Destination Tea: Tafa’s Restaurant

Update: Tafa’s closed in 2017.

Where:  Historic Roswell, GA
Style:  Warm Traditional
Tea Selection:  15+ loose leaf teas
Teatimes:  Tuesday-Sunday 11:30-3:30; 5:30-9
Reservations:  48-hour notice
Contact:  770-643-5813
Cost:  $30 High Tea; $25 Light Tea  – peruse menus here
Destination Tea Tips:  Note that this is the only venue in the Metro Atlanta area that offers a tea service during both regular lunch and dinner hours, allowing you to enjoy high tea at its (historically) proper time:  in the evening, perhaps after you get off work.

Tafa's Exterior

Destination Tea Notes:  Newcomer to the afternoon tea scene, Tafa’s Restaurant is a family-run Syrian-Greek restaurant, opened in late 2015 in the historic home that housed the former Roswell Teahouse. Tafa’s must have known that the only way to help us get over the loss of a beloved teahouse was to delight us with an afternoon tea menu the likes of which Atlantans have never seen. Especially for world travelers, foodies and cuisine explorers, Tafa’s should not be missed. Mediterranean specialties, flavors and spices abound in every course of this menu — from tea through dessert — which we happily explored with our server as our gracious guide. In place of the scones and spreads you’d find in a typical British tea, Tafa’s offers two tiers of sandwiches, making this ample meal deserving of the “high tea” moniker.

Tables surround a fireplace in our sunlit room of this 1920s home.
Tables surround a fireplace in our sunlit room of this 1920s home.

Tea Service

Thankfully Tafa's teas include bottomless pots, allowing us to adventure freely amongst their unique tea menu
Thankfully Tafa’s high tea includes bottomless pots, allowing us to adventure freely amongst their unique tea menu, which tempts with flavors like papaya, marzipan, aniseed and grenadine.
Tea is served in cast iron teapots and glass teacups
Tea is served in cast iron teapots and glass teacups.

Savories and Sweets

Very generous bowls of soup accompany the high tea. We shared a spinach soup and a tomato rice soup.
Very generous bowls of soup accompany the high tea. We shared a spinach soup and a rice soup.
Comforting rice soup with tomato puree
Comforting rice soup with tomato puree
Tafa's tea tray
The only items Tafa’s does not make in-house are its breads, which they source from a local bakery. They actually make their own cream cheese and yogurt for their tea sandwiches which include hummus, black olive, cucumber and labneh salad (yogurt with tomatoes, red onions and herbs). Everything was delicious!
Thankfully the tea sandwiches are open faced, so that you aren't overwhelmed with bread before you reach the croissant tier which includes chicken salad, sautéed spinach and Syrian croissants. While they were each scrumptious, the standout for us was the Syrian croissant which featured the traditional za'atar spice blend in its spread.
Tea sandwiches are open faced, so as not to overwhelm you with bread before you reach the croissant tier which includes chicken salad, sautéed spinach and Syrian croissants. While they were each scrumptious, the standout for us was the Syrian croissant which featured the traditional za’atar spice blend in its spread.
Desserts at Tafa's
Each of the three desserts was new to us, including date balls, coconut balls (YUM!) and biscuits au chocolat (with not-too-sweet dark chocolate).
Sneak peek at the next seasonal tea: Mango & Friends. Loose leaf teas and artwork are for sale.
Sneak peek at Tafa’s next seasonal tea: Mango & Friends. Loose leaf teas and artwork are for sale.
Outdoor seating beckons for a tree-shaded outdoor tea.
Outdoor seating beckons for an al fresco patio tea.
DestinationTea
Tea Voyageuse, discovering the world of afternoon tea, based in Atlanta, Georgia.

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