Where: Virginia Beach, Virginia Style: Cozy homespun Tea Selection: 45+ loose leaf and bagged teas Teatimes: Tuesday to Saturday 11 to 3 Reservations: Recommended Contact: 757-498-1011 Cost: $36.50 Tea for Two; $25.50 Royal Tea; $22.50 The King’s Afternoon Tea; $21.50 Full English Tea; $9.50 Cream Tea; $9.50 Dessert Tea; $9.50 Afternoon Tea Sandwiches Destination Tea Tips: This tearoom welcomes you to choose from a variety of afternoon tea menus, so everyone at your table may like ordering something different and sharing (we did!).
Destination Tea Notes: Enter The English Rose Tea Room and your eyes are immediately drawn into a visual feast, where no two tables are alike, each with its own brightly patterned tablecloth and unique, seasonal tablescape. The space is cozy without feeling confined, bordered by multiple china cabinets teeming with the tearoom’s vast teacup collection. Spindle-back chairs remind us of times gone by as we settle in and peruse our many teatime options. Taking seriously our reviewer duties — to sample as many homemade treats as possible — we order several menus, pictured below. Our server is attentive, but also leaves us to our leisure, and hostess Shari Yauneridge checks on us to make sure we’ve enjoyed the results of her hard work – we have!
Shouldn’t every tearoom have a teapot for a sign?
Reminding us of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast”
Our table is pictured in the middle, with the white flowery cloth and Christmas moose.
Paned windows and door at the tearoom’s front give the feel of a home parlor.
Cozy, colorful tables for two
A frothy feminine ballerina tree watches over Santa in a teacup
Tea Service
Too many tempting choices! We appreciate that the extensive tea selection is further embellished for the holidays.
Admiring our elegant place settings and china
Each guest chooses her own pot of tea, and we make sure to order four different teas to share around the table.
We decide on the White Christmas, Christmas Chai, Coconut Cream and (outstanding!) Caramel Walnut teas, and appreciate the drip catchers on our beautiful teapots as we pour.
Scones & Spreads, Savories and Sweets
Royal Tea
Homemade cheesy potato soup and bacon cheddar quiche lead off the “Royal Tea”
Sparkling juice, holiday flavored almond and peppermint scones with Devonshire cream
This beautiful tray holds the four tea sandwiches: egg salad, cucumber, tomato and pimiento cheese alongside mini desserts: apple crumble, pecan tart, coffee cake and brownie.
Tea for Two (scones not pictured)
Fresh mixed greens with dried cranberries, mandarins, walnuts and feta give this menu a healthy bend
We like these white bread rounds and decide the tomato sandwich is our favorite. The “Tea for Two” tiered tray includes a fresh fruit medley.
Creamy custard pudding mingles with fruit in this parfait.
The King’s Afternoon Tea
“The King’s Afternoon Tea,” likely meant for hearty eaters (i.e., menfolk), invites us to choose a hot meal item (Shepherd’s Pie, Bacon & Cheddar Quiche, Chicken Pot Pie or Tomato Pie) served along with the four tea sandwiches. The chicken pot pie has a flaky topping and a pleasing balance of flavors.
It’s “Baker’s Choice” for dessert, and we like how this baker thinks! Bread pudding with whipped cream – yum!
We love comments! Destination Tea's comment policy shares a guiding principle with afternoon tea etiquette: please be gracious. We welcome honest comments that are not rude or scathing.
