Vancouver’s most popular afternoon tea – Grandma Chef’s secret apple pancakes!

Text and photos by /Papa Seahorse

When it comes to Secret Garden Tea House, almost no one in Vancouver is unaware of it. Every year, Western media conduct restaurant rankings, and Secret Garden has topped the list for several years in a row.

So why is this tea house so beloved, and what’s its winning formula? It all boils down to the English countryside ambiance, a wide variety of teas, and the lavish high tea sets. As the saying goes, one person’s medicine might be another’s poison — Secret Garden has never really won me over. For one, the pastries in their high tea sets are really underwhelming, and secondly, the space is extremely cramped, with seats so close together it feels like you’re eating overly sweet, blood-sugar-spiking cakes inside a birdcage.

But life always finds a way. Everything changed completely after Secret Garden Tea House moved to a new location. The new spot is still in Vancouver’s West End, just around the corner from the old one. The new address features long rows of floor-to-ceiling windows, and the large teapot logo remains eye-catching, though the old dark green exterior is gone. Once inside, the light green interior, elegant wooden tables and chairs in white and green, and still-life paintings on the walls faintly evoke a British countryside style.

The indoor space is huge – aside from the seating area near the counter, the dining area at the back is even more spacious and comfortable. The area is more than double the size of the old location, and there's none of that cramped, tables-touching feeling from before.

Papa Seahorse, who’s not much into afternoon tea, decided to try breakfast instead. On a bright autumn morning, I met up with a friend for brunch.

While waiting for our food, I looked around the shop. Sugar bowls filled with cube sugar, coffee cups, and dessert plates all feature delicate English floral patterns; the glass display case by the counter is colorful with beautiful pastries, and packets of tea rest peacefully in wooden shelving. Award certificates from previous years are modestly displayed along the hallway to the washroom.

The Secret Garden Breakfast Scone is the shop’s signature breakfast item and also the most eye-catching: a heart-shaped cheese scone is cut in half, filled with crispy bacon and scrambled eggs, offering a delightful crunch followed by softness. The Hearty Cheddar Omelette is quite generous — made with three eggs, it also comes with two slices of toast brushed with butter.

The crescent-shaped French Toast Croissant is a croissant dipped in egg batter and pan-fried to a soft, French-style crisp. The filling is caramelized apple mash, with added complexity from a hint of maple syrup, yogurt, and cinnamon.

But my absolute favorite is Gammy’s Apple Pancakes — a recipe passed down from the owner Kathy’s grandmother. Sprinkled with powdered sugar, these three unassuming-looking pancakes have an oddly round center in the middle — I guessed it must be apple slices. Drizzled with maple syrup and cut into pieces, the softly baked, slightly tangy apples dance a waltz with the fragrant pancakes on your tongue. Their enchanting movement is simply captivating, and before I knew it, I had polished off all three large pancakes, with the sweet taste of maple lingering between my teeth.

A reborn classic, Secret Garden greets both old friends and newcomers with a fresh new look. Now, with its hearty breakfast offerings, I’m willing to elevate its status in my heart — even if not number one, definitely top three.

SECRET GARDEN TEA COMPANY
Address: 2138 West 40th Ave. Vancouver BC V6M 1W5
Website: secretgardentea.com

Papa Seahorse
A Gemini man born under the air sign, he was a senior marketing and PR executive for a multinational corporation until the age of 45; after that, he moved to Canada. Alongside his teenage sons, he plays the role of a father amid foreign springs of cherry blossoms, summers of sun, autumns of maple leaves, and winters of rain and snow, while documenting his experiences in Vancouver.

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