Day at The Huntington Botanical Gardens and Rose Garden Tea Room

A Review:

It’s always a pleasant experience to spend a day at The Huntington Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California. Our recent day here, a December Wednesday, was a perfect weather day – the best I’ve experienced at these Gardens. About 70 degrees and sunny, a very slight chill later in the afternoon that felt just right. The Huntington is a huge place, with massive grounds of gorgeous gardens including a Cactus garden, Rose garden, Camellia garden trail, Japanese garden, Chinese garden, and lots more. There are also several art galleries housing historic paintings, furnishings, and decorative arts as well as special exhibitions of photographs, historic artifacts, and art. Lots and lots to see, more than can be done in an afternoon.

 

Having been to the Huntington a number of times before, we usually go to see a special exhibit or two, walk around the gardens a little, and then enjoy the buffet tea at the Rose Garden Tea Room. On this day, we saw an exhibition of Civil War photographs and another of Civil War manuscripts and letters. Very interesting. At 2 pm there was a special performance in the main Huntington Gallery of medieval and Renaissance holiday music, performed by a small a cappella choir group, Vox Feminae, who were dressed in period costumes. Crowded, the audience was spilling out of the small assemblage of folding chairs all the way down the long hallways and up the grand staircases of the museum! I sat on the floor in the hallway and enjoyed the 40-minute performance.

Soon after the performance we headed into the Rose Garden (still with lots of blooms, even in December) and then the Tea Room for our 3:15 pm reservation. The Huntington Tea Room is usually filled up with patrons (reservations pretty essential) – – however, on this occasion we had our choice of tables! Only a handful of other tables taken, we sat in the back corner near the unlit fireplace. We both ordered coffee (they also have teas and lemonade), and they start you off here with a basket of freshly baked Scones – today’s flavors were Apricot and Cinnamon. The scones are served with homemade Orange Marmalade, Wild Berry Jam, soft butter and fresh clotted cream. Oh yum (the marmalade was especially good)!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can help yourself to the all-you-can-eat buffet spread of tea sandwiches, fresh salads, assorted cheeses and crackers, fruits, lots of “petite sweets”, there was even caviar. I am partial to the sandwiches, so like to fill up on those – on this day there were six different types like Smoked Salmon, Carrot-Ginger, Egg Salad, White Albacore Salad, and a Chicken one that I especially liked. Yum Yum, eat ’em up — I had one of each kind they had, plus some of the salads. Then I went back for more sammies! The salads were good too – there was about five different salads on this day, the Soba Noodle Salad was tasty and there was an Asian-style salad with greens and chicken that I liked.

Ready for the yummies?! I was so full from all the sandwiches and other savories, I only got a small sample of sweet goodies at the end of my meal. I enjoyed a Fruit Tartlet, a Chocolate Mousse Cup, and Shortbread Cookie – all good (especially those cookies). (There were other treats to choose from too, which I have tried on other occasions – like a rich Pecan Bar and fudgy Brownies.) Some fresh strawberries and pineapple pieces to finish my yummy meal at the Huntington Tea Room – I just love, love, love to come here!

To visit – – Website for The Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens