Capital Teas (Dupont Circle) Edit

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!

A good selection of teas. This is a chain of local tea shops. The staff has different levels of tea knowledge at different locations. More expensive than their teas warrant. Good if you run out of tea and your online order hasn’t arrived yet.

Definitely knowledgeable staff. Friendly and helpful. A little pricey, maybe, but the whole area is pricey, so it may be in line with everything else.

This is a lovely little tea shop in Dupont Circle (just up from Kramer’s books). There are 6 or 7 locations in the DC area. Though I’ve only been to this one location so far, it left a good impression and I intend to visit some of the others. The young staff were definitely trained about the available teas and were friendly and helpful. The shop makes its own blends and proclaims it is run by 5th generation tea merchants. Teas were on display in clear jars so you could admire and smell, but then if you requested one, they scooped from separate dark and airtight containers behind the counter… Very impressive. They had two teas made for sampling: one a seasonal pumpkin spice that I wound up buying! The shop is rather small but they had a few other unique items, like tea oil for cooking and other tea infused ideas. They also have a tea exchange: bring in some old tea from your cupboards and they will donate it to a local food pantry, offering you a discount on your next purchase.