Hidden away in the greenest part of Manoa Valley is the Wai’oli Tea Room. The eatery serves breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea in a quaint and peaceful atmosphere (though the birds also love the place and may fly in to join you if you choose to eat outside).

A few Saturdays ago, my friends Stacie, Shannon, and I decided to splurge a little and meet for tea (“formal” tea is on the pricey side). Stacie, the tea veteran of the group, suggested Wai’oli Tea Room for its reasonable price, convenience, and flexible tea times (not to mention the yummy food and teas they serve). You can have “afternoon tea” at Wai’oli anytime between 10:30am-3:30pm with 24-hour notice for $18.95 per person.

I’ll let the photos below speak for our experience. I’ll just say that it was definitely worth the splurge!

Here’s Stacie and Shannon in front of Wai’oli Tea Room

Love the old fashioned, sweet feel that the outdoor seating offered

Our beautifully prepared-for-tea-time table was ready for us and set the tone for a relaxing experience. I loved the complimentary handmade cinnamon ornament!

Soon after we sat down, our waitress brought over the tea cart. The cart contained over 24 varieties of tea! Our waitress was very knowledgeable, and she explained the different types of teas and encouraged us to take in their scents in order to help us choose which ones we wanted (we each got to choose a different tea). I chose the fruity peaches and ginger tea, Stacie chose a Valentine’s blend with a hint of chocolate, and Shannon chose a Jasmine tea. We enjoyed sharing the teas (though I think each of us liked the one we chose the best).

Here’s our tea being carefully prepared- there were free refills offered as well (though we didn’t need any- you can only have so much tea in one sitting!).

We were then presented with our “special treats” to go along with our tea. The tea menu rotates monthly, and it was so nice to be surprised with these delicacies. We ate our way from the bottom tier to the top. The bottom included delicious blueberry cream cheese scones and pound cake served with two flavored whipped butters. The middle layer included a fresh and flavorful vegetable roll, chicken salad on guava bread, salmon spread, and a mini quiche. The top (which we enjoyed even though we were all quite full) was a celebration of sweets made by Wai’oli’s pastry chef. There were fresh fruits, a chocolate chip cookie, a chocolate fruit cake, and a light chocolate and lemon cake. Yes, it was a LOT of food (one of each treat mentioned above for each of us)!

The Wai’oli Tea Room also has a small store that sells their pastries, teas, and specialty items such as tea sets, ornaments, jewelry, and soaps

Even though I’m not really a tea person, I’m now soooooooo into tea time! Any of you out there have a favorite tea time place? Share them here!

Wai’oli Tea Room
2950 Manoa Road
Honolulu, HI 96822
(808)988-5800
Monday-Friday Lunch: 10:30am-3:30pm
Weekend Breakfast: 8am to noon
Weekend Lunch: Noon to 3:30pm
Afternoon Tea: Daily wiht 24-Hour Advanced Reservations

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