A Spot of Tea and Paradise at San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito

Stepping onto the San Ysidro Ranch property always feels like a visit to Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden, which filled my childhood dreams. Now they are offering an afternoon tea service that makes the experience even more dreamy. Available in the resort’s iconic rose garden with its sweeping Pacific Ocean views, as well as at the Stonehouse’s outdoor garden and veranda, the property is so serene, it was easy to while away an afternoon in the sunshine. 

My sister came with me (good timing, as it was her birthday last week), and we enjoyed an array of house-made delicacies from Executive Chef Matthew Johnson in the rose garden, where the monarch butterflies and hummingbirds fluttered by at such regular intervals they could have been choreographed. 

Our tea service that day (it varies a little bit seasonally) included a variety of dainty sandwiches arranged on beautifully tiered china: curried Jidori chicken salad with almond, apple, and celery on gruyère cheese gougère; Cambridge house-smoked salmon with whipped chive crème fraîche on rye (my favorite); Persian cucumber with garden herb butter and pickled onion on Pullman bread; and grilled garden vegetables with baby arugula and olive tapenade on whole-grain bread (my sister’s favorite).

There were also lovely scones, including a savory one with cheese and clotted cream to adorn it and a sweet scone with cinnamon and oatmeal served with house-made (and garden-grown) strawberry and blackberry jam, as well as orange preserves that smelled just as gorgeous as they tasted. 

Also on the sweet side, the house-made pastries, which included fresh fruit tartlets with lemon and blueberries, seasonal choux pastry, Meyer lemon cookies, and French macarons that were almost too pretty to eat. 

The afternoon tea at San Ysidro Ranch | Credit: Leslie Dinaberg

And then there were the teas! Decisions, decisions — with 14 different teas to choose from, it was difficult to pick, but we went for the Jasmine Silver tip, a white tea, and the Pick-Me-Up herbal teas, which were specially designed to boost energy. 

The price of this little piece of paradise is $55 a person, a pretty affordable luxury for such a glamorous spot. It was certainly enough to make our stomachs do a happy dance along with birds and the butterflies. For those who really want to live it up, “enhancements” are available for an additional fee, including Beausoleil oysters on the half shell, lobster tail, and a seafood tower, along with bubbles from Krug, Billecart-Salmon, Laurent-Perrier, and Veuve Clicquot. 

Other Ranch Happenings

General Manager Ian Williams gave us a property tour and we got to peek into three different cottages: the Wisteria, nestled in a grove of oak trees and lush landscaping overlooking the San Ysidro Creek; the Gardenia, with a stunning stone fireplace with comfy seating, polished oak floors, and a charming private patio with sunken hot tub and outdoor rain shower; and what he said was his personal favorite cottage, the Churchill, which actually housed Winston Churchill while he was writing one of his many books. In addition to being adorned with books and art that nods to British history, the living room is decorated with lovingly chosen antiques and Persian rugs and there’s a lovely private garden that would be perfect for small cocktail parties or just basking in the sun.

All in all, the afternoon was quite a treat.

This year marks the ranch’s 130th anniversary, and to celebrate this milestone, they have a special menu inspired by popular dishes from their 130-year history. Chef Johnson did his research for this one, reading through decades worth of old menus and newspaper clippings to create a special four-course anniversary menu that’s now available at the Stonehouse Monday-Friday through the end of the year ($160 per person). 

The first course, potage Parmentier, the classic leek and potato soup, was served when the restaurant first opened. It’s also inspired by local celebrity, frequent guest, and Johnson’s personal culinary hero, Julia Child. 

The second course, salade normande, was taken from a prior Stonehouse menu discovered in a vintage newspaper clipping. 

One of features of the Stonehouse throughout the ranch’s history is tableside service, and the third course of the anniversary menu is veal chop with madeira sauce flambéed in the traditional style. 

The final course is a limoncello soufflé, invented in the early 18th century and served in tribute to the Stonehouse’s heritage as an old citrus packing house. 

They’ve also got special anniversary cocktails on offer and named in honor of iconic guests of the hotel. There’s the JFK Daiquiri, a clean, classic presentation of Kennedy’s favorite drink, true to the style that he would have enjoyed. Among other libations, Winston Churchill was known to love Champagne (among other libations), and his favorite was Pol Roger, so the Churchill Spritz is topped with Pol Roger to add a touch of effervescence. Then there’s the Gone with the Wind Cocktail, to honor beloved guest and actress Vivien Leigh’s most iconic performance; it’s made with bourbon served with peach, mint, and ginger. And then there’s the 130-Year Sidecar, which has 130 years of liquor, a mix of 30-year Torres Spanish brandy and Grand Marnier Liqueur Cuvée du Centenaire 100 Year. All are available at the Stonehouse as well as in the new speakeasy-style bar. 

See sanysidroranch.com.