Buena Vida Tea Bar & Garden

I hosted my baby shower here on 3/23/24. I wanted a tea party with family & close friends and Mayra and her team went above and beyond! The tea service so delicious!!! And friends & family couldn’t stop complimenting how unique and beautiful of an experience it was. Definitely bringing my baby here for tea parties with her!

Went for high tea service, which is served in a quaint garden in the back. The space is charming and quiet. The tea was very good, and they offer honey and milk to add. In terms of food, I was satisfied. Although some of the pastries and finger sandwiches weren’t entirely to my liking, they more than made up for it with the scones and the empanadas. I also recommend the fudgy brownie. I would definitely return here for a friendly and comfortable high tea.

Absolutely darling and quaint atmosphere with a serene, cozy patio ambience. Tastey and fresh selection of assortments for high tea, (recommend the house black) and homemade clotted cream w real scones, warmed and cooked to perfection. I felt high tea for one to be pricey, but it really feeds 2 so overall felt it was well worth it and we, plus the in-laws enjoyed the full experience and exceptional service.

I found it yesterday and enjoyed the flavorful tea and scrumptious spinach and vegan empanadas (they also have chicken and beef options). Peaceful, delightful back garden, homemade quality sweets, and a lovely owner as well! I’m back again today for a little afternoon tea with my daughter. Great find!!!

Lovely and inviting tea house with wonderful service by Myra. My son had a great time and they made him a hot chocolate! Beautiful patio with many sample teas! Will be back.

I wish I took more pictures for the post but next time! Oh my gauche this cafe is definitely the cutest in the zip code. The patio alone is very inviting. You could meet your realtor there and talk business in the back or study or meet some friends for high-tea. I found this place from an app and the tea party special is the way to go if you’re feeling indecisive. It’s only $20 and you get a hot tea, a finger sammie, and a few petit dessert/pastry things. Definitely a new fav spot of mine.

J Kerr

Oh my goodness ❤ this place it was such a hidden gem tucked away. My wife and Myself stopped by and it was a wonderful experience, very tasty Frenchpressd coffees & some empanadas. You need to get one of each. Argentinian Beef, chicken and spinach empanadas. Believe me when I say it's a 2 thumbs up. They also have a wide selection of GLUTEN FREE PASTRIES!!! Thank you for the phenomenal time spent. Will comeback again soon.

Erick Cedeño

Buena Vida Tea Bar & Garden is my favorite place to enjoy good quality tea in Santa Monica. When you walk inside every staff treat you like they are happy to see you regardless if it's your first time or you visit everyday. I always feel welcomed. They have an amazing vegan empanada that pairs well with some tea. Today I had the Rosa Palmer! 🌹

eriko p

Today I met 2 friends on a Saturday afternoon for tea and pastries. You pre pay and then find a table or one of the staff will guide you to a table. This is a narrow space, but everything is arranged nicely. We all ordered hot tea, and shared scones and a Guava Cheesecake! Aleesha brought us to our table and later brought our teas and cakes/ scones. The staff here wear facinators which is a nice touch! I loved it. There was a young man who was also very nice and gave us Service with a Smile. We asked him to take our photos and for more hot water. I will definitely return here again! One can also just order Tea or food TO GO. Very nice and cozy vibe. Staff are very friendly and patient. Metered parking along Montana Ave. Free residential parking north or south of Montana Ave, but read the parking signs carefully.

Svetlana Antyushenina (Sobaka-bobaka)

Soooooooo amazing ❤️ Cozy place, very tasty tea and cookies, and very good people work here.

Alicia Alcaraz

Amazing! Nothing I say will do this place justice. You've got to experience this. Nonetheless, the atmosphere is so serene, they even have a mini fountain which is just the best background noise. The tea is premium. The treats and sandwiches are delicious and perfect with tea. Even the bathroom is so thoughtfully curated. When you dry your hands, it's like a rave. I can't wait to come back! (P.S. the amount was for 2 people)

Honey Jain

Had an amazing time here with fresh food. I forgot to inform them that I was a vegetarian and they were very kind to change my food for me. 10/10 recommended. ❤️❤️

M Dotson

Intentional. Amazing tea and overall vibe. Mayra and the staff are kind, knowledgeable and so helpful. We got the guava cake, spinach empanada, Lavendar rosemary baked good. Persian specialty tea = warming and savory. Apple oolong = incredible Jasmine 😍 Treat yourself. So lovely. Covered patio too.

Joel Zaidspiner

We stumbled on this really cute place on our way to Malibu. It's really amazing and has personal service. When we walked in, we found the team of creaters who made your tea or coffee treats. plus all the delicious cakes they offer looked delicious. We went with Iced Chai lattes, iced apple oolong, and Gunpowder hot green tea. Alisha made sure we were well card for and that everything was perfect. The cake was good and had solid chocolate flavor with a hint of banana. All their pastries mad for them off premises as there is not enough room on site. Each drink was filled with flavor, and each was made fresh. I wish I was still hungry as I would have had a high tea option. Pleasant afternoon tea stop that I wish I had near my home.

Alexandra Fuentes

I spent a positively lovely afternoon at Buena Vida enjoying delicious tea and tasty treats seated in their charming garden patio. The staff were all very friendly, and they even had yummy gluten free options. Looking forward to my next tea time at Buena Vida!

Erika L

Lovely lovely place. Owner is the best very kind and friendly. It is cozy and so pretty here. The teas are refreshing (especially iced). The scones are AMAZING; so buttery on the outside and soft on the inside. First place outside of UK where I like the scones.

Ron Alcalay

I found it yesterday and enjoyed the flavorful tea and scrumptious spinach and vegan empanadas (they also have chicken and beef options). Peaceful, delightful back garden, homemade quality sweets, and a lovely owner as well! I’m back again today for a little afternoon tea with my daughter. Great find!!!

Giselle Yoon

I hosted my baby shower here on 3/23/24. I wanted a tea party with family & close friends and Mayra and her team went above and beyond! The tea service so delicious!!! And friends & family couldn’t stop complimenting how unique and beautiful of an experience it was. Definitely bringing my baby here for tea parties with her!

Andrew

Went for high tea service, which is served in a quaint garden in the back. The space is charming and quiet. The tea was very good, and they offer honey and milk to add. In terms of food, I was satisfied. Although some of the pastries and finger sandwiches weren’t entirely to my liking, they more than made up for it with the scones and the empanadas. I also recommend the fudgy brownie. I would definitely return here for a friendly and comfortable high tea.

Susan Monk

Absolutely darling and quaint atmosphere with a serene, cozy patio ambience. Tastey and fresh selection of assortments for high tea, (recommend the house black) and homemade clotted cream w real scones, warmed and cooked to perfection. I felt high tea for one to be pricey, but it really feeds 2 so overall felt it was well worth it and we, plus the in-laws enjoyed the full experience and exceptional service.

Angel Nakamura

Lovely and inviting tea house with wonderful service by Myra. My son had a great time and they made him a hot chocolate! Beautiful patio with many sample teas! Will be back.

Julian Verdugo

I wish I took more pictures for the post but next time! Oh my gauche this cafe is definitely the cutest in the zip code. The patio alone is very inviting. You could meet your realtor there and talk business in the back or study or meet some friends for high-tea. I found this place from an app and the tea party special is the way to go if you’re feeling indecisive. It’s only $20 and you get a hot tea, a finger sammie, and a few petit dessert/pastry things. Definitely a new fav spot of mine.

Renay Grace Rodriguez Juntos Podemos

Everything about this place is wonderful. A lovely place to bring a bestie and share a spot of tea. The have tasty tea food... but for people who dont do sugar or flour, would make this place perfect if thise options were available. I suggested a boad with vege, fruit, nut, and maybe meat options and nut type crackers and they really liked the idea. So maybe we will see that soon

Owner is incredible, the scones are amazing, and the patio is so cute!

Really special place for tea and pastry. Staff is so welcoming and the tea selection is excellent. The pastry and tea sandwiches are so fresh and delicious-you can tell they are prepared daily and made with love. Outside patio in back is great-weather permitting. Try Buena Vida-you won't regret it!

I had such a wonderful experience at Buena Vida Tea Bar and Garden. I ordered the peppermint tea with honey along with sandwiches, a spinach and cheese empanada, and a selection of their desserts. Every sip and every bite was incredible—fresh, flavorful, and thoughtfully prepared. Bonus points for the flourless brownie. Our server, Alicia, was warm, attentive, and genuinely kind, which made the visit even better. The garden area is absolutely beautiful, a peaceful little oasis that feels like a hidden gem tucked away from everything. Strongly recommend this spot. I’ll definitely be back

danielle viale

Great spot! Love the the charming staff, the enchanting outdoor terrace, plus all the green teas, and the baked empanadas (beef, chicken, spinach + cheese, and vegan) - they are delightful and smell heavenly upon walking in. Love this locally owned, one-of-a-kind, Santa Monica, quintessentially Montana Avenue spot.

Connie Rae

Really special place for tea and pastry. Staff is so welcoming and the tea selection is excellent. The pastry and tea sandwiches are so fresh and delicious-you can tell they are prepared daily and made with love. Outside patio in back is great-weather permitting. Try Buena Vida-you won't regret it!

The reason for 3 stars is the cost to portion ratio. $65 per person for not much food The sandwiches are very thin and made on cheap wonder bread. You get 3 tiny ones which make up a total of 1.5 sandwiches The empanada is good but you only get one The scones are good but you only get one The tea is good The entire dessert course is pretty inedible from being so dry Staff is really nice and the back patio is cute But until they lower the price to $40 per person, I won’t be returning

Victoria

The reason for 3 stars is the cost to portion ratio. $65 per person for not much food The sandwiches are very thin and made on cheap wonder bread. You get 3 tiny ones which make up a total of 1.5 sandwiches The empanada is good but you only get one The scones are good but you only get one The tea is good The entire dessert course is pretty inedible from being so dry Staff is really nice and the back patio is cute But until they lower the price to $40 per person, I won’t be returning