Nestled in a curve of Upper Wacker along the vibrant Chicago River, LondonHouse Chicago is offering one of the most creative and superb teas the city has to offer. The chef-curated Summer Afternoon Tea service at the Bridges Lobby Bar reimagines the traditional afternoon tea and elevates it with a sleek, modern flair that matches the bar décor. It is understated, modern and elegant, and not at all fussy.
From the second you enter the bar, you’re treated to absolutely stunning panoramic views of some of the city’s most iconic architecture, straight down the river past Marina City, setting the stage for an unforgettable afternoon. But the views are not the only truly exceptional thing about this experience.
I need to speak first about the service. It was outstanding. From the valets outside, to the steward to the clerks at the desk, everyone was uniformly welcoming, efficient and gracious. Our server welcomed us, introduced himself and allowed us ample time to peruse the tea menu and make our first selections. He then returned promptly and brought us our individual, ample portions of tea. We are tea junkies and we ended up drinking six pots of tea among the three of us, and he watched and was right there as soon as anything got low. This when he was very busy as many people were dining at the same time. Your experience will be exceptional. The staff will ensure it.
The wide tea selection is curated from Rare Tea Cellars and Sparrow Coffee, ensuring a diverse range of flavors to suit every palate. There’s a lovely selection of black, green, and herbal tea with some unexpected and excellent surprises from grapefruit to Canadian Ice Wine making an appearance in the blends. While preparing this review my companions and I sampled seven of the offerings with the Wild Berry Noir, Grapefruit Grove Elixir, and Crema Earl Grey as the standouts. The Darjeeling, Canadian Ice Wine Elixir, and Emperor’s Genmaitcha were also lovely choices. Only one we attempted had any off notes and that was the Emperor’s Lemon Meritage, which had an almost artificial lemon flavor that is best to be avoided.
The first course brought little baskets with some of the most exquisite scones any of us had ever eaten. The classic cream scone was the perfect light and fluffy vessel for shoveling as much lemon curd, clotted cream, or strawberry puree into your gullet as you could. The Orange blossom scone was delicately flavored and really needed nothing else, but was exceptional with any of the included condiments. I honestly can think of no other tea in Chicagoland that boasts scones this delicious. In addition, there was a piece of very nice zucchini bread, though it was really nothing special, and an exceptional strawberry thumbprint cookie that was actually nicer than anything served during the sweets course. If the tea had just stopped here, it would be a success, but this was just the beginning.
The centerpiece of the experience is the meticulously crafted three-tiered tower, showcasing a harmonious balance of savory and sweet bites. My companions and I are bona fide tea junkies and have been to tea all over the world, including in London proper, and the LondonHouse savories are among the finest we’ve had anywhere and also among the most creative. This is not your Mama’s traditional tea service with little cucumber sandwiches on white bread and it’s far more than most people can eat, though we tried very hard.
You can absolutely tell this is a chef-curated experience. It’s evident in the incredible balance and composition of every bite. And we were assured that these change seasonally. They do four different menus per year, depending on when you go. So this makes the experience repeatable whenever you like. We’ve already vowed to return this winter for my birthday.
The Summer Menu includes Savories:
Shrimp Toast – It’s a mixture of brioche, a hefty amount of minced shrimp, scallion and sesame oil. I could have eaten an entire sandwich of this. It was incredible and you’ll wish there was more than the two-bite portion.
Spring Vegetable Quiche – Exactly as it sounds, but it was topped by a tiny micro-green salad with a vinaigrette that elevated this beyond anything you could expect. That pop of freshness on top again made you wish for a lunch-sized portion.
Asparagus Tart – Garlic and herb Boursin cheese, grilled asparagus tip, fried shallot, balsamic reduction drizzle. We couldn’t decide if this was the most delicious thing, as they were all delicious, but imagine all the superlatives.
Tuna Cucumber Cup – Spicy Tuna, tobiko and chili oil. This is sushi without the rice and we could have eaten an entire plate. So, so amazing.
Mini Torta Ahogada – roasted pork, cilantro, pickled shallots, guajillo sauce. On some sort of lovely tomato-infused bread that you need to watch out for because the tomato stays on your fingers. I managed to smear some on the menu and it made me feel bad. I didn’t feel bad eating this, though. Again, you want a full sandwich.
Pea Falafel – English peas, vegan tzatziki, dill. It’s traditional falafel, but made with green peas, not chickpeas. Lovely traditional flavor, but is maybe the least exciting thing here. I’d still eat a whole portion of it, though.
With the absolutely outstanding savories, we looked forward to the sweets with anticipation, but we were already flagging at this point, at least I was.
Lemon Poppyseed Macaron – Macarons are usually a lowlight for me at any tea. I have eaten Macarons from Pierre Herme when I was in Paris and mostly find them dull. This was an exception. It was exquisite on every level and full of fresh lemon flavor. Bravo.
Egg Cup – White chocolate mousse, crispearls and tropical explosion (which was mostly passionfruit). This one was a lot. My companions enjoyed it more than I did, one noting the nice snap of the crispearls, but it was sweet overload for me. One of my companions noted the white chocolate had a strong powdered milk flavor. I did eat all of the passionfruit, though.
Loaded Carrot Cake – Pineapple, walnut, coconut, sultana and cream cheese icing. They lost my carrot cake hating companions here, but I really liked this. If you like carrot cake and cream cheese icing, this is a real winner. Very sweet, but a small enough portion that it’s nice.
Guava Cheesecake Popsicle – obviously this is not frozen, it’s a tiny slab of cheesecake with a guava fruit layer and wrapped in white chocolate. I adore guava and was super excited for this, but the cheesecake and the white chocolate turned it to sweet overload, much like the egg cup. In fact, all of the chocolate served was white, and that may not be for everyone. It was a miss for all of us.
Strawberry Matcha Doughnut – Shizouka matcha, strawberry strusel, vanilla bean glaze. This is such a simple idea and it was an absolute standout. The texture was rather chewy and grainy, but the flavor was exceptional. The other highlight of this course for one and all.
In conclusion, LondonHouse Chicago’s Summer Afternoon Tea is a masterful blend of culinary artistry, impeccable service, and breathtaking views. You need to book your experience before this incredible summer menu is gone. I can’t speak highly enough of the savories and scones course. Even if you don’t touch the sweets, you’ll be more than satisfied. I can’t wait to see what the next season’s flavors will be.
If you love tea, or you just want to try a high tea for the first time, you can’t go wrong at LondonHouse. Contact them to make your reservation at once.
Photographs by Kelly Chenault, Suzanne Magnuson, and Jood Singer.
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