An afternoon tea party allows you to gather with family and/or friends, while sipping tea and enjoying little refreshments. It’s an opportunity to dress up, be fancy but also relax and unwind.

When I was a little girl I remember having tea parties with my friends; we’d bring our American Girl dolls and enjoy ourselves. Such great memories! So, this Christmas I decided to give my niece an Experience Gift. It was so fun planning, I bought this cute kitty cat teacup(which she brought with us to tea) and wrote a little note inviting her to a tea party with me. We went for the Duchess Tea at the Olive Branch Cafe in Tacoma, we sat in the “french quarter” area.

She was so excited to go, there’s just something magical about having a tea party even as an adult. We arrived and they brought us to our table, I highly suggest reserving a spot if you want to have a tea party at the cafe. If you’re bringing a child(ren) ask if the Princess room is available! If you’re not interested in a tea party, don’t let that stop you they have a regular menu.

After you’re seated, they bring you to their tea cabinet and you get to choose your tea. We(my niece) chose banana zing and it was very good. As someone with allergies(lavender), I did appreciate how the teas had labels with ingredients listed and the staff are very nice.

There’s a couple different tea packages to purchase. With the Duchess Tea we got salad, scones, four mini sandwiches, fruit and mini desserts. Naturally the desserts and tea were my nieces favorite. I really loved the curried almond chicken sandwich and the scones, better tasting then the fair scones.

Keep in mind we didn’t leave with full bellies, it was just appetizers and didn’t fill us up. The tea parties are more so for the experience. 

They have a pianist who plays 5 days a week, who plays beautifully and occasional bubbles fall from the ceiling which my niece loved. The staff were all very welcoming and nice, made you feel comfortable. They serve wine and other mild alcoholic beverages if that’s your thing.

They have the perfect little room and area for a children’s party place. So, even if you aren’t having a party take a look at the room it is so adorable!

Parking can either be found at the parking garage near the Freighthouse Square or parking in the lot across the street from the front door is free for guests – just ask for a parking pass. Which we’ll be taking advantage of next time because the walk was a little cold during the rainy winter.

For more information, go check out the Olive Branch Cafe’s website.