Allow me to introduce one of my favorite types of establishment: the tea house. If you’ve been to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, you may have seen the 16th-century Toshinan teahouse in the Japanese Gardens section. This teahouse always draws me in and gives me a sense of peace and community – it usually makes me hungry for tea and scones too! I’m happy to share that there are several options within a few hours drive of Birmingham where you can gather with friends or family for your own tea house experience!
While each tea experience listed here will vary, I intend this list to reflect shops that are primarily for the enjoyment of hot, loose-leaf tea. Despite what my Apple Maps search results have to say, Milo’s is not a tea house!
Herban Soul Café – 5530 First Ave S. Birmingham, AL
- Open 7AM-3PM Wednesday – Saturday, 9AM-1PM Sunday
- Located in Woodlawn Marketplace, this tea room’s specialty has to be their fruity blends that have great health benefits. The owner, Alexis, had several great recommendations; I tried the Soul-Full Punch tea with a blueberry scone, and both were delicious!
Smith-Byrd House – 137 N Washington St. Prattville, AL 36067
- Open 10AM-4PM Wednesday – Saturday
- My recommendation at the Smith-Byrd House is: don’t skimp. As in, don’t skimp on the time you spend enjoying the atmosphere, don’t skimp on ordering the Queen’s Tea or Tea for Two to enjoy every course on the menu, and certainly don’t skimp on finding several good tea options in the never-ending menu!
Lanier House – 20 Martin St. Madison, AL 35758
- Open 11AM-12:30PM, 1PM-2:30PM, 3PM-4:30PM Tuesday – Saturday
- Lanier House boasts an incredible menu – a fun twist is that each month has a theme. Bridgerton fans are in luck May – June 2024!
The Well – 824 Avenue A. Opelika, AL 36801
- Open 10AM-6PM Monday – Saturday
- I don’t think I’ve ever walked through a restaurant with the same sense of adventure as when I descended the stairs at the Well for the first time. Each room felt like you were in a different fairytale! I enjoyed an adaptogen flight with a pesto panini – both superb.
