Secret Garden Tea Company

Vancouver, Canada

3.8

Open now

20 reviews

Contacts

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Telephone:
+1 604-261-3070
Website:
www.secretgardentea.com
Address:
5559 W Boulevard, Vancouver, BC, V6M 3W6
Kerrisdale, Arbutus Ridge
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
530 ft50382
0.2 mi50383
0.3 mi50384
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Bussiness info

Accepted Cards
Credit, Debit
Parking
Street
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Wi-Fi
No

Today

Today 8:00 am – 6:30 pm
Open now
Local time (Vancouver) 5:59 PM Friday, November 29, 2024

Business hours

Monday 8:00 am – 6:30 pm
Tuesday 8:00 am – 6:30 pm
Wednesday 8:00 am – 6:30 pm
Thursday 8:00 am – 6:30 pm
Friday 8:00 am – 6:30 pm
Saturday 8:00 am – 6:30 pm
Sunday 9:00 am – 6:30 pm

Description

Specialties

Welcome to the Secret Garden Tea Company. You can find us in Kerrisdale, a village-​like community nestled in the heart of Vancouver, BC. When you enter through the door of the Secret Garden, you will be greeted with a warm welcome and be seated at one of our tables.

High Tea, Afternoon Tea, Breakfast, Lunch, and Brunch are all part of our offerings. Order a full meal, or try a sampling of our beautiful homemade miniature sweets and scones. Choose from a variety of specially blended teas, served steaming hot in a teapot with teacup and saucer.

Visit us at secret​gar​den​tea​.com for more information. We look forward to hosting you soon!

History

Established in 1995.

Sisters-​in-​law Kathy and Erin Wyder own and run The Secret Garden Tea Company.

In a world of franchising and fleeting trends, the values at the core of The Secret Garden Tea Company are timeless: Stay small. Be good at what you do. If it sounds like The Secret Garden is a bit of a throwback to simpler times, it is.

Maybe that’s why, since it’s inception in 1995, people come from miles around to the cozy little teahouse. Certainly for the delicious food and soothing tea, but also for the good feeling they take home with them. A feeling that comes from relaxing instead of rushing, and from reflecting on all the sweet little good things of life. Like family. Like friends.

And a lovely cup of tea.

Meet the Business Owner

Kathy and Erin W.

Business Owner

Kathy: «Since I can remember, my Gammy had beautiful tea parties with lovely ladies dressed up in wonderful hats, usually nibbling on little petit fours. I’d listen to them chatting and laughing, from under my bed, my hands full of her famous tiny shortbread cookies. Drinking tea from a pretty cup, reaching out to friends — that was her way of honouring the moment. I think people crave a little beauty in their lives. I love that The Secret Garden has become that place where people can slow down and connect with themselves.»

Erin: «When I was a little girl, I would have tea with my Nana everyday at three o’clock. It was our tradition. Using her big teapot and having all the lovely baked goods, cuddling and talking about my day — it made a huge impression on me. I love that people find their own traditions here at The Secret Garden. Our attention to detail (we do small things with great love) is an expression of our genuine desire to nurture our community.»

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20 reviews of Secret Garden Tea Company

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Place rating: 5
Vancouver, Canada
This has been my «go to» place for years. My fav is the breakfast scone with eggs and bacon with a pot of Creamy Earl Grey. The specials however have always been to die for. Such a great place for a great breakfast/​lunch and a good chin wag with friends. Love, love, love.
Place rating: 1
New Westminster, Canada
Was not particularly impressed. The food was ok but the place was fairly ordinary and not really very well decorated. I kept thinking how I could make it more appealing. The area was tight so we had to stand while we waited for our table… No place to sit. It was noisy, no music in the background. For $ 158 for four of us for a few tiny sandwiches, some sweets and biscuits… and tea… crammed into a tiny space with so many others… was nuts. I kept thinking I could do the same thing so much better at home… with a much better atmosphere. I left a very small tip to send a message. Will never go back…
Place rating: 5
Vancouver, Canada
This is easily the best place to go for high tea in Vancouver and the room is so cosy. I also highly recommend their catering. I’ve used them a couple of times, once for a bridal shower and once for a birthday, it’s a little on the pricey side by their tea sandwiches, sweets and scones are delicious and adorable and they have a great selection. If you’re going in for high tea make sure you make reservations in advance!
Place rating: 3
Vancouver, Canada
The Secret Garden Tea Company is a wonderful place for a small gathering to high tea. A tiny ring of the bell on top of the door announced our presence. With a reservation at 4:15pm, we arrived on time and was immediately seated. The service was exceptional with all the waitresses very friendly and welcoming. All the delicate china placed perfectly spaced on the table seemed too precious to even touch. With our high tea set, we all got to order individual teas and I ordered the Mango Green Tea… continue reading at BentonTheIncrEDIBLE
Place rating: 4
Berkeley, CA
Great spot for high tea and it had a variety of mini sandwiches and desserts with a personal pot of tea
Place rating: 2
Vancouver, Canada
terrible hightea ever. the service is careless. after tea coming, we have to call to get our cup, the waitress throw the cup to us. i have od lemon mango peach tea which Can own drink 1 round, after i call to add the water. its taste like water. 2 star is for salad and Sandwich which taste not bad. not recommend
Place rating: 3
Vancouver, Canada
Loved the décor and ambiance but the sandwiches and sweets were meh.
Place rating: 3
Los Angeles, CA
I was dragged here in the last minute because one of my girlfriend’s friends didn’t show. Something about the table not being «balanced»
Had a better time finding this place unlike the last time. The place was brimming with females undergoing stress reduction (talking/​gossiping/​one person was guffawing I kid you not) so the noise level was pretty much up there. The food was better than the last time. Took some giant scones home with me and the gf (but I ate most of it) This visit was slightly better than the last.
They also offer vegetarian, gluten free options if you call in advance.
Place rating: 3
Vancouver, Canada
*this review gives the place 3.5÷5 stars*
Came here for high tea with a friend to catch up and to see if we have found the perfect tea date place yet. Walking in, you’re greeted nicely by a server and guided to your seat (you should be making reservations beforehand regardless of high tea or not, it was pretty full when we went). I had the chance to sample the creamy earl grey, which tasted like milk tea without adding any milk!!! That was very mesmerizing. I ended up choosing a rose tea though, but I liked the creamy earl grey more in the end.
Now, moving onto the food. There are quite a few savoury options available for you, but some were hits and some were misses. In terms of how exquisite the pieces are, I would say not much. I did enjoy the croissant sandwich though! One thing I disliked from the 3 tiers was the scone. These scones are light and fluffy, but not in the same fashion as a typical English scone. They reminded me of the Danish ones I had before, which I unfortunately do not like :(The top tier desserts were ok but a little sweet for me, and the cake in the middle tier was also nothing special. The lemon tart is not bad if you’ve never had the faubourg lemon tart before. But if you had, then you will inevitably compare the two, and I found it disappointing :/​
What the redeeming factor is for Secret Garden though is the chinaware and the interior design of the store — very dainty and very cute! If you can grab a table by the window it’s very nice to sit and have some noms while doing some people watching.
I’m tempted to by some creamy earl grey tea leaves even now. But if I’m looking for food for high tea I would like, I would probably go to urban tea merchant instead.
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
Great place for high tea. Loved the creamy earl grey and the lemon tart and raspberry bar were flavorful. My friends also liked the cute mini sandwiches that goes with the demi high tea package.
Service was attentive and extra wonderful because i forgot my phone at the place and being from California, they were more than willing to mail it back to me. Much appreciated and may thanks!
Place rating: 4
Vancouver, Canada
This is as good as it gets in Vancouver for taking tea.
Due to Canadian import laws, it is difficult to find devonshire cream that is anywhere similar to what they serve in England. Secret Garden Tea Company serves devonshire cream that is the most similar to what I ate when I studied in Devon where the famous Devon cream tea comes from.
Not feeling too famished on the day I was here, I decided just to order a scone with some devonshire cream and jam as well as a tea. I ordered the Secret Garden tea as it was something I’d never tried before. The tea came piping hot in a big tea pot and it was delicious.
The apple scone was perfect, but a little large for the amount of cream and jam they served with it. The cream was thick and sweet just like it should be. The only disappointment was the jam which was a little too runny.
Service was very good and I really admired the décor. It took me back to the time when I could sit back and relax and enjoy some afternoon tea after school.
Place rating: 5
Richmond, Canada
High tea never tasted so good. The fact these folks change up their menu on a regular basis is reason enough for me to come back time and time again. The mini croissant sandwiches are phenomenal and their scones are light and fluffy. Egg salad sandwiches? Yes please! They also offer vegetarian options and a kid version as well.
The décor inside is pretty much what you would imagine a high tea place would look like. Victorian like elegance mixed with an over abundance of tea pots everywhere and fine bone china.
The service was impeccable and you get a 2 hour time slot to sit and relax while chatting and sipping your tea.
Don’t forget you can also purchase any of the teas you see in their menus. Try the caramel rooibos, the flavour is amazing.
Place rating: 4
Coquitlam, Canada
So fun! I want to bathe in some of the teas. The French Lavender Earl Grey is life altering.
I enjoyed the high tea tray and friends loved the soup and sandwich choices. The service was impeccable; friendly and elegant at the same time.
The décor and window view is gorgeous and the ‘shopping’ offers many darling choices. You can while away the hours chatting and consuming delectables. Take a box of treats home. The pear and chocolate baked treats were especially delicious as were the scones with clotted cream and jam.
Place rating: 5
Vancouver, Canada
We called last minute on a Tuesday afternoon for high tea with 5 ladies and got in right away… (Luckily because the 2 other places we tried were closed!)
Each of us had the high tea and all of the finger foods and desserts included were scrumptious! You only get one option of tea which is pretty disappointing, but I have quickly learned that most of the high tea places only give you one. There’s tons of merchandise so you can shop for cute antique tea cups, beautifully packaged loose leaf tea or cute kid items! I picked up a porcelain baby tea set and kids cupcake apron for my daughter, and some Blue Angel Tea!
The décor really suits Kerrisdale and the bathroom smells really good! That’s a plus! The service was good, will definitely go back.
Place rating: 4
Seattle, WA
I have only had high tea two other times: Ritz Carlton in Hong Kong and The Rotunda in SF. With that being said, Secret Garden had the best food! You can make reservations (email them if you are outside of Canada and don’t want to pay calling fees).
The place is cute. Loved the floral tea sets. All the sandwiches/​pastries/​desserts in our high tea set were delicious! Usually they are usually just ok to me, but I still go for the experience. It’s kinda fun just to relax, enjoy some tea and pastries. $ 30CAD per person. Which is also the cheapest amongst the other high teas I’ve tried.
Place rating: 3
Vancouver, Canada
I’ve been on a few occasions, all of which have been pleasant enough.
Consistently good service, decent tea and pastries.
It’s sort of prissy, which I suppose some people enjoy, and the interior is claustrophobic in my opinion (i.e., the neighbouring table conversations are rather too close for comfort, and you eat/​drink on tiny tables with cups and dishes piled all over the place — I got accidentally spilled on on my last visit).
Not sure what it costs to eat here, since I’ve always been invited by others who were treating and never noticed prices on the menu.
A worthwhile experience if you can tolerate small spaces and small food.
Place rating: 4
Vancouver, Canada
I come here regularly with two of my girlfriends and we enjoy the afternoon tea service. They’ve always seated us by the windows, which I appreciate because the establishment itself is quite small.
I’m never sure which tea I should order here, but they do have a best seller’s list of popular teas one can choose from. The tea selection is good, and the food portions are VERY generous. They give two sandwiches per person as opposed to the other places I’ve visited (where each guest only gets one of each item on each tier). The taste and quality of the food, however, did not stand out as interesting or special to me.
I like Secret Garden, and I can definitely see myself returning, but the atmosphere is not my style and the chairs are not very comfortable. Everything was simply satisfactory. And sometimes, that’s fine for a relaxing day out!
Place rating: 4
Vancouver, Canada
Since I’ve only had high-​tea at one other place in town I’ll have to reserve my fifth star till I have tried other places, but Secret Garden Tea Company was a fantastic experience and was a lovely way to spend a Friday afternoon with a friend.
Great experience overall using the T.E.A. measure (Teas, Eats, Ambiance — couldn’t resist haha)
Teas:
— So many! I had the Vanilla Almond black tea, which was an aromatic and lightly sweet complement to the food.
— My friend had, I believe, the creamy earl grey, which she also enjoyed immensely. I tried some of it and it was also very aromatic, definitely not a weak «tea bag» kind of tea.
— You can order little bags of loose-​leaf tea to bring home. At about $ 11.25 a bag, it’s similar in pricing to David’s Tea but you can sleep easy knowing you’re supporting a local shop (although DT is also a Canadian company so you can’t go wrong either way).
Eats:
— Shrimp salad mini croissants — light and tasty, no fishy taste in the shrimps
— Egg salad pinwheels — a little soft but the egg salad was tasty
— Bacon biscuit mini-​sandwiches — who doesn’t love bacon?
— Scones — soft and delicious when you add a nice big pat of devonshire cream and jam
— pumpkin (?) cake — soft and not too sweet
— sweet tarts — the lemon one was the best!
— Amounts of food were good for us two girls (we also had skipped lunch so we were hungry) but if you’re a man who also had skipped lunch it might be a little small… but it’s not intended to be a full meal really so those with large appetites may want to snack beforehand.
Ambiance:
— Cozy inside and you drink your tea out of cute little tea cups that allow you to basically live out your childhood dreams of «playing tea»
— Service was friendly and everything came out quickly but I saw that at times they were a little stressed and short-​staffed later in the afternoon when the room filled up.
I would recommend this place to all girls and boys who would like to just sit back and enjoy some tea and yummy treats.
Place rating: 4
Vancouver, Canada
Secret Garden has been around for years and is still quite busy despite the growing competition around town. That says a lot for this quaint tea house and bakery.
They have an excellent variety of teas that will please most discerning tea drinkers. If you’re not a tea connoisseur, the staff there are more than willing to provide suggestions for you.
Of course, most people that come here come for the afternoon tea service. Their prices are reasonable compared to other places that have afternoon tea. Aside from the wide tea selection, the pastries and sandwiches they serve up are fresh and tasty. They offer a few variations to their tea service so you can have a light version if you’re not too hungry or their full meal deal which will feel anyone up. Make a reservation ahead of time to be sure you get a seat.
If you’re not in the mood for their afternoon tea, you can order à la cart their pastries and sandwiches. I personally like their star shaped scone. It’s huge and tasty. Be sure to order the crème fraîche with it.
I have to say this is one of my favorite places to go when I’m in the area doing some shopping in Kerrisdale.
Place rating: 4
San Francisco, CA
We didn’t have reservations but we were offered a reserved table and were allowed an hour and 45 minutes if we wanted it. We took it.
We each had our own tea. I had the black French tea with a light rose taste and he had the toffee flavored which had a perfect hint of toffee and not overbearing. A tower of pastries and cakes was brought to our table. I particularly liked the scones with the clotted cream and jam. Delicious and not too sweet. I didn’t see crumpets offered anywhere on their menu but these scones were pretty great which made up for the lack of crumpet with my tea.
The pricing was fair which just made most of the tea places in SF seem extremely overpriced.
Service was quick, friendly and courteous.
This is definitely worth your while when in the area.