Dept 7 East & The Tea Room

Some of you may recall a previous post on The Tea Room in Savannah, GA.  It has always been one of my favorite tea rooms and I was saddened to hear a while back that it was closing.  As it turned out, it was not as bad as I had thought.  The owner of the Tea Room had decided to end food service, but continue with her retail sales at this location. 

It was very busy at the tea counter the day of my visit.  The wall covered with many large containers of loose tea for sale is still there, as well as a selection of china, books, tea cozies, jewelry, and more.

The décor has changed dramatically from a style befitting Charles Rennie Mackintosh (Scottish architect, designer and artist) to an ultra contemporary look for  the bistro it has become.

There is lots of reclaimed wood on the walls now and a relaxing neutral color scheme.  I like it, but I do miss the cozy sink in and relax décor of the old tea room.   

There were no floral bouquets on the tables when I visited Dept 7 East.  Instead there were stalks of cotton in the vases.

I didn’t have time to have lunch during my visit, but I will definitely do that next time I’m in Savannah.  The inventive menu has some great items like Low Country Cocktail of Pickled Shrimp or a Picnic Platter of Regional Cheeses for nibbles.  Some yummy salads were offered and A Teasy Chicken Sandwich with Lapsang Souchong Chicken Salad sounded good.  They also have a petit plates menu and offer wine, beer and, of course, peach iced tea.

Now, if only there was somewhere in Savannah to have a traditional afternoon tea.  If you know of any, please share.  ☺