Chado Tea Room - Pasadena

Review summary

1. C

   Cindy

   VIP

   Los Angeles

   28 reviews

   5.0

   28 reviews

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 5

   This is an amazing little place for an afternoon tea that is SO reasonably priced (and there is a very reasonable surcharge for sharing which isn't always the case)! The food was delicious and the place is charming. We were 6 people at the Pasadena location on a Monday for a 2:30 holiday tea after going to the Norton Simon museum, and it was decorated for the holidays and really welcoming. Some in our party ordered off the menu and the rest of us got the Chado afternoon tea. We all loved it. My only caveat is that it took a crazy long time for our food to arrive (maybe an hour?) we had a lot to catch up on so we just enjoyed drinking our tea and didn't really mind. My daughter and I ordered strawberries and cream when we first arrived since we barely even had breakfast, and we were so glad we did, since everything else didn't arrive for another hour, and even then, my tea tower wasn't ready for another 10 or 15 minutes after everyone else's. We were there on a Monday at 2:30pm and it seems like there might have been a rush before us (it was pretty full when we arrived) and then we were the only people there, and there was only one waiter, so I can't imagine this normally happens, and ANYHOW I would still go back!
   

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2. T

   Tawnya

   Los Angeles

   11 reviews

   2.0

   11 reviews

   Dined on 20 December 2024

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 3

   I used to love this place when it was on 3rd Street. Hadn’t been in a long time and was surprised at how much the food had gone downhill. They used to give you more filling in the sandwiches. Had the Punjab egg and the Souchong chicken. Not much filling in either. And the chicken was radically different than it used to be which was generous chunks of shredded chicken and a nice spread of lingonberry or cranberry sauce. Now they mix finely diced bits of chicken with a tiny bit of cranberry and a ton of mayonnaise. It was gross.
   

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3. L

   Linh

   San Francisco

   11 reviews

   1.0

   11 reviews

   Dined on 12 December 2024

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 3

   I wanted to love this cute and cozy tea room after watching enticing videos on Instagram. I've sampled at least a dozen different tea rooms; sadly, Chado was by far the most disappointing afternoon tea experience. The sandwiches were one note and lacked depth of flavors. Instead of pretty dainty sandwiches, the ones served didn't appear appetizing at all. Specifically, the lox was placed on a flimsy piece of soft bread which made it difficult to eat. The scones were dense with an odd consistency; luckily the yummy whipped cream masked the scones' shortcomings. The dessert tier should have been the highlight of the tea tiers, but we were served a single cookie and macaron per person. Finally, the quintessential part of afternoon tea should be the TEA, right? I'm not sure what the problem was, but the tea tasted like it was not steeped correctly---perhaps not using the appropriate water temperature and/or proportion of tea leaves? Despite the kind server trying to rectify the issue, the tea still tasted like warm water with a diluted hint of tea. The one saving grace was our two servers who were pleasant and attentive. I do hope that Chado will take this review to heart, because I'm an afternoon tea enthusiast who is yearning for a tea room to frequent.
   

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4. S

   Shannon

   VIP

   San Francisco

   3 reviews

   4.0

   3 reviews

   Dined on 4 December 2024

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Lovely afternoon tea. Definitely worth a stop. Nothing fancy, just good food, and outstanding Teas.
   

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5. P

   Pat

   Los Angeles

   61 reviews

   5.0

   61 reviews

   Dined on 19 November 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Such a great lunch. The food was delicious. From the warm scones to the herbal teas to the sandwiches and salad and selection of desserts. And, the nice ice cream with the candle, for my friends Bday, was a nice surprise. We each took a bite, but were too full to eat it. All of the cookies and candies went home with us. Great service. We never felt rushed. The waiter was attentive without being disruptive. I will definitely go back.
   

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6. B

   Bryahna

   Los Angeles

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on 2 November 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We had a fabulous time at Chado! The food and tea were delicious but most importantly, the service was phenomenal. We had two fantastic servers, but Sam specifically went above and beyond! The two really took care of us but Sam added that special touch by bringing us a sample of his favorite tea blend and even helped us celebrate our friend’s birthday. He had a great sense of humor and made us feel so welcome and comfortable. We will definitely be going back! Especially because there are so many more teas and food items to try :)
   

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7. B

   Big

   Los Angeles

   3 reviews

   5.0

   3 reviews

   Dined on 1 November 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Very good tea, the atmosphere is great, and the service is outstanding.
   

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8. S

   Steve

   San Francisco

   4 reviews

   5.0

   4 reviews

   Dined on 13 October 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 5

   Great experience. SERVICE was a little slow but they were busy. What a great way to spend any day.
   

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9. G

   Gerardo

   Los Angeles

   1 review

   4.0

   1 review

   Dined on 17 August 2024

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   My wife and I went to the tea house in Pasadena on a Saturday afternoon. Everything was wonderful with the exception that on the day we went the central AC was out so they were using portable AC units and fans, but I understand that sometimes things stop working, and to their credit the team room had a back up plan. The food they provide with your afternoon tea service is the equivalent of a good lunch. We enjoyed our afternoon.
   

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10. D

    Donna

    Los Angeles

    20 reviews

    3.0

    20 reviews

    Dined on 16 August 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3

    Tables for two are too small. By the time they served two pots of tea and placed the tiered sandwich and desserts server on the table, I couldn't see my lunch companion across the table.
    

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