From Mahjong-Themed to Surrealist Desserts, These Are Two Can’t-Miss Dallas Tea Experiences This Winter

Dallasites love an afternoon tea service, the fancier the better. Especially in the wintertime, though, is there anything cozier than a leisurely afternoon sipping tea at a posh hotel with your girlfriends over a cucumber sandwich and a piping hot scone (with lots of clotted cream)? We think not!

At PaperCity, we’re constantly revising our list of the best tea services in town. Recently, we narrowed down the list of Dallas’ best holiday tea services. Here at the beginning of 2026, though, there are two particularly chic limited-time offerings that you won’t want to miss. So, as always, we’re here to spill the tea.

“Tiles & Tea” at Hotel Crescent Court

On Saturdays and Sundays at noon through February 1, mahjong players can swirl their tiles against the sun-drenched backdrop of The Conservatory at Hotel Crescent Court, which debuts their new “Tiles & Tea: Mahjong Afternoon Tea” service tomorrow, Saturday, January 10. “A marriage of mind-play and marvelous food and drink in a magnificent setting,” Tiles & Tea invites experienced mahjong players to elevate their game in a chic atmosphere.

Or, as Hotel Crescent Court put it, “This isn’t your grandma’s tea service, unless your grandma has impeccable style.”

In designing the tea service, Hotel Crescent Court took inspiration directly from the ancient game. While playing mahjong, guests can indulge in the Asian-inspired menu that feels fresh, playful, and inventive. The tea service includes:

• Gochujang Shrimp Salad with pickled carrots and cucumber, toasted sesame seeds, and crispy rice cake
• Bamboo Steam Basket filled with Pork Shao Mai, Ginger Chicken Jiaozi, and Peking Duck Bao Buns
• Black Sesame Scones with clotted cream and house-made jam
• Moon Cake
• A sweets course that includes Mochi Ice Cream, Matcha Lemon Mousse, Jasmine Milk Tea Pudding with Popping Boba, and Purple Sweet Potato Tartlets

Dallas is crazy for Mahjong, so it makes perfect sense for Hotel Crescent Court to combine the game with a beloved ritual like their elegant afternoon tea service.

Open to the public, Tiles & Tea is hosted in partnership with Alyson Bell and The Mahjong Line. Make your reservation soon since Tiles & Tea only happens on Saturdays and Sundays through February 1. Tickets can be purchased online and start at $146.

Surrealism Art Afternoon Tea at The Mansion

Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek debuted an immersive tea experience inspired by “the unparalleled surrealistic world.” Contemporaneous with the Dallas Museum of Art’s International Surrealism Exhibition, the Surrealism Art Afternoon Tea, which runs through March 22, transforms The Mansion’s storied afternoon tea service into “a dreamlike journey where art escapes the canvas and imagination takes flight.”

“At The Mansion, we’ve always viewed afternoon tea as an art in itself, and in this edition, it becomes a living canvas. In dialogue with the Dallas Museum of Art, our Surrealism Art Afternoon Tea invites guests into a playful dreamscape of surrealism within our storied, century-old library,” says Scott Wallen, Managing Director at Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek.

The historic 1925 Mansion Library serves as the perfect backdrop, with its stained-glass windows and 16th-century Italian Renaissance-inspired setting. After the classic high tea fare (champagne! organic teas! savory little sandwiches! scones!), a parade of three spectacular desserts acts as the “Paul Hollywood Showstoppers,” if you will. Surrealistic works of art (including two by Salvador Dalí) inspired the three pastries that evoke dreamscapes:

• The Queen of Hearts, inspired by Dalí’s “Playing Card” collection, features ruby peach jelly, almond sponge, and glazed strawberry mousse on a red sable heart, garnished with chocolate decorations and an edible Queen of Hearts.
• The Metamorphosis of Narcissus (Dalí’s interpretation of the Greek myth) inspired this cake of the same name, which is composed of a mango and passion fruit jelly, pistachio financier, and vanilla mouse. Finally, it is dipped in passion fruit chocolate and garnished with sugar daffodil and chocolate leaves.
• The Butterfly Windmill showcases central themes within the Surrealist movement and layers citrus crémeux, olive oil cake, and almond–hazelnut praline, encased in Manjari chocolate mousse, glazed, and dipped in yuzu chocolate. A butterfly crafted from chocolate and sugar crowns the piece as “a final tribute to its symbolism.”

Editor’s Note: I tried the Surrealism Art Afternoon Tea, and it lived up to the hype! I often find that the more beautiful the dessert, the worse it tastes. That was very much not the case at The Mansion. All three show-stopping desserts deserved a “Hollywood Handshake” in my book!

Reservations are available on Saturdays and Sundays from 12 pm to 2:30 pm through March 22 and can be made online via OpenTable. The price per person is $95 or $115 with a glass of Bollinger Champagne.