Afternoon Tea At The Historic Millennium Biltmore Hotel

Rendezvous Court Afternoon Tea, photo courtesy of The Millennium Biltmore Hotel.

Disclosure: The Millennium Biltmore hotel in downtown Los Angeles hosted me for afternoon tea. As always, all my opinions are my own.

One recent afternoon I got together with real-life blogger friends, Christina from Christina’s Cucina and Sue, from The View From The Great Island, for tea at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. I have been to many lovely events in the Biltmore’s Crystal Ballroom, but I had never had tea in the lobby and was excited to be able to join these lovely ladies for a relaxing afternoon of tea, finger sandwiches and conversation. Tea in the Rendezvous Court is the perfect way to spend a Saturday or Sunday afternoon with friends, or as part of a romantic day with your sweetie on Valentine’s Day. 

A selection of savory sandwiches for tea.

The Biltmore’s gorgeous building was designed in an “E” shape, to give as many guests as possible, views of Pershing Square Park. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences founded its annual awards banquet, which we now refer to as the Oscars, in the Crystal Ballroom. Before or after tea, stroll through the lobby and look at the beautiful architecture and elegant decor. Down one corridor, you’ll find a fantastic black and white photograph taken during one of the Oscar shows, where you can test your knowledge of old Hollywood movie stars and try to guess “who’s who”. There’s a key with the names located next to it, if you get stuck! Tea at the Biltmore is like stepping back into the Golden Age of elegance. The service is impeccable with attention to even the smallest details. Our waiter refreshed our tea cups before we even realized they were empty.

Poppyseed Madeleines and scones.

Tea is not meant to be eaten when one is famished, the delicate sandwiches and sweets are meant to be savored slowly. Indeed, we never felt rushed, even though we sat and sipped tea and chatted for two hours. We were given the choice of teas from the traditional Irish Breakfast and Earl Grey, to the exotic, White Peony or Bombay Chai. We had egg salad, turkey sandwiches on baby pretzel bread with micro greens, pumpernickel with smoked salmon and goat cheese, (my personal favorite) and a crab profiterole. The sweeties included, homemade Madeleines, a chocolate hazelnut cream puff, miniature cheesecake with blackberries, French macarons and homemade scones with cream. Next time you’re in Los Angeles, make sure to visit downtown and stop by the beautiful Millennium Biltmore for a taste of old Hollywood.

Looking for more afternoon tea ideas?

Classic Scottish Shortbread

Classic Scottish shortbread.

Chocolate Mousse

Mousse au Chocolat

Lemon Bars

Lemon Bars

Lavender Shortbread

Lavender Shortbread