Five spots in Las Vegas for a delightful cup of tea

Ri Ra

Afternoon tea may seem like an oh-so-English undertaking , but the Irish know a thing or two about it as well. At Ri Ra they take tea very seriously, ensuring everything from place setting to decor is up to snuff. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, Ri Ra serves finger sandwiches, fruit scones and miniature desserts such as napoleons, raspberry roulade, fruit tartlets and chocolate-dipped macaroons.

Ri Ra, Shoppes at Mandalay Place; 702-632-7771 or rira.com

Mandarin Oriental Tea Lounge

Mandarin Oriental is so committed to tea, it dedicated a lounge to it. The Classic English Afternoon Tea is served at seatings ranging from 11:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., with reservations highly recommended. It starts with scones with Devonshire cream and house-made marmalades and jams, moves on to sandwiches traditional (egg salad and chives on croissant) and not (curry chicken and Asian persimmon on a sesame cone) before a selection of desserts. Mandarin Oriental features a broad variety of teas, including a blooming option.

Mandarin Oriental Tea Lounge, Mandarin Oriental, 888-881-9367 or mandarinoriental.com/lasvegas

Veranda

Most of the time the Veranda has an Italian accent, but from 3 to 4 p.m. weekdays (reserve 24 hours in advance), it acquires an English lilt. Afternoon tea there involves finger sandwiches, including smoked salmon and citrus cream cheese on pumpernickel; scones with Devonshire cream, lemon curd and house-made strawberry preserves; tea pastries such as a fig upside-down cake; and teas ranging from traditional English breakfast to Mountain Berry Tissane.

Veranda, Four Seasons; 702-632-5000 or fourseasons.com/lasvegas

Cha Garden

Cha Garden doesn’t serve afternoon tea in the classic, British-colonial sense, but if you’re looking for tea experts, this is your place. Besides tea, there are tea-inspired cocktails, signature tea flights and food such as char siu, roast duck, mixed nuts and candied fruits and assorted cheeses with water crackers. It’s available from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 8 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, with happy hour from 3 to 7 p.m. daily and 50 percent off teas on Tuesdays.

Cha Garden, Lucky Dragon; 702-889-8018 or luckydragonlv.com

Petrossian Bar

“A refined bar & lounge,” Bellagio calls Petrossian, and it would be tough to argue that with afternoon tea served from 1 to 4 p.m. daily accompanied by live piano music. The afternoon refinement at Petrossian is in the form of English tea sandwiches, open-face sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, pastries and more.

Petrossian Bar, Bellagio; 702-693-7111, ext. 6163, or bellagio.com