The delicate aroma of freshly brewed tea wafts through the air, enveloping the senses in a comforting embrace. As the warmth from the cup seeps into your hands, a soothing tranquility begins to settle within.
With each gentle sip, the rich infusion of flavor dances on your palate, creating a momentary escape from the chaos of the outside world. The rhythmic ritual of cradling the cup and savoring the tea’s essence becomes a meditative act, gradually coaxing the mind into a state of calm repose.
Who needs the brain buzz of a cappuccino or latte? Seattle: It’s time to open – or reopen – your senses to the beauty of tea and its subtle symphony of flavors. Here are a few places (listed alphabetically) across our city where you can enjoy the delicate dance between steam and loose tea.
B. Fuller’s Mortar & Pestle (617 N. 36th St., Fremont): As the name suggests, B. Fuller’s is more of an apothecary than a tea haven. What makes B. Fuller’s stand out is the line of tisanes (pronounced tea-ZAHNZ), which includes unique blends such as Kava Koko and Loving Cup.
Better known as herbal teas, tisanes are a major part of the tea world. They are an infusion made from a plant other than Camellia sinensis – the plant from which true teas (green, black, oolong, etc.) are made. For this reason, there is a trend toward the use of terms like tisane, botanical or infusion.
Tisanes are caffeine-free and can be served hot or cold. Herbal teas have a long history, dating back to ancient China and Egypt, where tisanes were enjoyed for both medicinal purposes as well as general pleasure. They include leaf tisanes – a blend of lemon balm, lemongrass and French verbena – flower tisanes – which consist of rose, chamomile, hibiscus and lavender – and bark tisanes – cinnamon, slippery elm and black cherry bark. There are also fruit, ginger and spice tisanes.
Inside the cozy storefront is a mix of old-time apothecary and your grandmom’s sitting room. Go back in time to learn more about the art of tea and brewing. There are only two bar stools available to help rest and sample a few blends before making your purchase. This is the place to explore something new, healthy and, well, fun!
Floating Leaves Tea Room (1704 NW Market St., Ballard): Walking into this small shop one is quickly aware of the volumes of boxes of freight – presumably containing tea – along with packaged teas in shiny aluminum, paper and cloth wrappings.
Noah welcomes you with a smile and honest enthusiasm for the art of tea growing, roasting, brewing and – of course – enjoying. In my brief visit to the shop that he runs, Noah helps answer random questions as well as educate me about the types of tea for sale and how they are best enjoyed.
He and co-owner Shiuwen focus on Taiwanese teas. They visit her native Taiwan at least twice a year to select harvests each spring and fall. Noah even roasts some varieties in Taiwan to ensure they are enjoyed at their peak flavor.
Comparing his product to wine, Noah explains that as teas age they take on a more complex flavor experience. Unlike wine, teas rarely go bad. He sells varieties 30 or more years old. This is a next-level experience for many in-person and online customers – delivering a bountiful array of teas and a symphony of tastes, to be sure.
Floating Leaves sells dozens of varieties – specializing in Taiwan-produced teas – and ships them to adoring tea lovers anywhere. They also offer 2-hour tea classes on select weekends at their studio near the Woodland Park Zoo.
Friday Afternoon Tea (4228 Stone Way N., Wallingford): Friday Afternoon describes itself as a small family owned, geeky-themed tea company that specializes in quality blends based on a variety of fandoms and nerdy topics.
Those tea themes include inspiring names linked to mythology, Shakespeare, horror, Jane Austen and Lord of the Rings. Clever! Owner Friday Elliott experiences a rare form of synesthesia (Lexical Gustatory Synesthesia) and uses it to develop all her blends. Essentially, she tastes words and ideas that allow her to create unique concoctions.
The day I visited there were young workers focused on their laptops, while a couple enjoyed a board game. The shop features a growing number of games to enjoy with a friend or stranger. What a cool idea!
Sit and enjoy a 12 or 34 oz. carafe of specialty tea and packaged baked goods at one of the dozen chairs. Or grab a 12 or 20 oz. cup for the road. Just enjoy!
Miro Tea (5405 Ballard Ave. NW, Ballard): There are hundreds of coffee shops – each with a personality and its fans – but you can honestly count on one hand the great standalone tea shops in our city where you can unwind with a warm brew and delicious pastry or loaf slice nicely presented behind the glass counter.
Walk into this wonderful, light-filled space and bear to the right of the counter. There you will find a few selections of fresh-brewed teas and tasting cups to sample. Each pot is warmed by a traditional tea light. It’s a beautiful presentation and a great way to give you a chance to pick the one flavor that tickles your taste buds before making a selection.
Looking for something else? Check out the three-ring binder filled with dozens more options. Or, there are specialty drinks made from tea. I enjoyed a London Fog, a wonderful combination of Earl Gray, vanilla and frothy steamed milk in a large mug. Fantastic!
Miro offers more than 150 tea varieties – enjoyed in a spacious room, taken to go or simply packaged for enjoyment later. This is an amazing spot that will help you expand your tea-enjoying horizons, one sip at a time.
Perennial Tea Room (1910 Post Alley, downtown Seattle): Tucked along a quiet alley between 1st and Western avenues near the original Pike Place Market is a haven for tea fans and those curious about something other than coffee.
The Perennial Tea Room is a bit of a misnomer, however. It is a room but not a café. The place has everything you would ever want – more than 100 varieties of loose-leaf teas that can be purchased by the ounce, as well as tea pots and gifts.
The only way to enjoy a warm selection of their offerings is in a steeping 12 oz cup to go. Perennial provides two tables for covered seating outdoors and it does not currently offer milk, lemon or honey. (That’s okay; I like it black!)
The two young women working during my morning visit – when I enjoyed a cup of Irish Breakfast – were friendly and knowledgeable. Thirty-three years in business, the independently owned Perennial Tea Room is planning to renovate their historic space to include seating and enjoy a warm cuppa inside. I think locals and tourists alike would warm up to the idea!
Queen Mary Tea Room (2912 NE 55th St., Ravenna): Touted as the oldest independently owned tea room in America, the Queen Mary is a trip back in time, with a wonderful sitting room decked out like tea rooms of the past. You can be forgiven if you thought you had parachuted into London, Manchester or Newcastle for a spot of tea.
Queen Mary Tea Room opened its doors in 1988 and has been providing excellent Queen Mary-branded tea blends to its adoring fans. The space is small and reservations are highly recommended.
The leather-bound menu of teas is multiple pages, as is the food selection – from breakfast/brunch and lunch to afternoon tea. I enjoyed the Westminster for lunch; it is a beautiful mélange of ham, spinach, egg, onion, tomato, and three kinds of cheeses baked in a delicate phyllo dough crust. It comes with fresh fruit and a light salad. Delightful … and quite filling.
Thinking of taking part in the full afternoon tea experience? Behold: It includes a trio of sorbets, shortbread, cranberry orange scone with Chantilly cream, zucchini tea bread, pecan bar, ginger cookie, pumpkin swirl chocolate brownie, fruit, carrot ginger coconut soup, tomato chevre basil quiche, English cucumber with mint butter tea sandwich, chicken almond with mustard butter tea sandwich, Queen Mary smoked salmon mousse on rye and pork sausage roll. It’s all served with a pot of Queen Mary’s special tea (think English breakfast). Gulp!
It’s truly a one-of-a-kind experience in the PNW. In addition, we understand that Queen Mary is particularly magical during the holiday season – a special time to visit with friends or family.
About 50 yards down and across the street, Queen Mary Tea Emporium (2809 NE 55th St.) allows one to browse all of the teas – available in small decorative jars, canisters or sealed bags. You can also purchase teaware, books and other accoutrement.
A bonus: Order a tea to go and enjoy a break from life at the emporium patio adjacent to the building. And if the tearoom is too busy to seat you, order a bite to eat for takeout, walk to the emporium patio for the full experience of both locations.
You may need all afternoon to enjoy the tea room and emporium. Perhaps that is why it’s called afternoon tea!
Seattleites can enjoy a wonderful tea journey – morning, noon and evening – either on-site, to-go or online. Tea can be a wonderful experience – a moment to escape, meditate, connect with friends and simply soak in the simpler pleasures.
Sip and enjoy!