This place is a jewel. Go here. Make sure to get reservations for tea. The garden walks are spectacular. For tea you have a choice of 3 sizes of food - all the food was lovely. Scones - cheddar and currant, profiteroles, sandwiches, tiny tarts, chocolates, creme brulee, and you get a big pot of your choice of tea. Don't miss the gift shop! (Full disclosure - I couldn't eat here with my food allergy to corn and carrageenan but my friends could and my server graciously allowed me to drink a pot of tea and watch others eat the food. I loved the tea so much - royal Abakhazi - that I bought 2 tins of it.) read more

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A delightful High Tea amid gorgeous gardens. We had a lovely experience enjoying high tea at Abkhazi Gardens. The grounds are gorgeous and lovingly maintained--it felt like stepping into a hidden oasis. We were especially lucky to catch a rare lily in bloom during our visit, which made the garden stroll even more special. The tea house itself is quaint, but charming in its simplicity. We ordered high tea for three and spent a leisurely afternoon savoring bites alongside the house black tea blend, which was smooth and fragrant. What added an extra layer of richness to the experience was learning the incredible family story of the Abkhazis. It's fascinating and makes the visit feel truly meaningful. ** Donations to support the gardens are requested upon entry. I recommended carrying some cash to drop into the collection box. They take American dollars as well. For anyone looking for a peaceful escape, delicious high tea, and a touch of history, I definitely recommend a trip to the Abkhazi gardens! read more

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Went to this garden after having high tea! It was a great garden but really small. I would say it took us around 30 to 45 minutes to get through the whole thing, taking our time. There weren't that many unique plants or particularly beautiful spots. The map is kind of confusing, but you just walk around and you'll get there! There are two turtles at a pond, and you may be able to see some fish. Watch out for stray lizards milling about too! So cute. Great for a short date. Very quiet at the time we went (1pm on a Friday). It's by donation, but in my opinion the suggested donation price is too much for what it is. Credit and debit are accepted. read more

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Food, service, and garden were all amazing. We will be recommending this place to everyone. read more

Abkhazi Garden - High Tea - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

FIVE STARS!!! What an amazing place. Everyone here is so so nice and attentive. There is no admission fee but an option to donate. The gardens are lovely. But the main attraction is the high tea of course. Since we were a bit late to make a reservation, a nice lady on the phone, recommended that we show up at opening time and ask for patio seating. We had a large group and young kids so probably best that we sat outside. We ordered Elevnsies $28 per person. The royal Abkhazi tea was everyone's favorite. The angel wings was great too. No one really enjoyed the philosopher's brew but to each it's own, hey? The food was scrumptious. No complaints! We loved everything and ordered more items separately. The items are pretty small but perfect paired with they tea. They also have a cute little gift shop, and ponds with turtles. I recommend it highly! read more

Well worth visiting. Very pretty, well-done garden. Also worth having the Afternoon Tea. (Recommend the royal Abkhazi tea.) Easy to access by public bus in theory, though once I was on the bus it skipped the stop I needed--apparently that particular does not have the stop in its route, so ask before boarding. read more

It was a wonderful Afternoon Tea experience and a stroll in the Abkhazi Garden afterward a plus. The tea selection was limited, but the tea was good. A quaint afternoon tea place. There is only street parking for this place. read more

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A beautiful garden with entry by donation. Nothing compared to butchart, but also not $40pp. There's always someone by the gate waiting to tell you about the gardens, and to tell you about the prince and princess. There is also afternoon tea available at the Teahouse inside, which is delightful. read more

Abkhazi Garden - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

The. Best. Afternoon tea. Okay- the best I've had outside of Singapore and as uniquely tasty and delicious as any I had there. Certainly the best afternoon tea I have had in Victoria and I have tried four of the most well reviewed places. We had the Canadian Tea- with locally inspired flavors like smoked fish, candied salmon, mushroom pate, and so forth. This is what I want in an afternoon tea: the traditions (sandwiches, scones, dessert) form the structure but local creativity. It was fantastic, down to the macaroons and truffles. Service was great. The gardens are worth a visit. Not huge but a lovely 20-30 minute walk. Definitely make your way here. read more

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This was a disappointing experience. I had gone here for my birthday pre-pandemic and when I had some friends visiting from out of town I was excited to have a reason to go again. There were a lot of details missing from the tea that one would expect at this price point. A couple examples: we were not told how long our tea should steep and there was nothing to place the discarded tea ball on; I had ordered green tea which becomes bitter after 3-5 minutes so I had to use the plate the sugar bowl was placed; we each got a different type of tea, including one vegetarian and they were all clumsily placed on the same plates making it hard to tell who got what. In addition, the food was pretty lackluster, as was the service. I was a little embarrassed that I had suggested going here for tea, especially when the Victoria area has quite a few choices. On the plus side, the gardens are pretty and I love the story of the couple who originally owned the house. read more

A friend and I have previously enjoyed visiting and lunching at the gardens. Today, however, we were extremely disappointed with our lunch. The menu was meat heavy and chilled soup didn't appeal to either of us, so we chose the 'Elevenses' menu for $22. We were shocked to be served a small plate with 2 tiny slivers of sandwich that barely equated to a half of a normal sandwich. The quiche was about 1 1/4 inches in diameter and a small savoury scone completed the lunch portion of our meal. The sweets consisted of one tiny jam-filled cookie, a one-bite filled pastry and a miniature 2-bite tart. With tax and tip, this small side plate of food cost $26.50. What a disappointment. We will not be returning to this venue. PS. For some reason, the Yelp app on my iphone displays my husband's name. Ours was a ladies lunch. read more

I went back to Abkhazi Garden again in July. What a wonderful experience. It is small but magnificent. It is tranquil and quite, yet so vibrant and lively. We got a personal tour from the resident horticulturist Jeffry, who created and maintained and tended to the garden year-round. Jeffry is extremely knowledgeable about all the plants and history of the garden, and quite funny. His passion showed in his tour as well as in all the beautiful details in the garden. You don't get such personal touches from other bigger gardens on Vacouver Island. I highly recommend a garden tour by Jeffry. read more

I have come to these lovely gardens a few times. I really like the story behind the house and the gardens. Our tour group really enjoys this visit. I really enjoy the food and the tea . I hope to come back many more times in the future. Watch your step when you walk around the gardens. It is not level and even . Old sidewalks. You will find out what " Clotted Cream " is ! Very English ! read more

This is such a jewel! It is a gorgeous garden and much smaller than Butchart, which is very important for many that have trouble walking or in wheelchairs/walkers. There's a tea house and tiny shop on the premises. Once in a while they sell plants and I have purchased wonderful ITOH peonies and other plants during these sales. When someone asks what I recommend when they visit Victoria, Abkhazi Gardens is the 1st place I mention! My favorite place in Victoria! read more

What a pretty garden and with interesting history! The gardens and home are right off a side street in Victoria, if you are not looking for the address you may pass it right by! Did not take us long to walk through....we may have been there for 30-45 min? It is $10 a person to get in and the small gift shop inside the home was very pricey....but both go to a good cause, to keep this historic & beautiful place going! We did not have lunch or tea at the small restaurant inside the home, we had lunch before stopping here. Gorgeous flowers, plants, rocks, landscaping! http://blog.conservancy.bc.ca/properties/vancouver-island-region/abkhazi-garden/ read more

For me, this was the highlight of our trip to Victoria. We also went to the Butchart Gardens, but the Abkhazi Garden seemed so much more intimate and loved. It's tiny compared to the Butchart Gardens, but I could really feel all the passion that went into creating this garden. There is no better place for high tea. read more

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This is a very nice place to have tea in Victoria. I really thought it might be stuffy and unwelcoming but our group was treated very nicely and they even accommodated the vegans in our group. Excellent tea choices and beautiful scenery. We didn't do the garden walk through so I can't comment on that. Just a very peaceful place. read more

If you're looking for an alternative to the empress high tea at half the price then Abkhazi Gardens is a place for you. Great relaxing atmosphere but note that it only opens at eleven. We were the only customers until about 12 on a wet and rainy Sunday that was perfect for a spot of tea. Great selection of snacks special highlights include the cheddar scone and the salmon profiteroles. read more

My wife and I went to have afternoon tea during our 1 year anniversary. The experience was wonderful and I will always remember it. We got sat right on the hilltop outside next to the garden. It was such a beautiful view and one of the most romantic experiences of my life. We ordered the Abkhazi tea and afternoon tea special. The found was the perfect amount and the tea was some of the best I have ever had. Thank you so much for having us! I recommend this place for anybody who wants to clear their mind or have a beautiful enriching afternoon. read more

what a wonderful place to spend a Sunday afternoon - can't rave enough about the tea and the gardens were wonderful even in the middle of "winter". The staff were attentive and the food was wonderful. read more