Where: Bell Buckle, Tennessee
Style: Victorian
Tea Selection: 36+ loose leaf teas
Teatimes: Tuesday to Saturday, 11, 1 or 3
Reservations: Reservations required
Contact: 931-813-3300 or reserve here
Cost: $23.99 Afternoon Tea
Destination Tea Tip: Leave time to explore the large gift shop up front, which incidentally includes a famously huge inventory of Case knives, amongst gourmet foods, baby gifts, clothing, jewelry and more.
Prices and teatimes are subject to change. Please see our Tennessee Afternoon Tea Directory for the latest details.
Destination Tea Notes: One of the joys of going to afternoon tea in a historic town — this one established in 1852 — is knowing that Victorian gentlefolk likely enjoyed afternoon tea themselves in this very place. In fact, the Southern Charm Hearth Room has been a mainstay in Bell Buckle for decades, formerly housed in a building across the street. To help date the tearoom’s origins, current owner Amy Beth Townsend says that one of her gift shop vendors, now in her eighties, worked in the tearoom as a young woman. Now tucked into the back room of the Southern Charm shop on the main street, the tearoom is decorated with wall-to-wall tea things, antiques, lacy tablecloths and sweet trinkets. While the little tearoom seats about a dozen guests, larger parties need not feel left out — Amy hosts them around the corner in the Southern Charm guest house. Both Amy and our Tea Hostess Jaime took excellent care of us, singing the praises of their baker, who we can confirm, creates delightful confections for this entirely homemade afternoon tea. It should go without saying (given the tearoom’s moniker), the savories and scones served here favor the Southern style in portion and flavor, which we thoroughly enjoyed in place of a lunch break on our drive from Atlanta to Nashville.
Tea Selection
Guests are invited to ring a brass handbell to request more tea.
Scones & Spreads, Savories and Sweets
