Broccoli? I love it! Anchovies? Bring me more! Oysters? Enamored of them! Limburger Cheese? The stinkier the better! Durian? Andrew Zimmern may find it disgusting, but I love it. I’m often asked if there’s anything I don’t like. My response surprises most people. The one food item I don’t like at all is tea. Whether hot or cold, tea is absolutely nauseating to me. That may or may not stem from a week-long Boy Scout Swim Camp at Conchas Lake where tea was served for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Drinking the murky water from Conchas Lake might have been preferable.
My two “overseas” assignments in the Air Force were at Royal Air Force bases in England, the country which tried to tax the tea they explorted to the colonies. In England, tea is what ambrosia was to the Greek gods of Mount Olympus. “Tea time” is twenty-four hours a day throughout Great Britain. Denouncing it might trigger an international incident. Brits may tolerate Yanks not liking room-temperature beer, but you dare not besmirch, belittle or blacken England’s sacrosanct tea. Though my Kim and I frequented tea shops at Bourton on the Water, an English village often called the “Venice of the Cotswolds,” I went there for the scones (morsels of which I tossed to crows) and to enjoy the tranquility of River Windrush’s burbling waters. My Kim loved the tea.
My Kim has been a wonderful civilizing influence on her formerly bumpkinly husband whom she’s actually compared to Big Jeff Pruitt, a mountain man looking for a wife in a 1962 episode of the Andy Griffith Show. Much to Barney Fife’s chagrin, Jeff (brilliantly portrayed by Alan Hale, Jr. who later became “The Skipper” on Gilligan’s Island), set his designs on Thelma Lou. When Thelma Lou invited Jeff to her home for tea, Jeff couldn’t get his sausage fingers in the loop handle of the small tea cup. Worst, Jeff lamented that the delicate, small “finger food” served failed to constitute a proper, satisfying meal for a large man with a large appetite.
Perhaps my dear bride had never really asked me to take her to the St. James Tearoom out of concern that I might spill the tea onto the nearest potted plant or that I would single-handedly consume the entirety of our finger food. At any regard, Jeff Pruitt probably came to mind for her. We’ve actually discussed going to the St. James Tearoom for years, but out of consideration for my loathing of tea, my Kim didn’t press it. Being a thoughtful, kind, generous and mostly modest husband, I tried to get on the St. James Tearoom schedule for Christmas, but the Tearoom was booked until late January.
That actually turned out to be a good thing. The January, 2026 “theme” turned out to be “Music of the Night,” a tribute to the Phantom of the Opera. We first saw the Phantom opera play in New Orleans and have since relived the operatic experience several times, not to mention multiple viewings of the movie with the enchanting Emily Rossum. To say we love the music is an understatement though Gerard Butler’s rendition of “All I Ask Of You” isn’t our favorite. Perhaps his grating voice was meant to convey the Phantom’s pain. In any event, we were very happy to immerse ourselves in Paris during the 1880s, focusing on the lavish, artistic world of the French Grand Opera.
From the outside, the St. James Tearoom looks nothing like an opera house. First of all, it’s situated on Osuna in a mixed development area. Second, the Sun Valley Commercial Center has the stereotypical adobe-hued look and feel New Mexicans know and love. Finding the St. James Tearoom among all the different commercial enterprises at the Center is a bit of a challenge, too. A directory indicated it’s situated in Building D, but until I walked the complex, we were somewhat lost. Frankly that too, is a good thing. You wouldn’t want blinking, neon-spangled signage directing you to the Tearoom.
The Albuquerque Journal describes the St. James Tearoom as “The Grand Dame of Albuquerque Tearooms.” This Grand Dame has been serving the Duke City since 1999, providing a unique fine dining experience for more than a quarter-century. The Tearoom’s website declares the Tearoom “transports guests to a realm of dining elegance, excellence, creativity and imagination.” We were unsure what to expect. I pictured sitting around a large formal table with a group of blue-haired women sporting period costumery (not unlike the Rocky Horror Show had it been more civilized). The Tearoom’s website also invites guests to “reflect, gain margin back into your life, deepen your relationship with friends and loved once over a shared experience of joy and delight.” That’s a lot to expect from a dining experience. It would be interesting to see if the Tearoom could deliver.
Once we made it to the Tearoom, we were indeed transported to a different world, one resembling the England where we lived and loved for three years. We were greeted at the door by nattily attired hostesses adorned in period dress. Their genteel manner and dulcet tones were very welcoming, conveying a warmth and cordiality of a different time and place. The front rooms offer a lavish shopping experience. You’ll find everything from Wedgewood China to period hats for sale. It’s all very classy, the antithesis of restaurants hawking their cheap merchandise.
As we were escorted to our table, we espied a table displaying accounterments recognizable from The Phantom: the white, theatrical half-mask designed to cover the right side of the Phantom’s scarred face; formal, elbow-length satin opera gloves, the type of which Christine Daaé might have worn; a single red rose representing the Phantom’s intense, obsessive love for Christine. Our hearts rejoiced at the recognition of these objects. Further down the hall is a period sitting area in which many diners photograph themselves. I instead captured the image above of our wonderful escort.
To my delight, we didn’t have to share our experience with other guests. Instead, the Tearoom is segmented into private, themed “dining rooms” separated from one another by heavy curtains that block conversations from adjacent rooms and provide the privacy we enjoy. Our experience was guided by McKenna, a Valdosta, Georgia native with an ambassadorial knowledge of the Tearoom and our meal. A placard on our table beckoned “Welcome Kimberly and Gil.” Also on our table, covered by a quilted tea cozy was a teapot keeping our first of three teas warm.
McKenna poured our tea into dainty tea cups. Predictably, my ham-handed meat hooks had a hard time holding the cup. Also predictable was my dislike of the tea (yes, I did sample it) which my Kim took from me. It dawned on me as we lounged in very comfortable sofas just how refreshing it was not to have to study a menu. Instead, McKenna ferried over a three-tiered, silver plate-stand resplendent with our Phantom-themed meal. Act 1 (the top plate) was titled “Savories.” This beauteous offering featured a Paris Opera House chicken sausage roll; Prima Donna pecan pear salad with basil vinaigrette; Raoul’s beef and onion stew; Bravissima basil savory cheesecake with tomato jalapeño jam; and Madame Giry’s traditional tea sandwich (ginger, carrot and cucumber on wheat). Accompanying Act 1 was Morning in Giverny” traditional black tea.
The second layer was called Entr’acte: Breads. It was served with “Hearthside Toddy” scented black tea. It was indeed a pleasant bouquet that almost made me want to like tea. I did try it, but even a small sip offended my usually indelicate taste buds. Two breads were showcased: a Masquerade spinach puff swirl and St. James traditional cream scone served with lemon curd and clotted cream. Act II: Sweets was served with a “Lemon Souffle herbal tea. Sumptuous sweets artfully positioned on the plate were the Angel of Music blackberry panna cotta, Christine’s honey cake with almonds and rose glaze, and the Phantom’s dark chocolate cake with kahlua cream cheese frosting. I won’t endeavor to describe our culinary fare…not that I have the words to adequately do so. Your own culinary adventure at the Tearoom will probably not feature the same menu items we enjoyed. Suffice to say the kitchen staff can compete with the very best Albuquerque has to offer.
As delicious as was every morsel we enjoyed, we left St. James Tearoom rejuvenated and enraptured over our experience. Every “man’s man” who thinks he’s too masculine to enjoy such an experience should put aside their man card and bring their better halves to one of New Mexico’s best and most enjoyable dining experiences. St. James Tearoom is a must!
St. James Tearoom
320 Osuna Road, N.E. # D
Albuquerque, New Mexico
505-242-3752
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LATEST VISIT: 20 January 2026
# OF VISITS: 1
RATING: N/R
COST: $$$$
BEST BET: Paris Opera House chicken sausage roll; Prima Donna pecan pear salad with basil vinaigrette; Raoul’s beef and onion stew; Bravissima basil savory cheesecake with tomato jalapeño jam; and Madame Giry’s traditional tea sandwich (ginger, carrot and cucumber on wheat); Masquerade spinach puff swirl and St. James traditional cream scone served with lemon curd and clotted cream; Angel of Music blackberry panna cotta, Christine’s honey cake with almonds and rose glaze, and the Phantom’s dark chocolate cake with kahlua cream cheese frosting
REVIEW #1516
I love the St. James. Not always in the budget, but such a treat. Always worth the price of admission.