ArTeA Restaurant + Bar — Restaurant in McLean

I had afternoon tea at ArTeA for my birthday and it was the best decision ever! I made a reservation for 17 people and the owner was super responsive, patient, and accommodating. I exchanged several emails to clarify the seating arrangement, food and tea options beforehand and the process was very smooth and easy! ArTeA has two entrances next to each other; the first is their boba shop/ cafe and the second is their restaurant/sit down area. If you're looking for a cool, beautiful tea experience then this is the place for you!

Restaurant - Their sit down area is very modern. There is colorful, vibrant artwork displayed everywhere and a cool bar with a neon sign. The vibes were definitely not your typical high tea with vintage, floral, and lace everywhere - it was colorful, modern, and ARTSY. There were so many little details that stood out to me like their heart shaped straws, coasters for their teapots - even the color scheme of their place settings/mats. Everything just complemented each other and came together perfectly.

Afternoon Tea/Food - They offered a wide variety of tea options which I appreciated. For food, we chose from different towers made up of small bites (but still very filling). Their towers ranged from all sweets, savory, or a mixture of both. They also offered vegetarian options which was nice. l'd describe the food as more elevated - they had unique offerings and high quality ingredients; not your basic cucumber sandwiches that you'd find at tea time. Our reservation also included a cocktail or mocktail and their drinks were so beautiful! I loved how the majority of their cocktails could be turned into a mocktail (and their menu identified which ones). Their desserts were a standout; again, presentation was so cool and artsy.

Service - The service was outstanding! 10/10 on their attention to detail and level of care. They definitely made us feel like it was a high tea experience. The owner was so sweet and kind; she constantly checked in on us and took the time to walk us through our tower offerings and tea options.

Boba Shop - They have a few bubble teas on their menu along with some desserts. We ran into the owner here again haha which really showed how hardworking she is, floating back and forth between their restaurant side and cafe side! I ordered a strawberry matcha and was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. I'm usually quite picky with strawberry matchas but it tasted so fresh and delicious! I also got to try my friend's mango with cute star jellies and it was very flavorful and tasty too!

Overall, I was extremely happy with how my birthday tea party turned out! I was nervous going into it because the cost was pretty high ($90 per person plus tax and tip), but it was SO worth it! The experience was absolutely beautiful and photo-worthy. The perfect place to take your girlfriends!

Thank you ArTeA for such a lovely experience and making my birthday feel so special!...

One of the few restaurants where my hubby and I disagree on rating 😆 I absolutely loved it and he is just so-so.

Everything is so cute and pretty 🥰 and I loved that you can try a bit of everything, both sweet and savory.

Reservations are highly encouraged....I believe they said there are walk-in but I wouldn't count on it.

We ordered the mushroom soup 🍄, mixed tower, salmon quiche, and a pot of Jasmine tea 🍵

I will highlight what I love the most...

Earl Grey Deviled Egg - the pink 🩷 Deviled Egg is already too cute and I absolutely love that hint of Earl Grey in it. Can I have another one please 🙏🏻 after eating it 😁

Spinach Salmon Swirl - out of everything my hubby likes this one the best...I agree and super pretty to look at.

Pineapple Beef Wonton Cup - very refreshing perfectly matching the sweet and savory.

Matcha Cube Mousse Cake - the currant jam goes so well with the matcha, just the right sweetness.

Salmon Quiche - so happy with the recommendation from the owner, really love it because quiche can be very "heavy" with that buttery pastry so the fish balances it out for me.

Everyone is super friendly and helpful. The owner greeted us and explained the details of the food.

If you love the tea, be sure to check out nextdoor, you can buy samples and regular size tea for home. And yes, I got the Jasmine tea home 😀

And I supposed you can expect this place to be a bit expensive. But for me, I left super happy 😊 I think next time I will come with gf and...

Hi, I’d like to share my experience.

Unfortunately, the service left a disappointing impression. The dishes were served out of order and very slowly — we waited around 40 minutes in an almost empty restaurant, and cocktails arrived only after an hour. Besides us, there were only 5 other people in the restaurant, so our group of 8 made up the majority of the guests there.

Twice we were brought the check before we even asked for it. I understand there might be a time limit for the table (though no one informed us), but considering how slow the service was, the extra pressure felt unnecessary.

The table was cleared only after we specifically asked, and we had to repeatedly request water. The staff often mixed up the dishes, didn’t always remember who ordered what, and didn’t announce the meals when serving.

The cocktails were tasty, and most of the dishes were good. But since it was my birthday, I really didn’t want to spend an hour worrying about when the drinks and food would...