St. James Tearoom

Specialties

The St. James Tearoom, now in its new custom built location, specializes in providing an unparalleled experience of transporting our guests to the Age of Elegance to partake in the tradition of British Afternoon Tea, a three course full meal, by reservation only.

The St. James Tearoom also specializes in proving this experience to groups of all sizes, whether it be a small intimate bridal or baby shower, or a large business meeting or client appreciation party.

We also provide our own Special Events, designed to bring out the Creative Class in Albuquerque and to foster a greater sense of community and creativity.

Finally, The St. James Tearoom has an excellent giftshop, providing tea, tea accoutrements, china, and gifts of all kinds, though all chosen carefully according to the following themes — Olde Worle Elegance, Alchemists Workship, Steam Age Grandeur.

History

Established in 1999.

The St. James Tearoom in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been delighting guests with sumptuous traditional Afternoon Tea in a luxurious setting since 1999. Now in its new custom-​built home on the southwest corner of Edith and Osuna, the tearoom looks forward to welcoming old friends and new to share the more celebration of civility that is Afternoon Tea.

Considered the ‘grande dame’ of area tea houses, the tearoom has been featured in The Great Tearooms of America by Bruce Richardson and CNN’s Five Great American Tearooms, and has been the subject of articles in Tea Magazine, the New Mexico Small Business Development Center Network News, and many others.

The St. James Tearoom also features one of the finest giftshops in Albuquerque, The St. James Market, selling the finest loose leaf teas, tea accoutrements, teapots, china, cards, books, and gifts of all kinds.

Meet the Business Owner

Mary Alice H.

Business Owner

Mary Alice Higbie and her son Daniel Higbie opened the St. James Tearom in December of 1999, after traveling to England to study British teas and to search for vendors. Mary Alice, a New Mexico native, is certified as a Licensed Tea Consultant by The Protocol School of Washington, in Washington D.C., and has lectured to large and small groups on The Art and the Etiquette of Tea. She is also a Japanese Porcelain Artist, and designed, planted, and maintained an extensive, private, English Cottage Garden that was the subject of numerous paintings by well-​known local artists. Daniel Higbie spent many years getting degrees in Rhetoric and Persuasive Communication, and International Relations at fancy schools out east, determined to travel and live as far away as possible from home; he now lives three blocks away from his childhood house. He is married to a beautiful Ukrainian princess, and has two small boys who live to whack him with their swords at every opportunity.