Goodall’s Kitchen, located in the stylish Hotel Ella, serves a very delightful weekend tea service. We thought it would be a treat to take the kids in for a mini tea party, and well, it was simply the cutest!

We made a reservation for a Sunday afternoon and brought along our sweet young guests, Arleigh, age 5, and Graham, age 7. Arleigh was most delighted to put on a fancy dress for the occasion, and Graham wasn’t sure what to expect but declared that he loves tea because he learned about the history and origin of tea in his geography class.

We arrived a little early to Hotel Ella, and spent a short time on the grand front porch before heading into Goodall’s Kitchen where were greeted by such friendly staff and seated in the pretty quiet, dining room.

We were each offered to choose our own pot of tea from a variety of Austin-based Zhi Teas, ranging from Ginger Peach Oolong to Tropical Green or classics like Earl Grey. The kids got the chance to sniff the ones they were most interested in to help make their decisions.

In addition to the tea, we were served a big assortment of traditional tea sandwiches, pastries, and delicious sweets! Curried chicken salad on toasts, currant scones, walnut cream puffs, chocolate truffles, too! Because all of the food is made in-house for the tea service, a reservation must be made at least 48 hours in advance to prepare such towers of treats.

The kids were adorable as they sampled bites of food, stirred sugar cubes and lemon into their tea cups, and chatted with us about all of the new flavors they were trying for the first time.

The whole experience was so special. The kids were enjoying this quality time with their moms, and we loved every minute of it. This would be a fun place to return with just grownups, too, but bringing the kids created a sweet memory that we’ll cherish.

Afternoon Tea is offered from 3 – 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Tea service is $30/person and can be made by booking online here.