Tucked away on the corner of two unassuming side streets in downtown Aurora is a hidden gem of a café known as Calla Lily Tea Room. This cozy café brings English tea service to the western suburbs with delicious, high quality teas and fresh, homemade sandwiches and sweets. Discover why locals frequent the tea room, not only to celebrate special occasions, but also to relax and enjoy conversation the old-fashioned way!
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What is Teatime?
Teatime is a decidedly English tradition that goes back to the mid to late 1700s. For about 100 years prior, tea was imported into England and quickly became a beverage that was firmly rooted in English culture. But in the mid-1700s, tea began to move from public tea shops into private homes. Preparing the tea was an important job that was not delegated to servants; instead it was the job of the lady of the house to ensure that the tea was brewed and served properly.
Culturally, around the same time, families’ mealtimes were shifting. The largest meal was occurring later in the day. Instead of taking tea after that heavy meal, people began taking it earlier in the day. It was a natural progression to add light foods to teatime to tide hungry appetites over until the evening. From this, two types of tea emerged: afternoon tea and high tea.
Afternoon tea is the lighter of the two. A pot of tea is traditionally served with tea sandwiches, scones, and small cakes. Sometimes it’s referred to as “low tea” because it is served on low table, in a parlor or sitting room. This is what most Americans visualize when they imagine people having tea.
High tea sounds as if it’s a more extravagant occasion, but the opposite is actually true. This tea takes its name from high, barstool-type chairs in public teahouses, where tea was served with heavier foods, such as soups and stews. It is more of a supper than a snack.
Calla Lily Tea Room menu offers both afternoon and high tea, as well as luncheon and dessert options.
The Menu at Calla Lily Tea Room
Calla Lily is open for lunch, tea, and dessert. They do not have a dedicated gluten-free or nut-free kitchen, but if you indicate your food needs on the reservation form, they will do their best to accommodate you. All food is prepared fresh, and the utmost care in ingredient selection is used.
Please note that the menu items and prices were in effect at the time of our visit and may change over time. This restaurant was also following current state guidelines for COVID-19 safety, including mask wearing of staff and customers not seated at tables.
The tea service is chef’s choice with three options are available. Afternoon Tea ($19.95/person) consists of fruit, pastries, scones, finger sandwiches and your choice of lemonade, iced tea, or hot tea. High Tea ($24.95/person) is your choice of soup or salad, fruit, pastries, scones, finger sandwiches, and your choice of lemonade, iced tea, or hot tea. There is also a Princess Tea, which is designed for children ages 10 and under ($14.95/child). This children’s menu consists of fruit, pastries, scones, finger sandwiches and your choice of lemonade, iced tea, or hot cocoa.
The luncheon menu consists of salads, sandwiches, and soups. Vegetarian options are available. Salads include spring mix salad ($7.95), Greek salad ($8.95), pear walnut salad ($8.95), and pecan encrusted chicken salad ($12.95). Sandwiches range from tea house classics to paninis ($9.95 – $12.95) and include fresh fruit and a seasonal side dish. The Hearty Meal option ($15.95) allows you to enjoy soup, a salad, and a sandwich while the Pick Two option ($9.95) offers a choice of two items: soup, a salad, and/or a half sandwich.
Desserts and scones are also available on the menu. Dessert cakes come in two sizes, dainty ($2.95 – $3.95) or full sized ($6.95 – $7.95). You can also order a scone with Devonshire cream and curd ($2.95) or two ($4.95). Dessert cakes and scone flavors change frequently, so there’s something new each time!
Calla Lily Tea House is also happy to host private events. Just ask!
Our Afternoon Tea Experience
We chose a bitterly cold day for our afternoon tea, with icy winds and temperatures in the teens. Luckily, there is ample street parking outside of Calla Lily Tea Room. Its location is on the very outskirts of downtown Aurora makes it easily accessible to diners who are visiting the Paramount for a production or the casino for a night of fun, yet away from the tight parking and heavy traffic. We darted up the shoveled and salted walk gratefully and into the cafe.
In an instant, we seemed to be transported to another place. The tea room was intimate and cozy, decorated with a distinct nod to Victorian England. Tables for parties of 4, 5, and 6 were clustered around the room, set with intentionally mismatched china and flatware. A boutique selling tea, greeting cards, and tea paraphernalia graced the front of the room, and a set of wooden shelves divided the servers’ area from the rest of the space. Soft jazz music played and an electric fireplace brought more visual warmth to this welcoming space on such a cold winter’s day.
We were greeted within a minute of our arrival and, after checking in with our reservation, were graciously encouraged to sit anywhere we liked. A moment later, our server came to take our tea orders. With the afternoon tea package, a bottomless pot of house tea is offered. Our choices were black, green, or herbal. We chose green tea, and within moments a pot of hot Sencha Kyoto Cherry Rose Festival Tea was on our table. It was a delicious choice, mild flavored with a hint of fruit and floral tones and it definitely set the bar high for our teatime experience!
As we were nearing the bottoms of our first cups of tea, our server reappeared with the tiered tray that is a staple of afternoon tea. Each tier groups foods of like sweetness. The sandwich tier is the most savory, scones are semi sweet, and desserts are sweetest. Typically, foods on a tea tray are eaten from savory to sweet, but one look at the goodies on our tiers and I knew I’d have to use some pretty heavy restraint to save the dessert for last!
The Sandwich Tier
Determined to enjoy afternoon tea the proper way, I delved into the sandwich tier. Three finger sandwiches greeted me, crusts removed as is traditional.
The traditional cucumber sandwich boasted thinly sliced, fresh cucumbers on white bread. A moderate layer of cream cheese covered the inside of both slices of bread from edge to edge, ensuring that the cucumbers stayed in place with each bite without overpowering the sandwich. This finger sandwich is a classic for a reason!
Next on the plate was the egg salad on white bread. The salad was simple and pure, with a hint of dill along with other seasonings. The ratio of bread to egg salad was perfect, and the salad was spread throughout the sandwich. No bare corners!
The third sandwich was my favorite of the three–chicken salad on wheat bread. But what really made it delicious was the cranberry chutney spread on top. The tanginess added a layer of additional interest to the already-delicious salad, making for an exceptional sandwich.
The Scone Tier
Our scone tray consisted of scones for each of us, fresh fruit, and a jelly holder bearing Devonshire cream and lemon curd. The scones were a delightful golden brown with a moist interior. They were also large and very filling. I couldn’t resist topping mine with both cream and lemon curd. What a treat!
I found that the fresh fruit complimented the scone in a few ways. Scones are typically dense and on the dry side, with mild flavor. Eating the fruit along with the scone enabled me to taste the fruit more acutely and to savor their juices. I was surprised by the high quality strawberries and grapes that were served at this time of year, with no bitterness whatsoever. It was another little detail that showed Calla Lily’s dedication to ensuring a top-notch experience at their tea room.
The Dessert Tier
Finally, it was time to enjoy the little cakes that caught my eye as soon as the tray was brought to the table. And I was not disappointed!
The first treat was a tiny vanilla bean poundcake with fresh strawberries and strawberry curd topping. The cake was dense and heavy, which stood up to the liquid from the strawberry curdg. The firmness allowed the juices to penetrate the cake, adding a fruity flavor and extra sweetness, which was wonderful.
The second dessert was a vanilla sponge layer cake with blackberry cream filling, topped with a fresh blackberry. This dessert really knocked my socks off! The delicate, airy cake layers were complimented by fluffy filling that was smooth and light, reminding almost of a mousse. I would love to enjoy this cake again… but a bigger slice.
The last element of my dessert was a mini carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. I am a carrot cake lover and was blown away by this one! Shreds of carrot were nestled in the moist spiced cake, contributing to the texture. The cream cheese frosting was soft and not too sugary. So often, the frosting overwhelms carrot cake, but in this dessert there was a lovely balance between the two. It was truly the perfect way to end our tea!
Visit the Calla Lily Tea Room
A visit to the Calla Lily Tea Room is a must during your next visit to downtown Aurora. You can find it at 83 S. LaSalle Street. It’s the ideal place to gather with friends before visiting the Paramount Theatre or Hollywood Casino, or for a girls’ afternoon out. Reservations can be booked on their website, https://callalilytearoom.com/reserve-now/.
If a day of indulging is what you need, the Calla Lily Salon and Spa is a just a short drive away at 1035 S. Lincoln Avenue. There, you’ll find a variety of services designed to pamper and relax you, from tea wraps and facials to hair styles and nail treatments. Check out their menu and book an appointment at https://www.callalilyspa.com/online-scheduling.html.
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