Savannah Tea Rooms

Two weeks seemed like a very long time away from my computer.  It is amazing how much you miss and how hard it is to catch up with email, blogs, etc.  The boys go back to school tomorrow, so maybe things will settle into a regular routine once again.

Today, I’ll share the two tea rooms I visited while in Savannah.  On Monday, July 19, I had lunch at The Tea Room on Broughton Street.  They require 24 hrs notice for afternoon tea, but their luncheon tea options are also delightful.  The pretty table settings are perfect for the soothing, comfortably lit room.

I’ve been looking for more of those same green glass tumblers to add to the six in my collection.  I like the blue willow china and the various clocks from the owners collection that decorate the walls.  The large bouquet of calla lilies (my favorite flower) was lovely on the table in front of the fireplace.   The abundance of interesting books was a nice touch and did you notice the lovely tea caddies on the mantle?

My tea choice was Royal Golden Yunnan which was a satisfying brew to enjoy with my yummy soup, egg sandwich, salad greens and dessert plate.

The scone and cake was delicious and the shortbread was a real treat.  I was delighted to see that the fresh orchid blossoms, which I consider one of their special features, were still plentiful. 

On Tuesday, I returned for an afternoon tea tray.

My server suggested a wonderful first flush Darjeeling that I highly recommend.  It is called Gopaldhara Estate from a tea garden located on the north eastern slopes of Rongbong Valley of the Darjeeling district.  The tea tray sandwiches were really good and I was surprised that I even liked the Lapsang Souchong tea marinated chicken salad.

The decor of The Tea Room is based on the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh (a Scottish architect and designer) whose work was featured in several Miss Cranston’s tea rooms in Glasgow, Scotland.  They have a terrific gift store at the front of the tea room and sell an outstanding variety of loose teas.  The mother and daughter owners are friendly and knowledgeable and happy to share their tea expertise.

Since I only had a couple of days on my own, I decided to squeeze another tea room visit into my schedule on Monday.  After a trip back to my hotel to deposit my purchases, I walked over to the Gryphon Tea Room on Bull Street in the historic district.  It is owned and operated by the Savannah College of Art and Design.

This historical building was Solomon’s Apothecary from 1913-1984 and has some of the original woodwork drawers and also gorgeous Tiffany glass lamps and stained glass windows.

Much of the artwork on display is by former SCAD student Chia Chiung Chong.  My Darjeeling tea and scones were good and I enjoyed talking to my server who was a recent graduate.  The teapot was such a unique shape and I was tempted to purchase one.

We had planned to visit a third tea room on Abercorn Street called the Whimsical Teacup on our way out of Savannah, but sadly we discovered that it has closed.