What is High Tea, Anyway?
Tradition, Reinvention, and the Art of Connection
As someone who now regularly surveys friends and strangers about High Tea, I realize that most folks either don’t know what it is or possess a very narrow view of the experience. Thus, it is a very compelling product and service to reimagine.
While its origins are rooted in British tradition, high tea today is far more than a formal set of rules involving tiered trays and cucumber sandwiches. In our humble opinion, at its heart, high tea is about pausing and connecting—a shared moment that invites conversation and curiosity in a world that now rarely slows down.
Historically, what many people called “high tea” was a practical evening meal for working families, while the refined afternoon custom emerged among the upper classes. Over time, those distinctions softened, especially as tea culture traveled beyond England. From what I can tell, what has remained is not a rigid definition, but a feeling: a unique experience designed to bring people together around the table. And it can be so much more than a dainty tea party catered to ladies dressed in their Sunday best.
Merrion Hotel High Tea, Dublin
High tea can simply be another choice for your brunch, lunch or happy hour. It can be that other 3rd place near home you often frequent to catch up with friends. Parlour on 10th hopes to be a regular spot, not just a special occasion. We intend to give Sacramento a high tea where everyone feels welcome, stays a little longer than expected, and lets their guard down. Afterall, “strangers are just friends you haven’t met yet.”
Across the globe—and increasingly throughout the United States—high tea has grown into a deeply social experience shaped as much by space and design as by food and tea. Some institutions preserve tradition with precision, like The Ritz London and Royal Mansour Marrakech. Others have reinterpreted tea through bold artistic lenses, such as some of the Dobra Tea Rooms of Europe, Sketch London, Silo Hotel in Capetown and Great Wall Tea in British Columbia.
Mosaic wall of tea tins at Great Wall Tea
What unites these diverse approaches is intention. Modern high tea is less about strict etiquette and more about creating space for connection. Menus are seasonal and inventive, tea sourcing is global and thoughtful, and interiors are designed to invite lingering. The experience encourages people to sit a little longer, talk a little deeper, and reconnect—with one another and with themselves.
At Parlour on 10th, this idea of connection is central to everything we imagine. Our vision of high tea honors tradition while embracing curiosity, creativity, and play. We see tea as a gentle invitation—to gather with friends, meet new people, share stories, and enjoy the simple pleasure of being present together. Through unexpected flavors, immersive design, and an atmosphere that sparks conversation, we aim to create a space where connection feels natural and unforced.
High tea, as we see it, isn’t about recreating the past. It’s about re-imagining how we come together now. It’s about slowing down just enough to notice one another—cups warm in hand, conversations unfolding, and connection taking center stage.
