Pinkies up! Afternoon tea’s having a moment in the East Bay

The East Bay is blooming with afternoon tea services, from British tea inside a preserved Victorian home, to a modern Thai afternoon tea and Filipino kamayan style tea parties. There’s even a fully vegan tea time popup.

Afternoon tea is traditionally served with scones and clotted cream, marmalade or sweet fruit preserves, small and dainty sandwiches, all on tiered trays with a pot of tea. Tea culture transformed during globalization, and in many Asian and Southeast Asian countries — where much of the world’s tea is grown — tea is a part of social life.

At the East Bay’s newest tea spot, when you sit down, a wait staff brings a tray of more than a dozen loose leaf teas in small cans. You can open each one to smell it. The small French-Thai bites includes sweet and savory pastries: guava cream-filled mini croissants, caviar on a pastry with sturgeon floss, and deviled quail eggs inflected with sumac. Nudi Blue recently opened in April, and the food is just as delicious to look at as it is to eat. A savory course is served on a terrarium, representing the foliage of Thailand. All of the teas are sourced from Chiang Mai, from white teas to oolong and earl grey — with a few specialty ones that are hand picked in the wild, and not grown on any tea farms.

Here are some of the new and interesting ones, but there are a lot of options across the East Bay such as Pretty Tea Parties, oh Chai!, The RoyalTEA Garden, and more. Let us know your favorite afternoon tea services at editors@eastbaynosh.org

Nudi Blue is themed after the sea (Nudi refers to nudibranchs, the colorful marine invertebrates) and the flavors and tea fields of Thailand. Nudi Blue opened in April with afternoon tea service, and is now transitioning to a less formal setup. The restaurant also recently expanded to include an a la carte tea and pastries menu. The $65 per person afternoon tea service — which comes with two types of teas sourced from Chiang Mai — includes two courses of sweet and savory bites made to reflect the flavors of Thailand, with each piece small works of art, a palate cleansing salad in between, plus a cookie at the end. This formal service will end after Sunday, Aug. 9. After that, chef Jezreel “Jae” Roja plans to introduce a more customizable menu that pairs tea and food. 2059 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley

Julie’s Teas on the east end of Alameda is a popular cafe and lunch spot, with outdoor patio garden that’s been there for more than 20 years. Julie’s also hosts afternoon tea between May and October, with one coming up on August 25. Owner Julie Baron has a farm to table ethos, with many teas and food sourced locally and organic. The monthly tea menu is seasonal. The August menu includes a lemon poppy scone, cheddar chive biscuit served with devonshire cream and strawberry watermelon jam, cucumber canape, nectarine crostini, summer squash tartlet, small tea sandwiches, a fig posset, nectarine cake, and more. The price is $38-$45 per person. 1223 Park St., Alameda

Pamana Plantas in Berkeley holds a monthly afternoon tea service that features a menu of Filipino treats. Credit: Courtesy of Pamana Plantas

Pamana Plantas, a plant shop in Berkeley, hosts monthly Filipino kamayan tea parties in its “indoor jungle.” Each month’s tea party is a “community-style” gathering at a shared table, and is limited to 12 people total. A decorated table is covered with a bed of banana leaves, with teacups and pots and three tiered trays. The food is influenced by Filipino flavors and ingredients. “Kamayan meals symbolize community, connection, and heritage, reflecting pre-colonial Filipino culture where food was shared communally using hands,” the website states. Tickets are $100 per person and are sold in pairs ($200 total, plus tax). An upcoming tea party takes place August 16. 1615 B Solano Ave., Berkeley

The foods served a the Kopi Bar afternoon tea service, like the regular menu, are influenced by Indonesian and Singaporean flavors. Credit: Courtesy of Kopi Bar and Bakery

Kopi Bar, the cafe and restaurant located on the second floor of the Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley helmed by chef Nora Haron (formerly of Dripline in Oakland), also holds afternoon tea popups.

On Saturday, August 8, Kopi will serve a special Nusantara high tea to celebrate Singaporean, Malaysian, and Indonesian Independence days, which all took place in August. Singapore’s “National Day” is celebrated on August 9, when Singapore gained independence and separated from Malaysia in 1965.

The buffet-style event, titled “Merdeka Table,” will include sweet and savory dishes such as nasi lemak, mini murtabaks (spiced beef, onion, eggs pastry), and llemper ayam (glutinous rice with chicken in a banana leaf). A few dishes will be made by popular popup, Mama Judy, including a curry puff and steamed coconut cake. 11am-1pm, August 8. Tickets are $44.52 (including fees).. 2155 Center St., 2nd Fl., Berkeley

Vegan baker Annie Wang organizes a monthly afternoon tea, featuring her handmade vegan treats, from mooncakes to cookies to savory buns. She partners with mostly Bay Area tea vendors for the tea service. Besides being vegan, Wang’s tea time is whimsical and creative —– for example, a very popular Studio Ghibli-themed tea time this summer quickly sold out.

Many of her monthly afternoon teas have been in San Francisco, but her goal is to hold more in the East Bay and South Bay.

One upcoming tea time will be in early November in Oakland. Each afternoon tea is $76 and includes items like mooncake, egg tart, lemon tart, a special treat, mini buns, a polaroid photo, and a small gift. For example, the upcoming mahjong-themed one in San Francisco Chinatown will come with a mahjong charm.

Wang said she’s still finalizing details for the November Oakland seating. (And for those wanting to have tea at home, she sells monthly “teatime at home” boxes, which comes with 4-6 pastries, paired with a tea, for $30). Check here for updates.

Alameda’s Malaya Tea Room recently started an a la carte tea and bites service on Wednesday afternoons. Credit: Jade Lyla

Malaya Tea Room is known for its Malaysian afternoon tea service, including and option to choose the noncaffeinated butterfly pea tea that changes colors from blue to purple when lemon is added. They also serve a pandan cake, kaya toast, small savory sandwiches such as a pork floss and curry one, and other Malaysian-inspired flavors. Tea services ranges from $45-48 for adults, and $28.50 for children under 10 years old. To-go tea boxes are also available for pickup. Malaya Tea Room recently started an a la carte tea and bites service every Wednesday. 920 Central Ave., Alameda

Pardee Museum’s Afternoon Tea

You can enjoy afternoon tea service in a 1868 Oakland building at the Pardee Historic Home Museum. Credit: Courtesy of Pardee Home Museum

The Pardee Historic Home Museum, a historical home built in 1868 in downtown Oakland, holds private, reservation-based tea parties for groups of people. There is a minimum of six guests. Between May through October 15, you can opt to have the tea party outdoors in the backyard garden, or the house’s dining room. A bonus is that there’s a complimentary tour of the house if you book a tea session. Afternoon tea service is $50 per person for the indoor one or $55 for outdoors. Reservations are taken two weeks or more in advance. Fun fact: the tea service is run entirely by volunteers, and the food and experience has been rated highly by Yelp! reviewers. The menu includes sweet and savory bites, including finger sandwiches and scones with clotted cream. 672 11th St., Oakland

This afternoon tea shop promises a Victorian tea time, including vintage furniture and other decor. The menu includes three courses: a scone served with creme fraiche, lemon curd, and preserves; tea sandwiches; and small pastries; and a tea of choice, and Fremont’s Tyme for Tea takes reservations directly via phone. The price per person comes out to $58.61-$62.52, including tax and tip (the latter price comes with a glass of champagne). 37501 Niles Blvd., Fremont

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