My mom and I have long been planning a trip to this tea room on our recent trip to the beach. There were a couple of tea rooms in a reasonable distance of our hotel, but we chose this one based on the British theme. It was somewhat of a drive from our hotel, and we planned accordingly to make sure we had time to fit it into our trip. I even checked the website the night before we had planned to go to check the time that they opened. We were so sad when we arrived at the tea room fully aniticipating having a cup of tea and a scone to see that it was closed. There was a small sign hanging on the door saying that they were closed until August 26th. I understand that companies close for a break or can change their hours, but I would expect that to be listed on the website, since so many people use that information to plan ahead for their visits. In this day and age of online technology information on websites really needs to be kept current. I was really dissappointed, and it was a little inconvenient for my mom and I since we had spent some of our vacation time driving to a place that was closed. In hindsight, I should have probably called ahead, but as the website said that we didn’t need reservations for just tea and scones, I assumed their information was up to date. I am going back to Southport in September for a wedding, but will be a little hesitant to plan another visit to this tea room.
While I was in DC over the weekend my friend took me by Capital Teas, since she knows how much I love tea. This shop is right near where she lives in a cute little area with lots of other shops. I’m not sure if they sold tea by the cup, but they had 2 little tables outside, so you could maybe get a cup of tea and sit outside to enjoy it. It’s right down the sidewalk from Georgetown Cupcakes, too, and I can only imagine that one of those cupcakes with a cup of tea and a nice seat to people watch would make for the perfect afternoon! The store was very small, but they nicely displayed their teas on a wall in little glass jars. I really liked that I was able to pick up the jars and look and smell the tea leaves. It helped me narrow down my choices, and also probably saved me from buying teas that I wouldn’t have loved. There was also a small selection of tea wares and accessories. The younger lady behind the counter was very friendly and knowledgable about tea. She was maybe a little pushy about trying to get me to add on different teas and especially the tins, but having experienced this in much worse ways at other stores I was able to stand my ground and say no to the items that I didn’t want. I did enjoy talking with her briefly about teas, and she obviously knew what she was selling, which was nice. I ended up choosing 4 teas and the price was a little steep, but I expected it in that area. When I rated my first tea from the company and looked up the description on their website I was surprised to see that the teas are half the price on the website as what I paid in the store! I’m not complaining, though, because I’m sure their rent is high and I did enjoy the experience of browsing the tea wall, etc. Next time I go I may just visit the store and make a list of teas that I want and then place my order online. I just had my first cup of tea and am very happy with it. I recommend visiting this store if you’re in the area!
We visited Carytown Teas when we were in Richmond for the weekend. I looked at their website beforehand, and made a list of the teas that I was excited to try. When we got there, I was surprised to find that the shop was very jumbled up. There were a lot of items to step over that were on the floor and I didn’t really feel like browsing because of the clutter. My fiancee also used the restroom while we were there and saw that there were teas in clear plastic bags stacked on the floor in the bathroom. He said that he thought that they were all sealed, but still . . .
My list of teas was cut down by a lot when I realized that they just resold a lot of Harney’s teas. I ended up purchasing 2 ounces of 3 different teas, and my total came to just under $30. They have an extensive list of herbal blends, so if you’re into non-tea ‘teas’ then this is probably a good source. I was a little upset to get home and discover that one of the blends that I purchased has absolutely no rose buds or hazelnuts in it, when both are listed on the ingredients. Maybe I am just being picky, but I just think if I see if on the ingredients then it should be in the bag. At least one rose petal in the whole 2 ounces, for heaven’s sake!
The owner of the shop was very nice also. I’ve tried one tea that I’ve purchased so far and it is very good, although not true to it’s description. If I am in Richmond again I will probably not go back to Carytown Teas and just order online instead, if I find out that I can’t live without one of these 3 teas, which I doubt.
I adore The Secret Tea Room! I’ve been there a few times for lunch with my Mom and we’ve both enjoyed it. Today I convinced my fiancee to try it as well and he was so pleased with everything. We shared 2 pots of the Downton Abbey tea, I had a green tea infused shrimp salad and he had a sandwich. We also split a scone and the Irish Cottage Pie for dessert – everything was excellent! We purchased some of the Downton Abbey tea to make at home, as well as two other loose leaf teas to try. The service was wonderful as usual. I love the location of the tea room and its quaint decor. This is one of our favorites for a nice, out-of-the-blue lunch and we will certainly be returning in the near future!
I discovered Angelina’s Teas online and realized that it was only 45 minutes from my house. That was about a year ago, and I have been so excited ever since then to visit in person. It finally happened that yesterday when I was in Winston Salem for a 5k that the shop was open and it was the perfect time to visit. The owner greeted me as soon as I walked in and seemed pleasant enough. It seemed to me that he is a quiet type and would’ve been happy to answer any questions that I had, but as I didn’t have any he was just quietly bagging up the tea that I selected. Oh, and the selection! It is outstanding! There are 3 walls just filled with jars full of every flavor imaginable of loose-leaf tea. I was in heaven and certainly had a difficult time choosing which ones I wanted to try. I think I finally settled on about 20 different teas, but with the pricing being very reasonable and the smallest amount being an ounce, it is very easy to pick just a little of many teas to try at home to find your favorites. I cannot vouch for the quality of the tea, as I have yet to make my first cup, but it looks and smells very nice. There was also a nice selection of teawares, although I thought the prices on those items were very high. I understand that it is a small business, so the higher pricing makes sense and most likely wouldn’t stop me from purchasing an item if I needed/really wanted it. The atmosphere is a little more quiet than your average coffee house, with a full wall full of books and a television. There was a group there when I walked in discussing politics, which made the atmosphere cozy to me. Another lady came in for a cup of tea, and then 2 friends on the way to a wedding came in for some tea also. Overall, it was a pleasant experience and I will certainly visit again the next time I am in Winston Salem.
I was pleasantly surprised today to find out the soccer game I was going to was located very close to Southern Season, so we had to make a quick stop there after the game. I was blown away by the selection of tea in this store! They have a full wall of beautiful tea wares, a whole section of their own brand of teas and also fine teas, and a whole other section for bagged and tinned loose teas. Also a great array of tea kettles and accessories. I could’ve literally spent the whole day in this store just browsing. I was also surprised to find that their teas are reasonably priced – a lot of their loose teas were $3-$4 for 2 ounces. I will definitely be heading back to Southern Season soon, or placing an order online. All of the teas I purchased today smell wonderful, and they had some really unique flavors that I hadn’t seen anywhere else. This was definitely the largest variety of teas that I’ve seen in one location, and they also have a huge store filled with bakery, deli, chocolate and candy items. I definitely recommend stopping by if you are in the Chapel Hill area!
We visited the London Tea Room today for lunch and it was delicious! I was excited to try this tea room since my boyfriend’s family lives in St. Louis and I’ve read some great reviews. The location of this tea room is perfect and parking was easy to find. The inside is very quaint with big windows and cute little tables. The service was outstanding! Our server was very kind and patient, as was the young man at the tea counter. The food was excellent! I had the strawberry salad and my boyfriend ordered a panini. I also ordered a scone, which was a little dry, but still delicious. I ordered a pot of the Parisian Breakfast and it was steeped to perfection. My boyfriend ordered an iced Raspberry Green tea and it was equally refreshing. I enjoyed perusing their informative tea catalog while we were waiting for our food and purchased several teas to take home. The quality of their tea is exceptional and I am looking forward to trying each one! I highly recommend the London Tea Room and will be returning on each trip to St. Louis!
I visited Tea & Sympathy on a visit to NYC and was very pleased. It is a small shop, but that just makes the setting quaint and intimate. My boyfriend and I were seated by the window, which was the perfect seat to people-watch and take in the great atmosphere of Greenwich Village. The scones were perfection and my boyfriend enjoyed a bowl of stew. We both ordered pots of tea and I love that each of our pots were different. There were rules posted on the door about not lingering, but that’s understandable considering the smallness of the shop. Our waitress was very pleasant and never rushed us. The little store next door offered a selection of all kinds of fun things from food to tea to teawares. This is a must-visit shop if you are in NYC and are looking for a delicious tea meal!
I was so excited to find this perfect little tea shop. I travel to this store every couple of months from Greensboro. I usually take a list of teas that I’m interested in and the sales people are every so helpful to answer questions and offer suggestions. They also have a nice selection of teawares. They offer tea classes on a monthly basis as well and I am looking forward to participating in one soon!
