Look no further, if you are looking to have high tea in Victoria. The service was outstanding, and…read morewe were well taken care of the food was exceptional and very fresh. This was my first IT experience and I couldn't have asked for a better one.

White Heather Tea Room is the highest rated Afternoon Tea in Victoria and came highly recommended…read moreon social media. We decided to visit for the special meal of our recent trip to Victoria, making a reservation at opening on a Thursday morning. It turns out in the off season a reservation isn't necessary - it never got too full during our 2 hours lounging around and slowly nibbling on food and sipping on tea. The staff are exceptionally pleasant and attentive, constantly refilling teapots and checking on customers. I especially love that when they bring out the tiered tray, they automatically ask for a phone to take a photo! Signature Muckle Tea ($66 CAD per person) - This firstly comes with three tea choices. Given how Brits traditionally drink tea (e.g. with a lot of sugar and cream), we were a bit skeptical with how this afternoon tea would work. We wanted three vastly different types of non-blended teas (ideally a selection of green, black, white, oolong, and puerh). White Heather does serve the first three types of tea. We figured black teas would be safest given brewing temperatures and times. Pai Mu Tan - Very, very subtle flavor. In fact I would say that even after several minutes of brew time, it only tastes like boiled water with slight astringency. But then after another couple of minutes becomes exceptionally astringent and very difficult to drink. A very finicky tea that probably isn't a good choice for afternoon tea. Orange Pekoe - Strong bold malty flavor without much in terms of fruitiness. Does become quite astringent as it becomes more overbrewed, but it takes a while before getting to that point (we also lifted the tea bags as much as possible out of the water to prevent overbrewing in the first place) Sencha - Exceptionally grassy fragrance making it very pleasant to drink. It holds up very well and never becomes too astringent or unpleasant. Surprising given how bitter it gets at home when I brew it at too high temperatures or for too long. Second brew doesn't give much flavor though. Given how many bites came on the three layer tower, I'll only be giving sparknotes rather than my usual full analysis. The waitress recommended eating from bottom tier up. Plain Scone + Raisin Scone - Both exceptionally fluffy and tender, easy to split in half. Served nice and warm with cream, lemon curd, and berry jam. Cheese Croustades - Interestingly different colors on the shell, one being much darker than the other. Both tastes and textures are the same though, being flaky but very hard and almost crunchy. Inside is a cheese mixture, tasting mostly of cheddar with mayo (similar to pimento cheese sans pimento). Some slivers of almonds on top. Mini Quiche - Really soft and buttery tart filled with sun dried tomato and topped with red bell pepper and what seems to be ricotta cheese, although given it's quiche is probably egg. Ham Pinwheel - Simple ham salad flecked with celery, red bell pepper, and pickles on flattened and rolled up sandwich bread. Not salty. Egg Salad Pinwheel - Similar to above, but with egg salad and pimento stuffed olives. The olive gives a welcome hit of salinity. Salmon Sconewich - Really sweet, possibly brown sugar glazed smoked salmon in a somewhat cheesy herbaly scone, tender and spread with cream cheese. Too sweet for a savory dish in my opinion, even with the stuffed olive on top. Cucumber Sandwich - Double decker sandwich, thinly sliced cucumber, tangy cream cheese spread on rye. Soft and fluffy, cucumber almost melts in the mouth. Chocolate Mousse - Delightfully rich and thick, definitely a high quality chocolate mouse given the texture and depth of chocolate flavor, graced with half a raspberry. At this point I was so stuffed that I couldn't eat another bite. I left the rest of the desserts for later (ended up eating them for dinner). Macaron - Really sweet and raspberry fruity, super soft, fingers easily break the surface with a light touch. Raspberry jam in the center of an Earl Grey cream, very sweet so my first few bites I couldn't get the bergamot flavor, but it comes out eating the frosting in isolation. Carrot Cake - Super dense, moist crumb with plenty of carrot flavor and some crushed walnut to break things up. Not too sweet. Tangy whipped cream cheese topping, light not heavy. Caramel Mini Cupcake - Denser bake but moist crumb, tastes more like vanilla than caramel to me. The cream on top perhaps has a hint of caramel? At least, it doesn't seem to be straight sugar. Lemon Tart - Super soft pastry shell with the same lemon curd as with the scones, then topped with cream. Scottish Shortbread - Very crumbly and buttery sweet dessert. Rich and delicious. I'm at the character limit so I'll just say this - White Heather gives a fantastic Afternoon Tea experience. It's a splurge that I certainly think was worth taking. Bathrooms - Two unisex rooms

This teahouse was delightful. We took a fairy from Port Angles for the day. This beautiful garden…read moreand teahouse is a tranquil, peaceful place. I really enjoyed it. The bathroom was clean. The staff was so kind and accommodating and the tea service was divine. The food was yummy and the tea was delicious.

The gardens were fantastic! Well maintained with close in trails that give it a very close in…read moresecret garden feel. There is also a trail suitable for wheelchairs and other assistive devices. This is not a really large garden, but very well designed and laid out. The variety of species is fantastic and the flowering blossoms are everywhere. The tea itself is a different story as I'm a bit of a tea snob. There are no menus or choices for sandwiches or type of tea. I found the tea sandwiches to be dry and stale bread. Being a tea snob, I also prefer private seatings instead of 8 strangers at a table all reaching into the same tower of sandwiches for choices you didn't get to make. Non Europeans just don't understand the finer points of tea. This 'European seating' of strangers sharing a table works for western ideas of pubs, not for an afternoon tea. Five stars for the garden. 2 stars for the stale sandwiches and tepid unknown tea with no cozies or leaves strainers or spoons or choices...

Tea at the Empress is the epitome of the classic "must do at least once" experiences. They've…read moreraised their prices a good bit since I did this, but it's still an event I'd recommend if you enjoy feeling uber posh now and again. You can't beat the atmosphere, the service you will experience has no equal, and the tea selection and goodies are exceptional. Then, there's the location and view ... The Empress Hotel [bar] is a must-stop every time I visit Victoria. If you prefer tea, put this on your todo list. You won't be disappointed, just short a chunk of change.

Tea at the Empress was nothing short of spectacular. If you're visiting Victoria, this is one of…read morethose experiences you absolutely have to do at least once. From the moment I arrived, everything felt elegant and special without ever feeling stuffy. The staff were phenomenal: warm, attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely made the experience feel like an occasion rather than simply another meal. The food was beautifully presented and absolutely delicious, but the tea itself was the star. The selection and presentation made the entire experience feel extravagant, and taking the time to sit back and enjoy it all in such an iconic setting was unforgettable. And then there's the view. Sitting inside the beautiful Fairmont Empress while looking out toward Victoria's Inner Harbour is something pictures simply don't do justice. Yes, afternoon tea at the Empress is an indulgence, but it's so much more than tea and food. It's an experience. Beautiful surroundings, exceptional service, delicious food, incredible tea, and one of the best views in Victoria. This was easily one of the highlights of my trip and something I would happily do all over again. Absolutely phenomenal.

London fog: 4/5 the best I've had in Victoria so far…read more Black currant scone: 5/5 they warm it up for you and provide jam and butter. So delicious must eat it there truly apart of the experience. Had the murchies special tea 4/5 The scone breakfast sandwich 5/5 would get every day if I could. Service was kind. The store is huge with plenty of seating and a store inside to buy my third tea.

I love this place!! Best tea and coffee in the area. A…read moreplethora of delicious desserts and food. The store has a lot of tea (of course!) and cute items. One thing tone aware and i hope the owners consider- bring back the tin for the teas. Last time i came my teas came in tin cans not boxes or plastic bags however, i still bought several teas and other things.

We had the high tea as an early lunch and it was a really fun experience. They have a set menu so…read moreall you need to choose is your type of tea and any cocktails or extra drinks you'd like. The ambience is amazing, we sat outside in the shade overlooking the rose garden. It was tranquil and really beautiful. Our server was extremely friendly, she explained everything on the menu and was attentive and friendly throughout the service. I definitely recommend this as an experience if you're coming to visit the gardens. A few fyi's: Reservations are a must, and outdoor/indoor seating is by preference first come first served.

Back for another high tea after more than 10 years. The service and ambiance are still amazing as…read morebefore. Lovely way to spend an afternoon after visiting the gardens. Food is still very good and even after trying high tea in London, I still much prefer this one. However, having to pay admission to the garden in order to come here is a bit silly imo. I'd come way more often if this wasn't the case. I highly recommend trying the afternoon tea here if you've never tried it!

I have never had tea like this before and I felt like I had to come in proper attire but they do…read morenot scrounge you in your leggings and fleece sweater at all! The place is super cute. It's a old Victorian style house that has been turned into a tea party spot. Our server Keira was super patient and sweet. We ordered the afternoon tea for two. I opted for the peach tea and it was so tummy satisfying as it was a cold day too. It hit the spot! We got our tower of decadent sweet and salty treats. My favorite was the beef pot pie and the potato mash. That paired very well together. As far as sweets, the tart and chocolate cake were delish! Make sure to come with an empty tummy. We were not able to finish half of the goodies we were served but you can always take it to go.

At the Pendry Tea House, one does not merely have afternoon tea; one boards a doomed vessel,…read morecrosses the boundary of good sense, and descends, Virgil-less and increasingly dehydrated, into a minor but memorable circle of Dante's Inferno. More specifically, the experience recalls Canto XXVI, when Dante encounters Odysseus in Hell: the great voyager whose final journey is not wisdom, but overconfidence, misdirection, and wreckage. Pendry offered much the same voyage, except the sea was tannic tea, the ship was a sun-blasted room without air conditioning, and the wreckage cost 167 Canadian dollars. The setting was the first sign that we had passed through the gates. Rather than being seated in a calm or elegant space, everyone seemed shoved into the same glaring, sunlit room, where the lack of air conditioning turned afternoon tea into a slow roast. It was less refined Victoria tea service and more waiting room in the eighth circle: hot, crowded, and airless. If Dante had needed a modern architectural metaphor for Hell, this room would have done nicely. Then came the vegetarian meal, each course another island on the journey, each landing bleaker than the last. The bread was dried past redemption, as if abandoned on shore long before we arrived. The scones were burnt in a way that suggested not rustic charm, but open hostility. The cucumber sandwiches were the most haunting stop of all: barely two slices of cucumber, no discernible spread, and all the lushness of a moral allegory about scarcity. As for the vegan option, it was so dry that the Sahara might have sent a cease-and-desist for reputational damage. With each bite, another member of the culinary crew seemed to be left behind. The tea itself was somehow worse, which is especially impressive at a tea house. Silk Road should strongly consider pulling any association they have with this establishment, because the staff appeared not to know the steep times for the teas on their own menu. At a tea house, steeping guidance is not ornamental; it is the rudder. Without it, the whole voyage is already lost. The jasmine green tea tasted less like jasmine flowers and more like someone had steeped the dirt from beneath a jasmine bush. The tannic overload was so severe that I had to order a Coke simply to exorcise the taste from my mouth. It was the kind of bitterness Dante might have reserved for fraudulent counselors: those who know the language of refinement but use it to lead others into suffering. The masala chai, meanwhile, was so weak that I do not think even someone with IBS would have found it threatening, though perhaps that is too generous, because visually it resembled the brown water left behind by data farms in AOC's mason jar. The rich golden color one expects from chai was nowhere to be found. To their credit, they did swap it for a breakfast blend, but that tea, too, arrived with no instructions, no steeping guidance, and no follow-up. No one came by to ask whether the teas were good. We had to inquire ourselves. The service completed the allegory. When the trays of pastries were brought to the table, they were not presented so much as dumped upon us, as if they were refuse--which, surprisingly, they largely were. No one explained what anything was. At other tea services in Victoria, such as Butchart Gardens, there is pride in presentation. There, the staff arrived equipped with a baton and explained each item with care and ceremony. Here, our questions seemed to be treated as trespass, as if curiosity itself had violated house rules. We were not guests being guided through a service. We were passengers who had made the mistake of asking the captain where exactly he was taking us. The finale was fittingly infernal. After removing the first of two trays, the staff disappeared for over thirty minutes and only returned with the bill after being prompted. For two people, an 18% gratuity had already been included, which perhaps explains the total absence of incentive to provide anything resembling attentive service. Like Odysseus urging his crew onward while knowing only his own ambition mattered, the house had already secured its reward. The rest of us could drift. Hell may have no fury like that of a woman scorned, but should you wish to experience the particular fury of being packed into a hot, sunlit room without air conditioning, then served dried bread, burnt scones, cucumber sandwiches without dignity, tea brewed beyond recognition, and service conducted as though hospitality were an imposition, by all means book a table at the Pendry Tea House. At 167 Canadian dollars, it is less an afternoon tea than a guided descent: a voyage past taste, past comfort, and past the last known boundary of hospitality.

We were not inspired by Nourish, nor could we find anything that would cause us to not give it a…read morefive star review. It's on a residential street in a heritage home that has been nicely updated where need be. There is a grab and go area as well, if you're in a rush. There is also a patio, so plenty of choices. It's a very healthy choice e to eat, but that doesn't mean the portions are small, or you're going to leave hungry. My Smoked Tofu Muffuletta came on beautiful bread with a choice of salad or soup of the day. Not being a mushroom soup fan I took the greens. You can definitely taste the smoke, but it's not overpowering , and the entirety is pretty tasty. The lovely K had the Golden Benny which was also a good portion, and the eggs were perfectly cooked. The Hoyne pilsner and Caesar were also tasty. The service is spot on, with all the staff involved in taking care of you while dining. There really is nothing wanting, but somehow we were not raving about the experience.

Looking for a nice brunch spot that had a dog friendly patio and Nourish was amazing! If you are…read morelooking for delicious and healthy options this is your spot! We were a group of 6 women and loved sitting outside in the garden. The food was quick and we did order inside but they kindly brought everything out to us. The drinks we served hot and delicious with so many nice add ons like dandelion and beetroot powders! The food had amazing flavour and was so fresh! The eggs were perfectly cooked and I loved that the Benny was served with a nice salad that wasn't over dressed! Great service, wonderful atmosphere inside and out!

Very passionate staff. Top notch matcha! Dairy free options were amazing (hemp or almond). Hemp and…read morealmond was ground before my very eyes. Staff explained the process they used, adding dates to the freshly ground almond milk as well. The blend was smooth and perfect. Staff spoke passionately about the various kinds of matcha, process, and where each kind of leaf came from. It is very fascinating! They are very open to teaching you how to make proper matcha at home and you are able to purchase the supplies there directly as well. Cozy couch area that feels very private - like your own living room. I sat and read for a while with my chilled latté. SO GREAT!

i'd been really looking forward to checking out jaga silk, and finally got the chance on a friday…read morebetween noon and 4:00 pm, their only open hours each week. tucked away in nootka court at 633 courtney street, just steps from the victoria bug zoo, this café has a reputation for its maccha milled right here in victoria. they also supply their teas to other cafés, host tastings and workshops, so there's clearly a strong focus on the craft and quality. i got there around 12:05 pm, and there was already a couple seated at the bar with two more people ahead of me. not surprisingly, a steady stream followed soon after, the kind of quiet rush you'd expect from a place that opens just four hours a week. the space feels warm and rustic, shelves lined with teacups, maccha bowls and brewing gear. it has that quiet charm that makes you observe and appreciate their maccha making technique and process. one side of the café displays neatly arranged maccha tins, ceramic bowls, and starter kits, each item speaking to the care that goes into their craft. three baristas were behind the counter, focused, but clearly stretched thin. the café was busy, someone was in training, and a bit of confusion at the register made things feel a little chaotic. i ordered the oku shimo maccha latte ($12) with oat milk and a black sesame daifuku ($5), my second maccha latte of the day, because apparently moderation doesn't apply when it comes to tea. the latte took a while and came out lukewarm, having sat while they sorted an overcharge. the foam art had already blurred by the time it reached me. my daifuku was forgotten until i asked about it about nine minutes later, when it finally arrived, with an apology, it was filled with red bean instead of black sesame. it tasted fine, just not what i was expecting. for $17, the quality and service didn't feel worth it. i left wishing it had matched the story i'd built up in my head, of a serene, intentional tea experience, steeped in care and ritual. everything about the space suggests harmony and mindfulness, but the execution didn't quite land. it's the kind of place you want to fall in love with, the kind that promises quiet beauty and reflection, but sometimes, even the most beautiful rituals can lose their rhythm.

Great tasting coffee and pastry , not too crowded in the morning but limited menu. Nice cute corner…read morecafe.

La Roux was very bright and clean. The interior decor was beautiful and welcoming. It wasn't busy…read moreso seating was not an issue but might be if it is a busy time. The coffee was pretty good but not knock your socks off. The patisserie and pastries were pretty good but not as flavorful as I was expecting. The presentation was great. This is a great place to sit and chat with friends but the food was just ok.

Wife said she was stepping into the adorable tea shop. I shouldn't have followed. We got sucked…read moreinto a tea storm! The staff is sweet and painstakingly service oriented. There is an "experience" bar where you can sample the AROMA of the teas. It was intoxicating. What a wonderful way to try before you buy. We are not tea connoisseurs but interested in drinking more and better. They have about 3 dozen teas broken down into Green, Black & Herbal. We sniffed about 10 that interested us or were recommended. They have 4 sizes, a 4 cup mini tin, 40cup, 80 cup or 200 something. Prices were extremely reasonable $12-$15 on the medium tin with per serving prices under a dollar. I thought fancy tea was expensive. Not at Silk Road. We ended up purchasing 10 tins and two body sprays that coincided with a few teas. Of course there are tea pots galore, a large variety of cups and straining tools. We asked for a cute box on the way out, but the cashier?manager?owner? offered a nice linen looking bag that sells for $10. The people of Victoria are very friendly and generous. Look forward to our tea vana and potentially Mail Ordering our next batch.

silk road has always been my go to for teas whenever i'm in victoria. the blends are thoughtful,…read morethe quality consistent, and stepping inside feels like entering a calm, almost gallery like space. tall ceilings, exposed brick, and lacquered cabinets give it a serene, slightly old world charm, and the careful arrangement of colourful teacups, tins, and tea accessories makes it feel like a curated collection rather than a shop. it's the kind of place where you can linger for a while, taking in the details, inhaling the aromas, and feeling a sense of calm wash over you. the tea bar is well thought out, and the staff are knowledgeable and helpful, they're happy to explain blends, suggest teas based on your taste preferences, or guide you through proper steeping techniques. beyond teas, silk road also carries skincare, body products, and aromatherapy, making it a destination for a full sensory experience. i used to love the little rituals here: reading the detailed descriptions of each tea, opening the canisters to smell the aromas, scooping tea into the mini tins, and finishing with the label stickers that list the name and steeping time. those small, interactive touches made the experience feel playful and intimate, it wasn't just shopping, it was a ritual, a way to slow down and enjoy the moment. lately, however, some of these touches have quietly disappeared. i'm told there's been a shortage of the mini tins, my favourite tea has been discontinued, and the tactile, sensory elements that once made silk road feel so special aren't as prominent. even with these changes, it's still a beautiful shop worth visiting. the space itself encourages you to pause, explore, and appreciate the craft of tea, and the blends remain high quality. if you're seeking a serene, visually rich environment with thoughtful teas and attentive service, silk road delivers. just be aware that some of the hands on, ritualistic experiences that used to make it feel extra special may no longer be available. overall, silk road strikes a balance between elegance, calm, and quality, and for anyone serious about tea or looking for a peaceful spot to browse, it's still a worthwhile stop.