Scones, I miss you, I love you, and I need you in my life. Ask anyone in my study abroad program, scones were my jam. Ha! That pun wasn’t even intentional, but I’m rolling with it. They were hard and flaky on the outside but tasted like soft and fluffy little cakes on the inside. Especially with added clotted cream and jam, they were the highlight of an afternoon tea, a cream tea (which is just scones and tea), and as a treat from our darling Gail’s down the street from ACCENT.
And as I miss my favorite British treats dearly, I am yearning to answer this question of: “Scones, where art thou?!” Not the giant, sugar-coated ones you might see at a chain coffee shop, no, ones that are normal-sized for a person, and that with one bite, can transport me back to my days as a South Londoner. Let’s discover where we can find the best scones in LA. It’s a necessity.
1. Rose Tree Cottage
Does anyone still miss Downton Abbey or wish they were living in a Jane Austen or Georgette Heyer novel? Yeah, me too, except I’m grateful for 21st-century plumbing. And if you want to have a tea and scones experience inspired by period England, look no further than “California’s Original Tea House.” Rose Tree Cottage out in Pasadena serves afternoon tea in its “Tea Garden” with the traditional scones, freshly baked and warm from the oven – just the way I like them.
Not veering from the tried and true plain or currant (raisin) versions, Rose Tree Cottage serves these scones that would make London proud with Devonshire clotted cream and preserves from their own “English Village Shop.” If you want scones that feel like you hopped across the pond but without the long flight, Rose Tree Cottage has you covered with their afternoon teas served Tuesday through Sunday for three different seatings at 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and 4 p.m. They even have Downton-themed tea and scones excursions.
2. The Getty Villa
Want your scones with art and a view? Try your hand at the Getty Villa’s “Tea By the Sea.” Man, the things you discover when researching for an article. Who knew they had a Tea Room with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the grand Greco-Roman estate?! Like you’d find at the British Museum in London, the Getty Villa is also a museum that knows the way to a tourist or gallery spectator’s heart is through their stomach. While the scones are house-baked, the real perk of eating your scones at this LA landmark along the PCH is that with your ticket, you also are invited to attend a culinary tour of the Villa’s re-created first-century Roman gardens where herbs, fruits, and vegetables are grown on-site. The “Tea By the Sea” experience is only offered on Thursdays and Saturdays at 1 p.m.
3. The American Tea Room
The American Tea Room is known primarily for its tea, of course, but to pair with a nice cup of Earl Grey, Chamomile, or English Breakfast, they also serve up a very particular crème fraîche scone. More on the savory side, similar to the Southern biscuit-like texture and aftertaste you might find at a brunch at The Court of Two Sisters, this sour cream-tinged scone makes a distinct contrast to the sweet jam or cream you might slather on top once you slice it in half. It is also a reminder of the more savory scones you might find in England like cheese and chive, which I did not expect to like while abroad but, oh yes, I certainly did.
4. Clementine
Ah, Clementine. A lovely café right near Century City owned by chef Annie Miller, who was one of the coolest guests we ever had on CU@USC (she made us grilled cheese! Come on, now!), Clementine is a favorite among both LA rival schools.
The café bakes biscuits and scones of the apricot-ginger and strawberry set and for a more laid-back and casual setting, also hosts “Afternoon Tea” every Thursday from 3 pm to 5 pm. As you can see above, and much to the dismay of my London roommate who preferred plain to currant (raisin) scones, Clementine’s tea service includes traditional currant scones served warm with clotted cream and lemon curd. As far as condiments and spreads go for scones, if a place has clotted cream, then you can rest assured that they know their scone etiquette.
5. Farmshop
Home to a restaurant, bakery, and market, Farmshop at Brentwood Country Mart does not shy away from the artisanal baked good. They add a twist to conventional morning treats by infusing honey into raisin bran muffins or spicing up a danish with Toma cheese and herbs. And as you would expect, Farmshop also strays from the norm with their scones. With cranberry citrus and bacon cheddar, Farmshop makes their scones fluffy and somewhat crispy on the outside for the cream, jam, or spring hill butter to melt right on in. If you want a scone with that Goldilocks just-right texture, Farmshop is the bakery that would leave Mama Bear and Papa Bear abandoning their portions no question.
6. Sycamore Kitchen
This is a CARROT CAKE scone. Two desserts in one. I’m sold. While this is larger than usual and I don’t typically consider bigger to always be better in the case of my beloved scones, Sycamore Kitchen’s carrot cake scone may have won me over. While their scones and pastries change seasonally, their other creations include oatmeal brown butter scones, served on the weekends only, and blueberry buttermilk scones that not only taste delicious, but also make you think currant scones may have some competition in terms of flavor.
7. Langham Huntington Hotel
The Langham London was the first luxury hotel in Europe to serve afternoon tea. If you want to feel like you’re embracing the history of tea and scones, the Langham Huntington is the place for you. Located in Pasadena, the Langham serves their “Langham Afternoon Tea with Wedgwood” Monday through Saturday and naturally, to accompany their warm scones (which always taste better than when they’re cold), you’ll find Devonshire cream and lemon curd on the side.
8. The Village Bakery and Café
Preparing and baking their pastries fresh every day, The Village Bakery and Café views itself as a communal bakeshop for Atwater Village’s residents to come in and grab a scone whenever they have the hankering for one. If I lived in Atwater Village, that would be me, always. In addition to homemade cannoli, the Village serves up a wide assortment of scone offerings including maple bacon, apricot ginger, cranberry orange, tart cherry, orange, fig and honey, and chocolate chip. While neither plain nor sultana is an option, I’m pretty sure these would suffice, especially the ingenuity of the fig and honey scone.
9. Sweet Butter Kitchen
My own friendly neighborhood bakery and café when I’m home, Sweet Butter Kitchen‘s pastry display case rotates their featured items by the day. One Friday you might walk in and find a 6-layer funfetti cake. The next you might see chocolate chip croissant bread pudding. Nonetheless, I am most certainly a happy customer whenever I feast my eyes on the specialties of the day. From maple oatmeal to ginger lavender, you can bet their scones are always a fun and tasty surprise.
10. The Peninsula Hotel
The Peninsula Hotel is one of the most glamorous hotels in Beverly Hills. I’m still in shock that one of my friends had her Bat Mitzvah party there. As you lounge upon a sofa and listen to a harpist strum in the background during your “Afternoon Tea in the Living Room,” you are ensured to have a luxurious experience dining on your tea and scones.
Either traditional (plain) or with currants, the Peninsula’s scones are served with house-made seasonal preserves, lemon curd, and Devonshire cream. They also serve strawberries and cream for an extra-indulgent topping.
11. Huckleberry Bakery and Café
Huckleberry Bakery and Café in Santa Monica is home to such a bevy of pastries made fresh every morning that whenever you walk in, the task of choosing which one to nosh on with your vanilla latte feels like a Sophie’s Choice scenario. But, alongside your bacon and eggs, their maple bacon scone is a decision to be proud of. With one bite, there are hints of both sugar and spice as the scone crumbles onto your plate.
If you’d rather go the plain route, their buttermilk biscuits are also reminiscent of the plain scones from back in London, but less sweet. On my first visit, the staff was extremely kind and even let me swap out my biscuit for a maple bacon scone because of just how much I am a scone enthusiast and was curious about their spin on the pastry. The little things, guys.
12. Sugarbird Sweets
Based out of Grand Avenue in DTLA, Sugarbird Sweets is a supplier and caterer of scones and tea across the Los Angeles area. Their motto is all scones, all the time, and like Broom Street General Store, Chimney Coffee House, Reggie’s Café, and Woodcat, I fully support that endeavor.
The sheer amount of high-quality scones they bake and sell each day makes them top-knotch in my book. While going through a tour of all of their sample scones would be quite the endeavor, some of my personal favorites include the green tea matcha white chocolate scone, which combines two ingredients I would not think to insert into a baked good but make for a sweet yet somewhat healthy treat, the coconut almond, which reminds me of a macaroon, and the buttermilk cream cheese, which seems like a heart attack waiting to happen but tastes too good to care. They also offer gluten-free scones with fruits like strawberries, blueberries, and mangoes in case you have a gluten allergy. Basically, Sugarbird’s strength is the sheer quantity of quality scones they produce daily.
13. 3 Square Café and Röckenwagner Bakery
Little did I know that the café that closed within the first few weeks of my internship last semester would be home to some of the best scones in LA. Luckily, they have a Culver City location too to lessen the blow.
In addition to their brazen avocado fries that made me silence all further questions of ways to incorporate avocado into a dish, 3 Square Café and Röckenwagner Bakery bakes numerous scones on rotation including bacon cheddar, chocolate chip, and ginger. And due to chef Hans Röckenwagner’s individuality, coming to this bakery for a scone will introduce you to bold combinations you might not find at a traditional afternoon tea.
14. Bricks & Scones
While Shakespeare might have opined that any other name would smell as sweet, I think in the case of Bricks & Scones, the name says it all. A restaurant that has a primary focus on scones clearly has its priorities straight.
When I was first accepted into my London program, I had a celebratory tea with a group of friends at this Larchmont study spot, so Bricks & Scones holds a special place in my heart. Fun little tidbit: they also order their scones from Sugarbird.
15. Ye Olde King’s Head
Ye Olde King’s Head is a British pub, restaurant, gift shop, and bakery all-in-one that has been dishing out friendly reminders of the British Isles since 1974. Aside from fish & chips, Scotch eggs, and Cornish pasties, the crown that sits atop the King’s Head would weigh very heavily if they were not to include the highlight of an afternoon tea.
So, of course, they offer freshly-baked, traditional currant scones with Devonshire cream and preserves from the adjoining shop. Or for the full monty, they serve their very own “Afternoon Tea” Monday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and for large parties on Sundays if you make reservations in advance. If you want a pub-like feel with a menu that could be seen anywhere along the South Bank, Ye Olde King’s Head is a lovely reminder of memories from back in old London Town.
The search is over. We’ve now found 15 places that bake the best scones in LA rather frequently. Whether you want to go all-out for an afternoon tea or just want a simple scone to eat in between sips of tea, LA is here to serve. And while I miss the land of tea and scones dearly and I will always cherish the semester I spent there, I’m happy to know that whenever I wish, I can re-create my memories of cream teas at these LA locales. Clotted cream and all.