Please note: Restaurant hours, locations, and menus are subject change, so please visit the restaurant website or call in advance of visiting.

When the darling Chip and his mother Mrs. Potts appear on stage or screen in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, one can’t help but feel…a little thirsty for a cup of tea.

Photo courtesy of The Brown Palace  

Afternoon tea, also called cream tea, is a thoroughly British tradition started by wealthy families in the 1840s. A lovely pot of tea accompanied by small bites and treats was served around 4pm, between lunch and dinner.

Afternoon tea is not to be confused with high tea, which consists of tea with a heavier, nourishing meal. This was enjoyed by the working class after returning home from a long day in the 1800s. Americans, or anyone unfamiliar with the traditions, often confuse the two because “high tea” sounds fancier. In fact, it was only named high tea after the height of the supper tables. 

If you’d like to feel like Belle for an afternoon and enjoy a cream tea with a strawberry tart, there are several teatime locations in Denver.  

Photo courtesy of Babe’s Tea Room

The Brown Palace Hotel offers a traditional afternoon tea service. There are several price options available for whatever suits your budget. Options include the Classic Afternoon Tea with scones and Devonshire Cream, the Singature Afternoon Tea with seafood bites, and the Petit Afternoon Tea for children under six. To wash everything down, their menu boasts a wide variety of teas ranging from green to black to herbal as well as a selection of spirits to elevate the experience..

Capital Tea is in the antique district of Denver, the perfect setting for a classic teatime. Their proper English tea (which they concede is traditionally held in the afternoon, but they are open all day) includes assorted finger sandwiches, scones with Dclotted cream and jam, and mini desserts. Their tea menu lists nearly 100 different teas, including white tea, Pu’er, Oolong, and more.

For a trendy tea, visit Babe’s Tea Room in Denver or Boulder. These bright and airy spaces are the perfect location for photos with friends. The á la carte menu allows you to choose which treats you would like to enjoy alongside a pot of tea or glass of bubbles. You can also choose their preset Afternoon Tea, which includes assorted sandwiches, scones, shortbread, petit fours, macarons, and unlimited tea. Plus, if you play Mahjong, book a table of four to enjoy the game with tea service.

Photo by Sebastian Coman Photography for the Lumber Baron Inn

The Lumber Baron Inn serves traditional afternoon tea in its Victorian parlors. Teakoe, a Denver-based company, provides the tea for the service. They make their tea in small batches by hand, so your cup is guaranteed to be special. Tea is served alongside finger sandwiches, scones, crumpets, and fresh cookies, all presented on the Inn’s fine china. 

The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) NewsCenter is the organization’s editorial platform for stories, announcements, interviews, and coverage of theatre and cultural programming in Colorado. We are committed to producing accurate, trustworthy, clearly sourced journalism that reflects our mission and serves our community. This article was originally published in 2023; updated in 2026.