Buena Vida Tea Bar & Garden — Restaurant in Santa Monica

This is a review of their Too Good To Go (TGTG) Bag. However, I have stopped in before for a boba milk tea and empanada. And I do plan on coming in for the full afternoon tea experience. I’ve purchased their TGTG Tea Box twice now, and each time has been stellar! So nice I had to leave a review! If you haven’t heard of TGTG, you can download the app to purchase food, drinks, and goods leftover at closing from various cafes, bakeries, restaurants, and stores at a discounted price. This alleviates food waste and introduces you to many local businesses and cuisines.

In our box we received two cucumber tea sandwiches, two small cookies, two warm scones, an empanada, an iced cinnamony boba tea as well as jam and housemade clotted cream! It was so good and fresh, that I bet the Queen of Afternoon Tea on TikTok would approve. If you’re wondering whether you should stop in, this is your sign! Check out their website for the full menu; you can stop by to get a drink to go or sit down and enjoy their treats in their lovely garden patio. Either way you choose to enjoy Buena Vida, you'll have...

I got the vegan high tea and I loved it! The service was fabulous. The setting is great. The patio gets nice and warm, so even when it's cold outside, you'll be free to shed a few layers.

A recommendation for any budget-friendly vegans out there: get the items a la carte. I paid a total of 55 for the high tea (not including tip), and here is what I got: 3 cucumber cream cheese sandwiches 1 rice krispie treat 3 Biscoff cookies 1 empanada 1 tea steeper of tea (good for refills, but the 2nd refill wasn't very flavorful which)

By themselves, the sandwiches cost around 10, the rice krispie around 6, the cookies around 6, the empanada around 7, and the tea around 14. I asked the owner about the incentive to get a high tea vs. ordering items separately, and she said it's about the presentation and talked about all the fees of running a business. Which is fair! But going back, I'd just grab 1 tea, 3 sammies, 1 empanada, and the biscoffs for a total of 30ish. It would've been just as filling, just as delicious, and at...

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...