The Palm Court

Name: The Palm Court
Address: 140 E Walton Place, Chicago, IL, United States, 60611
Telephone: (312) 932-4619
Price range: $50 and over
Rating: 4.6

4.6

4171 Reviews

$50 and over

Afternoon Tea

Top Tags:

For those who love their afternoon teas fresh, fragrant and steeped in history, Palm Court at The Drake Hotel serving tea for over a century. Even the Queen and Princess Diana have made their royal visits here. Your afternoon tea begins with Palais de Thes menu, which features 15 tea blends including classic selections like the English Breakfast to modern yet delightful twists like the Mélange du Cap.
Tea is served in individual tea pots accompanied by the traditional three tiered tea tray filled with an arrangement of gourmet finger sandwiches and scones; and dainty petit fours with complements of preserves, lemon curd and English double Devon cream.
And let’s not forget about our little tea. The Prince & Princess Afternoon tea service, suitable for children between 4 and 12 years of age is available throughout the duration of afternoon tea service.
Reservations are heavily encouraged.
Tea service seating duration is 90min
Adults $69 / Kids $35 (3-12)

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Sep 25, 2023

7:00 PM

Booked 74 times today

Experiences are available.

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Cuisines
Afternoon Tea
Hours of operation
Afternoon Tea Thu–Sun 12:00 pm–4:30 pm
Phone number
(312) 932-4619
Website
https://www.thedrakehotel.com/dining/palm-court
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual
Executive chef
Mark Lagges
Private party contact
Amy Verdon: (312) 932-4307

Location
140 E Walton Place, Chicago, IL 60611
Neighborhood
Gold Coast / Streeterville
Cross street
Michigan Avenue & Lakeshore Drive
Parking details
Discounted valet parking is available when you dine in at the Palm Court. Valet parking is available for a discount of $20.00 for the 90 min tea experience. After Palm Court hours, normal rates apply. Thank you
Additional
Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, High Tea, Non-Smoking, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

Afternoon Tea
Multiple dates available
For those who love their afternoon teas fresh and steeped in history, Palm Court at The Drake Hotel serving tea for nearly a century is the quintessential Magnificent Mile afternoon tea experience. Even the Queen and Princess Diana have made their visits here. Your afternoon tea begins with a peruse of the Palais de Thes menu, which features 13 tea blends. Tea is served in individual tea pots accompanied by three tiered tea tray filled with an arrangement of gourmet finger sandwiches; delicious breads and scones; and dainty petit fours with accoutrement. The Prince & Princess Afternoon tea service, suitable for children between 4 and 12 years of age. Reservations are heavily encouraged. Full tea service seating duration is 90 minutes max.
Palm Court Holiday Tea
Multiple dates available
Holiday tea in Palm Court is a Real Chicago tradition for generations of families during the holiday season. A seating in Palm Court places you near the iconic fountain adorned with holiday flora and overlooking the lobby Christmas tree and gingerbread display, guests will sip quintessential tea while reveling in the spirit of the season. A live harpist will play for all seating times, with holiday carolers performing on select dates through Christmas. Reservations are heavily encouraged. Full tea service seating duration is 90 minutes max.

Popular dishes

What 4,171 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6

4.6 based on recent ratings

4.3Food
4.6Service
4.8Ambience
4Value

Noise • Moderate

4,171 Reviews

PI
PamI
Chicago
13 reviews
vip
5.0
13 reviews
Dined 1 day ago
overall5food5service4ambience4
Excellent food, beautiful setting excellent waiter!
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A
Akj5198
Tampa
39 reviews
vip
5.0
39 reviews
Dined 1 day ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Best afternoon tea in town, great service, beautiful setting and magical Harpist music.
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S
Sunny
Chicago
6 reviews
vip
5.0
6 reviews
Dined 2 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
I loved my high tea experience here. The interior is absolutely stunning and magnificent. It’s like you’re in a movie! We were seated right next to the beautiful water fountain in the middle. Our server Javier was phenomenal and provided the BEST service for us. He gave us recommendations for our tea selection and explicated everything so seamlessly. He was so personable and checked up on us often. The finger food was 10/10 and tea was 10/10!! I highly recommend this experience if you haven’t tried it out yet!
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DV
DianeV
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined 2 days ago
overall4food3service4ambience5
I was last at the Palm Court for afternoon tea about 10 years ago and it was a wonderful experience. My recent visit was disappointing. The scones and tea cakes were dry and tasteless. The sandwiches were just ok. The dessert portion was very good. The service was rushed and the atmosphere was not relaxed. I’ve had better afternoon tea at the same or price point in other places.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined 2 days ago
overall2food4service2ambience5
It was a lovely experience but a bit overpriced for each person. I went for my birthday expecting something cute/special but it was the same experience with or without a birthday. Overall it was comfortable.
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KQ
KatherineQ
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 3 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Beautiful atmosphere, delectable food, and an all around amazing experience.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 4 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Elegant presentation, excellent service, lovely ambience. Very expensive at $69 per person. A bottle of La Marca Prosecco was $68! You can buy it in a store for $18.
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U
Uniperc
Chicago
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined 4 days ago
overall4food5service3ambience4
This was our third afternoon tea at the Drake. We generally enjoyed our experience but feel there needs to be additional servers to respond in a timely manner to the diner’s requests.
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DD
DanaD
Chicago
2 reviews
3.0
2 reviews
Dined on September 17, 2023
overall3food2service2ambience4
The presentation is lovely, and it almost compensates for the mediocre food, slow service, and very loud atmosphere. This is an extremely expensive afternoon, and if you are hoping for an intimate experience, you will be disappointed.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Columbus
9 reviews
5.0
9 reviews
Dined on September 15, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
I had guests from out of town and took them here and it was wonderful! Food was delicious and the service was incredible. Will be taking guests here again!
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DH
DeborahH
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on September 15, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Absolutely fabulous. What a wonderful time we had. Our waiter can’t remember name so sorry but he was from Bosnia and had worked at the Drake for 25 yrs was wonderful. He was so attentive and took time to chat with us which we appreciated just a lovely time.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Los Angeles
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on September 14, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Our daughter had the best 3rd birthday celebration and it was all thinks to the palm court and our amazing server and the service of all the individuals that help make High Tea what it is! Thank you!
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AG
AlexaG
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on September 10, 2023
overall5food4service5ambience5
Took my friend here to celebrate the upcoming birth of her first child and it was fun, unique experience!
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DW
DaniW
Chicago
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on September 10, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
We had a wonderful time and definitely want to visit again.
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S
Sal123
Chicago
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on September 9, 2023
overall5food5service3ambience5
Beautiful and elegant time. Service could have been better.
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LS
LoriS
Chicago
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on September 9, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Very nice. Maybe a little pricey but for an occasional event, I would pay.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Chicago
16 reviews
5.0
16 reviews
Dined on September 9, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
How did they know I was celebrating my birthday? This is my second time visiting for high tea. We absolutely loved the experience and the service. Our server was very attentive and made the experience extra nice. I’m sure I’ll be back again.
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n
newyorker10021
New York Area
180 reviews
vip
5.0
180 reviews
Dined on September 3, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Took first timers, niece and teen aged grand nieces for afternoon tea. Yes, they loved it and we were offered seconds of whatever we wanted at no extra cost . As an ex Newyorker who was used to the loveliness of the Pierre and Carlisle afternoon tea, you were equally good and I was delighted. And for a high end hotel, value was decent.
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MM
MimiM
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on September 2, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
For us, this formal Tea was a special event for a special reason. Not a spot for a quick bite but a place to make a memory. Chicago is full of places for hardy meals. This is a place out of time and space. The room is serene, the food is simple but tasty and dramatically presented. The tea choices are an adventure by themselves. The two little girls in our group (10 and 6) were not impressed by the food but did enjoy the ambiance. But the hot chocolate was a winner. That each order came with an entire side cup of mini marshmallows was Heaven!)
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JH
JHint
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on September 1, 2023
overall4food3service5ambience5
Overall, a nice experience. The setting is beautiful, the service excellent. The teas were very good - we had the jasmine, Big Ben, and the Drake Blend. We'd recommend the jasmine and Drake. Of the foods, we found the plain scones to be best along with the chocolate mousse. The savory selection was lacking - the low point of the service - and seemed to have been made well-ahead; the wraps were soggy and leaned heavily toward bland. The desserts were nicely made - not too sweet; the pomegranate puree on the panna cotta seemed out of place. With tip, this was $180. Steep for an enjoyable one-off.
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RM
RoseM
Chicago
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on September 1, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
We had a delightful experience at the Palm Court. Our waiter Javier was very attentive. The food was delicious. The music provided by the harpist was beautiful.
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ST
SarahT
Chicago
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on August 27, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
This is the second time I have been to the Palm Court for afternoon tea. It's very delicious each time. The staff is very attentive and make sure you have everything you could possibly need. Can't wait to go back!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Chicago
3 reviews
vip
1.0
3 reviews
Dined on August 27, 2023
overall1food1service3ambience5
For $70 and the main attraction being the food, I am not at all pleased. The food was 100% bland and not worth the money whatsoever. The best part was the tea, but again, it was not worth the money. The ambiance was nice and the harpist was incredible. Service was fine, it was busy, so prepare for it to be loud. Again I cannot stress how disappointing the food was. I am embarrassed that i took my mother here and spent that much money just to go home and cook a meal.
1 person found this helpful
E
Ekad
Phoenix
5 reviews
vip
4.0
5 reviews
Dined on August 27, 2023
overall4food3service4ambience5
It could be more elegant. The wait staff should actually pour the first cup of tea instead of just bringing it to the table. More finger sandwiches with more creativity. Best thing is the ambiance. Lovely room. But shouldn’t rely on that to make the day.
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HE
HeatherE
Chicago
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on August 27, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Perfect visit as always. Amir was the most attentive, knowledgeable and sweetest server we've ever had at The Drake!! Will definitely be back!
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d
dallaseats
Dallas
16 reviews
vip
3.0
16 reviews
Dined on August 27, 2023
overall3food2service4ambience3
There were napkins thrown up in the flower arrangement. Some of the food items were not great. I think this experience used to be excellent and now is not.
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CJ
ConnieJ
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on August 27, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Amazing place for tea!!! Everyone was friendly from the moment we pulled up. Starting with the doorman. The staff was informative and gracious. I really enjoyed my birthday celebration.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Detroit
2 reviews
vip
3.0
2 reviews
Dined on August 26, 2023
overall3food2service3ambience2
We had a reservation for four. When we arrived, we were sat directly in front of the hostess stand, just barely in the Palm Court. The ambiance was not great because we were basically in the lobby. We were part of multiple business conversations against our wills between managers and employees who were chatting on the outskirts where we were seated. The two tables at the edge felt very much like afterthoughts. Our waiter was lovely but seemed too busy, so we needed to flag down someone else to get cream and water for the table. The food was bland and tolerable, but it didn’t compare to truly five star high tea experiences at places like The Ritz or the Savoy. Of course, the price reflects that. It was okay. I would not go back.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
San Francisco
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on August 25, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
What lovely ambience. The service is outstanding. And the food is fantastic. Some of the best tea I’ve ever had the pleasure of having. I’ll keep coming back for more!
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AR
ArianaR
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on August 20, 2023
overall4food3service4ambience5
The appearance and service of afternoon at the palm court was as exceptional! Our server was very accommodating and kind with our party especially with the children. Where we were seated was less than desirable we were next to a stage that continued to have people arranging and bringing things up on it which was very distracting We came for my daughters birthday and they added a nice touch of presenting her with a little cake which was very special! I’ve been to other afternoon teas not as refined or in such a nice location and why lower price but I have to say the food was better then what was given here at the tea service at the palm court. They need to present better tasting tea foods. Maybe more quality control on the kitchen to make sure everything taste well. The tea was good and our pots were filled with hot water constantly which was nice. The alcoholic beverages were too strong needed some more refining. The experience was nice but for the price it was only a one time thing I wouldn’t do again when there’s cheaper and better tea services
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Z
Zooey
Chicago
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on August 20, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience4
Amazing and beautiful - Palm Court does not disappoint! Our only thing we were not 100% happy with is that there is a stage setup that was not being used, but changed the vibe and the birthday girl needed to switch seats to avoid looking at it and enjoy her special day. Also odd that there was a prom/ =pageant dress event in a room just off the dining room.
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UB
UBha
San Francisco
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on August 20, 2023
overall4food4service5ambience4
Good experince. I have experienced High tea in Europe, I do have higher expectations. But, overall good experience.
1 person found this helpful
F
Funtastic
Las Vegas
6 reviews
3.0
6 reviews
Dined on August 20, 2023
overall3food3service3ambience5
Beautiful place but sandwiches and desserts were not as tasty as we would wish. The tea was delicious!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Milwaukee
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on August 17, 2023
overall5food4service5ambience5
It was a good once experience for beginners especially for pricing and what the menu for adults and kids.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Atlanta Metro
1 review
vip
5.0
1 review
Dined on August 17, 2023
overall5food4service5ambience5
Great afternoon tea with outstanding service! Great selection of teas
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CA
CristinaA
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on August 13, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Amazing staff, thankful they accommodate for vegan’s. Excited to recommend!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Chicago
5 reviews
3.0
5 reviews
Dined on August 12, 2023
overall3food2service3ambience2
Been to Tea at the Drake thrice before, granted it was before the pandemic but we loved our prior experiences and decided to go again as that is where my daughter wanted to spend her 12th birthday celebrations. For the money spent the quality of food was not up to standard, the vibe was a little meh, and it was super expensive. Having attended tea that was offered by a local pastry chef in the far west suburbs (which was exquisite) one would think that a prestigious and well talked about tea venue such as The Palm Court would make sure to keep quality at top notch. The cocktails too were not great. I didn’t drink mine after the first sip.
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MZ
MarieantoinetteZ
Chicago
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on August 12, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
After years of wanting to visit the Palm Court, my mom and I finally made it to celebrate my daughter’s 8th birthday. The experience was simply divine! From the atmosphere, to the service and hospitality, we were all WOW’d! Thank you to Javier for making our service extra special; it is thanks to your attention to detail and lovliness that we hope to enjoy many years of new traditions for our family of High Tea at the Palm Court!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
St. Louis
2 reviews
vip
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on August 12, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Wonderful!! What a nice experience and the ambiance was perfect
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Chicago
2 reviews
2.0
2 reviews
Dined on August 12, 2023
overall2food1service1ambience4
Food tasted as if it sat out for days. Service is poor and hospitality it not very good. Ambiance is pretty if that’s what you’re looking for but overall, poor experience.
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Safety precautions

Cleaning & sanitizing
- Surfaces sanitized between seatings
- Digital, disposable or sanitized menu provided
- Common areas deep-cleaned daily

Screening
- Sick staff prohibited in the workplace

FAQs

The Palm Court is rated 4.6 stars by 4171 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Sep 25, 2023

7:00 PM

Booked 74 times today

Experiences are available.

140 E Walton Place, Chicago, IL 60611

Dining areas

Additional information

Cross street
Michigan Avenue & Lakeshore Drive
Neighborhood
Gold Coast / Streeterville
Hours of operation
Afternoon Tea Thu–Sun 12:00 pm–4:30 pm
Cuisines
Afternoon Tea
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
Discounted valet parking is available when you dine in at the Palm Court. Valet parking is available for a discount of $20.00 for the 90 min tea experience. After Palm Court hours, normal rates apply. Thank you
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Mark Lagges
Additional
Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, High Tea, Non-Smoking, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
https://www.thedrakehotel.com/dining/palm-court
Phone number
(312) 932-4619
Private party contact
Amy Verdon: (312) 932-4307

The Palm Court

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information

Experiences

Afternoon Tea

Palm Court Holiday Tea

Popular dishes

Flourless Chocolate

Chocolate Truffles

Macarons

Menu

What 4,171 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Safety precautions

Cleaning & sanitizing

Screening

FAQs

How is The Palm Court restaurant rated?

Is The Palm Court currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information