The Chado Tea Room, 8422 1/2 W 3rd St, Los Angeles

There’s only so much shopping a girl can do before she’s going to need a snack!  Oh, and a good place to hang out with a couple of her girlfriends.  Fortunately, the Chado Tea Room is only a few blocks from the Beverly Center, close enough that you can even skip there in those pointy pink boots with the spike heels.

This tearoom is lady like with crisp white table clothes, frilly curtains  and dainty tea settings.  (But that doesn’t mean your man wouldn’t want to join you for the infamous tomato soup, or the smoked salmon on rye, if you’re inclined to invite him).  You can set your shopping bags down and relax over your own individual pot of tea, if only you could decide which one!  With over 300 varieties to choose from, Chado has a separate tea menu describing the intricacies of each brew.  And if you love the one you’re sipping, you can purchase some from the tea bar out front where huge glass jars keep the leaves fresh.

Before you begin chatting about the party where three different guys gave you their phone numbers, order a Traditional Afternoon Tea; it comes with enough food for 2 to share.   You can choose from several kinds of sandwiches, including traditional cucumber on potato bread, egg salad made from egg that has been marinated in smoked tea, or try the goat cheese with olive spread.   If you want something lighter, you can order the baby greens with strawberries or a creamy Waldorf salad in a tarragon mayonnaise sauce.  And while your BFF is telling you how her 2 year old ate some of the cat’s kibble, be sure to order 2 pieces of that chocolate cake with the pudding center, because you are not going to want to share that.

The Chado Tea Room is open from 11:30-6, during all the prime shopping hours, so it’s the perfect place to grab some lunch.  Or make a group reservation for that baby shower your BFF is going to need soon.  In fact, tomorrow while you’re out looking for her gift….you might just have to stop in and enjoy the Tea Room again!

Review by: Christine Offutt

Posted: Friday, July 28, 2006