THE BEST: Tea rooms

[LNorman]

Could anyone name some of their favorite tearooms that serve afternoon tea. Thank you.

[jpr54_]

you can try

www.catteacorner.com

www.gayot.com

for list and descriptions of tearooms in nyc-

although not british style afternoon tea

wild lily in chelsea and franchia/hangawi(e.32st) serve tea also with good tea sanwiches,etc.

joanne

[slkinsey]

I've been quite fond of Alice's Tea Cup on 73rd Street just off Columbus Avenue. Their web site has plenty of good information.

I've always wondered if any of the fancy old hotels in town did an afternoon tea.

[Marlene]

I've been quite fond of Alice's Tea Cup on 73rd Street just off Columbus Avenue.  Their web site has plenty of good information.

I've always wondered if any of the fancy old hotels in town did an afternoon tea.

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In researching hotels for my upcoming trip to New York, it appears that the HotelWales offers an English Afternoon Tea.

Haven't come across any others yet.

[alacarte]

I'm not a fan of Alice's Cup, but it will do in a pinch. I prefer the T Salon, just off of lower Park.

I believe the Plaza Hotel still offers afternoon tea at its Plaza Court. There are also some great Japanese-style afternoon teas available at Takashimaya department store and the Kitano hotel.

I've heard good things about the Wild Lily Tea Room on W. 22nd, but I've never been there myself.

There's also Tea & Sympathy. It's not really a tea room and is far from my favorite, but it's always a decent option.

Edited January 14, 2005 by alacarte (log)

[Gastro888]

Tea & Sympathy do a decent tea but try and go on a off day/off hour. Lord have mercy, I didn't realize how TINY that place was until I went there. It's like the size of a dorm room (well, maybe not THAT small but it's cozy). The tea sandwiches aren't half bad but the sweets are eh. Scones with clotted cream and jam - you can't go wrong.

I would say this place is more of a catching up with friends place than a high tea posh place. Think living room.

[bloviatrix]

Takashimaya has a tea salon in it's basement. I've never been, but I hear it's quite elegant.

There's also a Japanese tea place on the UES. The name escapes me, but I'll post it as soon as I remember.

[WoodleyGrrl]

The Waldorf-Astoria does tea. I was there for a conference and I saw the sign advertising it. I really wanted to try it, but I had to catch a train.

[twiggles]

Are you looking for fancy or casual? I've had tea at a few casual places...

For Casual, Wild Lily Tea room is very nice, it has an Asian bent to it. Good food and nice presentation. The room is also quite peaceful. Tea and Sympathy mentioned above is also very good (British style), but again cramped and very crowded. Podunk on E 5th street has separate sweet as well as savory selections, and everything has a homemade style (it is American, not British). The room is a bit cramped there as well. Alice's tea cup is OK, I have been there a few times, and thought the food was mediocre (the tea selection is not bad though).

I hear that Lady Mendl's is also quite good, as well as Fauchon, but I haven't tried either one yet.

For a fancier occasion, tea at The Pierre is a great experience.

[Gastro888]

Takashimaya has a tea salon in it's basement.  I've never been, but I hear it's quite elegant.

There's also a Japanese tea place on the UES.  The name escapes me, but I'll post it as soon as I remember.

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Oh yeah, it's nice but EXPENSIVE. Very nice, though.

[ghostrider]

I can confirm that TSalon, 11 East 20th St, bet. 5th Ave & Broadway, has excellent teas. I haven't tried their food but I bet it's good. They've been in business at this location for around 10 years (they were in SoHo before that) so they must be doing something right.

T Salon Website

[TrishCT]

The Astor Court in St. Regis does a nice job, and they replenish your tray with food until you've had enough.

[alacarte]

I hear that Lady Mendl's is also quite good, as well as Fauchon, but I haven't tried either one yet.

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oooh, great suggestion! I had tea at Lady Mendl's (Irving Place) a couple of years ago. It was pricey but really lovely, that gets my vote for best tea. The food was good, they must have served us five courses of sandwiches and sweets, and pots and pots of excellent tea. It's a small room, I'd recommend reserving a table if you can.

I had a nice tea at the Carlyle Hotel, too.

[Jen Keenan]

Everything seems to be covered that I can think of. I love Tea & Sympathy, but wouldn't go NEAR it on a weekend at teatime. Alice's Tea Cup is quite yummy to me (brunch is great but not relevant here; love their tea smoked chicken salad; cucumber sandwiches admittedly not spot on but the mocha cake is wonderful.)

As for fancy hotel teas, I've been through the Pierre Hotel when they're serving tea and I thought that looked fantastic. That would be the place I would try. Am I a weirdo because I never learned to equate afternoon tea with fancy rooms? Goodness, they'll never have me at Brown's

[alacarte]

New York Magazine has nothing on eGullet.

[lambretta76]

Fauchon has an afternoon tea and has some amazing baked goods (their macarons are flown in from France)

Fauchon

[laniloa]

I grew up on LI and when I was maybe 8 years old my mom took me to tea at the Plaza after going to the Museum of Natural History. It was a wonderful adventure. I remember being in total awe of the ornate room and the elaborate service. It was definitely a fairy tale moment my mom and I both enjoyed.

[Ellen Shapiro]

I've always wondered if any of the fancy old hotels in town did an afternoon tea.

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The question is do any of the fancy old hotels in town not do afternoon tea! Okay just kidding. But the challenge isn't finding it as much as the challenge is finding the places that do it well. There are also some service differences that, to me, are really important. If you're a real afternoon tea fanatic (can you tell I am?), you might also wish to keep track of which pastry chefs are moving around where. There's also the question of music, which is important to some though sometimes annoying, and the setting is important because tea is so much a see-and-be-seen activity.

Food quality: I'm partial to the St. Regis, the Waldorf=Astoria and the Mark -- they seem to have the strongest pastry departments of the places I've tried while researching my book, New York City with Kids. Although, neither the St. Regis nor the Mark is as good as when Chris Broberg (now at Cafe Gray) was at each. Still they are good. The Waldorf is very consistent.

Service: The St. Regis is particularly generous with refills and the servers are attentive.

Music: The St. Regis usually has a harp (harpist?), and the Waldorf is my favorite because someone is always there playing on Cole Porter's piano, for real..

Setting: The St. Regis has what is to me by far the nicest room, with its gorgeous painted ceiling. I do like the Waldorf, but while most hotels do tea in or near the lobby, at the Waldorf I really feel as though I'm in, you know, a lobby. Avid people-watchers may like this, though.

I haven't been every place, but I have been to a lot of them. Ask and I might have some memories to share.

From a totally different direction, Gramercy Tavern has excellent pastry at what they call the "between meals" aka afternoon tea service but it is not a traditional tea.

[Liz B-F]

The Adore (13th Street between University and Fifth) is a little hole-in-the-wall tearoom with a few tables upstairs in a charming, sunlit little room. They have tasty but slightly pricey sandwiches, homemade pastries and lots of smoky, good teas (several kinds of darjeeling and Earl Grey, a really awsome lapsong souchong, oolongs.) I believe it's Japanese-run, but it's very European. I haven't been there in awhile, though.

[Habeas Brulee]

I'll second Podunk. Their apricot tea hot chocolate and their french onion tarts are delicious (as is everything else they serve). The owner is very sweet - always friendly and works with you on figuring out how to put together just the right tea for you. It's a bit pricey, but it's worth it once in a while. And they absolutely refuse to accept tips (I've tried my best to persuade them, but no luck).

[raji]

There's also a Japanese tea place on the UES.  The name escapes me, but I'll post it as soon as I remember.

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Toraya, right?

[ManhattanLawyer]

Hi everyone,

I am new here although I've been making the most of New York's dining scene for many years now.

I've had tea at the following locations:

Alice's Tea Cup

Lady Mendl's

The Carlyle

The Mark

Cafe Pierre

I would recommend all of them. The Mark was my least favorite. Cafe Pierre was my most.

[emsny]

There's also a Japanese tea place on the UES.  The name escapes me, but I'll post it as soon as I remember.

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Toraya, right?

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Toraya closed a while ago. There's one on Madison called Kai, not that I've ever set foot in the place. It is a restaurant but I'm pretty sure it serves tea as well.

[jpr54_]

Arium is an arts space and cafe on Little West 12th Street.

This new tea destination has gotten great reviews-

as well as the tea gallery on allen street

[emsny]

I understand that the bar/informal restaurant in the Gordon Ramsay place in the ex-Rihga hotel on West 54th (betw 6th and 7th?) will serve afternoon tea.