If the Queen ever chose to regale San Francisco with her presence, Lovejoy's tearoom would almost certainly be her first stop (after perhaps the embassy and the loo). A tearoom that blends SF's quirks with British custom, Lovejoy's has been a staple for nearly twenty years.

Though the mismatched china, kitschy tea cozies, and wall-full of collectibles would probably send the Queen into a tizzy, the Devonshire cream and fluffy scones would surely make her weak in the knees.

But British royalty aside, this tearoom has earned its stamp of approval from its devoted tea patrons. It is, after all, not merely tea; it’s an experience – from the first “cheerio” to the final bite of that perfectly crust-less sandwich. And tea would surely not be tea without the visual splendor of a multi-tiered platter. The high tea savvy typically beeline for the rave-review scones on tier two, but slowly (and ever so daintily) devour their way through all three tiers of royal goodies. When the feast (and the tea) is this good and the atmosphere this cozy, “pinkies up” is simply a suggestion, not a rule.