Where: Tate, Georgia Style: 1920s mansion Tea Selection: 6 loose leaf teas Teatimes: Seasonal Tea Events Reservations: Required Contact: 770-735-3122 Cost: $75 Christmas Royal Tea Tour Destination Tea Tips: Come early if you want to visit the gift shop, which closes for the day at teatime. This beautiful venue is the perfect setting for a photo shoot, so leave time to explore the grounds and pause for pictures.
Destination Tea Notes: In the words of one of our reviewers, “Tate House has everything you could want in a Christmas tea.” The “Pink Palace” — as it is known in the National Register of Historic Places — is built of Etowah pink marble that is said to be rarer than diamonds, sourced from the quarry in Tate House’s own backyard. Renovated to serve as a wedding venue, in 2007, Tate House began the tradition of welcoming the public for a holiday open house. We happily discover that their Christmas royal tea reflects the all-encompassing excellence of an experienced event venue. This afternoon tea menu wins our approval for being perfectly portioned, with a satisfying, balanced dose of savory and sweet.
After tea, it’s time to visit a Christmas wonderland. Tate House is dressed from head to toe in lavish Christmas glory that will have you humming carols as you enjoy your included self-guided tour of this 1926 mansion. General manager Marsha Mann says that every year, her team shops at Dallas and Atlanta marts to select the house’s decorations, and it takes them two weeks to decorate (you’ll see why). Smartly, these decorations are offered at a Christmas in July sale each year, to make room for the next year’s theme. The one-hour drive from North Atlanta is certainly worth it, especially if you make this an annual tradition to celebrate the season and while you’re there, snap some group photos in the dozens of beautiful holiday scenes throughout the property.
Larger-than-life wreaths decorate the French doors overlooking a marble patio
The English courtyard entrance
The Italianate entrance with double staircase faces the pond
So many scenes set for Christmas photos
Enter here to check-in for your teatime. We are asked to wait outside until teatime when names are called for seatings (if you have time to spare, this would be a good time to stroll the gardens).
Many couples are married in this outdoor gazebo, but for now, it’s home to the Nativity.
Another beautiful spot for pictures, the brick catwalk
We see several friends taking pictures in front of the baubled birdbath.
Entering the grand ballroom – picture perfect festive elegance!
Holiday centerpieces with flickering electric tealights and frosted red berries
Tables are set with champagne-colored sequin tablecloths
Naturally, the Pink Palace must have pink teasets.
This decked out 14-foot tree is only a hint of what’s to come on the self-guided mansion tour.
Tea Service
Loving the fresh roses for Christmas color
Delicious champagne starts off this tea on a proper festive footing.
Our server Julia is fabulous, accommodating and kind. Love this moment when the tray of pink teapots appears.
Each guest is served a 5-cup pot of tea, allowing us to share, which works out well as there are several delicious teas to try. The White Ginger Pear is a scrumptious white tea with just a hint of spicy ginger that recalls a certain partridge in a tree, and the days when fruits were given as holiday treats.
The Holiday Spice tea is perfect for the occasion…
..and its flavors are lifted by dropping in a slice of lemon. So good!
Scones & Spreads, Savories and Sweets
Smartly, 3-bite scones are perfectly sized to allow us to try the herb, plain and cranberry scone without getting overly full. We also appreciate our personal condiment trays with lemon curd, cream and orange marmalade.
Butternut squash bisque with toasted pepitas is served in the perfect cup to allow us to indulge in this creamy, fragrant soup without filling up on it.
For the savories course, we enjoy Cucumber with Veggie Spread on Naan Round, Shrimp & Blue Crab Salad on Hearty Wheat, (my favorite) London Broil with Horseradish Cream Cheese on Rye, and Cranberry Chicken Salad on Bed of Greens with Balsamic Vinaigrette.
Brownies can sometimes be underwhelming, but at Tate House, they are the star. This decadent brownie drizzled with salted caramel is followed by a macaron and orange cranberry bar. Again, the mini desserts allow us to indulge without eater’s remorse.
Holiday House Tour
In the ladies’ room, a bride of yesteryear
After tea, guests have about 30 minutes to tour the mansion, which is covered in Christmas regalia.
Rich reds in the dining room
So many beautiful scenes for a family portrait
At the top of the spiral staircase (with painted mural), Santa stands near a golden tree
A table for visiting by the fire in this bedroom
Of course I must be photographed with a teapot
And speaking of teapots…this Christmas collection!
In another room we find a cabinet of whimsical teapots galore
The Pavilion next door houses a gift shop during the holiday season.
Tables of Christmas decorations and gifts await, many of which echo the decorations chosen for the house each year.
We spy scone mixes in Orange Cranberry, Lavender and Gingerbread.
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