San Diego’s Tea Scene

Cafe Chloe
721 9th Avenue
San Diego, CA 92101
619-232-3242 • cafechloe.com

Urban yet intimate, this downtown San Diego café is reminiscent of a charming French eatery. Cafe Chloe is a full-service restaurant that also offers a modern version of afternoon tea. Partners Tami Ratliffe and husband-and-wife duo John Clute and Alison McGrath opened the East Village–area bistro in 2004, and from the beginning, they wanted to serve tea.

The teatime menu includes flavorful savories created by executive chef Katie Grebow and to-diefor cakes, cookies, and sweets by pastry chef Derek Feldman, as well as a pot of gourmet tea or a glass of prosecco sparkling wine. Local, seasonal, highquality food is the focus. Fare can include white onion velouté soup, raisin and pecan scones, and chocolate shortbread cookies and is often a miniature version of the café’s dinner menu for that day. Local teashop Halcyon Tea provides the café with tea selections and a custom lavender-Assam blend. The service is $29 per person and is presented daily from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., by reservation only.

The bistro’s décor offers a chic yet relaxing atmosphere. Small tables and chairs are found throughout the space as well as outside on the sidewalk under an awning. “We love the intimacy it creates,” says Alison. “A lot of people consider the café their place. They come and sink in.”