Connecticut Tea Rooms

Take Tea 19 East Main Street, Avon, Ct. Yang and I recently had the pleasure of taking tea at Take Tea.  What a treat!  We were greeted by our welcoming proprietor at the door and shown to her favorite table, right by the bay window.  The decor is pleasing Victorian, with exquisite china cups and plates – and, thank the Lord, my husband was able to get a cup with a handle that let him  put his finger through it!  Always a hazard for guys in tea rooms. The tea list was extensive, including black, white, green, and low to no caffeine teas.  Many of these teas come from that premier purveyor of teas, Harney and Sons. I saw Paris, Scottish Morn,  and Russian Country (amongst others) on the menu.  I opted to try a brand new (to me) tea: Tower of London.  It may sound menacing, but it is delicious, a black tea with notes of vanilla and black currant.  The tea came in a pot that held about four cups – and both Yang and I felt perfectly satiated when we finished our pots. The flavor of my tea was distinctive but not bitter. Meanwhile, Yang found his green jasmine perfectly suited to his sensitive palate.  The Afternoon Tea service hit the spot:  not too much sugar and enough food to satisfy.  The tea sandwiches were fresh and flavorful.  The scones were of interesting and tasty variety:  one selection was apricot and the other was coffee with chocolate chip.  Yum! We finished with a lemon Chantilly creme with blueberries and the chaser of thin and crispy flavorful biscuits.  Yang and I had fun talking with our hostess as well as enjoying the comfortable, lovely environs enhancing delicious beverages and comestibles.  It’s a lovely, relaxing tea room that you shouldn’t miss!

Open Door Tea – 3552 Main St., Stratford. For my birthday, Yang made me a card with the photos and vital statistics of five new tea rooms on the inside.  The first one we tried out was Open Door Tea.  What a great choice!  When you walk inside, you see a delightfully decorated room with antique what-not tables and comfortable chairs for seating.  Lovely, old-fashioned china cups and saucers await you on those tables.   Yang could even find a cup with a handle he could fit his finger through, a hazard for all men in tea rooms.  You order at the counter and they will bring you your yummy comestibles and tea.  You can get sandwiches, soups, quiches, and salads, as well as all kinds of absolutely yummy desserts!  They have a healthy selections of tea, which they will describe for you if you’re having trouble deciding.  I went for a chestnut-flavored black tea, which was divine.  Yang was quite happy with his Green Sencha tea. The sandwiches were tasty.  Yang had a kielbasa and sauerkraut sandwich that he said was as filling as a Rueban.  I had the avocado on toast, which was tasty.  I still had room for a scone, so I had the cranberry/orange.  Such a treat!  None of the grittiness that you sometimes find in restaurant scones.  It was served warm, with a side of butter.  After one of the gals there heard it was my birthday, she brought me a chocolate truffle, which went quite nicely with my chestnut tea!  The tea is served in a French press, so it takes a second infusion deliciously.  So, don’t be afraid to ask for more hot water!  I highly recommend this tea room for the food, decor, and warm folks working there.

 Savvy Tea– If you just want a warming and satisfying cup of tea, this is the place for you.  It’s more a tea bar than a tea room, though you can buy some prepackaged snacks (yummy ones at that) to go with your tea. There is a huge array of tea of all colors.  They are delicious.  I had the Windsor Castle and it was perfectly smooth AND brisk.  So refreshing after a walk on the cold winter beach birding.  My husband had one of their green jasmines and he loved it.  With your tea served in glass mug, you can see the exquisite color.  The people there are so friendly and interested in giving you just the tea you need right then and there.  Such a relaxing stop! And you can buy your favorite as loose tea and bring it home.

 Gruel Britainnia– This place in Fairfield is much like dropping in on a working-class tearom.  It’s a small space, but cozy rather than crowded; bright and traditonally but casually decorated.  The staff are friendly and deliver food fast and efficiently.  The food is hearty and plentiful.  There isn’t a big tea selection, but that’s just fine.  The black tea is hearty and brisk, along the lines Of Yorkshire Gold or English or Irish Breakfast.  My husband had a lovely green tea from Harney and Sons.  There are also various types of coffee on hand for those who choose to imbibe that liquid stimulation.  The loaded scones are yummy!  A decent sized scone loaded with clotted cream and jam chock full of whole strawberries.  Filling but not uncomfortably so! You can also stock up on your Yorkshire Gold, P.G. Tips tea and other British comestibles on sale there.

 Old Mill English Tea Room– 63 Maple Street, Somers, CT.  Yang and I made our first visit here this summer (2023).  What a delight!  The tea room is located in a beautiful Victorian house, spacious and decorated in era-appropriate style – elegant but not frou-frou.  The owner, Nancy Moore, greeted us as we came in with a friendliness and pleasant humor. The tables are set with the kind of Victorian china I love – and Yang had a cup with a handle wide enough accommodate his masculine finger!  The tea selection isn’t huge, but it has more than enough to satisfy tea aficionados.  I had a wonderfully brisk English Breakfast and Yang enjoyed his green tea.  You also get a lot of tea for a two-cup pot! We shared an Afternoon Tea that was an afternoon delight.  There was a large selection of tea sandwiches – and they were hearty! The bread was heaped with delectable combinations that filled us up – unlike the tea sandwiches in many other tea rooms.  The scones were tasty and did NOT leave you with a gritty aftertastes.  Yum!  We also feasted on petit fours and chocolate dipped strawberries. The wait staff were both efficient and warm. After tea, I ran into Nancy again, and we had a lovely chat about tea, education, music, and the history of her tea house.  This place is one to visit for yummy food, tasty tea, and friendly ambiance!

 Tea with Tracey – 16 Bank Street, Seymour. A light, bright, Victorian ambiance, with an extensive tea menu – and the teas are for sale. The sandwiches are light and tasty, while there are also soups and salads on the menu. The Afternoon Tea suits me just fine, with the savories not outnumbered by the sweets. Some vegetarian menu items are available. The people are friendly and fun to chat with. It’s a nice place, either for replenishing your strength after hitting all the antique stores in the quaint town or for preparing to embark on an antiquing foray.

Mrs. Bridges Pantry – 292 Rt. 169, South Woodstock. Sadly, Mrs. Bridges closed early this winter.  I love it so much, I can’t bear to take down the description, though. This has to be one of my favorite tea rooms. I’ve been coming here for over twenty years! The people are so affable and fun to visit with that you become friends fast! The tea selection is extensive, and you can buy most of them in loose-leaf form to take home. The prices are reasonable, too! My favorites are Prince of Wales, Buckingham Palace Garden Party, Monk’s Blend, Russian Caravan, Irish Cream, Vanilla Cream, and Queen Elizabeth, to name a few. You can also get Yorkshire Gold here. The food is yummy: nice sandwiches, salads, soups, pasties, etc for a meal – with excellent scones for dessert. They have other desserts, as well, but I’m so addicted to their scones, I’ve never had any other sweets here. I’ll extrapolate that the other desserts must be yummy since all the other food is. The ambience is like a little country inn, with a lovely gift shop. And everything is reasonably priced. When a herd of my friends and I go there, we can close down the place. And my husband loves it, too!  Best of all, you can even purchase a copy of my novel Bait and Switch there!  A good mystery is always a neat companion to tea and scones.

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last updated 01/19/2025