Afternoon tea meets floral charm at Ora La Casa De Las Flores in Sunnyside

Sweet and savory bites at Ora La Casa De Las Flores’ afternoon tea experience. Photo credit: Ora La Casa de Las Flores.

May 7, 2025 By Jessica Militello

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, Ora La Casa De Las Flores offers a thoughtful way to celebrate: its signature afternoon tea experience, set in a floral café that’s been quietly enchanting Sunnyside for weeks.

Located at 42-08 43rd Ave., the half-florist, half-café is a botanical escape, filled with fresh blooms and the inviting aroma of coffee. It’s an ideal setting for a weekend outing or a special treat with Mom.

Owner Tangni Cortes and Whisk Pastry chef Michael Nogoy, with whom she collaborated, created the tea service to bring something unique and memorable to the neighborhood, perfect for Mother’s Day, or any day that calls for beauty, conversation, and cake.

Ornate tables and chairs for an afternoon tea experience. Photo by Jessica Militello.

“We really want this to be for the neighborhood and the community,” said Nogoy. “This is such a beautiful space for it, and it feels like we’re trying to fill a gap that nobody else is offering.”

Handmade bites for afternoon tea made by Whisk Pastry chef, Michael Nogoy. Photo credit: Ora La Casa de Las Flores.

Ora La Casa has been a part of the Sunnyside community since 2020, offering floral arrangements, custom bouquets, and all-natural skincare products. Shortly after opening the shop, owner Tangni Cortes met fellow Sunnyside resident Michael Nogoy during the pandemic, when he stopped in to buy a plant. Amid the isolation of that time, a conversation sparked a connection, and Cortes soon discovered Nogoy was a pastry chef known for his Filipino-American–inspired sweets.

The cafe side of the flower shop. Photo by Jessica Militello.

The two decided to team up, collaborating on weddings and special occasions, with Cortes handling floral designs and Nogoy crafting cakes and confections. As demand for events and workshops grew, the floral shop expanded its footprint to allow for more workspace. By late 2023, the pair transformed part of the studio into a café, where guests could enjoy fresh coffee, tea, and pastries baked by Nogoy.

The beautifully designed space soon began attracting interest for private gatherings, which inspired the duo to launch a full afternoon tea service. They debuted the experience in early March, blending their creative talents to offer a one-of-a-kind destination in the heart of Sunnyside.

Flowers and other items sold at Ora La Casa. Photo by: Jessica Militello.

“People kept asking if they could have birthday parties here, so I rented a few times, and I didn’t want to offer just normal pastries,” said Cortes. “There are many other coffee shops, and we’re not really a coffee shop, so if we were going to do something, I wanted it to be very pretty.”

The 90-minute afternoon tea experience features a curated selection of handmade sweet and savory treats by Nogoy. Savory offerings include cucumber tea sandwiches, herbed chicken salad on housemade bread, and puff pastry filled with sundried tomatoes. On the sweet side, guests can enjoy berry cheesecake, chocolate cake truffles, calamansi poppy cake, and classic carrot cake—all crafted with care and attention to detail.

Beautiful roses at the flower shop and cafe. Photo by Jessica Militello.

Guests can pair their bites with a fresh cup of coffee or tea, made with whole milk from a pasture-raised organic farm, with oat milk available as a dairy-free option.

“We don’t cut corners—even the flowers we get are from local farms during the growing season,” said Cortes. “We source all locally, and if we import, it’s very high quality, so we want to do the same thing with our pastries.”

Ornate flowers along the shop’s exterior. Photo by Jessica Militello.

Afternoon tea is offered every Saturday and Sunday, with reservations available here. Pricing is based on party size: $78 for two guests, $156 for four, and $234 for six.

Ora La Casa De Las Flores will also host a special afternoon tea event in celebration of Mother’s Day. Guests interested in attending can follow the shop on Instagram for updates as event details are announced.