Destination Tea Reviews/Virginia

Destination Tea: Stillwater Tea House at Rose Garden

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Where: Suffolk, Virginia
Style:  Victorian
Tea Selection: 20+ loose leaf teas, seasonal iced teas
Teatimes: Monday, Friday, Saturday at 11:30, 1:30 or 3:30; Sunday at 1:30 or 3:30; Private parties by reservation; Special Tea Events
Reservations: Pre-paid reservations required (ages 8 and up only)
Contact: 757-231-5131
Cost: $50 The Charles; $50 Mary, Queen of Scots; $48 ($96 for 2) Queen Elizabeth; $35 ($70 for 2) The Charlotte; $35 ($70 for 2) We’ll Always Have Paris; $25 Tiny Tea
Destination Tea Tips: To make your reservation, you will be asked to select your menu and all menu items, so be sure to peruse all your options here before calling in. Also check the teahouse website for upcoming themed/seasonal tea events.

Stillwater Tea House at Rose Cottage

Destination Tea Notes: Suffolk, Virginia’s first Stillwater Tea House closed in 2022, reopening three years later at its new location: Rose Cottage. We have such admiration for Amy Ford’s community-based approach to running her teahouse. For example, she works with organizers of a church rummage sale, who set aside choice china teasets for her table settings and gift shop sales. Donated family heirloom antique pieces are given a good home (and a name) in the teahouse, where they honor their former owners by adding charm and beauty to guests’ experience. Family and friends staff the teahouse (and when we visited, were working on decorating their private party room for up to 14 guests). Amy has a heart for historical traditions, books, whimsy and afternoon tea, evident throughout the teahouse. Teas are delicious and perfectly prepared, served ready to pour, and we say do not miss the add-on Velvet Rose Iced Tea. We also like that you can select your menu to suit your appetite and budget (see below for our savory and sweet favorites). A combination of parlor and dining table settings in the themed rooms make it a good idea to return often to experience them all. Having visited within their first year at this location, we are certain we have not seen all that Stillwater Tea House at Rose Cottage is yet to become, but it is already a local treasure.

Stillwater Tea House at Rose Cottage
Parties of up to 6 can enjoy the Blue Willow dining room.
Stillwater Tea House at Rose Cottage
A low tea setting by the fire in the Magnolia Room
Stillwater Tea House at Rose Cottage
Parties of two become new tea friends around this table.
Stillwater Tea House at Rose Cottage
The Rose Dining Room is open to children….
…and mice.
Stillwater Tea House at Rose Cottage
We were seated in the Peony Room (for parties up to 4).
Stillwater Tea House at Rose Cottage
Happily, they recreated the bookstack stairs from the former location.
Stillwater Tea House at Rose Cottage
A friendly reminder

Tea Selection

Stillwater Tea House at Rose Cottage
The teas here are so delicious! We tried the Jane Austen house blend, black tea with roses and almonds (fabulous), Almond Sugar Cookie (black tea) and Celtic Cream (green tea).
Stillwater Tea House at Rose Cottage
Enjoying the vintage setting while we peruse the tea menu
Stillwater Tea House at Rose Cottage
We added on a Sparkling Ginger Peach Tea, which arrived with gold leaf trim,
Stillwater Tea House at Rose Cottage
And the divine, glittery Velvet Rose Iced Tea (rose black tea with vanilla foam).
tea at Stillwater Tea House at Rose Cottage in Suffolk, VA
Teas are perfectly steeped and decanted before teapots come to the table.

Scones & Spreads, Savories and Sweets

tea sandwiches at Stillwater Tea House at Rose Cottage in Suffolk, VA
For our five tea sandwiches, we chose Cucumber (more cucumbers, please), Lady Tessa housemade pimento cheese, Lady Catherine with basil pesto, fresh tomato and mozzarella, Chicken Salad Croissant and Lady Carolyn with cream cheese, celery, walnut and bacon bits. We most enjoyed the chicken salad croissant, and curiously found the Lady Catherine and Lady Carolyn sandwiches to not be as flavorful as their ingredients would suggest.
scones at afternoon tea at Stillwater Tea House at Rose Cottage in Suffolk, VA
We chose Stillwater Cream and Lemon Curd for our two spreads served with five (wow!) fresh baked scones, but on this visit, the crumb was overly dense.
desserts at afternoon tea at Stillwater Tea House at Rose Cottage in Suffolk, VA
For our five desserts (meant to be shared between the two of us), we chose Sweet Abigail (decadent, moist brownie with pastry cream), Victoria Sandwich (lovely), Zesty Lemon Bar (dense and chewy), Dainty Fairy Cupcake and Strawberry Croissant. You almost cannot have too much of the teahouse’s dreamy pastry cream, but having it in 4 of the 5 desserts begged for more variety. We’d recommend not missing the Sweet Abigail and Victoria Sandwich.
teasets for sale at Stillwater Tea House at Rose Cottage in Suffolk, VA
Be sure to visit the gift shop and peruse the beautiful teasets for sale displayed about the teahouse.

Destination Tea’s Afternoon Tea Scorecard

Destination Tea's Afternoon Tea Scorecard for Stillwater Tea House at Rose Cottage
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DestinationTea
Tea Voyageuse, discovering the world of afternoon tea, based in Atlanta, Georgia.

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