Destination Tea Reviews/Georgia

Destination Tea: Dr. Bombay’s Underwater Tea Party at Howdy ATL

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Where:  Atlanta, Georgia
Style:  Whimsical library
Tea Selection:  1 bagged black tea
Teatimes:  Saturday to Sunday, 12:30 or 3
Reservations:  Required
Contact:  Reserve here
Cost:  $32.32 Afternoon Tea
Destination Tea Tips:  Free on-street parking is available. Dates have been selling out, reserve yours well in advance. Leave time to peruse the used book selection lining the tearoom.

Prices and teatimes are subject to change. Please see our Atlanta afternoon tea directory for the latest details.

outside Dr. Bombay's Underwater Tea Party at Howdy ATL in Atlanta, Georgia

Destination Tea Notes: In a heartfelt letter posted to Facebook, owner Katrell Christie announced in March that Dr. Bombay’s Underwater Tea Party would be closing its Candler Park tearoom and relocating to Howdy ATL, across from Zoo Atlanta. One of Atlanta’s favorite and longest-standing tea spots, Dr. Bombay’s has been in business for 18 years, raising funds for its charitable organization, The Learning Tea, which to-date has put 14 young women through college in India.

For years, I have had the privilege of watching this community grow, seeing you fall in love, start families, celebrate birthdays and special moments. It has been an honor to be part of your lives, and I am deeply grateful for the memories we have created together.”
– Katrell Christie, Dr. Bombay’s Underwater Tea Party

Having reviewed Dr. Bombay’s Underwater Tea Party in Candler Park several times over the years, we were eager to see what would change or stay the same at their new location, now a weekend afternoon tea pop-up. There’s great news and some not-great news. The great news is that the homemade menu and library vibes are still here in their full glory, hanging parasols included. The not-great news is that the yummy tea selection and proper tea preparation at Candler Park didn’t make the move. We hope they plan to bring back loose leaf teas, even if they pare down the tea list, because part of the joy of this experience was discovering their exclusive blends, and their descriptions. How we do miss their “Jazilla” blend: vanilla black with jasmine green tea “that could make you want to stomp around the city like a 16-story badass.” Anyone who knows and loves Dr. Bombay’s can tell you that generic grocery store tea bags are nowhere close to weird enough to be served at this whimsical tea party. Still, there’s much to celebrate: downtown Atlanta now has an afternoon tea service south of I-20, and it happens to be one of the most affordable in town.

Dr. Bombay's Underwater Tea Party at Howdy ATL in Atlanta, Georgia
Enter Howdy ATL and turn right to find the tearoom.
walking into afternoon tea at Dr. Bombay's Underwater Tea Party at Howdy ATL in Atlanta, Georgia
Dr. Bombay’s decor perfectly complements the space.
new location Dr. Bombay's Underwater Tea Party at Howdy ATL in Atlanta, Georgia
Used books still for sale to help fund The Learning Tea.
parasols at Dr. Bombay's Underwater Tea Party at Howdy ATL in Atlanta, Georgia
Liking the raised dining area at back
tearoom at Dr. Bombay's Underwater Tea Party at Howdy ATL in Atlanta, Georgia
The aisles between the long tables in the dining room are a bit snug.

Tea Selection

tea is served at Dr. Bombay's Underwater Tea Party at Howdy ATL in Atlanta, Georgia
Part of the fun of this afternoon tea is admiring each guest’s mix-n-match china setting. These teacups deserve teas with personality and flavor, but unfortunately, we were not given a choice of teas.
tea at afternoon tea at Dr. Bombay's Underwater Tea Party at Howdy ATL in Atlanta, Georgia
We finally peered inside our 4-cup pots to discover that one tea bag had been used (and left inside). This was the most disappointing part of this afternoon tea, and though we were offered a fresh pot as this one emptied, it was more of the same. For the uninitiated, we’ll point out that about four tea bags should be used for a teapot of this size, and after a few minutes of steeping, they should be removed. You make a tea stronger by upping your tea to water ratio, not by leaving the tea inside longer.

Scones & Spreads, Savories and Sweets

tiered tray at afternoon tea at Dr. Bombay's Underwater Tea Party at Howdy ATL in Atlanta, Georgia
Afternoon tea included one egg salad and one pimiento cheese tea sandwich and a slice of room temperature quiche for the savory course.
scones at afternoon tea at Dr. Bombay's Underwater Tea Party at Howdy ATL in Atlanta, Georgia
We’d love if they would bring back their homemade clotted cream (from pre-pandemic days), but we still respect their scone game. See those fresh blueberries and soft crumb.
desserts at afternoon tea at Dr. Bombay's Underwater Tea Party at Howdy ATL in Atlanta, Georgia
Dessert was a soft red velvet cake, brownie and iced sugar cookie.
tea friends at Dr. Bombay's Underwater Tea Party at Howdy ATL in Atlanta, Georgia
We brought the fun!

Destination Tea’s Afternoon Tea Scorecard

Destination Tea's afternoon tea rating for Dr. Bombay's Underwater Tea Party at Howdy ATL in Atlanta, Georgia
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DestinationTea
Tea Voyageuse, discovering the world of afternoon tea, based in Atlanta, Georgia.

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