Now, I have NOTHING against Lovejoy’s Tea Room in the city. I LOVE that place. And I normally hate scones, but Lovejoy’s gets theirs from John Campbell’s Irish Bakery and they, along with the traditional clotted cream, are absolute perfection!
…But I digress…
Basically if you’re looking for the traditional English tea service on the peninsula but don’t want to trek to the city to deal with meter maids every 30 minutes or battle the yuppies for the one rare parking spot, head to Sweetea’s in San Mateo. It’s tucked away in the tiny alleyway of random shops right off 25th Ave. and El Camino.
The place is complete with pink roses, china cups and white lace. Perfect for a small wedding or baby shower, or your daughter, granddaughter, or niece’s birthday. This place is super tiny, but extremely quaint.
Most of the food is homemade, which explains the smell of sweets lofting from the kitchen. The service is super friendly and the tea is excellent (with unlimited refills).
I brought the galpals for an afternoon of long conversation and never once did we feel pressured to leave or anything but welcome. The crustless finger sandwiches were perfectly prepared (fig and proschutto being the highlight) and the scones were still warm out of the oven (though nothing compared to John Campbell’s, unfortunately). The large selection of teas was large enough so that you had options, but not so large that you felt intimidated.
All in all, it was the perfect place for some afternoon conversation in a very girly setting. There’s definitely something about all this English-ness that makes you sit up straighter and hold up your pinky when you drink your tea. 🙂
Sweetea’s – 25 West 25th Avenue, San Mateo (in the Patio Shops) – 877.545.3832 – Reservations recommended
Virgo in Wonderland 
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