Brook B.
Yelp
I wanted this place to be a great experience, but I was very disappointed.
I heard about this place from an Edible Memphis article touting that it's "the gift for the tea lover who has everything." Their branding/marketing is super cute, and because my friend's birthday was coming up, I booked a tea time.
We selected an afternoon slot on the day before Thanksgiving. I figured it would be pretty crowded but didn't think it would be packed, and it's a tea shop, so how busy can it get?
The answer is VERY busy. The entire time we were there, people were packing in to order pastries and desserts, talking loudly. It's not a big place, so this was a huge distraction and really took away from the relaxing tea experience.
When we got there, we waited in line, and were gestured toward a table in the corner which was reserved for us. We sat ourselves and waited about 15 minutes for the waitress (who was also working the packed counter/register) to come by for our tea order. We were informed that we get one tea type per two people. There were only 5 teas to choose from. We went with a classic Earl Grey.
They took quite a while to bring us the tea pot, and the tea was very floral for Earl Grey. The tea cups weren't so much dainty tea cups as tea mugs; they felt very clunky for afternoon tea. Call me crazy, but I honestly expected bone china.
More time passed, and then we were given a three tiered tray with our tea snacks on it. The snacks consisted of an underwhelming assortment of 6 generic sandwiches that were the size of a piece of bread in quarters, 4 scones that were the size of macaroons, and 6 bite-sized desserts. The sandwiches were 1) turkey with mayo, 2) cucumber with dressing, and 3) a crostini with cream cheese and a sprinkling of everything bagel seasoning. They were incredibly small and soggy. The pumpkin and vanilla scones were soft and super sugary. The desserts were a petit four (honestly the best part of the whole meal, though unexpectedly custard-like in texture), a chai tea bite, and a espresso and a maple macaroon.
Our waitress only came by our table to get our initial tea order and then drop off the tea, and then drop off the tiered tray. We were not checked on at any other time, and I felt as if we were inconveniencing her when we asked for cream for the tea. To add insult to this, when I walked up to the counter to pay, I was informed there was a 15% service charge. Granted, the staff members were polite, but there were way too few staff members for the service I think they were trying to deliver.
I didn't feel the value, service, nor food was worth the price. Everything tasted like it came out of a premade tin. I suppose my expectations were a lot different, as I was expecting a quiet, customized tea, especially for $40 per person. I wouldn't want to go back for anything, as even that petit four wasn't a stand-out item that would have me coming back. I'm really disappointed, and I can't say I'll ever be back.