Tea Room Review: Serenitea

URL: http://www.sereniteatearoom.com/
Address: 13889 Southwest FreewayHwy 59 and Sugar Creek Exit(Gerland's Shopping Center)Sugar Land, TX 77478
Phone: 281-491-4588
Reservations required for afternoon tea.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 teacups
Ambiance: 5
Service: 5
Food: 5
Tea: 5

Located in an improbable strip mall, Serenitea surprises and delights from start to finish. An enormous tea selection, generous portions, and an enthusiastic and knowledgeable owner make this tea room something special.

A pot of good quality loose leaf tea is provided for each guest and for each course. An extensive tea menu is available, but definitely ask the hostess for her recommendations as there are so many considerations it may be difficult to decide. The hostess was able to provide extensive information and advice about tea selection, including suggesting a a wonderful blueberry tea that matched perfectly with the scones course.

The food was both delicious and generously portioned, served with a traditional clotted cream and wonderful lemon curd. Even with skipping lunch, we were unable to finish all of the desserts.
Service was great - the hostess was friendly and clearly enthusiastic about tea. When asking about certain varieties, she dashed off to bring back a tin to let us smell the selections before choosing. The atmosphere was comfortable, unpretentious, and welcoming. An excellent place for any tea enthusiast to spend an afternoon.

Tea Room Review: Enchanted Cottage Tea

Combine dollhouse charm with superb service and tea selection and you begin to have an idea of the experience waiting for you at the Enchanted Cottage tea room. The owners have turned what was once a run-down ramshackle house into a gingerbread cottage in suburban neighborhood. Stepping through the door is slightly surreal as you leave a common place street behind and enter a sugar-coated wonderland. Every inch of the house is meticulously hand-decorated - the attention to detail is fantastic – and the overall effect leaves one feeling as if you have stepped into a beautiful fantasy land. The tea selection is extensive, providing an excellent variety in silk bags. A different tea may selected for each course, allowing visitors to sample several types. The food is delicious, with an emphasis on the sweeter courses. Service is excellent – it is clear from the moment that you enter that the owners are tea room enthusiasts themselves. On every level, the Enchanted Tea Room is worthy of its name - little wonder that it brings out the princess in all its visitors.

Tea Room Review: Mary Ellen's Tea Room

Located in a strip mall in Dallas off of Beltline, Mary Ellen's provides a nice tea experience with the emphasis being on the service and atmosphere.
A selection of bagged, rather than loose, teas were provided. The china for serving was pretty as was the homey tea pot. The sandwiches were basic but tasty - chicken salad, egg salad, and tuna salad - served on soft white bread with a generous accompaniment of fruit salad. Two types of delicious scones were served (pumpkin and cranberry) with a lovely sugar glaze and were, by far, the favorite course. The pumpkin scone was deemed so delicious that the clotted cream was passed over! The desserts were good, if not particularly imaginative.
Service was attentive, polite, and efficient. We were checked on consistently and unobtrusively. The atmosphere was quiet and inviting - the decor varies from room to room and adds a homey touch. The layout of the place disguises the surprisingly large size - broken into several smaller rooms, it is ideal for large parties to be served while never disturbing the other patrons. Overall, a nice place for a quiet gathering of two or many.