American Girl Bistro Tea: Teatime Fun in Tysons Corner

Beyond the sea of dolls and merchandise at the American Girl store, is a very cute, very pink Bistro. 

Among the Bistro’s offerings, the most affordable, and perhaps the most fun, is the doll-friendly tea.  The American Girl tea is a great experience that need not involve buying a thing.

The Tea Time Experience

The experience starts by being given a special highchair for your doll if you have your own, or choosing a doll to join for you tea if you do not.

For any little men along for the ride, a male doll is also available to join you at your table. 

American Girl wants to help teamtime be a time to have fun as a family. To help get the ball rolling they provide a box full of cards with suggested conversation starters on topics such as: 

  • Who will be your favorite teacher forever? 
  • Which foreign language would you like to learn?
  • And Which food would you never give up eating? 

When you are ready to move on to another activity, American Girl provides a craft to keep your children entertained.  On the day we visited, older children received a doll-themed activity pack with stickers and pop-out paper dolls.  Younger children received two doll-sized blankets with fringes they could twist together.

Tea Selection

It wouldn’t be teatime without tea and a large selection of tea is available for the grown-ups.

There is also a glass of champagne included for anyone over 21.

Children can have pink lemonade or a decaf tea served in a very cute teapot.

And, of course, at teatime there is lots of food. A variety of kid-friendly food is served up in an adorable way. We had a feast including:

  • Muffins
  • Mini-sandwiches
  • And plenty of sweets including cinnamon buns, chocolate dipped strawberries and more

Although the tea is not marketed as a full meal, no one in my crew of four was hungry at the end.

American Girl teatime is a great way to have a nice day out with the kids. Unlike most trips to the American Girl store, it is not necessary to buy a thing to have a great time. Girls and boys who need to borrow dolls are just as welcome as those who are doll owners so owning a doll isn’t a prerequisite for attending.

My family includes one child who is a huge American Girl fan and one who is not all that
interested.

One really nice thing about this tea is that kids who are really into American Girl can include
their doll in the experience and make the most of it. On the other hand, kids who are not that into the dolls, or have started to outgrow them, can still have a great time just enjoying a kid-friendly tea experience.

Good to Know

  • Tea is served on Fridays and Sunday afternoons only
  • Reservations are required and often fill up, so we highly recommend booking well in advance.
  • If you are going to celebrate a birthday or other special occasion a cake and other goodies may be added on.
  • If you have any dietary restrictions, it is highly recommended that you call in advance and the kitchen can make changes to the tea menu for you.
  • If you can’t make tea but still want to eat at the Bistro, American Girl has a full menu available outside of teatime. They also have a small counter with stools, which is a great way to grab a quick treat while soaking up the ambience.
  • There is plenty of free parking at Tyson’s Corner

Getting There

American Girl is located on 8090 Tysons Corner Center, McLean, VA 22102 on the first floor.

Photo of author

Jamie Davis Smith

Jamie has lived in Washington, DC for more than twenty years and she loves exploring all the area has to offer with her four children.