Garden Tea at The Getty Villa

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1. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   London

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 2 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Lovely service, beautiful view, love that they let you try more than one tea. Food was excellent.

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2. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Los Angeles

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 2 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Just wonderful! Makes for a really lovely time. Great food and tea and the kindest staff.

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3. CC

   CindyC

   Los Angeles

   23 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   23 reviews

   Dined 7 days ago

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Lovely way to spend a Saturday afternoon -- I can't believe I lived in LA so long and never went to the Getty Villa, let alone this amazing afternoon tea. Highly recommend getting on the wait list and putting it on your calendar!

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4. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Los Angeles

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on March 16, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Celebrating my birthday and enjoying spending quality time with my Mom.

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5. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Central Coast

   6 reviews

   4.0

   6 reviews

   Dined on January 28, 2023

   overall4food3service4ambience3

   I liked the tea 🫖 selection, and the food was good. My favorite was the lemon 🍋 tea. We didn’t finish the desserts but did eat the sandwiches. I liked shrimp toast the prosciutto one had an interesting flavor with the added pear 🍐 jam. It wasn’t first come, first served. There was a line of people, and it was done by calling people’s names. The view and service were good. 👍🏼

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6. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Los Angeles

   4 reviews

   5.0

   4 reviews

   Dined on January 28, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience4

   The service was OUTSTANDING! They went above an beyond to accommodate us.

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7. SC

   SuzanneC

   Portland

   13 reviews

   2.0

   13 reviews

   Dined on January 19, 2023

   overall2food2service3ambience1

   I was taken in by "Tea By The Sea" title. The Getty Villa is a re construction of an ancient Greek Villa filled with sculpture and other artifacts. You'd never know it from the boxy glass multipurpose room used for the tea service. No graceful welcome. No ambiance. No background music. A pitiful miniature succulent instead of flowers. The contemporary place settings could be any hotel, anywhere. The full size plate was inappropriate for tea. Delicious warm scones and banana walnut bread were on the table when we were seated (why?). No proper tea service. Tea took much longer if you didn't care for the pre-made house tea and then wasn't hot enough. Literally waving to get tea refills. 3 tier tray had 2 tiers of sandwiches with a nice assortment of fillings. However the bread overwhelmed the filling on a few. The bread was dry on some sandwiches. Oddly, the sweets were presented on the bottom tier. Tiny carrotcake cupcakes were either overbaked or stale.

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8. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Los Angeles

   9 reviews

   vip
   4.0

   9 reviews

   Dined on December 29, 2022

   overall4food4service5ambience4

   Finally able to try this tea. Made my reservation in late august for 12/29. The Villa is a gorgeous location and the founders room had a nice view with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the grounds but still felt like we were in a banquet type room. Would have loved if the banana bread and scones hadn’t just been sitting on the tables upon arrival and were actually served fresh/warm. They were delicious though. The sandwiches/ desserts on the tiered trays were pretty good.. some hit or miss but those are most likely personal preferences. Some of the desserts were extremely sweet for our taste (ie chocolate cones) but enjoyed the variety. The servers were attentive and friendly however we did notice that some patrons were asked if they wanted to bring home extra scones or treats that were wrapped up to go while others (like us) were not. I don’t know if it’s because we said we were extremely full but it would’ve been nice to have the option as my daughters were hoping to have some for later. But we didn’t bother asking if we weren’t offered. This was a nice experience for my daughters (one was home from out of state college) and myself as it allowed us to also enjoy the villa which I hadn’t gone to in years. But this is likely a one time experience.

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9. J

   Jerry

   Los Angeles

   14 reviews

   4.0

   14 reviews

   Dined on December 29, 2022

   overall4food4service4ambience3

   Overall, a very nice experience with lovely views of the museum and grounds.

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10. LG

    LGoy

    Los Angeles

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on December 22, 2022

    overall5food4service5ambience5

    Jonathan our server is an absolute gem! This is my second time having him as a server and he is definitely part of what makes the Getty Tea experience so wonderful. Thanks Jonathan for everything!

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11. MB

    MichaelB

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 8, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Over 10 types of hot tea from the house brew specially designed for Getty Villa to the traditional such as Earl Gray to Chamomile to the exotic such as Moroccan Mint. The finger foods make this an excellent tea indeed from cucumber sandwiches to smoked turkey sandwich to panini to hand made finger deserts. The wait staff are very friendly, knowledgeable and courteous. The view is about 180 degrees third floor of the surrounding villa. The only down side is there is no Tea Room (it was apparently decommissioned in 1997), a real shame. The atmosphere is cozy, only 5 tables. Great value to relax or even for a date. They even did a little cheesecake chocolate raspberry birthday plate for my mother. Best cheesecake ever! Made right there. Highly recommended.

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12. E

    Esolo

    Los Angeles

    6 reviews

    3.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on November 17, 2022

    overall3food3service4ambience1

    The idea is fabulous! But the execution leaves something to be desired. The director has the demeanor like we are having tea at Versailles castle. The tables are pre-assigned, which I did not like because we arrived early and wanted a specific table. When we requested that table, the director said he would try, yet within a minute he was seating someone at the table we wanted. We were perplexed and the waitress said "not gonna happen", like this is something that happens all the time and the director just finesses the customer with no intention of accommodating the request. We got over that part, the room is super boring for a museum/villa, the tea arrived cold at my cup every time. The finger foods were delicious and the staff was like any restaurant staff, not particularly trained for a tea room.

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13. j

    janes

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 12, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Food and service, excellent! Highly recommend. I will be going back soon.

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14. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 10, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Wonderful!

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15. KM

    KateM

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on October 29, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Fantastic all around. They were incredibly accommodating to our numerous dietary restrictions. The food was phenomenal and the service was top notch. Worth the three month reservation wait!

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16. J

    John

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on October 20, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    A lovely experience for a great price. Great food and a lovely view. Great staff too

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17. RO

    ROYBOY

    Los Angeles

    33 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    33 reviews

    Dined on October 20, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Wonderful high tea experience at a beautiful place

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18. SR

    SarahR

    London

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on October 20, 2022

    overall5food4service5ambience4

    Jonathan was our amazing host. Lovely food and ambience

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19. HB

    HoagBaby

    Los Angeles

    15 reviews

    5.0

    15 reviews

    Dined on October 15, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Lovely setting. Perfect service. Delicious and plentiful food. If a fan of black tea, opt for the special Getty formulated tea -it is delicious! (You can have a cup of all the teas on offer-a true tea tasting.)

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20. MM

    MsMaris

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on October 13, 2022

    overall5food4service5ambience4

    The service was excellent. We expected a view of the ocean but it is of the museum and the grounds. The food was acceptable and plentiful.

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21. AD

    AnneD

    Los Angeles

    10 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on October 8, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    This is our 3rd time doing “Tea By The Sea”… and had a wonderful experience as always. Food was delicious! We are pescatarians and they were able to accommodate us with flying colors. The view overlooking the villa was superb - so the ambience cannot be beat. And our server - who we enjoyed chatting about film and architecture with - was lovely and attentive. We can’t wait for our 4th time back! 🥰🥰🥰

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22. S

    Sheri

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on September 24, 2022

    overall3food5service5ambience3

    The tour of the garden is no longer included with the tea so if you plan to go on a garden tour you need to sign up separately.

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23. MM

    MariaM

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on September 10, 2022

    overall5food3service5ambience5

    This place has truly the best staff I’ve ever experienced. Thank you for such an amazing experience!

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24. MS

    MadelineS

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on September 8, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    We had a wonderful time. Tea was very good. Food was very good. My grandma was absolutely delighted.

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25. MR

    MayaR

    London

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on September 3, 2022

    overall2food2service5ambience1

    If you have never had afternoon tea in your life, you might enjoy the experience. However if you have experienced afternoon tea in London, you would soon know that the whole experience is rather bland compared to what it should be, and mostly overpriced. We were informed of a 25% increase in fees 3 days before our booking - which is unacceptable. We still decided to go ahead. The food was less than ordinary and not fresh, the tea was ok but for a 62$/person experience, the experience fell short to even compare with an average afternoon tea experience in London or anywhere really. The name “Afternoon Tea by the sea” can fool you big time since you won’t even have a glimpse of the ocean. I would recommend to save your money and enjoy a walk by the ocean instead.

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26. GS

    GloriaS

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on September 3, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    I took a friend to the Garden Tea at The Getty Villa for her birthday. Upon arriving, we we’re seated right away. A delicious scone and banana bread were already on the table with some accompaniments of jelly and mascarpone cheese and other stuff. Everything from the food to the service was excellent. I would definitely come again and recommend the Garden Tea after a morning of seeing the exhibits at the museum.

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27. CL

    CLCK

    Los Angeles

    4 reviews

    1.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on August 27, 2022

    overall1food4service1ambience3

    With high anticipation of Tea by the Sea to be a glorious experience, it fell flat. Service was negligible. I never had a hot pot of tea. Waited over 40 min for food to arrive. Why? We all had the same tower of food! Tea that was poured was not refilled unless requested. But trying to find a person to ask for tea was nonexistent. So terribly disappointed.

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28. t

    terrid

    Los Angeles

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on August 25, 2022

    overall5food4service4ambience4

    Tea and answering were delicious. Not as much of a fan of the desserts. Will come back to see the museum. Thank you

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29. B

    Bananie

    Los Angeles

    161 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    161 reviews

    Dined on August 25, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    What a wonderful experience. The whole staff was very courteous and helpful and the tea and food were scrumptious. Thank you very much.

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30. LM

    LisaM

    Los Angeles

    5 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on July 21, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Exceptional! Everyone working the tea from managers to servers were wonderful. The food was delicious and our server, Jonathan, made our experience fantastic! His service was impeccable and his wonderful personality truly made our day. Loved this tea!

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31. 1

    1gourmet

    Los Angeles

    35 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    35 reviews

    Dined on July 7, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Waitress very good and attentive. Really enjoyed this event - excellent food, wonderful service.

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32. VA

    VictoriaA

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 16, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    We had a wonderful time. There was an excellent selection of teas, tasty sandwiches and pastries. Additionally, there was a nice offering of other beverages for an additional cost. We chose the Prosecco and it proved to be a delicious addition. The service was impeccable. I believe our server’s name was Narina and she was such a joy. We had a lovely window view as well. We were so happy that we made this part of our day and look forward to bringing other friends and family.

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33. MG

    MelissaG

    Los Angeles

    8 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on May 7, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    The service really made our Mother’s Day tea particularly lovely.

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34. L

    Luna

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 2, 2022

    overall3food2service2ambience4

    Very cute tea service. Food was not very good for the price. My best friend and I love going to all the afternoon tea services but this was our least favorite so far. The tea itself was good

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35. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 31, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Excellent service and plenty of tasty food. Tea selections were fabulous. I let them know it was my friend’s birthday and they gifted us with Prosecco to toast the occasion.

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36. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 24, 2022

    overall4food4service5ambience5

    The bread for all of the tea sandwiches was dry for all three of us. Otherwise, it’s a lovely afternoon tea experience.

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37. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    15 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    15 reviews

    Dined on January 22, 2022

    overall5food4service5ambience2

    Great first time and reasonable for all party members.

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38. 1

    167food

    Los Angeles

    37 reviews

    5.0

    37 reviews

    Dined on January 20, 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    It was a lovely afternoon tea after walking around the museum and exploring the beautiful gardens. The servers were very polite and friendly. Each tea we had was delicious. We enjoyed the opportunity to try a few. Our favorites were the tea at the sea and the green mint. The variety of sandwiches was delightful. Our favorites we the roast beef and prosciutto and pear jam. Lovely scones to start with and small bites of sweets to finish.

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39. j

    jean

    Seattle

    6 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on January 15, 2022

    overall4food4service4ambience4

    Only complaint was that after seated you had tea and prosecco if you ordered it along with a couple of scones.... the actual tray of sandwiches did not come for 50 minutes.... I have never seen this for tea service.... we sat there waiting and waiting before the food arrived... once there it was good.... I just don't think they really know how the service should be. Also... no real champagne offered... only prosecco. People would be willing to pay more for better quality at a place like this.

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40. s

    shawneec

    Los Angeles

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on January 8, 2022

    overall3food3service2ambience3

    Beautiful location. Tea is in a small conference room with large windows overlooking the Getty. 1 room, 5 tables, 2-3 staff, & incredibly slow service. We continually had to ask to have our tea cups refilled. The food is decent, but not remarkable. There is no music, all you hear is the other parties conversations. The acoustics in the room are remarkable, which makes everyone seem louder. The walls are bare, aside from a long table with tea & water. I’ve now been over 5 times in the last few years, as my family loves traditional English teas & the Getty, & it’s always the same :(. The only reason to go is if you are already at the Getty, it’s definitely not worth going out of your way… & not worth the price. Hoping they step up the quality of this experience in the future 🤞

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