Kettl. Press reports put it at $135 per person, with champagne and sake pairings available. The hotel's own page lists Wednesday to Friday noon to 2:30pm and weekends 11am to 2:30pm. For more on the tea, see the best matcha in NYC.
Go for: the most original afternoon tea in the city. Booking: Resy or by phone.
Tea with the best view on this list: thirty-five floors up, looking over Central Park. Pastry chef Ron Paprocki's menu, launched in 2026, includes ginger and butter scones with yuzu curd and a lobster roll with caviar, with teas from Rare Tea Company. It is $135 per person, or $165 with a glass of Louis Roederer champagne, served daily from noon to 4:30pm.
Go for: a window table at sunset in winter. Booking: online through the hotel or by phone.
The Lowell's tea is a collaboration with Dior Maison, served in Majorelle's garden-like dining room, with Dammann Frères teas and a Dior Bar Jacket cookie by pastry chef Matthew Lambie. The Lily of the Valley Tea is $125 ($155 with champagne), the Majorelle Garden Tea is $150 and the Imperial Tea with an ounce of Ossetra caviar is $350. Served Wednesday to Saturday noon to 4:30pm and Sunday 1 to 6pm. More nearby in our Upper East Side guide.
Go for: the Lily of the Valley Tea. Booking: OpenTable or by phone.
Boutique hotels and stores
Breakfast at Tiffany's became tea at Tiffany's when Daniel Boulud took over the store's café. Tea at Tiffany's is $98 per person: five savories and two scones on a three-tier stand, in a robin's-egg-blue room themed for 2026 as a "Hidden Garden." The café is open Monday to Saturday 10am to 8pm and Sunday 11am to 7pm.
Go for: the photo, and the scones. Booking: Resy, and book early for weekends.
Kit Kemp's colorful Whitby Hotel does a playful, design-forward tea, with a pastry shaped like a dressmaker's mannequin and a seasonal fall menu with pumpkin pie and cranberry-ginger pastries this year. It is $95, or $125 with champagne. It is one of the best-value hotel teas in Midtown.
Go for: the fall menu. Booking: OpenTable.
Downtown's best hotel tea, from the same Firmdale group as The Whitby, in a bright, cheerful room off a quiet SoHo street. It is $85, or $105 with Louis Roederer champagne, and the dessert tier includes a cannoli, a nod to the neighborhood. There is a Royal Tea for Two with Petrossian caviar for big occasions. See our SoHo guide.
Go for: a weekday tea after shopping. Booking: OpenTable or by phone; parties of five or more get a 20 percent gratuity.
Tea rooms
A tea salon in an Irving Place brownstone, and the most romantic tea room in the city. The five-course set menu is $117 per person, and everyone at the table orders it. It serves Tuesday to Friday 1 to 4pm and weekends noon to 5pm, in 90-minute sittings. No children under 12. Our Gramercy guide has the neighborhood.
Booking: OpenTable or email; tables are released 30 days ahead at midnight, and weekends go fast. Know before you go: this is the tea for a birthday, an anniversary or a proposal.
Kings' Carriage House
A restaurant in an Upper East Side carriage house built to look like a New England country inn, and one of the best-value afternoon teas in Manhattan. Afternoon Tea is $49.95 and High Tea, which adds an entrée, is $59.95. Tea is served Tuesday to Sunday, and reservations are recommended.
Holiday: the restaurant runs a Holiday High Tea from late November into early January and an Autumn Spice menu in October and November; confirm 2026 dates when you book. Booking: by email or phone.
The British café on Greenwich Avenue, with its sister chip shop, A Salt & Battery, next door. Afternoon tea is $60 per person ($120 for two, $180 for three), and it is the most relaxed tea on this list: mismatched china, tight tables, proper scones and a lot of Union Jacks. In December, Christmas pudding and mince pies appear on the specials. More in our West Village guide.
Booking: online, and call ahead for groups larger than four. Know before you go: the room is tiny; expect to share elbow room.
The Alice in Wonderland-themed tea room on West 73rd Street is the family pick, with whimsical decor and a long tea list. The Mad Hatter tea is $96 and The Nibble is $55. It feels more like a café than a formal tea service, which is exactly why children love it. See our Upper West Side guide.
Go for: The Nibble with a child in tow. Know before you go: this is now the only Alice's location listed on its site.
How to plan it
For the holidays, the Plaza's Holiday Afternoon Tea is the one with confirmed 2026 dates and a price ($165, from November 18). Book the minute the OpenTable window opens. Pair it with the holiday markets and the ice skating rinks for a full day.
For a splurge, the Baccarat or the Mandarin Oriental. For something new, Yoshoku. For a date, Lady Mendl's. For value, Kings' Carriage House or Tea & Sympathy. For kids, the Plaza's Eloise Tea or Alice's Tea Cup.
And always check what the price includes. Most hotel teas add tax and an automatic 18 percent gratuity on top of the menu price, and champagne is extra, so a $130 tea for two can easily become $350.
Questions, answered.
- Where is the best afternoon tea in NYC?
- For the full Old New York experience, the Palm Court at the Plaza ($130 for the Central Park Tea). For the most glamorous room, the Grand Salon at the Baccarat Hotel ($125 to $149). For something different, the Japanese afternoon tea at Yoshoku in the Waldorf Astoria ($135), and for value, Tea & Sympathy in the West Village ($60).
- Where can I get Christmas afternoon tea in NYC?
- The Plaza's Holiday Afternoon Tea is $165 per person in 2026 and bookable on OpenTable from November 18. The Baccarat Hotel ran a holiday Tinsel Tea at $155 in 2025, and Kings' Carriage House runs a Holiday High Tea from late November into early January.
- How far ahead should I book afternoon tea in NYC?
- The Plaza opens reservations 60 days ahead (90 for hotel guests), the Baccarat asks for at least 30 days, and Lady Mendl's releases tables 30 days out at midnight. For December weekends, book as soon as the window opens.
- How much does afternoon tea cost in NYC?
- Hotel teas run about $85 to $150 per person before champagne, tax and an automatic gratuity (often 18 percent). Tea rooms are cheaper: Kings' Carriage House is $49.95 and Tea & Sympathy is $60.
- Does The Pierre still serve afternoon tea?
- No. The Pierre's afternoon tea has been discontinued, and its Two E lounge now opens at 5pm as a jazz lounge.
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