Reviews of White Heather Tea Room (Museum)

Meghan Jacques

Food was great, the restaurant was nicely appointed, however there was no music. Part of the charm of afternoon tea is the musical ambience. Prices are very reasonable. Service was good.

Katrina Kouleva

We come here every summer when visiting Victoria. It's such a treat, and we always feel well free and well looked after by the attentive staff.

Kieran Wood (Descent)

The White Heather Tea Room is an excellent spot for afternoon tea. We've enjoyed every visit, and plan to return as often as we visit Victoria.

Charissa Corder

My favourite tea room in Victoria. The food and service is above and beyond! Everyone is so friendly and attentive. I can't recommend the White Heather Tea Room enough! :)

Jane Suchomski

Delicious! I loved my tea. Everything tasted wonderful. I have to say that when I first saw the price, I thought it was steep. However, the whole experience was worth every penny. The scones were warm and soft; like they just came out of the oven. The sandwiches were freshly made and the pastries were perfect! I will be back.

Doug Walker

Polite attentive service and amazing food and tea. The selection of tea is broad and each China cup is unique to the others which is charming.

Joe Lipson

Everything was delicious. The owner was very friendly. Please continue the same friendly atmosphere and foods.

Shaun Rickerby

Upon several recommendations I went here with high expectations. I have been told that it has changed hands recently but I can't confirm this. Sadly, my experiences there were very, very disappointing. I am not a hard to please person and will have to give credit to very tasty food and tea but the service was sub par to say the least. I waited almost an hour to receive my food even though a reservation was made for a set menu. Throughout our tea we were very casually taken care of. Went back a second time to give a second chance and experienced the exact same thing. Over 45 min wait for food (with reservation for a set menu). People who arrived after us got their food first even though we ordered the same thing. No one really seemed to care that we were there dropping a pretty penny. Reached out to management to give feedback and they didn't really seem to care that we blew a lot of money on really, really bad service. Unfortunate. Don't waste your money. Go to Venus Sophia on Fisgard!!

Chris

The White Heather Tea Room was a great experience. The wait staff were friendly and accommodating. Minus one star because we had the Afternoon tea ($45/person) and it only comes with one tea bag. We thought at that price point a variety of teas could be tried. The food was really nicely done. There was more than enough provided for each person to have "lunch" and dessert.

Johnny

Myself, my mother, and my young son arrived very excited to experience White Heather Tea Room...but were greeted abrasively at the door and told it was 'reservation only' even though it does not state that on the website or door...so we put our names down and returned 30 min later when they had an opening. It took approx. 10 min from the time of being seated for us to even be greeted by our server, and then each question we asked she appeared annoyed and impatient, and was quite abrupt and unapproachable. Older woman with longer grey hair and glasses. I tried to overlook this and decided to order beverages and food, however was told that my 3 yr old son 'counts as an adult' and we must order more to bring the cost up....this server VERY RUDELY said that since he was 'taking a spot that an adult could be using' that we had to order more food / beverages to reflect that. Talk about horrible customer service. I understand there is a minimum cost per person but there are far more tactful and customer friendly ways of explaining this, instead of making myself, my mother, and my young son feel unwelcome. We actually got up and walked out after that comment, as this server was ridiculously pompous and rude. She definitely needs some more formal training in customer service and how to react appropriately to various situations in order to avoid offending customers and ultimately losing their patronage. I will not be back, and I will also be voicing these concerns further with this business, as well as all my family & friends with children (so they can avoid being treated with the same disrespect we experienced). For a place that appears to attempt to present a 'classy' atmosphere...it is anything but. *I gave a rating of one star simply because I was not able to proceed in posting this review without giving a rating. However, if it were up to me I would have given ZERO stars.

Bob Card

Lovely atmosphere and ambiance. Service was nice and the decoration add an interesting look. Food and tea were amazing. I can't wait to go back.

Tasha Tompkins

Skip the Empess tea room and go here, it's so much better, for half the price. (You can tour the Empress later if you want to see it. The tea room there is kind of a tourist trap.) We had the Big Muckle., for two people it made for a generous lunch, and some snacks to take back to our hotel.

Maria W

Service was excellent but menu limited and significantly overpriced. The food also was mediocre. I was hoping that the decor reflected an English tearoom with teapots to match. I hoped that the tea would have been more flavourful. For two of us it was $110 and underwhelming, sadly. I expected much more the price and would have considered $25/person too much.

Rachel Ivey

What a lovely little tea room! Delicious and beautiful food and delightful atmosphere. Staff are warm and friendly. Highly recommended:

Marla Jacques

Service was good waitress very nice and friendly it took 1 hour and 15 minutes to get food so I probably will not go again

Amy Marle

Simply incredible. I've eaten there numerous times over the years and the service & food has never been short of amazing. Hands down the best afternoon tea in Victoria (and as a Brit, I know my scones...)

Andrew Krawczyk

I visited to have afternoon tea with my friend. The staff here let us know that everything is home made there, and that the items that are offered are a little different each day! The space makes for a relaxed and elegant experience. It’s a busy spot though, so it might be best to visit after first making a reservation.

Hilary Lovell

A very friendly and enchanting plsce

Tara Hirota

Husband and I had three days in Victoria and tried three different high teas. White Heather was the favorite for both us us! The father's day smoked salmon Yorkshire Pudding was the stand out but really, the lovely people running the tea room make the experience!

Txomin Hermosilla

We stopped by and picked a few treats from the beautiful window display and we each enjoyed the mad hatter tea. Set up great for COVID. Everything looked and tasted amazing!! The lady serving us was wonderful, so friendly and professional. We can’t wait to go back.

Riley Gestwa

Excellent food and pastries tea was good

Anthony Kershaw

A very fine afternoon tea. Some of the best scones you’ll eat. Wonderful sandwiches and exquisite sweet treats. Almost Empress level. …

Alexander Hanna (Endo)

Such a cute little venue. Mother's day tea was beautiful and the best tasting variety I've ever had. (Very pricey, same as the Empress:$50/person)

Carly W

For the cost a very nice little place for some Tea. Taken two groups there and enjoyed it bot times. It doesn't have the selection of a certain place one the waterfront but you don't need to take out a loan to eat here. :p Wish there were more places like this, hope they keep at it.

tina francis

It has good tea, just be aware that food wise there is no flexibility in the menu and certain items are only available at certain times.

Robyn Peters

Amazing place! Service was outstanding and the food was spectacular. The fresh selection of baked goods was fresh and flavorful! Can't wait to go again!

PAULA BEAR

It’s the best afternoon tea in Victory Island ???????? Good service, desserts and tea ☕️ ???? ???? If you have any chance to enjoy afternoon tea in victory island, you must try “White Healther”!

Levi Kozun

Fabulous! May I just thank the WHTR for the most wonderful experience. I required a tea party to go and be delivered to a friend who just lost her husband. I live far away in the Okanagan and one phone call to the wonderful Chi-Ling and her mother and it was underway! They took on the task with perfection and compassion and went far over and above in making this happen for me. The most beautiful colorful culinary picnic box was created and delivered. Thanks so very much and cannot wait to come in one day and have tea and meet in person!

Jessie Somers

I am a connoisseur of tea services and have enjoyed high tea around the globe and let me say how lucky i feel to live in the same town as this amazing place! It was absolutely magical! As I am immunocompromised and can't be out and about until I'm able to be vaccinated, Chi-Ling was so lovely to put together an order for me to have picked up to take home to enjoy their delights! AND I WAS DELIGHTED! They offer this service to all their customers and I made some slight adjustments and additions that she happily put together. My favourites were the Mad Hatter Tea (magical) and the Chicken & Apple Sconewich. Just WOW! The Elizabeth box was full of such lovely little goodies and treats, both savory and sweet, and the presentation was just a vision! I will only ever have high tea here going forward - I'm sure the other places around Victoria are still quite nice but even the Empress, with it's famous tea service, can not compare and that's saying something!!! Thank you again to Chi-Ling and her staff for making this girl's entire long Easter weekend so utterly perfect

Karry Dinh

Amazing experiences here 2 years in a row for the Thanksgiving themed tea. This year was especially delicious, there was nothing left on our plates. This restaurant is in a nice area, and the inside is so cozy and cute. Very popular, make a reservation! Delicious food, so many tea choices. Always great and can't wait to be back!

thomas bergstrom

I have been going there for years . Best chai in Victoria, mouth watering ricotta pancakes. Great service and pleasant atmosphere. I would definitely go here again

Holly Conklin

One of the best tea rooms. What it lacks in physical atmosphere (just a little) it makes up for in price. Large servings very friendly owner who serves guests as well.

Mrbjjb Bris

They prepared beautiful and delicious tea trays to go!!! Everything was excellent. I wish I took pictures to show it off. Definitely recommend tea to go during this time to stay at home. There’s nothing more civilizing.

Brent Nicholls

Delicious high tea! We went at Christmas where they had a special Christmas High Tea...a wonderful assortment of cakes and savoury arrived in three tiers with the tea of our choice. There was plenty of food, enough to share with at least 3 people per high tea, but they have a minimum spend so we ordered an extra serving of scones and tea. Some could consider it pricey, but what you get is well worth the price. Treat yourself!

Harlon Lee

Best tea meal in Victoria B.C. drive if you can (parking in back) or take a taxi, city bus goes by and the hop on and off. Empress is fun once, white heather is a MUST.

BA Ray

I had walked past the james bay tea room awhile ago, and had planned to take my mum there for high tea. When we got there we were so disturbed by the service/cleanliness/food that we decided to leave before ordering. Then we went to the empress because it was the only other place I knew of and found out it would be over 150 dollars for the two of us after all was said and done with very little food for the money, beautiful room.. but when I went in quickly to ask some questions the woman at the front treated me as though I could not afford it or something so I decided my money would be better spent elsewhere. So I asked my roommate to look online, and she stumbled accross this place..so we decided to check it out. We got the "big muckle" which was about 57 dollars after tax for BOTH of us. Which I think is VERY reasonable for a high tea. I am SO glad we did not settle, and decided to check this place out. You definately get your moneys worth. I called ahead of time before we drove out there to make sure we could get a table, when we got there the table was already made up for us and it was a table beside the window with a nice view. The service was remarkable, our waitress seemed to genuinely love what she was doing..and seemed to be very proud of what they offer. It completely turned the day around. She even brought out a sampler of the teas they had to offer so we could smell them and decide what we would like which was very nice. When we recieved our meal she explained everything she brought out with enthusiam. It looked incredible, and freshly made, and tasted as good as it looked. It had fresh lemon curd, and raspberry jam and two different kinds of scones which were to die for. We were served promptly, and with incredible service. Customer service is a lost art nowadays and very hard to find. My mum was tickled pink from the whole experience, (she almost cried) which was a huge change from the ealier experience which almost ruined the entire afternoon. I would definately recommend this place to anyone that like amazing service, great atmosphere, and incredible homemade fresh food..at an affordable price. I would advise you don't eat anything before going though, because it is extreeeemmmeelllyyy filling for two people. Very impressed.

Davina Ma

Afternoon tea @whiteheathertearoom in Victoria last Fall. This was the most generously portioned afternoon tea I've ever had. Sure, the items weren't as dainty or refined, but this was a great deal, and everything was tasty. It also came with a beautiful fruit cup. We came here to celebrate our 10 year anniversary! The service was great too. Follow me on Instagram @vinaeatsandtreats for more honest restaurant and baking recipe reviews!

Taylor Munroe

After over a year of wanting to go here, we finally got a chance to go. We had a reservation, but they were not quite ready for us, so we went for a walk and came back. In the end, we got to sit about 15 minutes past the time. No big deal. While we were enjoying our teas, we were asked if we liked them. A few minutes later we were given bags of the teas to take home because of the inconvenience of having to wait. They did not have to do anything, but that was a very nice gesture. The food itself was all yummy, and like many afternoon teas, enough to take some treats home. We thought that the price was reasonable compared to the other places we have gone. We have to been to almost every tea place in the area, and I am finding it hard to choose if this is my favourite or second favourite. If the setting was a bit nicer - ie, views/gardens it would definitely be number one.

Jacqueline Kellam

A lovely experience Everything was delicious and beautiful. Joeann was our server and she was charming and delightful. My friend had the Big Muckle and I had the gluten-free tea. So nice to have such lovely gluten-free options - often the GF menu items are not as pretty or interesting, but White Heather rose to the challenge. We are already planning a return visit!

David Karp

I went there for relax afternoon tea, but all I feel is pressure and overly price food.

Mark Rhoads

It's nice that they have a gluten-free afternoon tea option, and it's good enough that you forget it's gluten free. Felt perhaps a bit more expensive than it's worth though.

Karen Brutzman

Other

Darren Lyster

Friendly and attentive staff made our first visit a pleasant experience. The larger "muckle" tea was more than enough food for two of us for a lunch and everything was delicious.

Lynn Brumby

One of our favs! These ladies know what they are doing, so appreciated after having bad experiences at other tea rooms particularly here in Vancouver! Will be back soon with more friends and family, thx

J Templeton

Lovely tea and wonderfully warm and welcoming staff... Tons of delicious food.

Tan Asava-aree

Service

Michelle Yarbrough

Such a lovely tea shop! This was our first time having afternoon tea and we had a wonderful experience. Our waitress answered all the questions we had with no problems, and explained all the foods on our plates. I bought the oolong watermelon tea before we left, it was amazing. Their egg salad is delicious, the cranberry scone with raspberry preserves is tasty, and their butter cookie with chocolate and coconut was the best! My husband loved the German cake because of how dense it was. You have to come here. NO dress code, so do not feel uncomfortable in a t-shirt and jeans.

Nickola Bettridge

My husband and I had the greatest experience in White Heather. We had the afternoon tea last Valentines Day (yes, that day after the huge snow storm). You could easily tell that everything was made with love and passion. A small cozy teahouse where everybody feels welcome. Service was superb. Very friendly and accomodating. Everything that we had was super tasty!

J Patterson

Dine in

Harrison Reay

We went to the Empress last year and while I enjoyed the ambiance, the food was not good and service was pricey. This place the food was really good, the service was really good, and the prices where much more reasonable.

Janah Earle

Great place for high tea! Quality & service we're excellent.

Ian Gibbs

Took "the moms" for tea here and it was fantastic. The staff could not have been kinder, the food was truly delicious and so obviously made with care and pride and we had a really great experience! Thanks again!

Paola Moore

Quite an amazing experience for an out of towner, if you are willing to make the extra effort to get there. Reservations for tea highly recommend. The bakes here were some of the best I've ever had, perfect moistness and consistency in the shortbread and carrot cake.

Alyssa k

Genteel spot for tea. Three of us spent a leisurely 2 hours enjoying individual pots of tea plus a delicious lunch of soup, sandwiches, salads and dainty desserts items. Very good spot for an over 55 crowd.

Louise MacPherson

Surprisingly, there seemed to be no concession made to social distancing with the tables. There was only one waitress in a packed restaurant, and although she was very pleasant, things moved quite slowly. Also, the room was very cold and it was necessary to keep your coat on. The food was fine - very expensive, but adequate. They are not flexible with the menu and you can't substitute or change orders.

Miss Jen

The service was sooo amazing. Our waitress was the sweetest human ever. The food was so well done, overall great experience and I will definately be coming back or getting to to afternoon tea boxes. So impressed.

Malcolm Howard

AMAZING! Delicious. You have to go. The food is so magnificent. The place is clean. Book a reservation now.

Jennifer Dempsey

We ate here on a Saturday morning. Service and venue were nice, and food good. Particularly I found the deserts a bit simple, since four of them were "nanaimo bar" style deserts. I would have expected more variety or small cakes. Teas were delicious and experience overall was nice.

Brendon Moulding

What a lovely way to enjoy the day to have great company with home made goodies and a lively cup of tea. Judging by the amount of people in the Tea Rooms other people thought so too.

Thora Steinbok

This was EXACTLY what my family was looking for in an afternoon tea. Tiered trays, loose leaf teas in great variety, and DELICIOUS scones, sandwiches and (of course) desserts. My mother was English and I know she would have approved! The shortbread tasted just like hers. Will visit again next time we're in Victoria!

Joanne Maestre

Great service and food quality! If you were considering the Empress high tea or this, opt for White Heather.

Olivia Francis

Such a quaint tea house. Great value, lots of delicious treats. Large selection of teas to choose from. They have various sizes available from a light snack to the full three tier plates. Beautiful presentation and great flavors. Good variety of sandwiches and sweets. A great place for tourists or to take visiting family.

Drots Tun

Great service and a delicious afternoon tea! They were able to accommodate my friend who had dairy allergies! We had the "Not so wee tea".

Lilian Howell

We visit The White Feather every time we visit Victoria. Wonderful teas in the best teacups, superb sandwiches and sweets to top them off. Above all though is the owner’s welcoming smile and her staff. We will return again in March2019 with our three grandchildren and their parents. Very appreciative from Waterloo ON. Cheers.

Vera c

Had a wonderful afternoon tea here, the food was delicious and the staff were so friendly and kind. Would definitely come again! The watermelon oolong was to die for!

J

I saw a post on FB for this High Tea "picnic". My husband has a feeding tube, so I'm always on the lookout for clever solo meals. The Lenora was perfect! I picked it up and ate it on thr balcony of our hotel room. The sandwiches were savory, desserts were scrumptious, and the fresh fruits refreshing. I was awed by the number of blossoms included in my box.

Wen-Chi Chang

Meal type

Michele B

Wonderful scones and short bread! I'm not one to eat a full tray of baked goods often so this was a delight. Tea was amazing had the angel mix. Service was wonderful. I am not sure why it requires a reservation but I got one just in case. I did take my time though as tea and snacks are meant to be enjoyed I suppose.

David Doss

This was a quite lovely cozy tea room. It's perfect for a Saturday afternoon on a cold sunny day. Be prepared that your neighbors may be a little louder than you wish otherwise this was a very lovely experience.

Doris Nicholson

My husband and I went for afternoon tea. It is a cozy quaint place close to the Oak Bay village in Victoria. We had the “Not So Wee tea”. The website says 30$ each. It is $48 each the second most expensive afternoon tea. On their menu. The other one is 55$. Taxes and tip is extra. The tea pots are very small probably hold 1-1.5 cups though they do come around to refill. The tea is very filling as their are 3 types of scones one with an ample chicken salad filling. And all items are very rich and tasty. The quilt on the wall is teacups and saucer pattern and very well done. Teacups are bone China in assorted patterns. Lunch menu is very limited for $25 you get a scone with chicken salad filling a side salad and. a Madeline. That’s it no other choices as of today.

Bailey Anderson

Ordered the Lenora picnic tea basket and was not disappointed. It is the perfect size for one. Amazing customer service. Chi-Ling is just the sweetest; I loved her enthusiasm. Thank you so much; I can't wait to visit again!

Joseph Kaiser

Cute little tea house. Good selection of teas, and tasty food. Definitely make a reservation, it's popular.

Alice Haberlin

Not a single other tea place in Victoria asks for $55 PER PERSON reservation fee before you even arrive. What a rip off.

V Garcia

I appreciate all the love that goes into each biscuit or sandwich or cake. Everything is delicious and I highly recommend their afternoon tea sets with a friend. The owners and staff are so lovely and kind.

Kerry King

I would definitely go here again. The food was excellent, the tea choices were inspiring and both my girlfriend and I left very full. It's not a cheap restaurant but you certainly get what you pay for. This is one place to check out if you only have a few days in Victoria (as we did). Also, be sure to buy a container of their raspberry preserve - excellent on scones, bread, etc.

Daisy May

I went here for my birthday recently and it was amazing. The food was spectacular, service was fabulous and they had lots of great measures in place for covid so I felt very safe visiting their establishment. We had afternoon tea here and I would love to do it again. I also love that you can get their afternoon tea boxes to go.

Kim S

We didn't get around to making a reservation at this restaurant until after noon on a Saturday, but they very graciously told us that they could fit us in at 1.45 that afternoon--and they did, even though the place was packed. That impressed me, and the service that we received after we got there was just as impressive. I can think of only one word to describe it: perfect. And the food? Just as good

Lisa Wilson

White Heather Tea Room was recommended by a local to the area. We made a reservation for the 1:30 tea and settled into a cozy table for 2. The service is friendly and attentive. The presentation was beautiful and the quality and taste of the food was excellent. I would recommend this place for high tea in the Victoria BC area.

Alex Leter

Great selection of teas. scones freshly baked and hot. Only 2 miles from downtown and local owners very friendly.

Faye Smith

excellent alternative to the Empress, quality tea and affordable High Tea service for (2) guests. Some of the flavors can be repetitive with cream cheese and overly sweet syrups. wish there were more seasonal flavors or berries. Try the Mad Hater tea, amazing!

Aurora S.

The wee tea was ok, not spectacular, although I think for the price point they do a better job than the Empress. I would recommend more diverse sandwiches made of unique seafoods rather than just chicken, tuna and ham. The sandwiches and desserts were prepared nicely, but a tad bit bland. Tea was excellent!!! Maybe try the not-so-wee tea next time? Hope it is MUCH better next time around.

Lisa Bradfield

Great food and lovely atmosphere

Alan Mccall

While visiting Victoria, the White Heather Tea Room had been recommended. My husband and I made reservations for that afternoon. I had the "Not So Wee Tea" which was delicious! Excellent customer service and delicious, fresh sandwiches and scones. The lemon curd tasted great! We are so happy we decided to go here! Thank you!

Barbara Braun

It has a fantastic menu, with many tea options. You can choose your tea (they bring samples to choose from) and your food. I chose the "Muckle Tea", which is for 2 people and was extremely reasonable in price. It has a lovely cosy atmosphere, the owner is lovely and her staff are very friendly. We considered going to the Empress for tea but decided against it mostly because it's just a tourist-gouging opportunity, but also because I prefer little tea-rooms anyway tbh. (Also The Empress' tea is a gobsmacking $82/person, which is completely unreasonable, unless you really enjoy throwing your money away.) I would definitely return to the White Heather. Shout out to the staff members at Craigdarroch Castle for recommending the White Heather tearoom. Thank you!

Aaron Jacques

Excellent food. Service was always courteous and attentive. Impressive amount of delicious teas.

PJ Paulson

Mabee the best value for a full Tea service in Metro Victoria

Yung Hung Chen

The set tea was simply amazing and the staff were very friendly and accommodating. We will be back!

Angry Hippo

Went for afternoon tea back in 2018. The foods provided were all fresh, good quality and delicious. The tea was not really the best. For the price, I would have expected a better quality tea.

Samantha N

Tremendous spot. Food was outstanding. Four star instead of five only due to location. Need to save my Five star rating for a patio overlooking the Ocean. We had the "Big Muckle Tea" which was $68 for two. 18 seperate tea items and they were all outstanding. Only has seating for about 35 so a reservation seems to be a good idea although was not totally full at noon on a sunny Saturday. Really enjoyed it and would come back again.

Jessica Kirkwood

Thanksgiving High Tea at White Heather Tea Room Husband and I went for our second Victoria high tea and were not disappointed at all. I always contact a restaurant first with my dietary restrictions and not only were they incredibly accommodating they made me my own menu. And it was fantastic. The pumpkin scone was my favorite item. Hubby had the ‘regular’ scone and we shared a second gf scone and he said the gf one was better!! The whole meal was amazing. The service outstanding. The entire experience was incredible. Thank you White Heather Tea for an absolutely amazing experience. #hightea #victoriatea #vegetarian #wheatfree #oilfree #amazingservice #grateful #teatime #whiteheathertearoom #thanksgiving #thanksgivingtea #thankful