The best holiday teas around D.C.
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Holiday tea at the St. Regis. Photo: Courtesy of The St. Regis Washington, D.C.
Sun's out, pinkies up — it's tea season in Washington.
Why it matters: Tea service is trending in D.C. and we can't get enough little sandwiches and bite-size sweets.
Between the lines: There are a bunch of fancy hotel teas with high prices to match — especially around the holidays — though more casual places are steeping it up.
- Most are offered Friday through Sunday and require reservations.
Anna's thought bubble: I haven't fully toured the tea circuit, but my favorite is Zinnia in Silver Spring. It's not like a pricey hotel downtown — more quaint and lovely, like a British countryside tea with delicious scones, clotted cream and dreamy jams to match (also, the best tea sandwiches I've tasted).
- Reservations: $60 adults ($70 with Champagne), $40 kids.
More teas! Ranked from lovely to over–the-top.
🖼️ Hillwood Estate (Upper Northwest): Tea for twelve? Groups (10+) can arrange family-style tea service at the former home of art collector and socialite Marjorie Merriweather Post.
- Call for reservations, $40 per person plus upcharges.
💤 Art and Soul (Capitol Hill): CBD teas from Elevated Tea Co. are just one modern twist on the service, with optional add-ons like tea cocktails and wagyu tartare.
- Reservations: $65 adults, $25 kids.
🍾The Pendry (Wharf): The waterfront hotel's regular boozy tea service gets a holiday twist on Dec. 14
- Reservations are $80 for regular tea.
🦚 The Willard (Downtown): "Peacock Alley" tea at the classic hotel feels genteel — cue the live harp music — though optional bourbon infusions liven things up.
- Reservations: $90 per adult ($105 with bubbles), $65 kids.
💃 Kingbird at the Watergate (Foggy Bottom): The storied hotel serves a "spill the tea" with secretive eats and treats.
- Reservations $75 per person.
💎 Quadrant at the Ritz Carlton (West End): The whimsical Seven Reasons Group runs the Ritz's luxe lounge and its Parisian-inspired tea.
- Reservations: $88 per person.
🌸 The St. Regis (Downtown): Ultra-elegant and White House-adjacent, St. Regis serves fun themed teas like a holiday Nutcracker and popular springtime cherry blossom tea — all with bites and Dammann Frères tea blends.
- Dates vary. Reservations starting at $119.
🕰️ Waldorf Astoria (Downtown): One of the more luxurious teas in town features cucumber-caviar sandwiches, decadent sweets, holiday-themed teas and Champagne add-ons in the Waldorf's ornate lobby.
- Reservations: $120 per person.
👑 The Four Seasons (Georgetown): The queen of the scene specializes in artisanal Ikaati teas and legit royal sweets and savories like Battenberg cake and scones à la Buckingham Palace.
- Saturdays only. Reservations: $105 per person including Champagne.