Destination Tea: The Hermitage Hotel

Where: Nashville, Tennessee
Style:  1910 beaux-arts veranda
Tea Selection:  6 loose leaf teas
Teatimes:  Friday to Sunday, 2 pm
Reservations: Reservations required
Contact: 615-345-7147 or reserve here
Cost: $75 Spillin’ Tea with Draper James; $35 Child (10 and under)
Destination Tea Tips: Get fancy for this gorgeous afternoon tea setting, and bring cash to tip the valet.

Prices and teatimes are subject to change. Please see our Tennessee Afternoon Tea Directory for the latest details.

afternoon tea at The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee

Destination Tea Notes: Coming to The Hermitage Hotel for afternoon tea is at once trendy and epically historic. Especially historically significant for women, the hotel, just one block from the state Capitol, in 1920 became headquarters for suffragists, legislators and lobbyists preparing for Tennessee’s vote to ratify the 19th amendment. Filled to the brim with debating pro-suffragists (who wore yellow roses) and anti-suffragists (who wore red roses), the scene at The Hermitage was dubbed “The War of the Roses.” Today, The Hermitage lobby proudly displays telegrams of congratulations that arrived when Tennessee delivered a victory for the suffragist campaign by being the 36th state to ratify the amendment so that it could become constitutional law.

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, August 18, 1920

Finished in 1910, the breathtaking architectural design of The Hermitage, with its ornamental columns reaching up to vaulted ceilings, is the perfect setting for elegant friends to gather for afternoon tea. Making the experience even more fashionable, the hotel has cleverly teamed up with Draper James, Reese Witherspoon’s clothing brand, to create a themed afternoon tea. The partnership is doubly fitting: one, Reese grew up in Nashville, and two, her 2018 book, “Whiskey in a Teacup” shares her grandmother’s traditional Southern recipes, which have inspired The Hermitage’s Spillin’ Tea with Draper James menu.

For our readers unfamiliar with the phrase she’s whiskey in a teacup, here’s how one Tennessee tearoom owner described it: “It means you’re stronger than you think you are.” The outer beauty of that delicate teacup holds something mighty inside. Thank you, Jennifer Stowe of Campbellsville’s Three Sisters Tearoom, for the touching insight. Jennifer met Angela in Nashville for this afternoon tea so the two could catch up on each other’s tea adventures. If you haven’t yet discovered the Stowes’ podcast, Tea and Toast, and love learning more about the world of tea, check it out!

entering for afternoon tea at The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee — Loving the facade accents painted in green and blue

the lobby looking onto The Veranda at afternoon tea at The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee — Once in the lobby, find the “H”s woven into the ceiling design as you take in this stunning space, then go up the stairs to the Veranda where afternoon tea is served.

low tea table setting for afternoon tea at The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee — Our table – a comfortable seating arrangement for a proper low tea

blue skies on the Veranda at afternoon tea at The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee — A wall of arched, paned windows lets in the afternoon light, under skies that are always blue on the Veranda, where many a historic gathering has taken place.

Spillin' Tea with Draper James afternoon tea at The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee — Draper James also designed custom uniforms for The Hermitage staff with pocket scarves and ties in a new signature print, “The Hermitage Ditsy Floral” (seen here on the menu edge), inspired by the hotel’s color palette.

Tea Selection

welcome beverage at afternoon tea at The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee — Before the teas arrive, we are first offered our choice of a welcome beverage, which makes the affair feel even more of a treat. Naturally one option is a Whiskey in a Teacup. There’s also champagne, a mocktail, and (pictured above) the Tea Punch Cocktail: a cinnamon and vodka infused fruit tea of apple and orange.

tea list at afternoon tea at The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee — We thoroughly enjoyed our teas, which were properly steeped and decanted before coming to the table. We chose the Darjeeling First Flush and Cacao Chai.

Scones & Spreads, Savories and Sweets

afternoon tea tray at afternoon tea at The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee — Love at first sight

tea sandwiches at afternoon tea at The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee — Tea sandwiches (different than as listed on the menu) were delicious: Baked Ham Canapé, Smoked Salmon with Herbed Cream, Egg Salad Croissant and Basil Pesto Quiche.

scones at afternoon tea at The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee — Blueberry Chocolate Chip and Sweet Cornbread Scones were served with cream, lemon curd and jam.

desserts at afternoon tea at The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee — Dreamy desserts (also off-menu) included Lemon Blueberry Macarons, Banana Cream Tarts, Red Velvet Cupcakes and Glittery Blue Cream Puffs with Hazelnut Cream.

Jennifer Stowe of Three Sisters Tearoom in Campbellsville, TN at afternoon tea at The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee — Jennifer of Three Sisters Tearoom and Angela, together again

Post Views: 2,901

2 Comments

Katrina @ Edelweiss Patterns says:

April 12, 2024 at 4:11 am

It looks beautiful! I’m glad to see the scones were full sized when you went – my husband and I went in the summer of 2020 and they were bite sized, much too small to open and spread anything on. We’ll have to try it again.

1. DestinationTea says:
  
  April 12, 2024 at 6:24 pm
  
  It is always good to hear an afternoon tea is improving! We’d love to hear what you think after your return visit.

Tea Selection

Scones & Spreads, Savories and Sweets

You May Like

2 Comments

Leave a Comment Cancel reply