Tea Houses

Tea houses may serve cream teas with a china tea set, and served with scones with jam and clotted cream. Other "afternoon tea" snacks served with tea include small sandwiches, cakes, pastries, cookies, and fruit pies; whipped cream may well accompany them!

Shoppers, usually women, are grateful to rest their feet and sit down for a quick "cuppa," perhaps with a snack, in a tea room to fortify themselves before continuing their quest for bargains or necessities. Such places are not necessarily restful. My daughter and I were delighted to find a tea room open on Princes Street in Edinburgh after walking for hours through the streets enjoying the excitement of the Edinburgh Festival (particularly the Fringe) on a rather warm Sunday. We sat down gratefully with our tea and snack. Unfortunately though the room was crowded and there seemed to be no fresh air let alone air conditioning. We got hotter and weaker instead of refreshed as we drank our tea!

While tea houses (and tea in general since the Boston Tea Party) may be less a part of the culture in the United States than in Britain, nonetheless tea houses exist throughout the country in a great diversity of styles, reflecting cultures from around the world.

For example, in Boulder, Colorado is found the Dushanbe Tea House, a gift from Dushanbe in Tajikistan. This was constructed by artisans from Dushanbe and neighboring areas as a gift for the sister city of Boulder. It features an incredible hand carved and hand painted ceiling, columns, and other decorations. A full service restaurant, it also remains true to its name by proudly offering elegant afternoon teas.

The most famous Tea house in the United States may be New York city's Russian Tea Room. Actually not really a tea house, this is a full service restaurant that is more known for serving the rich and famous of the entertainment industry than the Russian expatriates who founded it. The Russian Tea Room is renowned for its sumptuous red decor, servings of caviar. In keeping with its name it does feature antique samovars, the iconic Russian teamakers.

There are actually two establishments that translate into "Tea Houses" in Japan. One is the austere Chashitsu which is used for Japanese tea ceremonies; the other is the Ochaya which is an exclusive entertainment establishment featuring geishas.

Chashitsu tea houses were traditionally designed to reflect simplicity and tranquility, central tenets of the Zen philosophy that influenced their construction.

Located in tranquil areas, they provide an appropriate atmosphere for the austere Japanese tea ceremony. Such tea houses are made from wood and bamboo. 

A typical Japanese tea house is surrounded by a small garden with a "dewy path" leading up to the tea house.There is a small door (the nijiri-guchi) through which guests enter. This symbolically makes a separation from the noisy and busy outside world as the guests enter into the small, simple, quiet inside of the tea house.

Tea houses were often used for businessmen to discuss business deals and even legal disputes were commonly settled in tea houses rather than courts of law. The neutral, relaxed surroundings of a tea house together with the calming effect of drinking tea served to facilitate harmonious arbitration and resolution of disagreements, and the arrival at confidential agreements in business and other aspects of life.

The Korean tea ceremony varies according to the season, with hot tea drunk in autumn and winter, and cold tea in the hot summer months. Also the ceramics and metalware used vary according to season. The bowls and cups used tend to have a naturalistic style, with religious influences. The focus of tea drinking is enjoyment of the tea and conversation. Thus Korean tea houses are familiar places with a very natural ambiance.

Tea house - Article on New World Encyclopedia.

The Willow Tea Rooms - Famous Tea Rooms in Glasgow, Scotland, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in 1904.

The Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse - Tea house in Boulder, Colorado, created by master craftsmen in Tajikistan.

Osaka Castle - Reconstruction of Hideyoshi's Golden Tea Room.

Charleton Fruit Farm - This fruit farm in Montrose, Scotland has an outside tea garden with the most amazing fruit deserts - a great place for the whole family to visit.

The Orchard Tea Garden - The Orchard Tea Garden in Grantchester, England has served tea to numerous famous people.