The Boston Teacup

There's also a Teavana in the Chestnut Hill Ma...

2010-07-15T02:20:49.935-04:00

There's also a Teavana in the Chestnut Hill Mall, just next door to Territory Ahead (I used to work at the latter). I agree, Teavana's teapot sets are way overpriced, but they do have some cool books about cooking and baking with tea and the history of various tea traditions. But I have to say, the tea prepared behind the counter always left me a little disappointed. Even though the baristas use timers to carefully manage brewing, the Earl Grey always tasted bitter. Maybe it's the rock sugar they use, something just imparted a strange flavor to their teas.

Thanks for the post. That list is what I've be...

2010-06-19T17:41:34.435-04:00

Thanks for the post. That list is what I've been looking for,

So glad to see this review. I haven't hit man...

2010-06-08T19:44:34.837-04:00

So glad to see this review. I haven't hit many of the formal afternoon tea services in the city and was considering L'Espalier for this weekend. Glad for the advance warning!

Love the blog. Great to find more Boston area tea bloggers. Perhaps we'll meet in tea world soon.

Katrina at Tea Pages
teapages.blogspot.com

I am so glad that you have this blog. With a famil...

2010-04-07T11:03:51.846-04:00

I am so glad that you have this blog. With a family of girls and a father who refuses to leave the farm, we have come to enjoy high-tea. Now that us daughters have grown, we all live in different large cities around the globe. We are going to Boston to celebrate my sister's 27th birthday and your blog has helped me make my decision. Thanks!

I arranged for a work group to go to the Bristol L...

2010-03-08T08:23:41.035-05:00

I arranged for a work group to go to the Bristol Lounge to celebrate the submission of a huge grant application, and we all LOVED it. It was a quiet weekday, and we sat near the fireplace, and although the atmosphere was more "masculine" than I'd have liked, it was still a luxurious afternoon. I was seated next to a Brit, who kept commenting on how lovely it all was. The food was amazing, my Russian Caravan tea was delicious, and the service was excellent without being stuffy. We spent hours just relaxing and enjoying the experience. Two of us asked for extra hot water, and we were accommodated quickly and smoothly. Maybe that waiter learned his lesson from the previous writer's visit. I would definitely visit this place again.

Hi T & H This is a great subject and a great b...

2010-01-04T12:26:53.659-05:00

Hi T & H
This is a great subject and a great blog! I'm an expat Brit too, and always looking for an authentic cuppa!

I wanted to give you a head's up on the Afternoon Tea posting you have at the BPL. The Catered Affair has partnered with the BPL to coordinate the BPL's meetings, special events and restaurants and we now have a new name, The Courtyard Restaurant, and phone number (617 859 2251). As you can guess, we're trying to make our Afternoon Tea THE most authentic in Boston ( I'd like to think my tea-drinking expertise counts a little). Afternoon Tea at the BPL is now the best in the city of Boston. We also offer private tea parties for "philanthropists and princesses"! We look forward to seeing you soon. Best, Joanna

My daughter and I celebrated her birthday by havin...

2009-11-27T11:46:10.648-05:00

My daughter and I celebrated her birthday by having tea at the Sea Grill - it was wonderful!! We felt very pampered and special. I highly recommend this place!! The view was terrific looking out to the Harbor- the table was elegant with china and rose petals. The service was amazing. They made the experience extra special because it was her birthday by giving us a complimentary glass of champagne with a plate of strawberries and clotted cream. Then in the middle of our feasting on the tea and the treats from the 3 tiered food platter they brought in a Chocolate mousse dessert with berries and Happy Birthday written in Chocolate. It couldn't have been better and we are already talking about coming again for another birthday celebration.

My daughter, grand-daughter, and I just had aftern...

2009-10-17T15:00:34.149-04:00

My daughter, grand-daughter, and I just had afternoon tea at the Library. It was a wonderful experience.

In addition to the other comments, I would like to cite the services of the host who acted like the best concierge I have ever had the pleasure to meet! His name is HECTOR CAMACHO and I hope he is there when you choose to have lovely tea at the Library.

Pat Margulies

The inTRIGUE Cafe has been replaced by the Sea Gri...

2009-06-06T12:26:13.058-04:00

The inTRIGUE Cafe has been replaced by the Sea Grille but they still offer afternoon tea at the same times in the same location.

Beautiful blog! Really wonderful resource for thos...

2009-05-04T13:54:00.000-04:00

Beautiful blog! Really wonderful resource for those of us who are tea-lovers from out of town! :)

I'm not sure if you still read this, but I just wa...

2009-04-18T17:33:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure if you still read this, but I just wanted to say thank you for posting this. It was awesome it helped me decide where to take my friend for tea. I was only in Boston for a week, so we only had one chance.

We picked the Taj and it was wonderful, a nice relaxed atmosphere and very friendly staff.

Yay! We're glad that people are reporting even bet...

2009-03-18T07:27:00.000-04:00

Yay! We're glad that people are reporting even better experiences now at Swans Cafe. Having Cynthia Gold there as a tea sommelier is truly a treasure for Boston and hopefully the rest of the service is improving to match up to her wicked-good tea skills.

I'm glad I saw Ruth's follow-up comment. I want to...

2009-03-18T07:21:00.000-04:00

I'm glad I saw Ruth's follow-up comment. I want to say that I have since had excellent interactions with Swans Cafe. Ms. Gold could not have been more gracious and inviting. I have now had two fantastic tea experiences there and I would highly recommend.

I have gone to two afternoon teas with tastings at...

2009-03-18T01:10:00.000-04:00

I have gone to two afternoon teas with tastings at the Swans Cafe and both were excellent. The first one was with my daughter and mother-in-law last summer for a belated Mothers' Day and we liked it so much that I took them back with 6 friends to celebrate my 60th birthday recently. My daughter had no problem making the arrangements for my birthday tea and everything was perfect! We had three servers, who were skilled and well-trained, and with each new food, we were brought new varieties of teas, which Cynthia explained. I noticed that she would tell us the background of the particular tea and if one of us had a question, she would continue, which we enjoyed because two of my friends know quite a lot about tea, one being English/South Indian and having gone to a school in Darjeeling. The teas were exquisite...I had never tasted teas like them and Cynthia told us the proper way to brew black and green teas (the water is at different temperatures). We enjoyed the food (the scone was tender, and I think it was served with clotted cream, a airy and fluffy butter and a nice marmalade. The sandwiches and desserts were very nice and we took some of the desserts home. When she found out that it was my birthday, she brought out a very special jasmine tea and gave me a bag of the signature blend. All in all, my girlfriends, mother-in-law, daughter and I had a wonderful time and I would definitely recommend a tasting with Cynthia Gold, the tea sommelier, at the Swans Cafe. By the way, we enjoyed the hubbub of being in the lobby of the big hotel and the live piano music. The last thing I liked was that it was very leisurely...the staff were very inobtrusive and we spent a few hours there, never feeling rushed.

Why did you guys have to end this before I moved h...

2009-01-21T01:24:00.000-05:00

Why did you guys have to end this before I moved here? Thanks for leaving the site up though, this has been my guide for the last few months!

They have recently moved to 774Boylston Street, Bo...

2008-12-30T04:37:00.000-05:00

They have recently moved to 774Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02199.

In the heart of fashionable Back Bay, adjacent to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel on Boylston Street, one block from the Hynes Convention Center, Prudential Center and Copley Place. L'Espalier is walking distance to Symphony Hall, Berklee Performance Center and major colleges and universities.

Tea - Saturday & Sunday only.

http://www.lespalier.com/menu/8%20tea%20menu.pdf

There most definitely is a Teavana tea in the Prud...

2008-12-09T11:03:00.000-05:00

There most definitely is a Teavana tea in the Prudential mall [or the Copley adjoined one]. I can never remember which it is since they are a continuation of each other. Don't buy their tea-pots though. Definitely overpriced. For the same exact brand of cast-iron tea pots look in china-town etc.

I enjoyed your reviews very much. But it would be great to have some comparative price information before I make the trip to each of these places.

I enjoy tea, but I don't have a fine tasting, so I am curious to know how do L'Aroma teas rate in your book? I love the Kyoto rose - hot or cold.

Thank you for all the wonderful info in this website!

This is great info to know.

2008-10-27T13:37:00.000-04:00

This is great info to know.

I stumbled on this site searching for the Boston P...

2008-09-25T16:09:00.000-04:00

I stumbled on this site searching for the Boston Public Library's high tea hours... I've always loved afternoon tea, ran a daily tea service in our library during college, and would love it if the whole world paused for tea every day! I'm so happy to read your reviews... another tea service I like (but haven't been to recently) is the one at the MFA-- informal, inexpensive, some home-baked/made goodies by volunteers on the 2nd flour lounge area of the museum. It would be great if other museums (Isabella Stewart Gardner, ICA, etc.) also had afternoon tea!

I went there about 3 months ago and found the serv...

2008-09-05T10:01:00.000-04:00

I went there about 3 months ago and found the service very disappoiting. The waiter was very unprofessional. They only give you one pot of tea which you brew yourself and the tea eventually gets very bitter. I liked the Swan Cafe at the Park Plaza better because their tea is perfection! The room might not be as nice but tea and service more than make up for it. However, the pastries at the Taj were slighty better than at the Swan Cafe in the Park Plaza.

Awww, going to miss this blog so much! I miss Tom ...

2008-08-18T22:11:00.000-04:00

Awww, going to miss this blog so much! I miss Tom already, he should start a blog too. But I'm so happy for the Pink Cat's Bakery, love it :)

Will always have love for The Boston Teacup :) x

awww * dabs tears * and I've only started reading ...

2008-07-31T10:56:00.000-04:00

awww * dabs tears * and I've only started reading this blog. thanks for your great reviews u both!

Sorry to see this blog go! I've really enjoyed yo...

2008-07-30T21:14:00.000-04:00

Sorry to see this blog go! I've really enjoyed your reviews and have found them very helpful!

Hi I am writing because I am not only a tea aficio...

2008-06-23T12:37:00.000-04:00

Hi I am writing because I am not only a tea aficionado and this site has enabled me to plan tea time for a bachelorette party but also because I would like to pursue a career with Yelp. I am currently interested in becoming a community manager with Yelp and I was wondering if you had any suggestions. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for the detailed review of afternoon tea...

2008-06-11T14:55:00.000-04:00

Thank you for the detailed review of afternoon tea at the Boston Athenaeum and kudos to pastry chef Katy Chen for her brilliant menus this year - she will be back in the Fall of 2008 with even more tasty treats.

Just to clarify, since some of your readers seem sad that they cannot come in - visitors are in fact very welcome at the Boston Athenaeum. In particular, visitors will enjoy the complimentary exhibitions in the gallery, currently "Always Delightfully Cool" Summer Vacations in Northern New England 1825-1900. Nonmembers may visit during regular hours (Monday 9-8, Tuesday-Friday 9-5:30, and, after Labor day, Saturday 9-4; closed summer Saturdays). No reservation is required, just drop by. You can also usually visit the room where tea and other events take place. Tea is usually twice a month between October and May.

There's also a complimentary tour of the whole building on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3. Call for an advance reservation: 617-227-0270 x279.

New members (especially tea lovers) are also encouraged - there's a membership application on the Web site. Tea is one of many great member benefits, including dozens of book talks followed by wine and cheese receptions, a delightful children's library, full library services, deliciously quiet spots to write and think, a members' terrace high above the Granary Burying Ground, and WiFi throughout the building. It is one of Boston's "hidden" gems indeed, if a National Historic Landmark building can be said to be "hiding" one half block from the State House! Please do come and visit, and let us know you heard about the Library on Boston Teacup.

I am happy to answer questions and meet fellow tea-lovers. I also help plan activities for our young members' group, including a special table at tea this fall. Perhaps some of you will join us?

Cheers!

Kirsten Alexander
Marketing & Communications Officer, Associate Member Liaison, and Lifelong Tea Drinker
The Boston Athenaeum
10 1/2 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02108
alexander@bostonathenaeum.org
direct line: 617-720-7654