Home › Forums › West Seattle Food › The Tuscan Tea Room – Opening Day Review
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November 9, 2010 at 10:23 pm #596949
JasperbluParticipantMy friend and I tried The Tuscan Tea Room this morning. We arrived at 10am. They open at 8am, but serve tea ONLY until 10:30am, when they start serving food. There are pretty little tables with white linens and delicate tea cups, as well as a walk up/sit down “bar” where you can order tea to go, or sit for a short while smelling various tea offerings. There are only 4 or 5 seats though, so we waited for a table (the bar seats were full).
The flower shop is at the back of the space, just on the other side of the tea bar.
Our sever was very sweet, but obviously nervous and not 100% up on the menu, or pricing, or the nuances of each tea that was offered on the menu. But I give her an A+ for being professional and accommodating nonetheless.
The teas themselves were printed on a separate sheet, but there was no description of what their components were (e.g. type of tea, flavor composition, origin, etc.). When I asked for a description of one particular tea, the server didn’t know anything about the tea, but offered to bring me a “snifter” so I could smell it. A nice add-value, but I wanted to know a LOT more.
Tea is much like wine; where it’s grown, how it’s blended, what part of the leaf it’s made from, etc. all determine the flavor and quality, not to mention how and at what temperature it should be brewed and how long it should steep for.
That said, I’m sure they’ll work out the kinks of product knowledge soon enough. Or at least I hope they will!
Speaking of water temperature and steeping… my friends tea was served in a lovely tea pot, mine came in a metal French Press. The server told us they’d run out of tea pots. Since we were the first table seated, I found that a little odd.
Another pet peeve of mine with regard to tea service, and that is that (IMO) it should never be served in a metal container, nor should the leaves be steeped in a metal ball. It can, and will, change the flavor of the tea. But I know a lot of people don’t mind this method, so I’m certainly not going to dock their tea on this. It was QUITE delicious and aromatic despite the vessel it came in.
Another weird little side note. The cream we asked for (I like my tea “white”, i.e. with cream, no sugar) was served in a demitasse china cup. Beautiful presentation, but impossible to pour from neatly. Again, not a reason to avoid going there, but a strange serving choice.
Ok, so onward to the food. The food was simply delicious. We each had a scone with clotted cream and jam, so perfect with tea. We also shared a plate of 4 tea sandwiches, equally yummy and light. We each had our own pot of tea (I had an Earl Grey blend, my friend had their house “signature” blend). Total bill for our food and tea was $24 even. Not too bad.
The tea smelled wonderful from the pot, and tasted divine. If they were already listed on Yelp, I’d write a review. Maybe I’ll do so on my blog in the meantime.
Anyway, I think they’re off to a great start. The menu is quite varied, definitely an Italian influenced menu (this is NOT a British Tea House).
First days and weeks in ANY restaurant venture will experience major kinks, so all things considered, it is a nice beginning. Goodness knows, a tea house in West Seattle was an unfilled niche.
Wishing the Tuscan Tea Room all the best. I will definitely be back again soon.
Cheryl ~
November 9, 2010 at 10:30 pm #707858
JasperbluParticipantOops, one more thing. The music. Oy. Where to begin? There was a little “ghetto blaster” on the right side of the counter, which happened to be right next to our table. They were playing Britney Spears and similar pop/dance music. It was awful. It didn’t go w/ the mood or decor of a beautiful tea shop at all, or at least not MY idea of a beautiful tea shop. Classical, or Opera, or something QUIET would have been more apropos. I want to enjoy my food and tea, not feel like I just walked into “Hot Topic” or some other kind of kiddie retail shop. Just saying.
November 10, 2010 at 5:30 am #707859
Ali KParticipantCream in tea? Surely it should be plain old milk? I”m interested to see what the scone and clotted cream is like too, I’m from the part of the world where this is our “local dish”!
November 10, 2010 at 3:49 pm #707860
pamMemberMy favorite part of a cruise is afternoon tea – can’t wait to go in for tea and scones and close my eyes to fantasize I’m on the high seas!
November 10, 2010 at 4:27 pm #707861
KimberleyParticipantYou can add the business to yelp.com and review it if you wish Jasperblu, you don’t have to wait for a business to list itself. Great review. I can’t wait to try a proper cup of tea there.
November 12, 2010 at 12:37 am #707862
PuppyluckParticipantJust got home from the Tea Room and it really was lovely. I went by myself to try it out before bringing guests. I sat at the bar and smelled the different teas. It would be nice to be able to buy by the cup so I could try many but they only do that for to-go, so I had a pot. I have no problem drinking a whole pot myself. I also had the Pumpkin Gnocchi, which was nice and light and tasty, but not amazing. I was surprised that they didn’t have a large selection of sweets, as I used to drinking my tea with them but I made do.
I am looking forward to going back and having the little sandwiches and fruit with a friend. Definitely less expensive than Queen Mary, but I do like Q.M. still.
December 11, 2010 at 3:08 am #707863
banglesMemberWent to the Tea Room with the in-laws over T-day weekend. Lovely little place. Ordered the $30 tiered plate (can’t recall what they call it). It was good but way more food than anticipated. Sandwiches were just ok to me. Granola & blue cheese in the endive thingy was just weird and impossible to successfully share. Scones were tasty. Quiche and meatloaf were a treat. Tiramisu was yummy, yummy, yummy but we didn’t realize it was part of the meal. We could have split this between 3-4 people and been perfectly content. Will be back!
December 11, 2010 at 5:23 am #707864
JanSParticipantbangles…is that $30/per person?
December 19, 2010 at 2:51 pm #707865
mytwocentsParticipantMy review of the Tuscan Tea Room:
The Good: tasty hot scone, good tea, nice china.
The Not So Good:
1. There is a minimum purchase of $9 per person. When we told the wait person we were able to get just tea in the past, she told us we were misinformed.
2. We were squeezed like sardines into a table by the window, elbow to elbow with strangers on either side, impossible to have a private conversation.
3. Tea that is served in dainty china cups should not come with a giant spoon.
4. The wait person who delivered the tea pots spilled A LOT on the table.
5. Each tea pot should come with a small plate to put the tea bag on.
6. Each scone should come with butter and jam, not a small container of each for the whole table to fight over. But at least we got condiments, the people next to us got none, plus their scones were half the size of ours.
7. The wait person did not bring my change. I don’t care if it is 5 cents, bring me my change and then I will decide on how much of a tip to leave for you.
8. If I am paying for a $9 pot of tea and a scone, I am going to take time to enjoy it. Don’t rush me. Note to self: bring a thermos or travel mug next time to bring the rest of the tea home.
December 19, 2010 at 6:09 pm #707866
JiggersMemberIn reply to post #9. You’re right when it comes down to giving back change as you discripted. Waitstaff who do that are banking on the fact that it’s automatic gratuity for them. If I was owner and caught them doing that, they’d only get one warning. As of for the feeling of being rushed,I don’t care what they are trying to do. If I’m a paying customer, I’ll take my sweet time.
December 19, 2010 at 7:02 pm #707867
JanSParticipantI haven’t been to the Tuscan Tea Room as of yet, so this probably isn’t fair. I have been to a lovely tea room in Bellingham (Fairhaven) that was warm, inviting, accommodating, no minimum purchase. We sat at our own table, had lots of privacy, some great tea and sandwiches.
I don’t particularly want to sit with others when I’m going out with a friend for tea..it’s usually a time to catch up and visit. And if those other people that you’re crowded in with have little children,that really changes the scenario. I like kids, just not in my face when I’m trying to visit with someone. And…making me buy a scone when I’m diabetic seems to be a problem, now, isn’t it? I suppose if I just want tea, I will pick a place with a more casual atmosphere. A shame that it has to be that way, but Tuscan Tea Room sounds like it wants to be a “destination” special place….not for everyday tea…so it will be saved for special occasions.
And, next time MTC, ask for your change…even if it’s just a nickel
December 19, 2010 at 8:03 pm #707868
desertdwellerParticipantI love a good cup of tea and a scone so I popped in a few Wednesdays ago to check the place out. The tea was good — although I had to ask for cream and sugar. I’ve spent a fair amount of time in the UK and I forget that many folks don’t like their tea ‘white’. I’d give their scone a 3/5. It was not amazing (a little dry for my taste) but it wasn’t a Starbuck’s-like brick either. They were out of clotted cream that day. The waitress said that they were having a hard time finding a good, local source for it. I saw many people getting high tea (3-tiered tray w/ sandwiches and such). My only complaint was that my server kept trying to refill my tea for me when my cup was only half-way done. I was sitting at the bar–and the only person doing so–so I can see that I was an easy target, but I like my tea with a certain amount of cream and sugar, so every time she refilled it, I’d have to go back and try and come up with the perfect drink again. A small complaint though, so I’ll definitely be back.
December 19, 2010 at 9:40 pm #707869
ws4everMemberI was happy to get a “to go” scone when I was ravenous and stopped by on an afternoon. May have been one of their first days open: someone was photographing people at tables. Nice heated scone with butter and jam, $4.00. I bet they’ll benefit from feedback given, as it seems they were aiming to please. I wish them good fortune. It’s a small space, so creating more privacy for tables will require some creativity. Maybe some small metal railings curving between tables?
December 29, 2010 at 12:06 am #707870
bailecyclistParticipantEnjoyed a very nice “high tea” at the Tuscan Tearoom this afternoon. Very nice, with a slightly-Italian twist. Will definitely go back. High tea is a delightfully-civilized occasion for someone (me) whose taste normally runs to diet pepsi and cheese and crackers.
January 6, 2011 at 8:33 am #707871
banglesMemberJan, at the time it was $30 for the plate that we shared. We went back last weekend and it looks like they’ve changed some things including the prices (they note now a per person price and split charges). I also noted they’d cut back on some things. Our server seemed overwhelmed or something. Had to ask for cream and sugar, no timer or time frame provided for how long to leave the tea bag in the tea and the tea bag had been changed from a pretty cheese cloth bag, hand-tied with a slice of orange to a paper one that looked like a piece of tissue was hanging out of our tea pot. Crepe was good, but it did seem like they were cutting some corners from my visit around Thanksgiving. A little bit of a bummer. I appreciated the attention to detail from my first visit.
January 6, 2011 at 8:18 pm #707872
dhgParticipant***Hijack alert! Look! A Chupacabra!*****
Everytime I pass by, I look at the two doors. On the left, Wingdome: Sports bar, beer, TV, wings, salty food. On the right, Tuscan Tea Room: China, soft music, cucumber sandwiches. In my mind’s eye I see a men’s room sign on the left, a women’s room sign on the right.
January 6, 2011 at 8:29 pm #707873
maplesyrupParticipanthaha dhg.
Just reading the review I thought, “you’ll never catch me in there.”
No offense to them, but I’ll leave it to the girls. And I suspect they’d be happy with that as well.
January 6, 2011 at 8:38 pm #707874
AndyParticipantI think they share bathrooms.
I was heading to the restroom from the WD side and a lady was in that little hall, leering cautiously in the direction of the Winged Paradise, as though she knew that danger and wonder in that direction lie. She said to me: “What is that over there?” She could only have come from the Tea Room.
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