Alice’s Tea Cup has multiple locations, but the colorful West 73rd Street original is a favorite among long time fans. This is the place to book when visitors with children are in town, with whimsical painted walls, mismatched teaware, and special afternoon tea for kids. For adults, Alice’s offers multiple sizes of tea service depending on hunger levels. Pick from various flavors of scone — get the pumpkin if it’s available — and tea sandwiches, including lapsang-smoked chicken and tea-egg salad, to design a custom afternoon tea set. Warm scones can also be taken to go from the takeout counter.

Quaint digs can be found at this UES gem, situated in an antiques-filled, chandelier-lit duplex space in a townhouse on a quiet side street. King’s Carriage House does a lovely afternoon tea that isn’t bank account-gouging. The classics-focused menu, three-tiered presentation and all, goes for just $24.95 per person. Savories include salmon pinwheels and goat cheese tartelettes with mango and tomato, while sweet treats range from lemon curd squares to apricot coconut tea cakes.

Key to note when making reservations at the bright and lively BG Restaurant, which is located at the top of Bergdorf Goodman: Request a window table with the big, plush cocoon “whisper chairs.” These giant, wrap-around baby blue and yellow chairs make an afternoon tea experience all the more decadent and fun, especially when coupled with prime views of Central Park. As for the tea, BG offers one classic three-tier service, so tea selection is the only choice diners need to make. Afternoon tea is offered daily from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. for $45 per person.

Half the joy in afternoon tea is for the scene and fuss, the protocols, and the many little accessories. That’s precisely the case at Tiffany’s Blue Box Cafe, where the clotted cream is dusted in glitter, almond cakes are shaped and finished as mini Tiffany blue boxes, and “robin’s eggs” are delivered on a Tiffany’s bird’s nest of phyllo dough. The food is fine, but come for the nostalgia and experience of literally dining inside a Tiffany’s blue box. Reservations are a must for tea service priced at $52 per person.

Head to Gotham Lounge at the Peninsula Hotel for a classic NYC afternoon tea delivered on three tiers. It’s filled with a broad mix of locals, tourists, and business people gathering over tea. The savories are a bright collection of tea sandwiches and tarts. Scones are delicately sized with an ideal crumb, two to a person, presented warm with classic pairings of clotted cream, lemon curd, and a pair of seasonal jams. Tea service here runs from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. daily and is a bit steeper than most NYC options — it runs $80 per person for the classic Peninsula tea, and $93 with a glass of champagne in the mix.

This attractive Nomad spot, opened in April 2018 as an offshoot of nearby Blank Slate Coffee + Kitchen, caters to a latte-’gramming clientele, with its floral wallpaper and pastel pink banquettes. The affordable afternoon tea is priced at $28 per person, though it’s a more casual environment, as most customers come for a quick matcha, not leisurely tea service. Expect hipper, healthier savory food options here than the usual tea fare, like avocado and hummus toasts.

Some call it cozy, others call it cramped, but it’s always busy at Tea & Sympathy. This isn’t a delicate, quiet spot to linger, but one to feast on generously portioned finger sandwiches and chubby scones accompanied by ramekins of clotted cream and jam. Sweets include a golden wedge of Victorian sponge cake, split and sandwiched with cream and jam. Wash it down with a cup of brisk black tea, milk and sugar. It’s relatively affordable to enjoy afternoon tea here, and at a slight discount for more than one person, priced at $38 for solo tea-goers or $68 for two people.

For an old-fashioned, charming affair, Lady Mendl’s tucked inside a townhouse on Irving Place is the place. Afternoon tea, including a gluten-free option, is split into five courses, which makes this one of the more filling offerings in town. Tea starts with a seasonal soup, then moves on to finger sandwiches, scones, a vanilla crêpe cake from Lady M, and petit fours of macarons and fruits. Reservations required.

The Williamsburg Hotel’s Harvey restaurant serves afternoon tea Friday through Sunday from noon to 6 p.m., with a hip and trendy vibe to match newfangled food. In place of delicate tea sandwiches are sizeable wedges of avocado toast and salami-ricotta pizzettes from Brooklyn Bread Lab. Traditional scones are replaced with ones scented with rosemary and chocolate. As for the tea itself, order the wild pear, a heady Korean tisane.