Where: Skagway, Alaska Style: Garden Sunroom Tea Selection: Signature English Rose loose leaf black tea Teatimes: May-September; Daily 11-3 Reservations: Walk-ins welcome Contact:907-983-2111 Cost:$9.95 Tea Plate and Tea Destination Tea Tip: In the summer months, cruise lines book very large parties for tea here as part of a pre-purchased Skagway excursion. If you want to go for tea during this time of year and are not doing so as part of an excursion, it is recommended walk-ins arrive after 1 pm, when the crowds have gone.
Destination Tea Notes: Many of us afternoon tea enthusiasts also love the romance of a beautiful garden, not unlike our 19th century counterparts who enjoyed taking tea in private and public gardens. It may seem surprising that a lush garden can grow in Alaska, but due to the 20-hour days of sunlight in their summer season, farms and gardens here actually flourish and can grow record-breaking, giant-sized produce. Capitalizing on all this daylight, Jewell Gardens offers homemade garden-to-table specialties in its Poppies Garden Restaurant, serving an afternoon tea that delights all the senses at once. While savoring a delicious tea menu, you gaze upon a picturesque garden featuring blown glass accents made on premises. Afterwards you may pay a fee to tour the garden and glassworks.
The entrance to Poppies restaurant is framed with potted flowers peppered with teacups and saucers.
Jewell Gardens’ glassworks contributes colorful hanging lamps and globes and table centerpieces that add personality to the brightly lit garden room overlooking the grounds.
A row of teapots sits above the wall-to-wall windows in this adjacent enclosed porch.
Tea Service
You may either purchase a cup or pot of Jewell Gardens’ signature black tea blend, English Rose. It is a fragrant, strong brew that we loved so much, we bought some in the gift shop afterwards.
Scones, Savories and Sweets
My daughter LOVED the vegetable minestrone with homegrown veggies, which we chose to order in addition to our tea plates.
We also sighed over Jewell Gardens’ kale caesar salad, which was outstanding in freshness and flavor. Even the croutons were herb flavored.
This cheese herb scone has great buttery flavor and reminded me of a recent lesson I received from an Australian friend and tea aficionado: that, traditionally, scones should have the consistency of what we in the Southern United States call a biscuit. If it had been served warm, Jewell Gardens’ scone would have entirely hit the mark for both my Australian friend and me.
The tea plate included cucumber sandwich with red pepper spread (yum), vegetable quiche (fabulous), fresh baked scone, ruby begonia bar and carrot cake (scrumptious).
Closer look at the ruby begonia bar
Touring the gardens; fences adorned with cherry and berry red glass-blown baubles
The White Pass Railroad winds through miniature Skagway.
Love how they pair similarly colored glass sculptures and flowers
Jewell Gardens’ teasets and signature house blend English Rose loose leaf tea available for purchase in the gift shop
Very fun! Have been there several times since they opened a few years ago and plan on going again this year. The gardens are filling in! I love to watch the glass blowers there, and have not had Tea…always seemed to be there at the wrong time! Maybe this year. Thanks for the reminder.
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Very fun! Have been there several times since they opened a few years ago and plan on going again this year. The gardens are filling in! I love to watch the glass blowers there, and have not had Tea…always seemed to be there at the wrong time! Maybe this year. Thanks for the reminder.
I hope you will get there for a tea plate, it was delicious. How fortunate that you have been able to revisit the beauty there!