T-Neer

Located next door to Cycle de Pro, with street parking.
I came by T-​Neer with my mother and husband this late afternoon at 3:43 pm for a 4 pm reservation. We got here earlier than I thought. When we came in, we were just standing around before someone acknowledged us. Eventually this man saw me. I told him I was here for my 4 pm reservation for 3 people. He told me that he will prepare our table. When we came in, there were only 3 other parties and 3 empty tables, but have not been cleared of dirty dishes.
Around 3:49 pm, we were seated at a large table but were not given any menus. When I had asked, the man who sat us told us that because we came before our reservation, we cannot be served until then (kind of odd and made me already think this will be a bad experience. Also kind of makes me think what would happen if I came at 4:01 pm, would they serve us?).
We eventually got our menus and then at 4 pm, a female asked us what we would like. After browsing the menu, we ended up getting:
Tea set for 2, $ 32 prior to tax– For this tea set, we picked the following 3 sandwiches: cucumber, pineapple chicken, egg salad. They were all just average, none really memorable. I do want to mention that the egg salad is not vegetarian because it does contain bacon, but you can’t taste it (but if you lift the bread, you will see one tiny piece in it). For the tea, I ordered #64 Organic Emperor Chai. This chai tea was suggested from the employee who took our order. I told her that I was thinking about getting a chai tea but wasn’t sure what to get and so she suggested this one after she asked if I wanted coconut (which I declined). This tea comes already sweetened, but wasn’t overly sweet.
My mother picked #37 Ginger Jasmine. I did not try any of her tea, but she said she could not taste the ginger at all. After she was done with her pot of tea, she asked if she could have some more hot water. But our server told us that there are no tea leaves in the pot and that it is already brewed before hand. She did not mention if we could get another refill on this pot, so my mom was disappointed with that (we have gone to other tea places and they always give free refills).
The 2 scones (blueberry and vanilla) that came with this was just okay. The egg pudding was quite eggy, which I thought was sweet but just okay. Also the chopped cantaloupe was just okay.
Pot of Tea, $ 4.50 prior to tax– My husband ordered #5 Orange Sunset. My husband thought it was okay and I thought it was just okay as well. I wished it was a little bit more concentrated, as it was a little light and watered down.
— — — — — — — —
(Total= $ 36.50 prior to tax, however, I used a Living Social voucher, $ 21 for afternoon tea for 2, so total cost came out to $ 6.80 after tax, prior to tip)
Service was definitely lacking and on the slower side. Food was average for the most part, although I did like my tea. But everyone else in my party thought their tea was just okay.
I do not see myself coming back here and will just stick to the tea places in Pasadena.
By the way, there is free WiFi here (didn’t use it, but you have to ask for a password) and Amex is accepted here. There is also one small table and chair outside (uncovered) in case you want to come here with your 4 legged pup.

I’ve passed by and heard of this place for a year before coming in to try.
We got a late Saturday afternoon seating. Without looking at Unilocal or any online review or photos. On the way here, I was thinking it would be nice if this is a casual tea place with sofa.
1^st thing we walked in is sofa!!! And since we had a late seating. We were able to seat at the sofa.
There are over 100 tea to choose from. Very reasonably priced. $ 39 for 2, which is a steal for tea. Most tea room are fancy, hat and dresses type of English tea house. And would cost anywhere from $ 35-​$ 100 per person. (Exp. langham, montage, pennisula, Madeline, scarlet, four season, two A, rose garden, chado, etc etc)
The sandwiches are light and pluffy. Chicken, egg salad and tomato spinach are all tasty and light. You won’t feel stuffed.
Samosa is light and dipping sauces goes well with sandwiches too.
Tea are very flavorful and light as well, dragon well and elegant.
Dessert is a coconut pudding with homemade sauce and cantaloupe.
Both taste very light and refreshing.
Overall I love how casual and relaxing a tea house can be.
After having a chat with the owner and reading the wall of writing. I love it even more.
The owner is a diplomat’s wife from Sri Lanka. She grew up learning about tea, as her family plant tea. When their diplomats job send them to Arcadia, in which he is now retired. She decides she want to invest time into a simple tea house that is able to allow her patrons to enjoy tea, relax and have a restful mind.
I think she did a good job.
As this is a fusion tea house. It’s not an English tea house where one need to dress proper and comes with proper attires and demeanors.
Love this place! Relaxing is beyond what I can express for any late afternoon.

Went to T-​Neer with a Groupon deal of $ 25 high tea for 2 persons.
The $ 25 deal (worth $ 39) includes the following:
1. 2 pots of tea (any tea except for premium tea)
2. High tea:
~ Top Tier (pick any 3 sandwiches — Cucumber,
Tomato & Spinach, Beet, Tuna or Pineapple.
Chicken)
~ Middle Tier (pick mini scone with jam/​samosa)
~ Lower Tier (default desserts, no option to
choose from)
3. A bowl of Lentil Soup
TEA
A wide varieties of tea to choose from (flavored tea, black tea, green tea, chinese tea and etc… took us a while before we make up our mind). We picked peach tea with ginger (can’t taste the ginger at all) and Acia beauty (not bad, fruity flavored).
FOOD TIERS
Sandwiches is very mediocre, something that I can definitely make it myself at home, nothing to rave about. Samosa is average and desserts is my least favorite. It was honeydew with some nuts and some kind of egg pudding.
In SUMMARY, it’s a nice, cosy and simple place and it wasn’t crowded when we came on a Monday afternoon but don’t think I will be back for the high tea combo again, the tea… hmm maybe or maybe not…

I went to T-​Neer because I recently moved to Sierra Madre and found a Groupon for a afternoon tea for 2 for 25 $ (value 39 $). You have to call in advance to book for that promotion. I don’t know if you can just walk in if you do not have the groupon.
The space is really quiet, with big couches and tea boxes on the wall.
We ordered a Chai and a Rose flavored iced tea, both of which were really tasty. You can pretty much ask for what you want and they’ll recommend the best. I could not believe how large the selection was ! The teas were served with sandwiches (you get to pick 3 kinds), scones and a desert. Everything was pretty tasty.
I think I would not pay the full price for this afternoon tea, but I would definitely go back for a hot tea (especially the organic ones)

I used the $ 25 groupon. Let me just start off with the fact that the lady who served us was very nice and helpful to us. I ordered the Organic English Breakfast Tea and it was great! And just as the other reviews have said, the lentil soup was great. The sandwiches and other desserts on the other hand weren’t that great, but mostly because I went to England this summer and had AMAZING afternoon tea with superb pastries and sandwiches there. I guess it was a good deal but I am very picky with the pastries and sandwiches served. Because I was a bit disappointed in sandwiches and cookies and don’t plan on returning unfortunately.

Bought the groupon $ 39 value for$ 25. Had tea time with my 18-​year-​old son who’s enjoyed this tradition with me on multuple occasions. So he knows his tea, scones and finger sandwiches. We tend to favor the traditional style.
This establishment combines tradition with contemporary flavor. The interior is impressive but there are certain parts that are a bit lacking. If one enters a tea house the idea is to be transported to another place and time. At T-​Neer I felt I still had one foot imbedded in the reality I wished to temporarily escape. One jolt was the restroom. A tea house restroom is supposed to be shee shee froo froo. There was this industrial, stainless steel low sink at the corner that was a complete eye sore.
The sandwiches were tasty but the bread was dry and the dessert lacking. I prefer my scones to be large and shapeless but that’s just my style. I did like the coconut chai tea and my son enjoyed his English breakfast. The lentil soup was delicious but luke warm. When I asked for water it was served in a cup. A cup? Okay, I am a snob. At home I drink water in a cup. I’ve seen enough Korean dramas to witness people drinking water in a cup. But I didn’t expect it in a tea house.
Tea time is more than just the tea and food, but the overall experience. The concept and execution has to be cohesive, complete and consistent. The wall of tea containers was impressive. The green color of the room was bright and refreshing, and covered the big air duct well. The beautiful lady who served us was genuinely sweet and had a lovely smile and pleasant disposition.
Sadly it is not enough for me to want to return any time soon. I understand the business is new. Hopefully there will be opportunities for change. I’ve shared my experience not to be mean and nasty. I would like for all tea houses to be successful. In a constantly changing and fast-​paced world surrounded by social media, we need such a place for solace and rejuvenation.

Juicy affordable tea place
Bought the living social for $ 21 and it’s definitely a great deal. The scones are really good here and the sandwiches are surprisingly really good. The place has a nice ambiance and it’s in the heart of sierra madre so it matches the whole décor.
The tea was very good too, one of the favorites was the chocolate tea which is quite unique. The crème fraîche is really good here too and the jam. The sandwiches are made fresh and the flavors are good.
I definitely recommend coming here and trying the place out. I bought my 2^nd coupon because it was affordable and it’s one of the better deals that you can get out there for decent afternoon tea time with your girlfriend.

I’ve enjoyed afternoon teas before, and was stoked to find this place thru Groupon, and treated my Mom to this, especially since it was her first time doing «Yum Cha» English style. However, after today, this place sadly, was not our «cup of tea».
I bought from Groupon: $ 25 for afternoon tea for two ($ 39 value), which includes the following per every two people: tea, three half sandwiches, two mini scones, two bowls of soup, and two desserts.
Even though the promo expired on mines, the only thing that we didn’t get was the soup, and it would have cost us $ 7. I was confused at first since our promo was $ 39 value, and the menu set in front of us was $ 32 value, and so I didn’t understand why I had to pay an extra $ 7 since this was the original promo they had and what I bought. So, the daughter, who was waiting our table, brought over her Mom the Manager, aka Momager to explain the value, and in the end, she charged us $ 5 for the soup. I was fine with it, until we saw the soup bowl size… For $ 5, the soup bowl size was hella small — about half the size of a rice bowl, and my Mom was pissed, and considered that wallet rape. She was miffed that the lentil soup, especially since lentils are cheap, you can make a large quantities of it. That ruined the moment for my Mom the most.
As for the rest of the food and drinks:
Teas: I got the #65. Coconut Chai– iced — it was delicious. It was the right amount of sweet for the chai, and it smelled wonderful. I would definitely recommend getting this one. My Mom also liked this one. For my Mom, I chose #120. Whimsical Adventure — since it had a fruity taste to it because she was worried about not being able to sleep if I chose her something too strong/​bitter tasting. Mom didn’t like this one in the beginning until she sweetened it with Splenda and it tasted better. It was an alright tea to me. The only thing I don’t like with the two teas we ordered: no refills since these two teas were brewed first (Whimsical Adventure), and that it Is milk-​based (Coconut Chai). If we ended up choosing teas with leaves, then refills are okay.
Food: Sandwiches: Cucumber with cream cheese and dill; tomato/​spinach; and pineapple chicken. Of the three, we both liked the pineapple chicken the best. It was light, refreshing and a good source of protein. The only thing Mom didn’t like with the sandwiches was that the bread was a lil too dry. As for the scones — we both liked those. It was a blueberry and vanilla scones with fresh cream and strawberry jam. It was soft and moist. Lastly, the desserts sucked: the egg pudding was boring — was hoping for a slice of the yummy cake that other Unilocalers posted, and the chopped up cantaloupe and strawberries weren’t great either. The strawberry was okay, but the cantaloupe was chopped too close to the rind, and it kept poking my Mom in the throat, and I just ate the strawberries.
Service:
The service was alright. Despite the confused beginning, I was willing to forego it. However, at the end, the Momager was cold. She slipped by with the check without so much as a thank you or anything, and warmly greeted this lady with her two young kids, who came in. For me, that was enough to not want to come back anymore.
Sadly, I was hoping to make my Mom’s first Yum Cha experience a fun one, but after venturing here, not worth the second comeback.

This place is a gem! When I’m feeling overwhelmed
Or tired, or just want a peaceful
Place to relax, this is the spot. My
Wife and I love this place, the owner Aruna is the sweetest woman, always welcomes us! They have incredible teas but I ALWAYs get the coconut chai it is to die for, nowhere has chai like this place !

Fantastic experiences both times that I went!
First time I came with my husband and good friend for English tea. Second time I took my auntie here. I had a lovely tea experience. Their tea experience composes of: Choice of two different sandwiches, scones, a fruit /​dessert for the day, and two choices of teas. I had their peach the first time, and a fruity tropical one the second. I believe my husband ordered the Oolong tea the first time, and my auntie ordered a raspberry the second. All teas were pungent and lovely.
Their food is delicious and the service is also great. The older lady that works there is a little bossy but still friendly. I know she just wants to manage her shoppe.
Their soup of the day is delicious too. I will come back again. :)

Came here a few weeks ago on a double date and sadly we were disappointed. Got the $ 49 groupon for 4. Sandwiches tasted good but the bread was kind of hard and the dessert tasted like something bought from the store like other Unilocalers mentioned. Scones were decent but also tasted store bought and were not fresh. The lentil soup tasted like coconut curry. Ambiance isn’t that nice compared to other tea places.
Our tea tasted weak so we opened the teapot and saw that they put a super small amount of tea leaves in there. Not cool! Service was average but she did always have a smile on her face.

We dropped in here as I recently took a job in the area and my wife loves afternoon tea. I’d previously purchased a Groupon for 2 and we were warmly welcomed and service was friendly and appropriately attentive.
The soup we started with was fresh and absolutely delicious and I could have eaten a huge bowl of that alone!
We felt there was plenty of food and the flavors and choices gave us enough options without being overwhelming. I would have preferred fresh unsweetened cream with the scones (which were lovely) and after the soup, sandwiches and scones we hardly had enough space for the two other deserts which were a nice change from standard options.
A good value, relaxed afternoon tea.
Thank you

3.5 stars. I was turned down on my first attempt to have afternoon/​high tea at T Neer. They don’t take walk-​ins as the place was fully reserved (or so they said — saw several tables available). Second time I went, it wasn’t packed at all, but I had reservation this time.
Food was actually good. It’s not exactly having high tea at The Peninsula, but it was adequate and just right. Finger foods (sandwiches) were good. Had egg salad, tuna & tomato spinach sandwiches. To my surprise, the scones were yum too. It wasn’t dry like I expected. I can tell they change up dessert every now and then. It was a brownie type chocolate cake and fruits in a cup when I went. Overall, I enjoyed all 3 tiers.
Tea, on the other hand, was hit n miss. Couldn’t stand «Classic Twist». Felt the tea has been sitting on the shelf too long or something. It had a funny taste to it. At least, «Berry» (forgot the name) tea was good. Supposedly, a popular choice.
For first timers, Sierra Madre is more slow pace with a charming community feel. So, it’s perfect if you’re looking to have a relaxing afternoon tea. Service is also hit and miss. Just remember to get a Groupon or Living Social deal & make reservation beforehand.

I’ve been here twice already and have loved both experiences! I came to T-​Neer once with a groupon and most recently, a living social, and had no problems redeeming it. Keep it mind that you have to make a reservation ahead of time for the afternoon tea. This is a family run business, so service was a bit slow at times since there’s not much staff, but it wasn’t a big deal to us.
For the afternoon tea service, you get 3 tiers of cute finger food. I just love bite-​sized foods! For the sandwiches, we chose the cucumber dill (MY FAV!), tuna salad, and the pineapple chicken, which was my boyfriend’s favorite. As for the tea, we both got the coconut chai tea. I loved it SO much the first time I tried it, I had to get it again. I think it compliments all the food and desserts so nicely and ugh, it’s just so good! Anyway, I got the coconut chai hot and my bf decided to try it iced. I wasn’t a fan of it iced because I felt like the ice diluted the flavor of the tea too much. But other than that, this is a really nice place to enjoy a cup of tea with great company.

I’ve been here twice and both times with a Groupon deal for the afternoon tea. I’ve sampled a bunch of different teas but the one I like best is the Monkey Picked Oolong. They have an extensive tea menu with an additional $ 1 charge for more expensive teas. Each afternoon tea set (valued at $ 32) is meant to be shared between two people.
Most of the sandwiches had too much mayo or cream cheese. The chicken pineapple was the tastiest. The scones were a bit dry and bland. I think I make better scones at home. The clotted cream was good! The lentil soup doesn’t accompany the afternoon tea very well. It’s pretty salty, too. I’m pretty sure the desserts are frozen from Costco or something as they were super icy and hard.
On both occasions that I’ve been here, the service was extremely slow at the beginning. Staff is nice and attentive once they come to greet you. The Groupon deal is a bit deceiving.
$ 25 for afternoon tea for two ($ 39 value)
$ 49 for afternoon tea for four ($ 78 value)
On their afternoon tea set menu, it includes tea, three half sandwiches, two mini scones, and two desserts for $ 32. I couldn’t find the price for the lentil soup on the menu. However, based on the groupon value, two tiny bowls of soup is $ 7? I tried asking the owner, but I don’t think she understood my question and I didn’t press about it.
Overall, I still prefer Tea Rose Garden in Pasadena for afternoon tea as their food is better and I love the over the top floral décor and feel of the place.

Got a groupon for 4 people and decided to come here with my sisters and cousin for some girl time over tea and finger food.
**Ambiance: A little cosy just because we were seated on the couches rather than the tables. The con to this is that we don’t get that intimacy of being face-​to-​face since the couch layout made us kind of far from each other. This made it a little hard to talk to each other when we’re sitting side by side.
**Tea: I like the fact that there were a lot of different types of teas to choose from and the owner took her time to explain the menu to us/​how the groupon package worked. The 4 of us chose white teas, which is the lightest in flavor and caffeine. To our surprise, the owner said that white tea symbolizes romanticism. She looked at us and said it made sense since we are all in our early 20s.
I chose a tea called cherished love, and it was indeed very light. Too light for my pallet, so it just tasted like flavored water to me. The ice watering it down didn’t help either. But how can I refrain from an iced drink when it’s 100 degrees outside?
**Food: This is where it gets 3 stars. You start out with lentil soup — it was okay.
The first tier– Usually, the bread for these little sandwiches are super soft and fluffy, such that even with the lightest touch, the bread will indent. But here, it’s either the bread is toasted or it’s just not that great cause it was a little rough and hard. Since we got two sets, we were able to try all 6 of the sandwich choices (normally, you would pick 3 types of sandwiches). Out of the 6, my favorite was the chicken and pineapple. It sounds weird, but surprisingly good.
The second tier — comes with 2 scones. The scones were a little hard and drier than usual. I had to smother mine in cream and jam.
The third tier — comes with cheesecake and a little dish of cantaloupe. If you like super rich cheesecake, this is for you. Other than that, the fruit is a fruit. Nothing special.

They had a tea service for 2 in groupon that www pretty cheap so I bought it. It’s near mother moo creamery in Sierra madre. Service was really good. Tea were okay probably because of my indecisiveness. The food was okay. Chado tea room has better food/​desserts. Probably would not come again and pay a little more for chado.

I had a Groupon. You have to book a reservation because they are booked for awhile. The owner is a very sweet lady who explains all the different types of teas available. She makes good suggestions. Per Unilocal reviews, I got the very popular coconut chai. It was a very nice blend and I didn’t have to add any sugar/​sweetener. My friend got the passion paradise black tea.
With the Groupon, you get 2 soups (lentil), 2 scones (1 cranberry and 1 choco chip), 2 cakes (tiramisu and chocolate brownie sort), and 3 types of sandwiches. We got the open-​faced cucumber and cream cheese, chicken and pineapple, and the egg and bacon. They were all so delish!
The place is nice and they have tables or cozy sofa settings. It’s very homey where you could spend hours talking… like we did.
I will definitely be back. :)

I got a living social deal because I’m obsessed with afternoon tea places ever since I had afternoon tea in London. We came on a Friday afternoon. First walked in and didn’t look like any tea places I’ve ever been to… I kinda stood by the door for a couple minutes thinking someone would greet me and no one did. So I decided to walk to the «bar» where a girl there had seen me walk in and still said nothing. I told her we had a reservation. She just handed me the menus and pointed to the table for me to sit at. Ok thanks.
It took about 15 mins before she came and asked us if we were ready. And we were. My boyfriend asked her about the black teas and she didn’t really seem to have any ideas or suggestions. I ordered the classic with a twist. Which I liked btw. The sandwiches were pretty good and they’re full sized. Not finger sandwiches. Lol
— Oh they don’t come with creamer or sugar cubes like all the other tea places I’ve been to. I had to ask them… When she first brought out our tea. I think she forgot about my creamer because by the time we were done and asked for a check. She finally brought out the creamer.. But we were already finished and ready to leave.
Pros :
— sandwiches full sized
— my tea was good
Cons :
— scones were more like church’s biscuits
— no milk creamer
— service sucked
— place looks more like a juice bar lol
I would not come back. Plenty of other tea places for the same price. Better quality and service.
I’m sorry I had to write this review/:

We visited t-​neer today on a living social voucher. We were pleasantly surprised. Although the location is in a strip mall next to a subway, the inside is modern, clean and inviting. The hostess: server was a very nice lady. She made us feel welcome and explained the menu and how the voucher worked. The tea selection is amazing! We picked the jasmine ginger tea and white roses, mild and tasty. The scones were warm little triangles. The sandwiches were a nice size and yummy! We had the chicken salad, egg salad and of course the cucumber dill.
They were all so yummy I couldn’t pick a favorite. We took our dessert home because we were full. We will definitely be back.