Albuquerque, New Mexico – Check out the St. James Tea Room for a unique experience

Updated October 7th, 2026

All information is current as of the date this post was written.

When my friends and I went to Albuquerque, New Mexico for the Balloon Fiesta, we researched and looked for fun, unique things to do while we were there. We were only in town for a couple of days so we did not have a lot of time outside the Balloon Fiesta, but we wanted to explore Albuquerque outside of the Balloon Fiesta. We decided to visit the St. James Tea Room as one of our activities and we are so glad we did! Looking back, the tea time experience was one of my favorite memories of the trip. This is someplace I hope to be able to go back to and take my daughter someday! The St. James Tea Room truly knows how to make your tea time an incredible experience. The environment and staff make for an even more enjoyable time. The whole restaurant is decorated in good taste with pretty details all throughout.

What makes the St. James Tea Room so unique?

The St. James Tea Room is a team room that serves British afternoon tea. They have been around since 1999 and strive for excellence in all that they do. They desire to procide an experience that is unhurried, relaxed, and invites guests to slow down. From my experience, they truly meet this goal. They have monthly themes that rotate and all of the food is uniquely tied to the theme. They have themes such as Alice in Wonderland, Narnia, or Pride and Prejudice. It is so fun to see how they incorporate the theme into all they do! You can see what their current and upcoming themes are here.

When we arrived for our afternoon tea, we were immediately taken to our seating area. The area we were given was cute and comfy. There was a loveseat with two individual chairs and the table was set with four matching teacups and plates. There was also a sign welcoming our group by name. Our area was sectioned off by curtains, so even though there was a group nearby, we truly felt like we had our own little oasis to rest, relax, and enjoy each other’s company over tea. It almost felt like we were in a parlor having tea with friends rather than in a restaurant.

When we booked our reservation, qe had the option to choose between an herbal tea or the regular tea they had selected to match the dining “course”. Half of our group chose the herbal and the other half chose the regular tea. This allowed us to have two separate tea pots on our table. It was nice to be able to try both and decide which one we liked best! They did allow us to confirm our tea choice once we got there versus being stuck with what we chose beforehand, which was thoughtful. Our waitress was also very knowledgeable about the tea and food pairings and would recommend whether it was better to put brown or white sugar cubes into the different teas! I have typically drunk my hot tea without sugar, so this was a new experience for me. It was very delicious with her recommendations.

Once we were settled in, we received our first round of tea and our waitress brought out our tea tower. It had all three courses on it, so you will want to pace yourself as your tea time last two hours. Our waitress explained what everything was and then told us she would check back with us to refresh our tea for our second course. Waiting for her to refresh our tea pots between courses also helped us know when it was a good time to move onto our next course. We had such a wonderful time trying the different foods and having great conversations together. The waitress was present and helpful, but also gave us space to just enjoy the moment. It never felt intrusive when she checked on us and was also always great timing for getting what we needed or for answering any questions about the food we may have had.

If anyone in your party has an allergy or dietary preference, they do have several accommodations available. You can order a gluten free menu, vegetarian menu, or a nut free menu. Some of these options are slightly more expensive. If needed, they also have a list of common allergens on their website for other dietary needs.

It was so fun to enjoy this special moment together with friends. It would be a great place to go for a girl’s day, bridal shower, wedding shower, birthday, Mother’s Day, or any kind of celebration. If you are visiting Albuquerque, New Mexico for the Balloon Fiesta or just exploring the city, I highly recommend visiting the St. James Tea Room and enjoying a restful and relaxing afternoon tea!

If you are visiting Albuquerque, NM you should go in October during the Balloon Fiesta. Here’s my top 10 reasons you should visit the Balloon Fiesta!

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