Sunday, August 1, 2010

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.

P7191759I’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?

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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.

P7191761The 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

9 comments:

Teresa's New Life said...

How lovely! It is such fun discovering new tea rooms and their history. Loved the stained glass- thanks for sharing a picture of it.

Anonymous said...

Looks wonderful! I have wanted to visit Savannah for a long time and have not yet made it down there.

Lisa said...

Mmmm! I am feeling the need to grab a friend and go to afternoon tea!

Such beautiful pictures! Glad you had fun away and good luck catching up. :)

Angela McRae said...

I had not heard of the Whimsical Teacup and am sorry to hear I missed it! Looks like you enjoyed some lovely tearoom visits on this trip. Nice to have you back!

Linda Jennings said...

When we are in Hilton Head, we usually take a day to visit both these tea rooms, but this time we didn't make it. I'm so glad you went and took photos to share with us.

Werna Gail said...

We live right over the Fl. Go. line in north Fl. and have never been to Savannah, I would love to go...thanks for sharring your trip. I love the old mansions, and it would be fun to go to the tea rooms.

Marilyn Miller said...

What a lovely, lovely tea. I would just adore the ambiance and the food looks so good. Now I want tea and goodies.

Anonymous said...

My daughter and I visited A Whimsical Tea Cup Dec. 2008 and it was WONDERFUL...decorated to please a child and delicious food and tea to please an adult. We are traveling to Savannah this weekend and when I called to make reservations there I was VERY disappointed to discover that they had closed. Is the Tea Room sppropriate for well-behaved children and their doll or more for adults. I walked into the gift store there when we visited before but didn't see the tea room(s).

parTea lady said...

Dear Anonymous,
Thank you for visiting my tea blog. I was very disappointed that I did not get to visit A Whimsical Teacup before it closed.

I would think that well behaved children would be welcome at The Tea Room or The Gryphon Tea Room. Afternoon tea is a great way for children to learn etiquette and the social graces. Have fun!

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