BREWING THE BAY: British-style afternoon tea in a beautiful, antique, historical home, all food made from scratch right in the kitchen by volunteers I organized the private group tour + high tea event that Rachel E. wrote about in her Yelp review below, and like her, I really enjoyed the experience. Ever since I moved to the Bay Area, I've been on the hunt for the best tea experiences this region has to offer. I'm fortunate that so many of my friends love tea as well (like Rachel E.), so when I learned about the private high tea experience at Pardee, I knew I had to make it happen. But let's start with the tour first. THE TOUR: Our docent Ron was not the best guide I've ever had (he kept repeating that he'd almost forgotten to show up, something I'm pretty sure no paying customer enjoys hearing over and over again), but his enthusiasm for the Pardee family was clear. All docents are volunteers, so you know that they're genuinely passionate about what they do. Ron really knew his stuff and even though he had a tendency to talk more than was probably necessary (e.g. correcting himself when he got a year wrong when no one else would have cared if he said 1867 instead of 1866), he was really hands-on. He let us go through drawers, music boxes, shelves and closets--the latter of which yielded some absolutely gorgeous early 20th century silk dresses that we actually got to touch! The information was also really interesting, especially for this lifelong East Coaster who knows next to nothing about California history. THE TEA: I'd argue that this is the real reason people come to Pardee. The association that maintains the home offers private group tours (for 4-12 people) PLUS high tea in the formal dining room for just $25 per person. All of the food is made by hand in the Pardee kitchen by volunteers who love to cook, bake and serve. And what food! My friends and I were only a group of 6 (which the volunteers knew beforehand), but we were served enough food to feed a party twice our size! We had at least 6 different kinds of tea sandwiches with fillings such as chicken tarragon, smoked salmon and cucumber mint. Not only were the sandwiches delicious, but they were beautiful to behold. Presentation was clearly of the utmost importance. Our smoked salmon sandwiches, for example, were cut into the shape of hearts. The cucumber slices of the cucumber mint sandwiches were paper-thin and arranged in a lovely, wavy, Art Nouveau-esque design. Though the sandwiches and other little savories were delightful, it was the sweet stuff that left us floored. Platters upon platters of desserts were presented to us containing such magnificent creations as lemon curd tarts, chocolate-covered yellow cake balls, dusted dark chocolate truffles, chocolate cream sandwiched by crisp "waffle" cookie sheets, crystallized grapes, and so much more. We started on the first two trays of desserts already feeling overwhelmed, impressed and pretty full, only to be presented with two more platters of sweets about 15 minutes later! Most of us were left wishing we'd brought tupperware or some other kind of container to take home what we couldn't finish. And as with the sandwiches, the sweets were all delicious and beautifully presented. The volunteers were cheerful, warm and friendly, and made the entire high tea experience wonderful. TIPS: 1) Make reservations at least a month ahead of time as the spots are quickly filled (they only do these twice a month). 2) Make sure you have an exact group number as you will be required to pre-pay for the entire group in order to secure your reservation. The check must be received by the Pardee folks 7-10 days before the day of your event. I found it easiest to just write a personal check for the entire group and then ask my friends to bring $25 on the day of the event. 3) Dress for approx 45-degree weather! I cannot stress this enough. The home is very, very cold no matter what time of year it is (apparently, this was a problem even when the Pardee family lived there) and there is no heating in the house except in the dining room--and even then, it's just a portable heater that definitely doesn't reach everyone around the table. read more

Part of me wants to be selfish and not write a review about this jewel of a find in Preservation Park, Oakland, California. I wanted to keep my experience all to myself. You can only read on if you promise to make a donation to keep this incredible historic building and museum open. I was so fortunate to get in, and host a small tea (there's a LONG wait list and seating is very limited). The cooks, lovely service and docents for the after-tea tour of this family home are all run by passionate VOLUNTEERS!!! The food was incredible! The tour was intimate. How will I ever host another tea, if not here again soon? I hope to be lucky enough to find availability in the Spring for a garden party. read more

Located across the street from historic Preservation Park, the Italianate villa was constructed in 1868-69 by Enoch Pardee, a Gold Rusher who went on to become mayor of Oakland, then a California state assemblyman and senator. His son George followed in his political footsteps, serving as both an Oakland mayor and state governor. Still intact on the estate are an all-redwood carriage house, complete with horse stalls, tack room, bins, and a hayloft, and the water tower housing the well that served the family. Guided tours of the mansion and gardens, at $5 per person, are offered Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday hourly between noon and 3:00pm. The interior of the house is just as the family left it; thankfully, they made the beds and washed the dishes before locking the front door for the last time. read more

Pardee Home Museum - Museums Near Me - Oakland, California

Our group of 6 had reservations for the tour and tea today (Saturday). They offer tours on Wednesdays and Saturdays which are a bargain at $5. You don't have to make reservations, but I would highly recommend it. You DO need a reservation for the tea. We were definitely in it for the tea - the tour was sort of a bonus - but the tour was actually pretty interesting. It could have been about half as long though. There was a lot of information and much of it not relevant to the house itself. Sometimes our docent would correct himself on years a family event occurred (which was adorable) but we don't really care whether it happened in 1901 or 1902... I enjoyed walking around the house and the artwork/antiques/collections were impressive. Unlike most other historical homes I've visited, our docent would open drawers, play music on some of the instruments, and pull out some dresses to show us from the closet. Onto the tea, we were served adorable little sandwiches, scones, and SO many sweets. Several people in our party were vegetarians and while they were able to eat most of the food, this is definitely the kind of place that would have accommodated a special request for only vegetarian items if we had let them know in advance. The women serving us were so unbelievably sweet and refilled our teapot when it got low or cold. And we learned today that the tours and tea are all done by the staff on a volunteer basis. So even without the incentive of a tip, we were still treated like royalty. Just one note: it gets extremely cold in the house. Much colder than outside. Bring a warm jacket. read more

Had "light tea" at the Pardee House today with all of my co-workers and it was incredible. The house is gorgous and in great condition. We had a delightful tour filled with a wealth of information. The house is filled with so many treasures that one could spend days exploring every nook and cranny. After the tour we had light tea, which is tea and sweets. The spread was amazing and everything was delicious and homemade. I can't wait to bring all my friends and family to this fabulous place! read more

Pardee Home Museum - Some fare from "light tea" - Museums Near Me - Oakland, California

Thank you so so much to the amazing volunteers at the Pardee Home Museum! We had a nice historical tour of the home, followed by a British high tea party to celebrate a bridal shower. There were lots to learn about this place; every piece of item in the house has a story to tell. The high tea was also wonderful, with lots of yummy food hand made by the lovely volunteers, and not to mention the English breakfast blend that everyone loved! Totally exceeded our expectations in many ways! read more

See all

We just did a Sunday High Tea Garden Party for 30 people to celebrate our anniversary. It was a lovely day in a wonderful setting. Many of our guests complimented both the venue an the tea. The volunteers truly make a wonderful experience for special occasions. I really appreciate their fine efforts in making a special day for us. Several of our guests stayed for the house tour, an historic treat for period buffs. I found it informative and worth my time to take the tour. read more

We loved our tour and tea party at the museum. Very special experience. People said it was the best birthday party they ever been to: very different and pleasent. It took about 1 hour and 15 minutes to tour the house and listen to the stories. And then we had tea for about 2 hours in a beautiful dining room. Really enjoyed it and will be back. read more

See all

I visited the Pardee Home a couple of Sundays ago as part of the Let's Go To Afternoon Tea Meetup group. We had the full tea and the house tour afterward. This home is such a treasure and the tea was the same caliber of a good tea room. Our docent was knowledgeable and took her time to show us the inside of closets, tell stories about light fixtures, objects and the architecture and provided a lot of information about the Pardee family. I had been wanting to visit for some time and am glad I finally got to go. For the tea, the party needs to be at least four people and reservations must be made. The home tour and tea are provided entirely by volunteers and their love of the home shines through. For tours, you must also reserve but don't need a party of four. I look forward to gathering another group so I can visit again soon. And so should you. If you love Victorian houses or local history or afternoon tea, you can't miss this unique home museum. read more

We thoroughly enjoyed our high tea and tour at the Pardee home! We had a private tea party for my birthday, and I have to say it turned out to be one of the best birthday party ideas! The volunteers at the museum really made it a special party, from all the delicious homemade sandwiches and treats, friendly tea service, to the fun and informative house tour following our tea. They also surprised me with a little birthday cake! I'm so glad I found this place, and I highly recommend it to others who want to have a private birthday tea! The volunteers were very quick to respond to my inquiry and accommodated my group of 8. The price was very reasonable for a private party and a lovely afternoon learning about this historical home and family in the Bay Area. Thank you Pardee Home Museum! read more

Pardee Home Museum - Exquisite high tea spread! Plus a surprise birthday cake! - Museums Near Me - Oakland, California

RUN don't mosey to Pardees. We had just the loveliest time. Cynthia was a charming and knowledgeable tour guide and the tour was amazing. And of course the food...best high tea ever! Way better even than, um, a certain other tearoom in a certain snowy part of San Francisco- which is pretty good in itself. Probably the highlight of my family's trip to America. A unique experience in the Bay Area. Our gratitude to the team who cared for us. PS to the reviewer who said the neighborhood is sketchy: it's city life. It's not sketchy, it's lower income. And quite safe. Park just across the 980 freeway for free parking a block or so away. read more

My review is way late and is long, but here goes.... This is when I tried to reserve for their tea service last June. I love tea and lunch and I also love old historical homes. I first heard of this place from when seeing pics of a high tea meet that a local fashion group (that Im no longer involved in) hosted here a few times from pictures that few friends of mine posted on Instagram and Facebook. I figured that this place looked elegant for tea and beautiful places for pictures and stuff from seeing their pics. Unlike other tea places or museums, their reservations are so difficult and complicated though! I get 4 people interested in going out for tea and lunch and we all decided to try this place out. However, I call to try and reserve, they don't answer the phone, despite it being during their business hours, and they say on their voicemail that the minimum of people for a reservation is 6 people and they don't take walk ins. So instead of reserving on that time, I had to waste a few more days on trying to get 2 more people interested in going at the last minute. I finally got 2 more people a week before our planned date and one of them was a friend of mine who was visiting all the way from Chile and 2 others were elderly(my grandmother and great aunt). So I call to reserve. Again, no one answers the phone. I leave a message saying I want to reserve for 6 people on June 17th at 1:30 pm and leaving my name and number for a call back. They said on their voicemail that they call back within 48 hours or something like that. This was on around June 9th or 10th I believe. 2 or 3 days go by and I receive no call back. So I try going online to reserve instead, which was successful and I got a confirmation email. However, on the day of, me, my mother, grandmother, my great aunt and another friend of mine show up at 1:30 on time. The friend from Chile was running a little late and was on her way on an uber to meet us there. They others let me out of the car to get our table while they find parking. I walked up to the door and told the lady that I had a reservation for 6 people at 1:30. The lady said "Not today". I said "Yes, I booked today for 1:30. I have the email right here." Once I showed her the email, then she asked if I received another email asking for payment. I told her that was the only email I received from you. She then said that it's not a confirmation, when it clearly said "confirmed". She said that they require payments ahead of time and to tell all of my people to go all the way back because they were booked for the entire month. So yes, we got turned away at the door because of their screw up on the reservation. So moral of the story, we never had our tea that I reserved because of them not counting my reservation in. We had to find another tea place that would take us all in at last minute, call and tell my friend from Chile who was on her uber ride over that we are instead meeting at the another place (and I'm sure she had to pay double uber fare because of the screw up) and make my elderly grandmother and great aunt do all that driving around for another place, basically wasting all of our time because we couldn't get in for my original reservation here. So basically they don't accept payments on site, only advance. They only reserve a minimum of 6 people and there's no walk ins. And they only take reservations MONTHS in advance that I now learned. However, because of all of that though, when reserving, you'd have to make sure that everyone in your 6+ group is available to attend months in advance because if people cancel out to where it gets to less than 6 people in your group and if you can't find others to cover those empty seats at the last minute, then you're best out of luck with this place. A week later, they did finally call me back on returning the message I left for them. Yes, a week later when they said 48 hours. They did apologize about not getting my message on time and about all of this and told me that reservations do have to be made months in advance. So I at least give 2 stars instead of 1 for acknowledging. But I still wish that they would allow a group less than 6 to reserve and let us pay on site at least, in which I think it would make the reservation process a bit easier. read more

This update is on behalf of a friend, who was so intrigued by our recommendation of Pardee, she reserved it for her birthday in Nov 2013 with three of her friends. They had a wonderful time! As she is not a Yelper, she asked me to post her comments. Her review is as follows: "amazed and delighted with our private tea party....being that we were there for a birthday.....they surprised the honoree and added servings of a pumpkin mousse topped with a creative chocolate covered cherry/chocolate chip mouse. They vary the menu a little each time pending the chefs for that day...we look forward to another Tea Party again! (one thought.....I thought we would have a couple of tea selections )" read more

Highly recommend. It is very well taken care of and the tour guide was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic!

This review is for the afternoon tea & tour offered at Pardee Home Historical Museum. Because the Museum is listed under "Museums" I wanted to list the tea separately in the Tea Room section to make sure that people discover this delightful hidden treasure! I had no idea they offered tea until my aunt told me about it. I love afternoon teas and there are so few english tea-style tea rooms in the East Bay. I'm glad I went- it was one of the very best I've ever had and I've had a lot of teas (including Lovejoy's, Crown and Crumpet, Samovar, and many places that are sadly closed now). The food was absolutely delicious and the included tour was very fun. The house itself is nothing special but it's jam packed with the treasures, memorabilia and kitsch accumulated by a long-lived family. At $25 for all of that, it is a huge bargain. Highly recommended!! Reservations need to be made 2 weeks in advance. The minimum group size is 4 and the maximum the diningroom holds is 12 people. They can accommodate larger parties in the garden outside. There is only one dining room so I expect they only do one tea at a time, so you get lots of personal service and can chat up the volunteers and docent and learn fun little tidbits about the house as you eat. The food is prepared by volunteers who pay for all the supplies themselves. But this doesn't mean they take some frozen trader joe's appetizers and call it a day, oh no, they create a wide variety of beautiful little nibbles. The menu changes based on the whims of the volunteers but on my visit we had: tiny ham sandwiches, miniature pate chou filled with chicken salad, smoked lox and herbed cheese sandwiches, and some of the tastiest (and prettiest!) cucumber sandwiches I've ever had. Then we had a "warm" course of little mushroom rolls, artichoke tartlets and crispy cheese wafers. This was followed by fresh-out-of-the oven scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream. The scones were delicate but sturdy enough for a healthy dollop of jam and cream. Divine! Then we had dessert- a stunning assortment of chocolate coconut macaroons, "world's best" cookies (like a praline cookie), meringue kisses, fresh english toffee, miniature pavlovas, one bite cheesecakes and itty bitty meyer lemon tartlets. The only warning I'd give is to allow 3 hours for the whole experience (tea and tour). This is not a tea you'll want to rush, and if you're someone who can spend hours in an antique shop, you'll probably end up spending a lot of time looking through the overstuffed cabinets in the Pardee House. Bring a flashlight to peer into the nooks and crannies! read more

See all

Went to the Pardee House today for an interesting tour and "light tea". The tour alone appears to be only $5/person and the light tea+tour = $15/person. If you've ever been to a fancy tea time, this is a definite bargain. The tea is a very cozy event because they cater to one group at a time. They served their home-made baked items on unique dishware and some of the treats came literally fresh from the oven. You can't beat the quality and personal attention they provide, especially for the price. I really enjoyed the tour, our volunteer docent had a clear love of the house. She shared the history of the Pardee family and knew tidbits about the collections of unique and historical items placed throughout the house. The house/tour made you feel as if you were transported back in time and gave me a real glimpse of what life was like back in the day. I could spend hours just looking at the great abundance of interesting items in the house. It is amazing how dedicated the family/volunteers have been to keep the plethora of collections and original furnishings within this historical home. You basically get a personalized tour through a house with museum quality items + food/tea for $15. Crazy...isn't it? This was a very interesting and educational tour about an influential family that worked hard to make great contributions to Oakland and the nation. It is a shame that more people don't know about this interesting home. The Pardee House is run completely by volunteers that truly want to share their love of Pardee history and make this museum a self supporting place that can be open to the public in the future. So check it out! read more

Beautiful home with the energy of the original Pardee family still remaining. The docent there is a wonderful lady that lives the home as much as all off the visitors that come there. read more

for $15, i was expecting just a couple of scones with jam... well, it started with (warm, delicious) scones with marmalade and double devon cream, but was soon followed by a seemingly relentless stream of cakes and wee tarts that stuffed us beyond recognition. well worth the money, especially since it includes the fun tour of the house. the cupola with the view of the port of oakland was my favorite part; we lingered there for a long while chatting with our docent about oakland history, from the pullman porters to the oakland hills fire. we'll be back, for sure. read more

Pardee Home Museum - light tea - Museums Near Me - Oakland, California

At beginning of the year, I called for reservation and a lady called me back said I was number 47 on the waiting list. I said I wanted to wait. Now it is September, no one calls me back. read more

An awesome nonprofit! I highly suggest booking a private event here. Every volunteer was super friendly and the docent was knowledgeable. Fun local history of eccentric spinsters. This place just screams East Bay. Booked my grandma's 80th birthday party here and was so pleased. Bonus was she felt super special as a result. It's a very inimate setting and the spread me oh my. The high tea exceed my expectations. All the food was delicious, it is made on site by volunteers. I particularly enjoyed the sandwiches (salmon) and the walnut cookies (melt in your mouth creamy). I was also super touched with their care to detail. My Grandma has many food allergies/restrictions and they checked in with me every step of the way to make sure she could eat everything. They certainly went above and beyond, make her substitutions etc.I was also very impressed with the floral arrangements they made from the on site garden. read more

The Tea at Pardee is fabulous! I was there again yesterday for our Annual Family Christmas Tea and it was just as delicious and delightful as ever. No matter how many times I go, there is always something new. Tea is served in old, beautiful china cups, and the food offerings are served on the most charming collection of lovely plates and platters. Don't miss this wonderful experience! read more

Very frustrating to try and make a reservation, which for us, never actually happened. We emailed for a reservation three weeks prior to our selected date. We received a confirmation email that said someone would get back to us within 48 hours. Three weeks and five attempted phone calls later, still no response. I understand that this place is solely run with volunteers but it is really bad customer service to never get back regarding a request. read more

I have been to this house many times for paranormal investigations and once for a high tea. The tea was excellent-generous portions and very tasty! It's nice to be able to sit in the dining room and eat off vintage china just as the original inhabitants would have done. There are many fabulous collections of objects in each room. If you are a lover of antiques, cabinets of curiosities or Victorian design you will love this house. No minimalist less is more here. The house is furnished just as Ms Helen and Ms Madeline left it when they died here. I would venture to say that they are the main spirits in this house but there are others too. Definitely worth checking out if they're open for a tour. Teas have to be booked in advance and I really need to plan another one soon! read more

Seven of us went for the tour and the tea. This is one of the most interesting "house museums" I have ever visited. The late owner's collections are vast, eclectic, and interesting - don't miss the harpoons and other native spearing implements in the billiard room. The Pardee family included a former governor of Calif., George Pardee (in office at the time of the 1906 S.F. Firequake; he got kudos for appropriate governmental response); he was later involved in the creation of EBMUD ("East Bay MUD," our local water utility district). In fact, the East Bay's delicious tap water comes from Pardee Reservoir which was named for him, created by the Pardee Dam on the Mokelumne River. We had the tour first, about 90 minutes, then the full tea for $30 (at the present rate). One of the best teas any of us has had! The scones were particularly outstanding, and everything was either served on antique serving plates, or artistically presented with seasonal decorations (for example, fall leaves and acorns). The tea is so good, I could easily take the tour several times (always something new to notice) just to attend the tea. Yum!!! This is an incredible deal and a hidden gem in Oakland. Bring somebody with a handicapped parking permit for on-street parking. read more

I came here with a large group of people and had a great experience. We had the high tea in the garden and all the food and treats were all good. We had the afternoon tea and ate before we went on our tours. After, we split up into 2 groups (our party was the only ones here that day) for the tour and my group went first. Our docent was great and highly knowledgeable of the house and it's family history. I would highly recommend checking out this museum. read more

Came here with some girlfriends to explore this great old house. For $5 a tour guide lead us through the mansion showing us relics & giving us the run down on the history. We had a great time! I especially liked the hidden room w/ women's clothes still in it. The tour guide was informative & great! I do recommend. read more

Great service and food! Learned a little bit of history while enjoying 3 courses of freshly made food just for us.

Pretty good high tea place for east bay. Everything from finger sandwiches to cookies and scones were all home made by the sweet ladies there. The serving ware were nice as the tea cups are all legit English bone china. You cannot choose what kind of tea or sandwiches or sweets as it's a fixed menu, but everything was good. Also comes with a tour of this historical house, definitely worth it! read more

I wanted to start the family tradition of ladies' high tea over Thanksgiving weekend. In researching possible locations, I discovered the Pardee Hone Museum. Volunteers who are "friends of the museum" offer pre-booked tea as a fundraiser. The volunteers do a a fabulous job of making and serving the food, as well as setting the tone for having the event in the museum itself. The traditional tea sandwiches and scone were delicious, and the variety offered something for everyone. In addition, the desserts were just what you would expect at this elegant event. Nothing disappointed. The lovely bonus was the tour of the museum at the conclusion of the tea. The enthusiastic docent increased not only our knowledge of the background story of the mansion but also our appreciation for having had the opportunity to "walk in the footsteps" of the previous residents. The fascinating stories became etched in our brains. We will look forward to repeating this experience. read more

The Pardee House is run by volunteers who have a love for the finer things - such as old Victorian style houses, preserved beyond any other historical site you'll see in the Bay Area. Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable about every picture, artwork, and piece of furniture in the house, and spoke in a way that made the 19th century house come to life. Every table top was filled with metal candlesticks, books, pictures, etc, so it was hard not to look around for hours. After our tour, our group sat down in the dining room for tea and pastries. Normally I try to eat healthy, but the treats were so delicious that I walked away with a head full of facts and a stomach full of food. Since the house is run by volunteers, the price is extremely reasonable for the fantastic experience I had. If you love learning about Oakland's history, you'll love the Pardee House. I will be going back again soon! read more

The tour was great. The small dishes and deserts are wonderful! Me and my friends were surprise by the food quality. I will be going back with my friends for future girls gathering. read more

A group of my sisters friends organized a tea for her in celebration of her upcoming wedding. This was a wonderful celebration. We learned about the Pardee family, and California history. The house has a warm feeling of a happy family home. The volunteers who served the tea seemed to enjoy our visit as much as we enjoyed their treats. Thank you for volunteering at this wonderful home. Joycie's sister and friends were very happy, as was the bride. read more

Best place for high tea, hands down!! We had a private tea party and tour of the museum and both parts were equally fabulous. Food and tea was made with care and super delicious. The house tour and personal narrative of the Pardee family was fascinating. I highly recommend for a special event or a wonderful afternoon. What a jewel. Very grateful to find this place. read more

The tea and treats were delicious! Most of all it was truly a unique experience to feel like you traveled back in time. The tour included a live demonstration of a wooden gramophone, a rare look at the Watkins Yosemite chandelier, and a walk through the lives of the Pardee family. I plan to visit again! read more