Madera

We had afternoon tea for four here with their Christmas menu.

Let’s talk food first. The food was great! As a Celiac I was very impressed. I got all the same sandwiches, just served on fluffy white bread rather than the variety that the gluten ones were on. When dessert came, I got the same number of desserts with great substitutions-- chocolate cake, carrot cake, a chocolate tart, mango sorbet, and a significantly sized bowl of fresh fruit. I also received the same scones, just gluten free. The manager was also celiac and I asked her what the fluffy bread they use was; she went into the back and let me know it’s Udi’s!

Something unique that I really liked here is that they give you a big jug of hot water so that you can keep refilling your teapot at the table. I've never seen that before at a high tea place.

LOCATION, PARKING, VIBES Easy to access, and lots of free self parking around the area. There are many electric car charging stations in the lot.

The restaurant itself is easy to find and has a nice vibe. It's decorated prettily and the staff is all wearing nice clothes. It's well lit but not harshly lit. The tearoom itself had a large Christmas tree, a fireplace, and mood lighting.

We were sat in cushy chairs with low coffee tables-- the tables were small, so it was hard to manage the cups, plates, saucers, teapots, and food dishes on such a small surface.

SERVICE My one qualm with this experience is that when we arrived, my service dog was apparently an issue. What happened is first they asked "is that a service dog?" I told them yes. It didn't seem to be an issue. They informed us they needed a few extra minutes to set up a table.

Well, it turns out they were setting up a new table for us outside. They told me they were going to seat us outside because I brought a pet. I said "this is not a pet. He's a service dog". They said "yes, I'm sorry, I misspoke. What I meant to say is that you need to sit outside because you are dining with an animal, and they can't dine indoors". Now keep in mind that though their outdoors dining space was covered, it was 50° and raining out, and also I'd reserved an inside table. Those of you who know service dog laws already see what's happening here. I wanted to make sure I wasn't misunderstanding, so I said "just to be clear, you are aware that this is a service dog, and you are telling us that we are required to sit outside because he is an animal?" I said it just like that. They said, "yes, our manager told us that's the case for our restaurant". At this point I was like dang, now I have to fight for my basic rights to be treated like other customers! I informed them that under the ADA they're not permitted to discriminate against me for using a service dog by restricting the area in which we can eat. I asked are you aware of this law? They seemed very uncomfortable. Then one of the staff said, "if you'd prefer to sit inside we can seat you inside. We were just offering another option". Now this was a bananas thing to say because, as youve just read, I CONFIRMED that they were saying we HAD to sit outside. But whatever, it seems like they got the message as they were now deeming it acceptable for us to sit at our original table.

After this a server brought my dog water. That was nice of them.

WORTH IT? It's important to note that my gluten free meal was at no extra charge! $85 per person, and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. The service was very friendly (aside from our service dog/ADA con compliance fiasco at the beginning) and though there weren't many tea options, the tea was good.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Somewhat

Safety Feature Ratings

• Dedicated gluten-free space in the kitchen
• Staff is knowledgeable and can answer questions
• Staff will clean kitchen space or change gloves if asked

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Separate gluten-free menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Other Characteristics

• Good for dairy-free
• Good with other allergies
• Kosher friendly
• Offers outdoor seating

I have been here numerous times. They take Celiac very seriously and have dedicated space. The servers are very knowledgeable. While they don’t have a GF menu per se, most of their dishes are GF and the servers will tell you exactly. They also have a GF bread option. They generally have GF desserts and they always have the most amazing GF chocolate cookies. I don’t get sick and the food and service is wonderful.

Celiac friendly?

Yes