Lady Mendl's
(29 reviews)56 Irving Pl, New York, NY 10003, USA (212) 533-4600 Website Suggest Changes
A 5-course high tea in an antique-filled Victorian parlor in The Inn at Irving Place. For $30, a delightful 19th century respite.
Recent reviews
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Judith
I have been to some of the best Tea Rooms in the world. I live in New York so I thought I should try Lady Mendl's because it comes in as one of the best. It was hardly one of the best in fact, I have been to small mom and pop tea rooms in upstate New York that rival over lady Mendl's. Small portions, never was asked if I wanted another pot of tea especially that I was given a two cup pot and the price was extremely expensive. We weren't offered any seconds like the big Tea Rooms do in England. I was starving when I left and broke. The room was eclectic but the food was below average. I wouldn't go back.
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Kerry
This tea room is the end-all, be-all of tea rooms. Every Victorian tea I have must compare to Lady Mendl's. From decor to service to food, it is not to be outdone. I also love that you can get more than one type of finger sandwich, and they will give you extra of the ones you like. I cannot recommend Lady Mendl's enough.
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S. Peterson
This tea room is pure elegance. I went with my mother this past Monday and we had a great time! The salon where we sat was absolutely gorgeous. We were each on a lush loveseat with a low table in the middle, adorable! My tea was delicious, my mom's was a little weak although they described it as 'winey'. We loved the scones & the tea sandwiches were very fresh. I was impressed.
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AmazonV
I called a few days in advance and the only opening was at the 5 pm seating, I am glad it wasn't booked. I suggest making sure you plan this in advance.
When I arrived I nearly passed the location by, there is a plaque next to the door but nothing else.
I walked in and explained I was there for the tea parlor, and was taken to my seat in a small parlor. There was already one group of four ladies seated, and I got to select which table I wanted from the remaining 4. After I was seated the remaining tables did fill with two pairs and one single person.
It was interesting to note that all the wait staff was male, and all the patrons were female.
The waiter explained the difference between a tea and a tisane infusion while presenting the tea menu to me, which was a pleasant surprise.
Each guest may select one tea, and the 5 courses are decided by the tea parlor and not listed anywhere.
I selected the Wood Dragon Oolong, which they said was steeped 5-7 minutes.
Throughout the five course meal the wait staff kept my tea filled, my water filled, and the courses coming. You will not leave hungry.
The parlor had an upscale, fancy restaurant, vibe. You didn't need to know your tea, or tea preparation, to appreciate the lovely meal.
The first course was a butternut squash tart, topped with parmesan cheese and creme fresh. It was surprisingly spicy, but tasty.
Next my pot of tea arrived; it had already been properly steeped so no worry about removing leaves or timing it. I was offered cream, which I declined. The table already had granulated white sugar and candied ginger. The tea saucer had a cute sugar cube with frosting flower on top.
Second course was finger sandwiches; I could select one of each. I was offered seconds after I completed my sandwiches, I appreciated that but passed. Each sandwich had one predominating flavor, and sadly all other flavors were lost. Please note that they were tasty and filling.
-Smoked salmon and cream cheese on pumpernickel
-Turkey cranberry
-Egg salad
-Cucumber
I asked the waiter if I could purchase some wood dragon and Lord Mendel tea to take home and I was quoted 7$ each. I accepted.
Third course was scones, one plain and one cranberry, with raspberry preserves and Devonshire cream. They were nice and warm, sweet. I do think the cream tasted exactly like whipped butter and wonder if there was a mistake or if Devonshire cream just tasted like whipped butter.
There was sadly no refill offer on scones. I wasn't going to accept as I wanted to be able to eat dessert, but as they say it's the thought that counts.
Fourth course was a layered crepe cake filled with vanilla cream on a raspberry coolie(?). It was light, and creamy. The raspberry was minimal and completely overwhelmed by the vanilla.
Fifth course was a large strawberry dipped in Belgian chocolate, apricot pastry and a shortbread or butter cookie covered in sugar. I devoured the strawberry, it was perfectly ripe and delicious. The pastries were not fabulous, I ended up taking a nibble of each but didn't bother to finish since I was stuffed.
The waiter came back and asked for my to go order a second time. When he came back with the packaged teas I was dismayed to find that they were bagged teas, and over ten dollars each for 4 teabags per bag. I still purchased them but in the future I will likely not bother to purchase the tea.
The five courses and tea were 35$ plus tax and 20% tip
My bill, with tip, came to 67$
I would recommend this as a nice place to enjoy good tea and food with friends, it's inexpensive and filling with great, attentive, service. If you are really a tea person though I would recommend you go elsewhere.
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Kimberly
I've gone back to Lady Mendl's every year for 4 years now. I've gone with my fiancee. I've gone with my girlfriends. I've gone with my mother. It's elegant, the food is delicious, the service is attentive. Out of 39 tearooms visited so far, this is one of my favorite 2. Will find any excuse to visit here! Worth a trip for any occasion, big or small.
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Sue
Despite us having a reservation, we had to wait forever for our table. Waited another 20 minutes for our waitress to take our order! service was terribly slow, food not up to par. This place came at the recommendation of our hotel concierge, and we told him to think twice about recommending it again. Poor service and high prices do not do well in my book, esp in NYC.
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Susan Robinson
An update is needed here. Just came back from my fifth annual 'start of holiday season' family visit to Lady Mendl's and sad to say things are slipping a bit. They have expanded and most everything has suffered: chaos of the reception area (it used to be a calm oasis stepping into another world from the frenzy of NYC), late arrival of tea (after second course was completed), skimpy tea sandwiches, and lack of adequate staff (tea not replenished in timely fashion, no-one available for water refills) was a shock after so many good visits.
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magda katz
I travel around the country and visit tea rooms Lady Mendl's is the most beautiful and has the best food of any place I have ever been. This is a must if anyone is visiting NY. You feel like you are vising a rich aunt from the 1800's that has a beautiful NY townhouse. There is generously portion of tea sandwiches. I had the layered crepe cake that was outstanding.
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Rachel Garber
This tea room is amazing, I went there with my tea group for our 10th anniversary, and we had an awesome time. The food, the ambience, the music, the service, everything made us feel like we were transported back to 19th c, NYC, with sweeping gowns, the flutter of fans, 'Your carriage has arrived, ma'am' Just wonderful. This surpases some of the fine hotels I've visited for tea.
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VATealover
This might be the finest formal afternoon tea in America (or this side of the pond anyway). Highly highly recommended, reservations a must, and it is a tea of a lifetime. Yes it can be pricey, but if you’re in the mood for a truly fancy tea and atmosphere, it’s worth every penny. And Victorian and antique decorations are just fabulous.
As an aside, we took one of my brother’s here for his first real tea and I think his expectations for teas now are astronomical. He loved it so much he wants to go again!
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CLavington
I took my teenage niece here to introduce her to 'tea.' She is a typical fussy teenager, but loved the experience! Service was fabulous!
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Marianne Blenkinsopp
My English husband and I went to a 5PM tea on Sunday, March 16th. After researching Lady Mendl's, we anticipated an elegant tea. Our observations are as follows: The setting was beautiful; the flowers were magnificent; the food was OK, the service and atmosphere was severely lacking.
We were offered a table for two in the corner of the salon, or a choice of any of four tables in the dining room. We chose the table in the salon. Unfortunately, there was no attempt on the part of the staff to make us comfortable. It would have been appreciated if there was an offer to move the table out of the corner (there was plenty of room to do so) so my husband would not be squeezed between the table and a very lovely lamp.
As we sat down on wobbly chairs, the floor-length tablecloth clung to our legs. A smaller, lacy tablecloth would have been more appropriate. We were stuck to the tablecloth, squeezed into the corner -- not elegant!
On to the service: a waiter who speaks English as a second language is not the best choice to be a server in an English tearoom, but there he was. Immediately, there was miscommunication when I attempted to change my tea order.
Next, the salad landed between my husband's feet, and the aforementioned long tablecloth didn't facilitate cleaning it up.
There is no excuse for anyone to pour tea from a height of more than a few inches, and certainly not in an English tearoom. It's just not done. Staff shouldn't attempt to 'top it off' (like coffee) until the cup is empty. We requested that we be left to pour our own tea.
The waiter then appeared with 4 scones on a tray, mumbling something about a 'selection'. We each received two. The devonshire cream was presented in a dish much too tiny to be scooped out easily. Unfortunately, after two bites my husband removed the scone from my hand -- he spotted a hair that was baked into it! Overall, the food was good, except for the scones. Not just because of the hair, but because it crumbled to bits when I broke off a piece.
Sad to say, the feeling of being in an elegant tearoom was lacking. If you took away the beautiful surroundings you might have been in a diner. There should have been more of an effort made regarding the service.
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Michele Borrelli
The atmosphere is relaxed and a little traditional. The selection of teas are high-quality if not extensive. It's under $40 a person and includes more food (and variety) than a traditional afternoon tea. Their salad and crepe 'layered-cake' is excellent!
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Kerry
Lady Mendl's is *the* premier tea room on the east coast. Their afternoon tea really sets the standard by which I rate all other tea rooms. I must say I thought their 3rd course of finger sandwhiches were DELECTABLE. A truly victorian atmosphere...I've sat in every room and have never been disappointed. This is the place to go, ladies.
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Sarah
A bit pricey, but still very nice. It seems that the more atmospheric rooms on the main floor are reserved for larger groups (showers, birthdays, etc) while the upstairs rooms are for more intimiate gatherings. The food was good, although nothing outstanding. The teas were adequate, although not as flavourful as I would have expected for the price.
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Colleen Schief
Lady Mendl's was a great disappointment. The ambience is fabulous; the old home is gracious and welcoming. The food was lacking. The first course consisted of greens heavily coated in vinegar. The sandwiches proferred were uninspired; most tea houses provide a variety of little morsels, Lady M's offered only a couple of large sandwiches - the sandwiches looked like large school-lunch bag sanwiches, cut in half with the crusts trimmed off. Would not recommend...there are so many better tea rooms out there!
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Rachel
I took my Mother and Grandmother to see Wicked on Christmas Eve and then we had reservations for Tea at Lady Mendl's after. The tea room was tastefully decorated for the holiday. My grandmother became ill upon our arrival. The host / manager was a doll. He did everything he could to make her comfortable and handled the matter graciously. He will never know how much we appreciate his kindness.
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PLG
The decor is lovely if not accurate, and it is nice to see a tea house truly trying to recreate a bygone experience; but the high price and the long wait don't seem worth the iffiness here. Honestly, I find it odd to see so much thought go into decor at a place serving pre-brewed tea. Also, really big pot, no cosies.
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Katy
This was one of the finest tea rooms I have been to. The service was excellent, it was as if the staff anticipated your every need. We were allowed to pick our seating and as it was a friend's birthday, the provided her a candle during the final course. All in all, they went above and beyond the call of duty. The ambiance is also very warm and lends itself to a bygone era where women had a place to sit, drink tea and talk about the events of the day without being harried!