Destination Tea Reviews/Georgia

Destination Tea: Morningbirds

Posted on / 4 Comments

Where:  Roswell, Georgia
Style: Whimsy luxe
Tea Selection: 8+ loose leaf teas by Tiesta Tea
Teatimes:  Parties of 4 or more, Wednesday to Friday 7 to 2; Saturday to Sunday 7 to 3
Reservations:  1-week notice
Contact:  Reserve here
Cost: $95 Tea Experience
Destination Tea Tip: A full brunch menu is also offered during teatimes, if guests in your party would like to order from that menu.

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

afternoon tea at Morningbirds in Roswell, Georgia

Destination Tea Notes: As we kindly told Morningbirds’ manager, who admirably came to our table with pen and paper to collect our feedback afterwards: when an afternoon tea is set at this price point, our expectations are the highest. Early impressions were good, as we surveyed the plush booths ensconced in a flowery glade, fresh flowers on our table, and warm greeting of our kind server Mayori. But as the minutes ticked by without so much as a glass of water coming to the table, our confidence waned. After 35 minutes, when tea was served, it was a very weak brew. We were honest with Mayori, who diligently offered to prepare a fresh brew twice more during our visit, but the results each time were the same (we’ll explain below). The three-tiered tray arrived 45 minutes after our reservation time, and we did enjoy several of the recipes in this generous menu (5 finger sandwiches, 3 breads, 5 desserts), many of them freshly made in house. The emphasis at Morningbirds is on using all-natural ingredients to handcraft Southern brunch favorites, which explains why their afternoon tea includes “biscones” (actually mini biscuits), served with their “clotted cream” (a sour cream blend) that came to the table 40 minutes after the three-tiered tray. With improvements to the service delays, tea preparation method and expectation setting — (an “English tea service” would certainly have proper scones and clotted cream) — this could be a very enjoyable afternoon tea, better still at satisfying customers if fittingly priced closer to $50 than $100.

sitting pretty outside afternoon tea at Morningbirds in Roswell, Georgia
A photo opportunity is staged in front of the restaurant.
interior design of afternoon tea at Morningbirds in Roswell, Georgia
Look for the bird silhouettes perched on booths and branches.
booths and flowers at afternoon tea at Morningbirds in Roswell, Georgia
Meadow feels with flowers everywhere
birds perched at afternoon tea at Morningbirds in Roswell, Georgia
We spy birdhouses.
corner booth at afternoon tea at Morningbirds in Roswell, Georgia
A curved corner booth is set for our tea.
bud vases at afternoon tea at Morningbirds in Roswell, Georgia
Dangling bud vases

Tea Selection

loose leaf tea menu at afternoon tea at Morningbirds in Roswell, Georgia
The tea menu is presented on a tablet, and we choose a chai.
weak tea at afternoon tea at Morningbirds in Roswell, Georgia
When the poured tea has this anemic color, we feel the need to investigate…
teapot steeping at afternoon tea at Morningbirds in Roswell, Georgia
Solved it! We’d guess this is a four or five cup teapot, unfortunately with a single-serving tea ball infuser inside. This method could work if the tea infuser was four times the size, with the appropriate amount of tea leaves.
more tea at afternoon tea at Morningbirds in Roswell, Georgia
Leaving the tea leaves in longer deepened the color, but also made the brew bitter. On her last attempt to brew us a proper cup of tea, our server actually placed a strainer with tea leaves over a teacup, poured hot water over it, removed the strainer and served. The manager assured us that they plan to change their method of tea brewing in future.

Savories and Sweets

birdcage three tiered tray at afternoon tea at Morningbirds in Roswell, Georgia
Birdcage tiered tray suits the restaurant’s theme
finger sandwiches at afternoon tea at Morningbirds in Roswell, Georgia
We appreciated five finger sandwiches served on soft bread: Egg salad, Smoked Salmon, Cucumber, Tuna Salad and the standout Curry Chicken Salad (aka Coronation Chicken).
bis-scones at afternoon tea at Morningbirds in Roswell, Georgia
For the breads course, mini cinnamon rolls were served, along with blueberry and strawberry biscones and a surprising treat – dried tangerines.
biscone crumbe
The “biscone” crumb
so called clotted cream at afternoon tea at Morningbirds in Roswell, Georgia
The house “clotted cream” we guessed was a sour cream blend
desserts at afternoon tea at Morningbirds in Roswell, Georgia
Although the lemon hibiscus cookies are the restaurant’s signature item, we were happier with the jammy strawberry and lemon tarts, and moist petit fours. Macaroons and assorted macarons (which were crisp/dry) were also offered, making this a generous dessert course.
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DestinationTea
Tea Voyageuse, discovering the world of afternoon tea, based in Atlanta, Georgia.

4 Comments

  2. What a beautiful tea room setting. Sad that the service wasn’t as good as you would expect. Hopefully, they will solve their problems soon!

    Reply

    1. Several managers and the restaurant consultants solicited our feedback after the meal, and we answered honestly. They said they plan to change their tea preparation methods going forward.

      Reply

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