The only way to describe this place is to say that it is an EXPERIENCE! The food was amazing, something I would have expected to be eating at the Dorchester in London not in Albuquerque. Its a lot of food too; you may only get one bit sized edible of each offering but you get tons of offerings. My mom and I were positively full by the time our 2 hours was up. The tea was wonderful and paired very well with the food. You get 3 courses and 3 teas to complement them. The atmosphere is to die for! There was one large room for large parties and then there were private dining rooms each decorated in a different english style for parties 4 and less. The St. James Tearoom transports you and you may not want to come back from your destination; I know I didn’t.

I used to be a regular here, coming every month for the new menus. But lately I’ve felt like the quality has been declining. The tea is still wonderful. I have no complaints there. But the food hasn’t been nearly as enjoyable in recent years. And the prices have gone WAY up. I just can’t justify spending this much except for on special occasions. Even then, it’s a stretch.

Despite this, it’s still a very enjoyable way to spend two hours. The atmosphere is really nice. If you book far enough in advance on the phone, you can request where you like to sit. I recommend the nooks. They are very intimate and beautifully furnished and it really adds to the experience. You get three teas and three “courses”. A savories plate, a bread plate, and dessert plate. Every tea comes with their scone and clotted cream. These are to die for. You will want to read the menu before you go, as there are no substitutions (though they can do gluten free or vegetarian, as well as herbal tea). They always have a very nice Christmas tea, and hold special events from time to time.

I wish I could have given this three and a half stars, but I can’t quite bring myself to rate any higher until they bring their quality back up. Just two years ago I would have given it five stars.

The only way to describe this place is to say that it is an EXPERIENCE! The food was amazing, something I would have expected to be eating at the Dorchester in London not in Albuquerque. Its a lot of food too; you may only get one bit sized edible of each offering but you get tons of offerings. My mom and I were positively full by the time our 2 hours was up. The tea was wonderful and paired very well with the food. You get 3 courses and 3 teas to complement them. The atmosphere is to die for! There was one large room for large parties and then there were private dining rooms each decorated in a different english style for parties 4 and less. The St. James Tearoom transports you and you may not want to come back from your destination; I know I didn’t.