Courtyard Tea Rooms in Cornwall, Isles of Scilly

This could be a five star experience if customers weren’t rushed out. We know we would be asked to leave at 90 minutes going in, but this should be a two hour or two hour and 15 minutes experience. We enjoyed the food, tea, and cocktails, but I will seek a different location for tea next time.

an singularly unique experience!!! from the environment full of history to the food and tea. I am recommending to anyone whom will listen to me to have high tea and the library. I was worried it would just be touristy etc... but it was a truly wonderful meal and experience for us.

The atmosphere was wonderful! I would highly recommend. Only downside was the bread was a bit dry.

Such a fun experience with my mom and part of my first experience in Boston. All of the little sandwiches and desserts were delicious, they accommodated dietary restrictions (I’m a pescatarian), a neat way to experience more of the library.

I’ve been here twice now for the afternoon tea and I really enjoyed both experiences! I came here first with my husband and another time with my mother-in-law. They both loved it! The savory sandwiches are really good and they are kind about swapping out one or two if you have dietary restrictions (I’m pescatarian.) The tea, scones, sandwiches and sweets are delicious! The first time I went, they gave us a soup and delicious quinoa salad as a starter. The second time they just gave a soup broth and I did miss having the salad element. I love that this place has lots of non-alcoholic beverage options like sparkling NA champagne & mocktails. It’s a truly lovely experience but I do hope that the price doesn’t continue to go up. When we went in May, it was $64/person and in November it was $72/person. I am looking forward to going back again soon!

Amazing experience! Definitely the only meal needed for the entire day. Lovely ambience and delicious, fine cuisine. Peter was a fantastic host—ask for him when making your reservation. Highly recommend him and this experience! The historic, Greco-Roman architecture here is outstanding! I’ve attached the menu that we were served and after this first page are a few pages of the various teas and lattes with maker & ingredients listed.

The Tea Room and the Boston Public Library are the star ⭐️ of this place. The food and the tea are good. The mini Lobster 🦞 Roll is the favorite. Clean facilities. Staff is friendly. The price is reasonable. Credit Cards 💳 are accepted. There’s a 90 minute time limit which goes quickly. Getting a reservation is difficult due to the popularity. Give it a try if you can get a reservation. We will definitely be going back.

Had the chance to indulge on an apple tart with a spiced apple chi cocktail. The drink was delicious and tasted like fall in a cup.

The food was not special, especially the lobster role… it was bad. There is blasting bumping music from The bar next door that takes away the special tea room ambiance, it’s so distracting. The services was fine and the staff was nice, nothing special about this and not worth the price

Honestly, I was a bit disappointed by this tea room experience. It started off well. I was excited to see all of the tea options we’re from local tea procurers, MEM Tea, and the tea itself was delicious. Both mine and my friend’s strainers had debris from previous use when we sat down. The food selection was very interesting and exciting but may have worked better in theory. The best part was the mini lobster roll and most of the other elements fell flat in comparison. Some portions were drastically bigger or smaller than others, I.e. the egg salad sandwich was not much of a finger sandwich and more like half of a normal sized sandwich. While other elements were a single bite. The biggest issue is that there is a 90-minute cut off for each reservation. Im assuming this rule is leftover from Covid but it completely contradicts the point of afternoon tea. And by 1 hour into our reservation, we were being rushed to finish and feeling neglected by our waitress. It just felt strange and rushed, especially with so much food in front of us. For almost $90 per person (after tax and tip) it was really disappointing to feel rushed through this experience. Probably won’t return or recommend to friends until they remove the 90 minute rule.

Had afternoon tea and it was such a lovely experience! Staff was very professional and polite. Food was diverse and tasty. Love the use of old books for menus and decor!

Food and atmosphere was spot on. We didn’t had reservations but the staff was nice to seated us and have us try some tea and scones. Blood orange Hibiscus tea was very good. And the pumpkin spice scone with apple butter was delicious. We also tried mochi ice cream from daughter dumpling and omgggg they were amazing.

very nice experience overall. i liked the sugar cubes. compared to other afternoon tea experiences, the tea pots were a little small and the portions of food as well compared to the price you pay. most of the savory items had onions which were a little strong. it would also be nice if there was soft music playing for a better atmosphere. would recommend for something unique to do in boston.

Food was nothing special to be honest. We only liked half of the items served, which was disappointing. It’s cool that the tea room is inside the library but the experience was not relaxing. It was very loud in the small one room restaurant! The constant sound of silverware and plates clattering was annoying. Also, the menu we had was not the same as advertised on the website. I’m glad we got to experience the fancy high tea but it is a bit overhyped and definitely overpriced for the amount/quality of the food.

Very cozy atmosphere and delicious treats. I had a great time.

The service was exceptional, servers were very attentive and food came promptly The atmosphere was great, it is a pleasant room and the menus come in books which was cute. Food was quite good, very much aligns with a classic British tea, with some interesting twists, and there was enough in total I was satisfied. The Sultanas Scone was sweet and a good consistency, came with a nice lemon curd and cream The Yorkshire Pudding Sirloin was tasty, the steak was great and the pudding was bready and fun. It came with a bit of seasoned mayo which I personally don't love Smoked Salmon Mousse was nice, great flavor, good amount of mousse Maine lobster roller was my favorite savory item, just a perfect mini lobster roll with some cucumber bits and not too much mayo. I would happily eat 10 Open Cucumber sandwich was a standard version of a staple. Not exceptional compared to other teas, but it's not supposed to be. Egg Salad was OK, nothing objectively wrong just too creamy for me I think. For desserts: The Strawberry Cannoncini was nice and small, the pastry was flaky but could have been moister. It was well filled. The Alfajores was like a little shortbread toffee cookie, very interesting and fun, loved it The Earl Grey Panna Cotta was excellent, it had a little tasty cookie, some cream, and then an early grey mousse which was interesting. Overall, at 72 bucks it was a little more than I'd like, but the exceptional service and atmosphere coupled with the good food make it worth going to at least once.

The food was a disappointment and time was limited by a fire alarm used to manipulate an exit. Not a great experience or worth the 72 dollars per person.

Afternoon Tea in the Garden at the Boston Public Library The food is delicious and the tea is very delicious It is very suitable for friends to come here to chat in the afternoon.

$72 for a really fantastic experience! The food was actually very impressive. We had two savory plates and one desert. The tea was very high quality (tea connoisseur here), and the food actually tasted like it's actually high quality. We were very impressed. It's a must do at least once during your visit to Boston!

This is such a cute spot for tea! The menu was in a book and I thought that was so cute. The service was good and the food was really delicious as well. So fun!

My daughter surprised me and took me to the Courtyard before we went to the MFA. The staff is impeccable as always, but the food had a bit to be desired this time. The lobster was ok, the salmon was bland and the scones (they used to give 4, now 2) were flavorless. The lemon curd was delicious. Hmmm, out of everything, the lemon curd was the best. For $77 a person, I just don't see us going back. But again, the STAFF is wonderful! Personable, helpful, and just great.

The place is beautiful, the organization is impeccable! The food is very delicious and the tea too, they have a variety of different teas according to tastes and good quality. the sandwiches are very rich and varied. It is a plan for everyone, couples, friends and I even saw a father with his little daughter and I thought it was very cute. I recommend it 100% You have to book it in advance!

I came here to enjoy some afternoon tea on my mom’s birthday. The service was excellent and made us feel very welcomed. Both the staff and chef came by and wished us a happy birthday multiple times. I could not think of having a better experience. As for the food and tea selection, I would say it is decent. I mostly think I came here for the vibes. I would say that their tea selection is excellent. We had a party of three and tried three different teas and throughly enjoyed all of them.The finger savory sandwiches and petite fours were just ok. Some of the sweets were slightly too sweet for me.

Omg! One of my new favorite places, makes you feel like you're royalty.

We loved the ambience and the place. However, the price I've seen on internet before making a reservation was $39.99. Imagine our surprise when we got a bill for $72 per person. We were also disappointed with a very sub par food served, especially for such a high price. The photos on the website show sandwiches with salmon and mini deserts like macarons among other things. In reality, a piece of bread with paper-thin piece of cucumber on it, and tasteless chopped "egg salad" sandwiches were served; out of 4 sandwiches, only one was delicious and as shown on the photo. Out of 3 desert pieces, two were just pieces of brownies of different broken shape. I suppose the good reviews I read were from previous years. What a shame!

Overall it was nice but our server felt VERY rushed--this has happened to me the last two times I have been. For $72 PER PERSON for tea and some lovely small bites, you don't expect rush treatment. I love this idea and want to support the library but unfortunately would suggest people go elsewhere given the high price vs rushed experience. Silver Dove tearoom and I think at least one of the high end hotels also serve high tea. I will note that I dont think it was the server's fault -- the restaurant flips the tables and to have someone else seated within every 90 minutes which means servers are hovering over the check and clearing the table with you sitting there at the 75 minute mark (or picking up plates from earlier courses whether or not youre finished).

What a beautiful Saturday eve 💕 with elegant decor , delicious food and summer drinks 🍹! Anyone who is visiting Boston and love to read books with del food should def visit this place. I think Boston library is one of the most beautiful library in US.

Amazing cocktails and tea here. The Boston library is a treasure and to have a tea room inside is pretty sick. The character of the restaurant is amazing. My fiance had a cocktail and I had some tea and we were both really happy with what we got.

After waiting far too long to be seated, I got put at the bar. I tried to order tea (I can’t drink much if any alcohol due to a health condition) and the guy at the bar rudely told me they can’t serve me tea right now, no stated reason. What? Just walked out because that’s ridiculous.

Never step foot in the place!! Most unpleasant and rude individuals. Tried to charge us 50p for 4 more sugar sachets. Add it to our bill and thought we wouldn’t notice. Extremely dishonest. Call us animals when we left. More interested in money and working less than serving their customers. Avoid at all costs

Honestly magical. Service was so considerate of dietary restrictions.

Tea!!! Spectacular!! I had the meat pies, yum, yum!

My daughter (7) and I went for our second visit. Lovely as always with a special plate just for kids. We had a great time!

The place is beautiful with a good ambiance, and the food and tea pairings are exceptional.

One of the best afternoon teas we've been to in a beautiful location! This is a hidden gem inside the Boston Public Library, which we got to tour afterwards. The tea room overlooks the inner courtyard with the sculpture. The tea room is beautiful and feels very grand with the vaulted ceilings. The afternoon tea begins with soup and quinoa salad. We then moved on to the scones. They were soft on the inside and flaky and crunchy if the outside. The lemon curd was excellent. For our teas, we chose the Darjeeling and the Ras Chai latte. Both were amazing! The tea tower was excellent with prefect balance of savory and sweet items. We especially loved the curry chicken salad, smoked salmon and Maine lobster. From the petit fours, the pumpkin panna cotta was my favorite! We also really loved the Alfajores and cheesecake. Service was great! Everyone was very accommodating!

I brought my partner here for her birthday. The service was amazing and the food was very good. The atmosphere was fun and well-themed. The meal came in multiple courses, with an appetizer, tea, a scone, and a 3-tier with several different items on it. We liked everything except a little dessert that came in a cup and tasted like spiced dirt. Personally, I thought all the breads except the scone were stale, but my partner thought they were just a different texture than I was used to. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ In any case, we'll definitely be back when the menu changes.

Nice food, a few crisps & side salad was included with our wraps. We had chicken & bacon with mayo wrap and a Caesar salad wrap. Both were fresh.

Service, food and drinks were all great

Visited St Ives for the day and came across this cute little place just away from the busy area. We had sandwiches which were delicious. The place is dog friendly which was great. The staff were welcoming and friendly. It even has a cute flower wall. I would recommend this place.

Definitely worth the experience. Beautiful place, service was good. Remember to make reservations online. Pastries were a little sweet, tea was really good! We all ordered different tea and shared it. My favorite was probably the wedding blend and white peony.

A great little place just off Fore Street, the staff were really friendly and the cream tea was really good. It was well priced and very relaxed,

I never write any reviews but I had to write one for this place! It was all nice in the beginning! I took my friend there for her birthday brunch and our reservation was at 11:45am! We were 10 minutes late but they were fine with it! Everything went well and our server was great! At 1:05 , he let us know that our time was almost up when he brought us the receipt and we were aware of the 90 minutes rule! Still good so far! We were done eating, just sipping on our tea and we already paid ! Out of nowhere , this woman, I guess the manager, walked up to us and with a high pitched voice (where the whole room can hear her) asked us to leave and said she needed the table! Mind you, we are the only ones sitting in our rows where they are 4 more empty tables ! We told her that we were aware of our time and we were ready to leave and still she stays next to our table for another minute, looking at us and making us uncomfortable ! She didn’t approached any of the other people that were there way before us. She ruined the whole experience for my friend and I ! It was so embarrassing that our server had to rush to tell her that we were already aware of the time and that he already warned us. She got embarrassed and acted she was sorry to him , not to Us! It would have been a great experience if this old lady didn’t ruined it and pleased have her fix or clean her teeth! It was creepy when she was standing there smiling at us ! My first experience with veiled racism!

Best coffee we have had in a cafe. Staff lovely and friendly. Good to have a dog friendly cafe. The wall of pink roses is quite a feature.

We came here for my birthday and it was simply devine! The food was amazing, the tea was delicious and the service was top notch! Definitely an experience that is worth the price!

So, this is a classic Boston experience because the setting is so cool, ie Boston Public Library. However, other than the scone which is served as the first course, we thought the food in the tower was awful. The amuse bouche was awful as well. Everything tasted like it was pre-frozen. We booked for 3 but the table was for 2 so it was uncomfortable for the 3rd. Worth asking about if you are booking for 3. Now the pros: the tea room setting is very nice, servers were attentive and very friendly, and they fixed an error on the bill quickly.

“It’s inside the library!” You need to go into the library and take the gray stairs on your left, then go through the courtyard! I came here with my sister for my birthday vacation, and I would love to bring my family here again.

The food was fun and creative. Every bite was delicious! What a relaxing venue. The staff all conspire to make us feel valued and spoiled!

Cold, uninspiring, and mediocre food. Breads were soggy and everything tasted a bit stale. I cannot believe I paid $90 for this! The service was alright (felt kind of rushed) and the room itself is lovely, but it is absolutely not worth it.

Great tea and the savory selection was delicious! The sweet options were not as appealing. The only major negative was that we got the check after sitting for an hour (we had only been driving our tea for 40 min) and felt pressured to leave. Extremely steep price for being semi-rushed out.

A lovely place to have a traditional high tea experience in a great setting! The Boston Public Library is one of my favorite places in the city and the Courtyard Tea room is another reason to love it even more. I came here for my girlfriend’s birthday and in the reservation let them know the occasion. Every person, from the hostess, to the server, runners, and bussers all made sure to wish her a happy birthday as well as writing out a card that was placed on our table. They even placed us at the table in the window overlooking the library garden as well as bringing her a non-alcoholic champagne. They really went out of their way to make our experience and her birthday special. As for the tea and food, everything was amazing and would definitely recommend a visit! The Cozy Copley tea and the scones were a particular standout. Would definitely come again!

I was visiting Boston for the first time. The high Tea shared with my friend at the Courtyard tea room was superb.

It's a treat to have tea here. The space is lovely and the service was exemplary! The food was delicious, very fresh and tasty combinations. We were served salmon mousse and lobster salad small sandwiches that would have been superb had they been on a lighter bread. All the other tea sandwiches were fabulous (egg salad, cucumber, and a mini roast beef in Yorkshire pudding) Scone with Devonshire cream and lemon curd was great and desserts were scrumptious. Individual pots of tea from a varied selection of teas rounded out our meal. I particularly appreciated the tea service - generous, hot, warmed milk if you take milk, "one lump or two" 😉. Altogether a very nice time. A tad pricy compared to many but well worth it for a special time.

I have been to several tea rooms in the Boston area and the Boston public Library tea room is still my favorite. It has the largest tea room and largest selection of food. I highly recommend this place if you can get reservations.

My friend and I were looking forward to this place and the afternoon tea. The room was so beautiful just as we had seen in a picture. The food was fine, especially the tea and scones were awesome! It was more than worth the price. The only thing we didn’t like was the staff’s time management. Please don’t get me wrong; all the waiters were very polite and friendly. However, it was a little disappointing that we had to rush at the end. Initially we were supposed to be given 90 minutes for the tea. After we were seated, we had to wait for quite a long time until the tea and the starter arrived. 15 minutes after the main dish arrived, a waiter came to us and told that they needed to start getting ready for the next group. Although we still had 15 or 20 minutes left, they started to clean the tables around us, which made the atmosphere less comfortable and made us feel like being pressured to finish and leave soon. We should be allowed to enjoy the tea full 90 minutes, or they should have served the dishes earlier if they really didn’t have time.

10/10 experience, such a boujee environment and food presentation! All of the food was yummy! I didn't think I would leave full, but I most definitely did! Loved the food tower! 🤩

Very disappointed, specifically when it comes to the cost. That is nowhere on their website.

My friend came into Boston to visit and I wanted to treat her and took her to The Courtyard Tea Room. It was an amazing experience! It was her first time having formal tea like this and loved the environment. The food was amazing! It started with a quinoa salad and a cauliflower apple soup which was SOOOOOO GOOD! We both got the Cozy Cooley tea which was awesome on a slightly chilly day. We felt full at the end and were excited to hear that the menu changes every season. If you are looking for an awesome experience consider going here!

This place was lovely and so worth it. Such variety in the sandwiches and sweet treats (mini lobster rolls -- incredible!) and the service was wonderful. You had about 1.5 hrs to dine until the next set of timed reservations, which was plenty of time. A very fun experience in a lovely location.

Lovely setting, delicious food. Excellent service. Will definitely be back.

Amazing and fun high tea experience. If you like tea and if you like libraries then this is the place for you. Great tea service. I love the high tea. There is an emotional comfort and recharge that comes from a quality tea service. The Courtyard Tea Room delivers and exceeds any expectations.

My family was planning on a nice afternoon here, but unfortunately I have food allergies which I am not able to eat the items served due to cross contamination. I would have loved to just sit with my family and have a glass of wine as they ate ..but this facility was going to charge me $64 to just sit at a table with my family (I would have bought wine). That's just absolutely ridiculous

Came here yesterday for the first time and it was beautiful. The tea room itself was very cozy and spacious. Service was amazing as well. The price was $64 per person and it came with a tea option, appetizer, and the 3 tier. I was pretty stuffed towards the middle tier, so I brought my desserts home. The earl grey teas were delicious. I would definitely come again for a fun. 9/10 great experience.

Great if you’re stopping by. Would not recommend doing an event here. Had my bridal shower here and I struggled getting in touch with the staff. For the amount charged the allotted time was not adequate. I was made aware of a hard stop weeks before my shower and at this point it was too late. The woman I was corresponding with never took her time following up with me either. The whole experience was disappointing.

The MAP room was pretty neat. Some neat maps (theme) of Boston on the walls. Loved the repurposed decorations within the room. Drinks were good, food was ok. The main draw was the room and location (within the Boston library). Lots of traffic within this room from lookers and others going to the reservation ahead room, which made it kinda frustrating at times if your seated location wasn't ideal.

A memorable experience! Elegant and cozy environment, delicious food and outstanding service, especially because Rosie made us feel welcome and pampered the whole time! She is one of the reasons why we're coming back whenever we are in town again!

It is not an eating experience It is a taste experience I feel with every bite same like Ratatouille movie : the feeling of mixing food Thanks Chef Thanks Maggie , who helped to secure a table without reservation - as I discovered the place without a plan She told me as there I’ll be a following reservation: so I will enjoy 90 minutes experience - I thought because I’m alone , I will stay less - but the vibes are great! Happy for the unplanned unprecedented tasting experience

Annual Christmas gathering for the elegant tea. Met a wonderful employee who helped us find our way out.

It's a beautiful venue, the service was excellent, the food was very good, creative, and substantial. We get better food at the Dunbar Tea Room on Cape Cod, but that's not a realistic alternative for most people who come to tea at the BPL.

The tea room was so cozy and charming, and the lighting in the room made it so welcoming. I truly enjoyed the Blue Flower Earl Grey I ordered, and the finger food tea cakes were delicious. My friend and I were still seated past the 1.5 hour window of the reservations that you needed to make, so they moved us, our tea, and our food tower to the bar in front of the entrance to the tea room so we could take our time. The location is a little hidden (immediately to the right, after coat check, there is a line to enter in on your scheduled window. But it is such a beautiful library. Once you walk out, the courtyard is on the right. Also, there are public bathrooms, and street parking available, although the parking for the library stated to be available, we didn't find/use it.

Came here with my young daughter as a treat to both of us. The room is beautiful. But the experience can be sooo much better. Food. The food menu is pre-set. The only thing you can choose if the flavor of your tea. The food itself, a collection of sandwiches and sweets can be way better. I guess, fresh, flavorful and way less heavy is what we were expecting the food to be like. Although we mostly tasted and didn’t eat everything that was offered we both felt unwell after this meal. So, don’t go hungry. It’s not a culinary experience I would repeat or recommend. As my daughter put it: “You get what you get and you don’t get upset. Service: I imagined a relaxed atmosphere. Instead our very nice server was tending to a lot of tables which made it all feel rushed and “on the clock”, so much so that we didn’t feel we could ask questions about the food, the service, etc. The room is also very noisy as the high ceiling carry the sound of all the dinners. So, I would not come here for a romantic date, as you won’t be able to hear each other well. In the end, it was an interesting experience, but now that we saw what it included, we’re all good going to a regular tea room for a warm drink and cookies, as the price tag is not cheap either. Hope this helps the tea room management to: update the menu a bit (more vegetarian options), ensure the food is fresh, and the sweets can be way less sweet. But the tea was alright :).

A wonderful experience. Food and service is great. Fixed menu, but they will accommodate dietary concerns. The ambiance is great. Hardest part is securing a reservation- but definitely worth the effort.

OMG! That's it! Lol Compliments to the chef! The teas and cocktails are amazing! Excellent service!

Everything was amazing, well worth the wait!

This was an absolutely amazing experience for my birthday! The staff was so helpful and attentive, answered our questions, and presented a wonderful tea service and menu!

Lovely afternoon. Worth a visit if you come to Boston. Book ahead

I have never had afternoon tea, nor have I ever been to England, but I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at the Courtyard Tea Room. This would be a great spot for a date, birthday celebration, or a treat-yourself type of day. This place is reservation-only, and reservations are hard to come by, so plan ahead! When you arrive, you must check in your coat at the complimentary coat check down the hall. Then, you line up at the entrance until they let you in after confirming your reservation. There is a wide selection of complimentary tea with free refills. I got the Cozy Copley (Earl Grey), which was average, but that is expected given that refills are free. There are also sugar cubes if you prefer a sweeter cup. The seasonal soup was some sort of pumpkin soup that was very smooth and rich. The salad was a bed of quinoa with a yogurt sauce and some garnishes. I enjoyed both. The main event was a $64 tower of scones, savory bites, and petit fours. I enjoyed everything, but my favorites were the scones, peppered ricotta tart, and bacon pepita brittle pumpkin spice cupcake. I do think the price is worth it because I got full from this amount (probably also because I was drinking so much tea), and you are also paying for the experience of sitting in one of the prettiest buildings in Boston.

Had a good time here, the setting is lovely and the tea was delicious. I do wish we could have tried more kinds of tea. The food was good but perhaps because we went for a late afternoon seating, it didn't seem super fresh. Try to go in the morning. Overall, glad I had this experience. The menu does rotate and change often and they do ask about allergies both when booking online and before service.

Best gluten-free accommodations in the city possibly. My expectations were low, knowing that it would be tea sandwiches and pastries, but I got every single menu item substituted gluten free (tiny sandwiches, macaroons, you name it). There was no fuss, I just told the server and it was brought out and explained. Delicious too!

What a fantastic experience. My daughter booked this as a birthday present and it was wonderful. She managed to get a reservation for one of the beautiful corner tables. We highly recommend adding the cocktail with brandy and mulled wine. All selections on the tea tray were delicious.

Beautiful space with friendly attentive staff. The food is phenomenal for the price. Every bite is delicious and clearly meticulously made. The tea options are excellent and you drink as much as you want. Everything is already laid out for you, so all you do is enjoy. A truly unique upper crust/royal experience.

Had afternoon tea, then walked amongst the books while listening to a pop up quartet

it was so good, light and filling and very refreshing, would love to come again

Went for an anniversary on Saturday brunch. We got seated immediately since we had a reservation. The service was excellent - the staff even wrote us a “happy anniversary” card! The tea was also wonderful, highly recommend the iron goddess, which was very authentic. The tea tower was a cool experience but wasn’t quite ~our cup of tea~. Overall, would recommend for the experience in Boston but not a place we’d likely frequent again.

This is a very unique experience! The food was excellent, as was the service. The theme played through the entire meal. I'd love to go again with a group.

The Courtyard Tea Room at the Boston Public Library is a hidden gem in Boston that adds a touch of elegant magic to your library visit. Nestled within the library's stunning courtyard, it's a must-try experience. While the tea selection may not be the largest, it's still diverse enough for most tea enthusiasts. The pastries and finger sandwiches served during the tea are surprisingly impressive, adding to the overall charm of the experience. The ambiance is unbeatable, with the library's grandeur and the intimate, elegant atmosphere of the tea room combining to create a unique and memorable setting. I particularly loved the menus cleverly hidden inside books, a thoughtful and elegant touch. What sets this tea room apart is the unhurried pace; you won't feel rushed, allowing you to savor the moment fully. Just a tip: dress up a bit in an elegant fashion for the occasion to match the refined atmosphere. In sum, a visit to the Courtyard Tea Room at the Boston Public Library is a must when you're in Boston. It's a delightful blend of history, culture, and culinary delights that promises an elegant and unforgettable experience. Take your time, enjoy the tea and treats, and soak in the enchanting and elegant ambiance of this library oasis.

Charming place for a memorable experience. There was a varied array of flavors and the presentation was exquisite! Of course, the tea was perfect!

Una bellissima esperienza! Molto raffinata ma sono comunque uscita a stomaco pieno. Troppo costosa però!

Great overall experience. Wasn't blown away by anything if you've been to other afternoon tea's, especially abroad, but it's a very nice spot with good service and nice food as well. Petite fours left some to be desired, scones were great, savory sandwiches were nice.

It was a lovely experience. We got the best seat in the house right besides the window looking into the courtyard. I had the vanilla chai and it was delicious. My only struggle was pouting the tea into cup since it would drip down the pot and all over the table. The finger foods were delicious, it was a lot more filling than I expected so I suggest going hungry. Our server I believe was named Nelson, he was lovely and very professional and made great suggestions. Highly recommend this experience!

Seriously disappointed in this place. Made a reservation for their afternoon tea sitting which allotted a 90min window for food and drinks before they had to set up for the next session. This normally would be ample time to enjoy yourself, except we unfortunately were not served until 30 mins after we had been sat. Our table was completely passed over until I finally flagged down a server and explained that we were still waiting. By this time all other tables were already moving on to their main course. This delay meant we were rushed through the entirety of our stay, to the point of having to box up a good portion of our food at the end, while the staff tried to usher us out of the room. I mean seriously, mid-bite was given a box and told to take the food with us when we leave. I was also not aware that we were limited to a single choice of tea during our sitting. An apparent rule which our server failed to inform us of until after we had already ordered. When I requested a new pot of tea, I was then informed that ‘customers are usually only provided a single pot’. I have never been at a tea sitting where they limited the amount of tea you were allowed to order, and nowhere did I see this mentioned when booking. $65 for a single pot of tea, subpar food selections, and a 90min timer that starts ticking regardless of when the staff actually bothers to serve you? No thanks. The only saving grace of this entire experience was the room itself. It’s a beautiful space, and although only two tables actually overlook the courtyard, it offers a nice view. Overall I do not recommend this place if you are expecting a quality tea serving, or even just a relaxing afternoon. Would only suggest coming here if you’re just looking for a cute photo op - but even for that I would say there are several other tea house options in Boston, take your money elsewhere.

Went for a birthday, they were exceptional. Took great care of us, explained everything in detail. Lovely experience, will be back!

Very enjoyable and relaxing experience. The prefect pair drink was amazing with matcha. Everything was beautiful. Chefs kiss.

We experienced multiple delays and were twenty minutes late for our reservation, but they still seated us, and it was a fantastic experience.

The experience includes a tea of your choice, a soup/salad, and a three-tiered tea sandwich/dessert tower. The cost is a bit steep for what you get ($64 a person), but the experience was enjoyable, and the staff were great.

Lovely experience at the Boston public library tea room in June. They are usually booked out and hard to reserve weekends. Everyone must wait in line at the tea room entrance to be seated at the same seating time. A dishonest couple pretended to be hanging out at the map room lounge and cut in line right before us. Very upsetting as we all waited quite a bit and the check in staff did not notice, but our waitperson made it right shortly after. We were lucky to have the corner table with beautiful queen velvet high chair! First course of the tea service was perfect with soup and Burrata salad. But the finger sandwiches were little disappointing, especially lobster - very dry and seemed not freshly made. After tea, explore the grand staircase, bates hall and the courtyard. Only drawback is parking.

The place is great, the decor and the elegance was perfect. You pay $64 per person and you get the same food, there is a menu on the table only to see what you are going to it, not to choose dishes. My only complaint is the food contain too many sweet bites for my taste, I would exchange have of the sweet stuff for more snacks. Other than that everything was great.

Such a great high tea. Excellent for celebratory events or just to have an elevated lunch with friends

The tea party exceeded our expectations. The tea was delish and the presentation of our food was even better.

I cannot say enough good things about my experience here. I came to celebrate my 60th birthday. I was greeted warmly and they had a card on the table, plus little chocolate birthday greetings on the dessert portion of the three-tier stand. It was so nice! All of the food was excellent! I cannot even choose one favourite…it was all great! I loved the Darjeeling tea, which isn’t easy to find. The service was outstanding! The ambience was perfect. I would return in a heartbeat! Thank you for making my day perfect!

Everything was beautiful and delicious.