Where: Upper East Side, New York City
Style: European manor
Tea Selection: 14 loose leaf teas by Harney & Sons
Teatimes: Tuesday to Sunday, 12 to 6;
Private parties by reservation
Reservations: Recommended
Contact: 212-734-5490 or kchinfo@aol.com
Cost: $55.95 High Tea; $45.95 Afternoon Tea (Gluten-free or Vegetarian options); $29.95 Tea Box To Go
Destination Tea Tips: There is no signage! “251” on the building facade is your sign that you have arrived. Thoroughly peruse your options – like adding a Cucumber Elderflower Spritzer or a High Tea savory (worth it!).
Prices and teatimes are subject to change. Please see our New York City Afternoon Tea Directory for the latest details.
Destination Tea Notes: Slightly stunned by our visit to Kings’ Carriage House in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, we sum up the experience in two words: “quietly splendid.” In an unmarked 1870s carriage house, husband-and-wife proprietors Paul Farrell and Elizabeth King have been offering a completely homemade afternoon tea menu for 30 years, at half the price of a typical Manhattan afternoon tea. Executive chef Elizabeth (who has a degree in fine arts) is also responsible for the antique-filled themed tearoom decor and gorgeous fresh floral bouquets throughout the two-story restaurant. If we were New Yorkers, we would be frequent guests here, bringing our tea friends to experience a proper scone, tidy tiered tray presentation, and perfectly brewed teas, in a charming space that feels time and place apart from the city bustle. We also appreciate their correct use of afternoon tea nomenclature. The whipped cream served with the scones does not claim to be a “clotted cream,” and for a $10 upcharge, their “high tea” adds a delicious savory — much like the original high teas (aka dinners) of cheese, bread, fish, potatoes – to the full afternoon tea menu. We know how special it is to find a family-run teahouse standing the test of time amongst the upscale hotel teas in America’s number one city for afternoon tea.
Tea Selection
Scones & Spreads, Savories and Sweets
Destination Tea’s Afternoon Tea Rating
