Yay! Bonus “Travel to tea” date for January! Less exciting is that it’s for a friend that will be moving 5 hours away from me. But! We celebrated with a bang!
We went to Reynolds Tavern in Annapolis, MD USA. I had originally planned to come here mother’s day 2020, but the pandemic hit and it was canceled.
Before the pandemic, it was extremely hard to get a reservation. Now it’s easy for almost any date by going to Reynolds Tavern’s website and reserve a spot through Resy Reservations. Make sure to note any dietary restrictions when making the reservation. Also, you can type in other information (for example, bringing a baby stroller).
Reynolds Tavern was built in 1747 by William Reynolds. He was a salesman who conducted business, rented rooms, and served food and liquor to visitors. Since then, the Tavern has fell into many hands and was used as a bank and library. In 2000, the building was sold to the Petit family. It’s at that time the Tavern begun operating as it’s original purpose once again.
Afternoon tea at Reynolds Tavern is such a relaxing experience and caters to anyone. In the basement is a first come first serve bar. The main floor is the tea room where you can order a traditional afternoon tea, or anything on their menu. So even if you don’t like tea, you can order something else that’s delicious. Upstairs is the inn where guests can stay over night.
There were so many regular food and a variety of Afternoon Tea options. Basically, the tea options all gave the typical Afternoon Tea of a pot of tea, scone, sandwiches and desserts. But some added soup or salad, a quiche, or a cheese plate. We went with ordering the Afternoon Tea and Princess Tea (added a cheese plate). What was particularly delightful was the warm cranberry orange scone with, in the Tavern, handmade jam and cream. Oh my gosh, I could have eaten 5 of those and been happy.
We tried 3 different teas. My least favorite was the Chai Walla; only because the tea leaves stayed steeped in the pot and the flavor became bitter and strong. In second, Gingerbread black tea that was quite lovely with ginger, cloves, and cinnamon (of course I could have used more cinnamon). My favorite of the day was the Kyoto Cherry Rose tea. I had tried something similar over ten years ago and have never seen it since. It brought back memories, tasted delicious, and I decided to buy a canister to bring home.
After our calming tea date, we decided to warm by the fire in the basement and have a glass of Ciderboys Mad Bark Cinnamon Apple Cider. Wow ya’ll. We loved it! Truly a great choice.
Added bonus of enjoying extra time in the basement by the fireplace was my tushy got warm. Huzzah!
The atmosphere was the best part of this Travel to Tea. When I go back, I’ll definitely order different food to try from the menu…. and maybe 10 scones 😉
Happy Tea-ventures folks.
Rory, Tea & Me 