I had such a nice afternoon at Elliston Vineyards. We went for their afternoon tea and everything was really well done--the food was fresh and nicely presented, and the sangria was especially good. The grounds are beautiful and really peaceful. There's a koi pond, lots of greenery, and even ostriches, which was a fun surprise and made the whole place feel pretty unique. Ricky took great care of us--friendly, attentive, and just easy to talk to. The service felt genuine and not over the top, which I really appreciated. Overall, just a really relaxing way to spend an afternoon. read more

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Our group(six people) booked the reservation online and the outdoor seating is very pretty for the current weather. It is sunny and with a slight breeze which is perfect! I would highly recommend to visit here during the Spring time. There are also wine flights and bubbly wine flight selection as well. -1* services seemed busy and it's harder to get attention for the bill or tea refill. We also were given 2 teapot among 6 people for afternoon tea, so the tea goes by fast and needed frequent water refill. read more

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Food: I honestly forgot what wine I had but I just remember I loved it and I bought I think two bottles of it afterwards food you just kind of have to create your own little cheeseboard, but they have all the products there Service: they were closing, so the service was kind of slow also a little rude they wouldn't let us use the restroom because they closed the door and we kept knocking to enter wouldn't open the door Ambience: this is such a cute place and it's right by the freeway, but it doesn't feel like you're by a freeway it offers a small town feel with convenience read more

My family and I really enjoyed our time here! They recommended reserving ahead of time (which I think helps them prep the food) And it was nice they had a vegetarian option for the tea sandwiches (the buratta was my fav) We shared 3 pots of tea with Earl grey being the favorite. We stayed snacking the whole time and only had a couple items left and the end we were satisfactorily full. Of course the ambiance was amazing! It was not very crowded for a Sunday afternoon and we were blessed with perfect weather read more

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This place is so magical! What a beautiful place hidden gem ! The service was incredible and views are amazing . Yummy bites and tea ! read more

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Afternoon tea review: For the atmosphere, it can't be beat. Nice shaded area. I was surprised to see ostriches on site. We had to request to move because could smell the fresh nature from ostriches area. The server greeted us warmly and advised us to finish the chicken salad sandwiches and salmon sandwiches first so the meat eating bees and flies don't bug us. We had to rushed eating the sandwiches but they didn't leave us alone. It was the most annoying thing. Service was not attentive. Made us sound weird for requesting butter and paper napkins. Only napkins were available, but butter. One pot of tea allowed to share at a time. The small pot gone by very quickly for 3 of us. Our hands had to non stop waving for server's attention and the flies bugging. Overall we could not enjoy the atmosphere at all. Food was just average. My appetite was low by looking at the Walmart-type of desserts. read more

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Seriously not worth it!! Came with friends for afternoon tea and had a reservation. We were excited to explore the venue and take cute photos, but half the property, including the beautiful grass area by the house, was blocked off for a wedding. On the way to the bathroom, we stopped to take quick photos behind the house and an older male staff member/owner rudely told us to "shoo, go away." The female coordinator was also telling people to quiet down and move away from the wedding area, even though it was right next to the public bathroom. Food was mid, service was super slow, and overall it felt very unprofessional and poorly managed for both wedding guests and regular customers. Definitely better afternoon tea spots out there. Save your money on this place. read more

We were invited to a grad party at Elliston Vineyards, a winery I had bookmarked for a long time. I was so pleased to know that there was a winery as beautiful as Elliston hidden in Sunol Canyon. The kids were in sheer awe and excitement as we walked up to the ostrich pen. Walking by the main building, we saw that they were serving afternoon tea, which I made a mental note to look into after our visit. The event space where the party took place was secluded, private, and located closeby to a bathroom. They permitted the hosts to bring in their own food, and the wine was, of course, provided by Elliston Vineyards. We had a wonderful time all around. The wine was delicious, and the kids had fun taking a stroll through the gardens. I'll be back for afternoon tea! read more

Our visit to Ellison Vineyards was absolutely spectacular, and our incredible host, Ricky, was the true highlight of the experience. From the moment we arrived, Ricky's warm, friendly, and pleasant demeanor made us feel completely welcome and relaxed. He was exceptionally thoughtful throughout our tasting, perfectly pacing the afternoon and offering wonderful insights into the wine and tea selection without ever making us feel rushed. Beyond the world-class service, the estate itself is simply breathtaking. Enjoying our wine surrounded by the gorgeous landscape, complete with a stunning fountain and serene koi ponds, made for a truly unforgettable and tranquil afternoon. Ricky went above and beyond to ensure our time there was perfect, and we cannot recommend him and Ellison Vineyards enough! read more

So many bees my girls were so scared. The staff barely understood us and I didnt feel welcomed. The tea was alright but not hot and nothing special. The sangrias that come with the tea set were super watered down. Nice that they have huge ostrich there to look at but that's about it. Bathrooms had no air circulation. read more

I always pass through Sunol after work and decided to explore the town and came across this vineyard. I decided to make reservations with my friends and am so glad I did! We did the Sommelier experience with Chris and we had such a good time. He was knowledgeable and very friendly. Their wine was enjoyable and the vineyard was fun to tour. Chris gave us the tour of the vineyard and the landscape of the venue was so beautiful. Our friends are planning to book another tasting here in a few months since we had an unforgettable experience! Don't forget to take pictures with the ostriches. Be areful because they do bite! read more

Elliston Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Sunol, California

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Athena was an excellent wedding coordinator! She was very responsive during the planning processing and ran a tight, effective ship on the day of. She fielded questions and helped creating go smoothly from decorations, the processional, to fixing technical difficulties. The venue is absolutely beauty and everyone loved the ostriches. The reception space is a little small but as you we had a smaller guest list, it worked out just fine :) read more

I visited Elliston Vineyards for afternoon tea with a friend, and it was such an adorable spot! The weather was perfect, and the outdoor setting was beautiful. We were greeted and seated quickly, with a cute teapot, cups, and plates ready. Our server recommended a seasonal black tea from China or Tibet, which was light and pleasant. The tier of savory bites and desserts was delicious, though just like other reviews, I expected more than one teapot/flavor like at other tea spots. We were given a glass of cider that tasted like wine! And also some yummy tres leches. A downside was the number of flies and bees, which made it hard to finish our desserts. The staff gave us a to-go box for them but the bees landed in them before we could pack. We ended up walking around the venue, which is absolutely gorgeous - they were even setting up a wedding. Overall, it's a lovely venue with amazing staff--just wish there were more tea & food options for the price and fewer insects. read more

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I am so mad that it took me this long to find Elliston vineyards! The afternoon tea service truly was amazing! Our host was so awesome and I wish I could remember his name but he was an older gentleman and we really appreciated how much info he provided. They did alert us that there was a wedding happening when we arrived which would have cut into our reservation. But rather than rushing us out, they moved us to another smaller area after everyone left so we could stay and finish our tea. We were one of the later reservations and weren't notified about the wedding before we arrived so we really appreciated that they were still trying to ensure that we had a good time especially after driving so far. He brought us out something to sample that he said was really popular as an apology for the overlap on time and we all immediately bought a bottle. I think it's really cool that they are also a hotel or air bnb so I am looking forward to returning soon for an overnight! read more

Elliston Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Sunol, California

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We visited Ellison Vineyards for their Afternoon Tea, and while the property itself is beautiful and the weather made for a pleasant afternoon, the overall experience didn't feel worth the price. One thing to note is that you have to pay in advance, so you don't really get a sense of what you'll be receiving until you arrive. The tea service felt limited--only one pot of tea to share amongst 5 of us, and the tea itself was just okay without much depth or distinctive flavor. The food was also underwhelming. They don't serve traditional tea sandwiches; instead, the offerings are small crostinis, and the desserts were pretty standard and not particularly memorable. Overall, I personally wouldn't have paid that price for what we got. It's a lovely setting, but the High Noon Tea experience didn't match the cost. read more

I came here for a fundraiser. The setting was nice and quaint. The garden was inviting. However, the wine they served at the fundraiser was bad and has gone bad! Several tables that we know serving the Cabernet turned. They were selling these exact red wine for the fundraiser. We mentioned to the seller, but they didn't seem to care and said that people have different taste buds. I doubt it if several tables agree that the wine turned bad. I wouldn't recommend this place if you enjoy wine. They weren't rude, but didn't seem to care enough that the wine they were offering went bad. If only the wine would match the vibe of the ambiance. read more

I did my research and looked at their website and reviews and still decided to reserve regular tasting for 2 for 12noon on a Sunday. Weather was perfect and so was everything from food, service to ambiance. there were some flies buzzing around our food but I didn't want to use the bug repellent spray I had prepared in advance for fear that it would contaminate our food. I didn't see any flies when we were seated and just figured we wouldn't need it but as soon as the food came out the flies started gathering. For future visits I would recommend bug repellent spray before the drinks and food arrive to your table. read more

Elliston Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Sunol, California

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I can't believe it's been 4 years since I've visited this place. A lot has changed. The grounds are still beautiful, tons of places to sit and lounge, comfy lounge chairs. The pond and flowers blooming everywhere were so lovely. Being here felt like a scene from somewhere far away, in an English countryside. The ostriches were fun to see once again, so nice they have them here. That's a treat on its own. We enjoyed the flight, they very good and refreshing, and the escargot and cheese plate were great. Also, shout out to the man who waited and served us that day was the friendliest. Definitely need to come here more often! See you soon Elliston! read more

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As someone who had meant to visit for years, I was surprised by my experience here. There were so many eyesores all around the property. Overflowing dumpsters in the parking lot. Neon cones, marking who knows what. The bathroom was filthy with overflowing trash, and I think we were some of the first guests of the day so clearly it hadn't been addressed from the day before. The wine wasn't bad but it was such a bizarre experience, with them serving it as a flight in tiny goblets. There was no effort to sell us the wine or tell us anything about it. The coup de gras was saltines on the charcuterie board. The staff was lovely. That's the reason for the two stars. read more

Really great place to hangout with friends and relax. Very chill and beautiful place for pictures and conversations. We came here for the high tea menu. You need to make a reservation online. There was only one person serving all the tables so be warned that the service might be slower than expected. But he was really nice to us. They probably should hire more people to help him. The food was average but the price is reasonable. Come here for the vibe, ambience, and a relaxing time! read more

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I'll start out with the positives... it's a beautiful venue, the sangria was delicious and they have adorable ostriches! That's where the positives end. They only give you one small pot of tea for 4 people! Any more than that, you have to pay extra. It's the cheapest thing (and most important) part of afternoon tea, why skimp on the tea?The food was ok, but all of the savories were on open faced slices of hard (stale?) French bread, no variety. The desserts were all store bought and not very good. This could easily be an amazing place for afternoon tea if they made some easy changes. Maybe we'll try again next year, hopefully they take feedback and turn it into a great Afternoon Tea experience! read more

Attended the afternoom tea as it had been on my list and was greatly disappointed. You're required to pay in advance and gratuity is included. $51 later we had one SMALL teapot, barely refilled once because we couldn't get them to come over and had to ask for spoons, knives, plates and the teacup was dirty and silverware. They were not tea sandwiches but dry slices of bread with toppings (crostinis), and they literally placed a ritz cracker with some salmon on it too. There was minimal food for 2 people ($100 later). The desserts were awful, and they literally had small cupcakes literally I've seen them at walmart or luckys as well as Pepperidge farms verona cookies. We got up and left because we could not even have someone come back to our table. They gave us a half filled thing of jam for a tiny quarter sized scone, and no clotted cream. I have been to a lot of places that do tea and charge the same amount but the ambiance, service, and food ten times better. It looked like a tea party a kid threw together. Tea service wasnt even in the main mansion, which was part of the draw and that part of the winery is reserved for weddings.So don't try to go visit and think that you're gonna see the old historic house because you won't. It was either outdoors or due to drizzly weather today instead held in the wine tasting room. The worst part was that they only had 2 bathrooms which were disgusting (shit literally all over one bathroom and no toilet paper in the other one) amd this was not longer after they opened. Place is a total scam and the only thing worth it were the cute ostriches (although random that they live there and hopefully they're being taken care of well). I'd avoid visiting read more

Beautiful vineyard, great weather when we came. Part of our party caught covid so trying to reschedule was rough- no one picked up and no email reply, so we had to send someone healthy to actually talk to them to reschedule our afternoon tea time. Service was friendly though when we came! Tea offerings - they offered 1 tea type for the table. Loose premium teas - osmanthus black tea and some green Chinese leaf teas- and also tea packs were offered. The black tea was nice but needs to steep a little long to get more flavor out. The food offerings were okay, but left a little more to be desired. Our favorite part was the sandwiches but definitely would be a little bigger for the price. The scones needed more jam, we did not have a lot for a party of 6. Parking - there is a lot with lot of space and pretty easy to find the vineyard after getting off the freeway. We were given some of their Peach Mango sparkling wine to taste and it was great! We bought 2 bottles before we left. read more

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We booked four rooms for eight of us over a year ago for my mom's 80th birthday. We were told check-in was at 3:00 p.m. Two months before our date came up, they called and said they booked a wedding and we could not go to our rooms until after 5:30 p.m. On 4/30/26 we checked in and were finally allowed to go to our rooms at 5:45 p.m. However, as we brought our stuff in from the cars in quite a few trips the lady followed us everywhere we went the entire time, up and down the stairs and into the parking lot to our car and back again. It was very weird. Also, they lost our final payment check and at 10:46 p.m. the evening before they text me and said when we get there we had to pay by credit card although we had paid 2 months ahead of time already. Throughout the year I had various questions about setting up for the party, it was nearly impossible to reach them. I left multiple messages, never got a call back. Emailed them four times and never got an email back. I just had to keep calling and on one Saturday months later they finally picked up. It was an extremely stressful experience. read more

How did I not even know a beautiful winery like this existed so close to me?! We came for afternoon tea with a few girls and had a blast. We closed the tea set with sangria and really enjoyed it. The only thing I'd note is that we had about 10 people and we were only able to get 2 pots of tea. I wish we at least got 4 to share amongst 10 so that we wouldn't have to get refilled so many times. The bites were okay as well. The grounds were beautiful with so many spots to take photos. I would definitely come back for a wine day. read more

The place is very nice, with rolling landscape, vineyard, with a grand "mansion", plenty of trees and all the flowers were in full bloom and they have ostriches, too. We went for Regular High Tea yesterday, Sunday; it was $78 ea, plus automatic 20% gratuity (+10%+ tax) when you make a reservation online. There were 3 staff working yesterday, but they were all clearly understaffed: this was a Sunday, and you must book this in advance; so they know how many guests are coming. The one staff we dealt with was very nice, allowing us to have our High Tea a bit earlier, since we arrived very early for our reservation. She was also very nice when we asked her to take a couple of pictures and she took a few. The food however, was vey subpar, considering the cost. I've never had high sandwiches served using sliced baguettes; at least these savory sandwiches tasted good; but did look like, they've been sitting out for awhile. The scones were flakey and had layers when you cut into them. The dessert pieces tasted and looked like supermarket dessert, sliced in small squares (to resemble petit fours); my friend commented about the very artificially neon yellow colored mango mousse and didn't touch hers. We barely ate any of the dessert that we paid for; we didn't bother taking them togo. Once we received our food, bees / flies started flying around, trying to land on our food, which we had to constantly battle with; it would've been nice if they had those electronic table fly fans, since it's all outdoor seating. Very few tea options (about 7 or so), and most were packaged tea, vs loose leaf (which is the standard); my friend chose green tea, which didn't have much flavor even after we waited 10 minutes for it to steep; she mentioned this to the same lady / staff who replied - she'll give us another tea (the same packet we had = 1 pc for a pot: so of course it also tasted diluted) and since they were understaffed, she didn't return with the one lone tea packet until after 25 minutes or so). If you want the High Tea experience, look elsewhere; my first one was at the Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, BC and also Palace Hotel in SF. read more

Elliston Vineyards - Regular High Tea for two ppl and one choice of pot tea. - Wineries Near Me - Sunol, California

Don't do it. TikTok and Instagram fooled me I should have read more reviews. We planned this maybe 4 months ago, I emailed them about 3 times before someone finally replied to my email. I booked on the website, and had a question regarding the reservation. I emailed them. And emailed them. And emailed them... finally they called me back said they changed reservation systems and couldn't find my reservation. It was for 8 people well over $300 and... I paid for shipping 8x... what were they shipping who knows. Nothing arrived nothing was discussed. Day of reservations was at 11, we arrived at 10:45 they didn't open until 11. Finally we run into an employee and she asks us what we needed I explained to her we have a reservation. She is fumbling asking me questions as if unaware there was a booking. Sets ip a table... some of the people below mentioned flowers we didn't even have that. Just a table cloth, three pots of tea for 8 people, we asked for a refill they only added water and our tea was ... tainted hot water. Service... god the service was horrible. They had two people coming and going between the properties, we finally had enough finished our pastries found a place to eat lunch at and our server had come back surprised to see us going. We played our own music because the sound of silence was deafening in the room. Pastries were Costco, aside from the tea sandwiches. read more

Elliston Vineyards - Tea food - Wineries Near Me - Sunol, California

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I was really excited to bring my partner here for her bday, but this place is a nightmare. The grounds are nice the ostriches need more care and the cutest thing on the property was the kitten. It looks as if the grounds were nice, but lots of places that fell short. As for the tea service tea bags for afternoon tea had me gagged! The service really suffered everyone was frantic no one knew what they were doing .albeit they were busy.We had to ask to order our tea then they gave us our food. The mixture of store bought desserts and rotten food were truly alarming. I just had a kidney transplant so I didn't eat much because I was worried about the warm food like chicken salad, cheesecake (frozen but defrosted), cucumbers, tomatoes. The mushrooms were a mess soaked into the bread and soggy. The brownie had a half a grape and sprinkles on it, but that wasn't the worse it was so stale. We also received a Halloween cookie that was so old and tasted horrible. Everything was so bad I had some of the mango cake and a little cheesecake and literally had to run to the bathroom 20 minutes later and there bathroom toilets were all clogged probably a sign of the bad food. If you've seen this place on TikTok they must have paid for the review because this place was not good, the service sucked and I want my gratuity back as no one really helped us. It was pure mayhem here and I really urge the next visitors to go somewhere else if you want good afternoon tea. 0/10 do not recommend. read more

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This place is amazing my friends and I enjoy the scenery and the view is gorgeous. The food is not expensive it was delicious big portion so we just shared. And our server is polite and very nice. She is very accommodating she answered our questions and stayed with us and talked about the place. Good for all occasions if you want something quiet and nature this is the place. We enjoy the Ostrich although they smelland the Koi. read more

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This review is for their afternoon tea experience only. First this place is super cute. There's a nice garden in the front with waterfalls and there are also nice patio spaces for sitting that is relaxing. Second, the owner has 3 ostriches! That's a pretty cool pet right? Third, it's dog friendly! Yay! How rare is it to find a dog friendly afternoon tea? The reservation needs to be prepaid. For about $55 per person you get a couple of sweets, a couple of savories, and a few sandwiches. The food itself is not memorable at all but the staff is lovely and so is the location. read more

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We had a wonderful time at Elliston Vineyards! We ordered the tea service for six and chose some large wicker couches to sit on the terrace. The weather and views were impeccable. The savory and sweet options were perfect for the size of the group. We were told the pastries were baked in-house. We were given the choice to pick one type of tea, and Tammy our server made sure to keep the pot full for the two hours we spent. We also ordered a peach sparkling wine that ended the meal nicely. Afterwards, we toured the lovely grounds and met the baby and adult ostriches. It was such a wonderful afternoon with friends! read more

I saw a video on Instagram and decided we too must come here! I love tea. I also love lightbubbles. They have both. Best of both worlds. We live about 30 minutes away, and this seemed a little bit closer than anything in Napa area. The property is gorgeous. The waitress was kind enough to give us each a teapot with our own tea. Not huge of a tea selection. Only two other tables while we were there. Though it is a reservation by time slot. For the price of the tea day, it was a little bit expensive, but it wasn't horrendous. The staff are extremely friendly and lovely. Most of the food was made on site. We stayed for about two hours and they did not rush us out. I will say, there were way too many flies. Maybe because where we sat. I wish they would have some way to catch and kill the flies. Or maybe a cover to go over the food when we're not eating it. The big wicker furniture was near the animals and I assume that's why there were so many flies near us. They do let you sit wherever you want. So that's a plus. And I believe they may also have indoor seating. But, the grounds are beautiful so you want to sit outside. For the tea party food menu it was a good selection. And a good amount of food. They made us a mango Bellini and it was delicious. They did not push us to buy or try any other wines. Though, if they did bring samples of the other wines, I may have actually purchased something. Good size parking lot. Clean bathrooms. Easy to get to. Great day with my girlfriends read more

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Super cute brunch spot with the girls. We had a surprise bridal shower and it was the perfect afternoon tea. The tea pots came flowing. Make your reservation here for a hidden gem! read more

Elliston Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Sunol, California

I visited this location for a friend's celebration. The staff was beyond rude and borderline aggressive. The woman working was basically yelling at the host (in front of everyone) over the volume of the music and people's cheering due to her strict neighbors and fear of a noise violation. There is a respectful and professional way to bring up and discuss any concerns with someone who has paid and invited guests to your business - but her way was NOT IT. It killed the vibe and was downright awkward. Additionally, there was a wedding set-up on the other side of the property and the man working was observed KICKING white chairs on the lawn. Aside from the abhorrent service mentioned above, it smells like a farm. There were two ostriches right beside the ceremony and while they were cute to look at, the scent on-location is unpleasant. Not only would I not return and never recommend this vineyard to others, I actively recommend that you avoid it. For reference, I am not some random keyboard warrior behind a screen. I have posted hundreds of reviews and you can see 1 star ratings are VERY RARE from me. The service was absolutely unacceptable on what was one of someone's most special and important days of their lives. read more

Elliston Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Sunol, California

This was hands down the most pathetic excuse for a "high tea" I've ever experienced. From the start, they demand full payment up front and even tack on a mandatory "gratitude" fee before you've even sat down--beyond arrogant for what was about to follow. We waited over an hour for the food, only to be served something that was downright insulting. No tea sandwiches whatsoever--the absolute core of afternoon tea. Instead, they plopped down some stale-tasting baguette toast that was disgusting. The so-called "tea selection" was a joke: five generic Tazo bags you could pick up at any grocery store. And the desserts? Cheap, low-quality cupcakes and cookies that looked like they were straight off the Safeway clearance rack. It was embarrassing, lazy, and a complete rip-off. To make it worse, I had noted it was for a birthday celebration, and they didn't so much as acknowledge it. Not a word, not a gesture--nothing. For the outrageous price and the audacity of calling this "high tea," this place was an absolute disgrace. Save your money and your time--this was one of the most disappointing, low-effort, and insulting dining experiences I've ever had. If I could do negative star I would do so. read more

If you guys are looking for a serene place to hang out, then this is the place to be! It's perfect just for an afternoon tea with girls or even a double date with friends. The place is so cozy and relaxing. It almost feels like we're on a vacation. We booked this place for tea (not for the wine). The host ended up giving us a little sparkling rose and other was so good! We will definitely come back for the wine tasting! read more

Elliston Vineyards - Black tea - Wineries Near Me - Sunol, California

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Went for their afternoon tea on a Sunday and had a decent experience. The setting is overall nice and they have some soft music playing. We were seated quickly, but the tea and snacks took a while to come out so we could not enjoy everything together. There was only one server and what looked like the owner to tend to a handful of tables, which was probably the reason. Interestingly, they did not provide a strainer with the tea, but perhaps that's normal for the kinds of teas they served, which were tasty. The snacks were overall okay: the sandwiches were unremarkable, the bruschetta item was quite garlicky, and the sweets were the highlight. They do not provide refills on any of the food items which is a bit tough for the $55/person price tag. read more

Elliston Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Sunol, California

Beautiful vineyard, cute ostriches, nice ambience, and great service!! The wine was delicious, and my friends and I had a great time. Thank you for this wonderful experience :-) read more

Elliston Vineyards - Wineries Near Me - Sunol, California

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The winery grounds were really beautiful, and we got a great spot right by the garden with a nice view. Visually, everything looked lovely. But honestly, that's where the good things kind of ended. The food was just okay, maybe a 3 out of 5. One of our chicken salad sandwiches never showed up because the server told us shedropped it, and they replaced it with a piece of avocado toast that wasn't even half the size. We had to prepay for the afternoon tea, which already included a 20 percent gratuity. I called the day before to ask if we could add one more person (we were a party of 6) and was told to pay for only the confirmed guests but to leave a note about the possible extra guest. When we arrived, my sister was told they had no reservation for that extra person and couldn't accommodate, even though the place wasn't even close to full. Service was pretty frustrating. The servers didn't come check on us unless we literally called them over; otherwise, they walked right past our table without even making eye contact. At one point, my sister had to yell after calling a server's name several times just to get noticed. Meanwhile, other tables around us seemed to be getting much better attention. Our server was very nice but had a hard time communicating because her English wasn't great. We had to repeat ourselves multiple times and still didn't always get what we asked for. I ended up having to go inside just to get a refill on the tea. The sangria flight included with the tea was confusing too. We got three small carafe's of juice with no explanation. When we asked about the flavors, another server just guessed what they were and said "you'll figure it out once you taste them." Honestly, they just tasted like watered-down juice with no alcohol. To make things worse, there was this weird smell of ostrich manure lingering around. Plus, the bathrooms were poorly stocked. One had no toilet paper, and the other had no soap. We didn't bother telling anyone because we barely saw the staff at all. I decided to order a bottle of champagne to celebrate my mom's birthday and did appreciate that our server let me taste two kinds before deciding. After receiving the champagne, no one came back to check on us, so I eventually had to go inside just to pay for it. When I noticed they'd added another 20 percent gratuity on top, I asked for it to be removed. The employee asked, "How much do you want taken off?" and I said, "All of it." I explained that the service didn't warrant it, especially since we'd already paid a hefty gratuity for the tea. I mentioned to him that when servers walk through the dining area, it would be nice if they at least made eye contact with tables to see if guests need anything. I shouldn't have to yell someone's name just to get their attention. He explained that they were short-staffed and, even if he had noticed I needed something, he wouldn't have been able to help anyway. On top of that, he couldn't figure out how to remove the gratuity from the champagne, so he just decided to comp the bottle instead, which I appreciated. Overall, the service was just disappointing, and the whole experience left a bad taste in my mouth. I won't be coming back. read more

The first time I visited Elliston Vineyards was for a Yelp event, which was very lovely. The grounds were charming, and staff were friendly. I loved the koi pond and gazebo area-- so charming! Something also that makes it stands out is the ostriches that are there?! What.... Lol it's cool to check them out, but be careful not to stand too close as they will try to peck/bite you. My 2nd time visiting here was for a Halloween Happy Hour, which was also pretty cool as well. I took my mom here with me, and it was her first time. She had a wonderful time checking the place. We enjoyed our free sangrias because of if you wear a costume- you get a free drink. I also bought a plate of nachos to munch on, which were okay. I wasn't really a fan of the nachos. I would definitely return again for future events. :) read more

Elliston Vineyards - Halloween HH - Wineries Near Me - Sunol, California

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