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Flower covered entrance, The Tea House on Los Rios - The Tea House on Los Rios, San Juan Capistrano, CA

The Tea House on Los Rios

4.8
4.8
2653 Reviews
$31 to $50
Afternoon Tea

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 42 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Charming
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for brunch
Set in a beautifully restored 1911 cottage complete with a wrap-around veranda and lush gardens, The Tea House on Los Rios offers Orange County's premier high tea experience. Known for our famous scones, delicious tea sandwiches, and loose-leaf teas, we also feature a full luncheon menu and a weekend brunch menu, complete with mimosas and Bloody Marys. Join us for an unforgettable experience on Historic Los Rios Street in San Juan Capistrano. Take the train and making a day of it!

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Afternoon Tea, American, Breakfast
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch and Lunch Sat, Sun 9:30 am–4:30 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00 am–4:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (949) 443-3914
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Joel Martin
  • Catering
    The Tea House on Los Rios, is proud to offer catering for celebrations of all sizes. Add a touch of elegance to your next corporate event, bridal shower, luncheon, birthday, baby shower, or holiday party! Contact: catering@theteahouseonlosrios.com
  • Private party facilities
    Specializing in birthday parties, baby and bridal showers, as well as wedding receptions, The Tea House on Los Rios is here to make your event a success. Please contact us to discuss details and specifics of your special day. Contact: events@theteahouseonlosrios.com
  • Neighborhood
    San Juan Capistrano
  • Cross street
    Del Obispo and Los Rios
  • Parking details
    While we do have a private lot, it tends to get full on weekends! There are three additional places to park within 100 yards - the San Juan Capistrano Train Depot and Parking Structure, as well as the Los Rios Historic Park (2 areas). Both are close and provide you an opportunity to view the grounds on your way to The Tea House!
  • Public transit
    Walking distance to the San Juan Capistrano Train Depot, serviced by both Amtrak and Metrolink
  • Additional
    Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, High Tea, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Vegan, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • Holiday Experience

    $63.28 - $95.45 per person

    Dec 18, 2024 - Jan 5, 2025
    December 18th through January 5th, we’re pressing pause on our everyday menus and focusing exclusively on our Christmas & Holiday Experiences. By simplifying our offerings and keeping reservations limited, we’re aiming to give you a seamless, more intimate experience—so you can fully enjoy the charm and cozy ambiance of The Tea House. We’ve curated a menu featuring set options for our Tea Experience, Lunch, Brunch, and a special Nutcracker Tea for children. This seasonal menu is only around for a short time—from December 18th to January 5th—so be sure to book your spot early and enjoy the holiday magic with us! The holiday menu is available for $89 per person. The Nutcracker Tea is $59 for children 12 and younger.
    Holiday Experience Photo
  • Tea with Santa

    $122.70 per person

    Prepaid

    Dec 7, 2024 - Dec 8, 2024
    *SOLD OUT* Please join us December 7th or 8th, at 11:00am or 2:30pm, for Tea with Santa! Your Admission includes: Access to the Holiday High Tea Buffet Hot Cocoa Bar and Tea Bar Variety of activities, including but not limited to: ornament & cookie decorating, a reading of the Polar Express, and multiple Christmas photo ops. Meet & Greet and take photos with Santa! **After booking, one of Santa's elves will reach out for your address to mail your tickets** $110 Per Person Ages 2 years and under are free with an accompanying ticket holder This event is pre-paid and non-refundable.
    Tea with Santa Photo

What 2,653 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.9Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Orange County

    Best Ambiance

  • Orange County

    Great for brunch

  • South Orange County

    Best Ambiance

  • South Orange County

    Great for brunch

  • South Orange County

    Good for special occasions

  • South Orange County

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Tea House on Los Rios offers "a delightful surprise" with its charming vintage cottage setting and impeccable service. Known for its "excellent scones" and "decadent high tea," it provides a memorable experience for special occasions. Despite occasional service hiccups, frequent guests praise its "beautiful ambiance" and "delicious food," making it a must-visit destination.

2,653 Reviews
  1. Nicole

    Orange County

    2 reviews

    2.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 2
    I have been wanting to come here for years so I made sure to book a reservation in September for a party of 9 to celebrate my birthday late November. I’m not one to complain as I’ve worked in the service industry but I was disappointed in the amount of things that occurred during our first time. First, I was disappointed to have been sat outside, especially when I booked so far in advance and I could hear walk-ups were given the choice to sit either inside or outside. I understand we were a large party, but there were other large parties inside. I also did see that there was a “prepare for outdoor seating” disclaimer on the OpenTable email while we were sat, but it would have been to nice to have the option to reserve an inside table, especially for a booking 3 months in advance. Our server was good in that she took the time to explain the menu and was patient in accommodating the allergies and food restrictions. However, it took a long time to order and service was very slow. We sat down at 11am and didn’t get our scones and tea service until after 12pm. We were told at 12:30pm that they ran out of the soup we ordered. So we changed soups and they didn’t come out until 12:45pm and they were cold. Tea sandwiches didn’t come for 25 minutes after that and one of my guests’ order was wrong. It’s now almost 1:30 and everyone who was sat outside, aside for one new table are now gone. We’re told our server is going on break and won’t be coming back. This new server was able to bring our desserts and check right away after we asked so we could catch our 2pm train back. Although, they did forget one dessert. We find out then that one Mission Tea was missing from our bill, explains why her food kept being delayed. We made sure to tell our server so we could pay appropriately. Overall, I was quite disappointed with our service today as everyone around us was getting served rather quickly while we had to flag down someone for water, sugar for tea, and the heater to be put on.

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  2. Jennifer

    Orange County

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Everyone was great and accommodating to us. I called ahead of time to let them know we will have a baby with us and we can extra room to accommodate the stroller. Our server, Emma, was amazing. She let us take our time with the menu, eating, and assisted with necessities with our baby with us. We got cute photos as well. I look forward to coming back!

    Is this helpful?

  3. Suzanne

    Orange County

    18 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    18 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This tea was fantastic! Possibly the best scone I’ve ever had! Would highly recommend. I live in Huntington Beach and I took Amtrak. It was a great way to get there. The train opens right in downtown San Juan Capistrano. Cute little town that we explored after our tea. This was a great day!! Cant say enough good things about it!!!

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  4. Larissa

    Orange County

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Special place for celebrations. It’s not just a meal, it’s an experience.

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  5. virginia

    Orange County

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Luv luv luv everything The whole experience was so amazing

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  6. Carolyn

    San Francisco

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    An adorable setting tucked away in San Juan Capistrano. Perfect for a relaxing and delicious lunch with some girlfriends. I'm not usually a lady who lunches, so this is the best treat. The Triple Crown Salad is out of this world. The scones are delightful. If you go in cooler weather, bring another layer if you're going to sit outside since the veranda is shaded.

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  7. Jocelyn

    Los Angeles

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 17, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Lovely Tea House! Would gladly visit again! We celebrated my sister's birthday and we plan to be back soon.

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  8. CarlyR

    Orange County

    5 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on November 17, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We just left the Tea House and we had the best time ever! This is definitely the perfect occasion to celebrate a special event. We are so glad we came here to celebrate my daughter's 11th birthday. As requested, they sat us on the beautiful patio that is surrounded by a lovely garden. We mentioned it was my daughter's birthday, and one of the very kind staff members brought her a dozen roses from the garden that they let us take home with us. The whole experience was unique and special. The service was attentive, friendly and warm. My kids loved their young royals tea experience and I enjoyed the garden tea experience. Every detail from the multicolored glassware to the flowers adorning the plates, to the beautiful variety of tea sets was absolutely lovely! Our server was so kind to take multiple pictures of us and served my daughter her hot fudge sundae with a candle to celebrate her birthday. Every moment of being there it was very special. We can't wait to return!

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  9. Lisa

    Orange County

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on November 16, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Had a wonderful tea time with my family, we loved it!

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  10. Alisa

    Los Angeles

    13 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on November 15, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful as always! A beautiful setting and wonderful tradition to enjoy tea with my daughter

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Tea House on Los Rios is rated 4.8 stars by 2653 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 42 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for The Tea House on Los Rios

31731 Los Rios Street, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675-3113

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Del Obispo and Los Rios
  • Neighborhood
    San Juan Capistrano
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch and Lunch Sat, Sun 9:30 am–4:30 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00 am–4:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Afternoon Tea, American, Breakfast
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    While we do have a private lot, it tends to get full on weekends! There are three additional places to park within 100 yards - the San Juan Capistrano Train Depot and Parking Structure, as well as the Los Rios Historic Park (2 areas). Both are close and provide you an opportunity to view the grounds on your way to The Tea House!
  • Public transit
    Walking distance to the San Juan Capistrano Train Depot, serviced by both Amtrak and Metrolink
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Joel Martin
  • Additional
    Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, High Tea, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Vegan, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (949) 443-3914
  • Catering
    The Tea House on Los Rios, is proud to offer catering for celebrations of all sizes. Add a touch of elegance to your next corporate event, bridal shower, luncheon, birthday, baby shower, or holiday party! Contact: catering@theteahouseonlosrios.com
  • Private party facilities
    Specializing in birthday parties, baby and bridal showers, as well as wedding receptions, The Tea House on Los Rios is here to make your event a success. Please contact us to discuss details and specifics of your special day. Contact: events@theteahouseonlosrios.com
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