Sweet Afton Tea Room and Restaurant
450 Forest Avenue
Plymouth, MI
734-454-0777
visit website
in MI
| Sun | 11:00am - 4:00pm |
| Mon | 11:00am - 4:00pm |
| Tue | 11:00am - 4:00pm |
| Wed | 11:00am - 4:00pm |
| Thu | 11:00am - 4:00pm |
| Fri | 11:00am - 4:00pm |
| Sat | 11:00am - 4:00pm |
The Sweet Afton Tea Room and Restaurant is a smoke- free tea room, presented in British tradition, serving savories, sweets and heartier fare. Our teas are imported from London and are served in a personal teapot.
The Sweet Afton Tea Room and Restaurant has a long legacy of creating wonderful times and memories that connect generations. The original restaurant was established by Sylvia Thacker and opened on December 1, 1988 on Mill Street in Plymouth’s Old Village. She decorated the tea room with the 19th century Welsh hutch as well as an old National cash register and an antique display case which are all still in use.
The Sweet Afton Tea Room was named after the Afton River in Ayrshire, Scotland. The river is known the world over because of the famous Scottish poet Robert Burns. His poem Sweet Afton, written in 1791, is a lyrical poem describing the River Afton. The poem was presented by Robert Burns to Mrs. General Stewart of Slair in 1791 and was inspired by her home Afton Lodge in Ayrshire on the banks of the Afton River. The Mary in the poem probably refers to Mary Campbell, whom Burns courted in 1786. The poem was later set to music as “ Flow Gently Sweet Afton” and is sung to the tune of the popular Christmas Carol Away in a Manger. Many artists have performed it over the years, including the progressive acoustic trio Nickel Creek in 2000.
In 1990, Christine Banion and Norma Reynolds purchased the tearoom and moved it to a larger building at the current gaslight street location at 450 Forest Avenue in historic downtown Plymouth. The new owners immediately created the unique tea cup chandeliers which continue to illuminate the dining room.
In May 1997, Sweet Afton Tea Room was sold to Cynthia Belanger, a Sweet Afton employee, and her mother Nancy Burton. They ran the tearoom and restaurant until 2005 when they sold it to another Sweet Afton employee, Mary Ann Rye and her son Scott. The Rye’s ran the tearoom until April 2008, when Phyllis and Al Wilkerson, retired educators, purchased the establishment. They are working hard to keep the history and legacy of the Sweet Afton Tea Room and Restaurant in place. The Wilkerson’s goal is to continue the tradition of serving excellent home cooked food and offering an outstanding tea drinking experience with a personal touch to each patron.
Our three daughters have fondly enjoyed the 'china and linen' tea experience at Sweet Afton's Tea Room for the past 15 years. They have celebrated bridal showers, baby showers and have enjoyed high tea here on many occasions. It is always wonderful.
The long history of creating memories that connect generations of families is why we are happy to share our special place with you and your friends and family.
Phyllis and Al Wilkerson
Owners
Reviews
Variety: 
Artistry:
Service:
Food: We just celebrated my grandmother's 80th birthday at this tea room. Everything was wonderful. The staff and owners even brought her a dessert with a candle and sang to her. Nice touch Sweer Afton! We will be back again. |
|
- Marjorie M. 01/15/12 |
Variety:
Artistry: 
Service:
Food: I visited (again) after Christmas and had a delightful lunch with two friends. I didn't like the soup oferrings but chose the bean and sausage as the best of 'two evils' and it WAS THE BEST BEAN SOUP and the only time I have really liked a version of any bean soup- I ate it all. The tea sandwhiches are always fun and the lemon tart was yummy. Only suggestion I would have is to have tea warmers as my Tea got chilled. WE HAD A GREAT TIME AND WILL BE BACK AGAIN! |
|
- Dorothy 01/13/12 |
|
Variety:
Artistry:
Service:
Food: Tomorrow is Sweet Afton Tea Room's 23rd birthday! Sylvia Thacker opened her 'wee tea room' in Plymouth's Old Village on December 1, 1988. This began a legacy that has been helped to connect many generations. Thank You Sylvia and Thank You to all of our customers over the last 23 years in making what Sweet Afton Tea Room is today! |
|
- Phyllis & Al 11/30/11 |
|
Tearoom Response
how about - ' that has helped to connect many generations.' and NOT 'that has been helped to connect many generations.' I needed to proof read before I hit the button.
|
|
Variety:
Artistry:
Service:
Food: My mom and I were looking for a place to host a baby shower for my sister-in-law. We wanted a place that was elegant and refined. Nothing is more refined than having a tea party for ladies. The staff was so friendly and helpful. They made sure that all of our guest had a wonderful experience. Phyllis and Al went out of their way to make sure that the day was a success. The food was delicious and elegant. And the tea was so delicious and there were so many choices to narrow down too. So many of our guests commented that this was the nicest baby shower that they had ever been to. The new baby was 'showered' with so many gifts that we needed some extra time to open all the gifts. Phyllis and Al were so kind to let us stay longer. Thank you so much for making the celebration of the newest member of our family a joyous occasion! Can't wait to come back again soon! :-) |
|
- Hilary Carroll 11/16/11 |
|
Variety:
Artistry:
Service:
Food: I just found this place while looking for a different place to take my mother to lunch. What a pleasant find. I had a great chicken pot pie and a cup of wonderful tomato bisque soup. My mom had tea sandwiches and soup and commented how she wishes we had found this place many years earlier. We will be back for our weekly lunch. |
|
- Leonard Miller 10/05/11 |
|
Variety:
Artistry:
Service:
Food: This our favorite indulgence. The food is great the tea is never ending and the atmosphere is perfect. Our family went to England a few years ago and this tea room would fit in perfectly. We also spend a good 1-1/2 to 2 hours everytime we visit and it's worth every minute. Tea perfection! |
|
- Karen 09/09/11 |
|
Variety:
Artistry:
Service:
Food: Had a tea party for 12 friends there on Saturday, 08/13/11. It was an amazing experience. Everything was excellent, the atmosphere, tea, food, service. We will definitely be going back! |
|
- Lisa Smith 08/15/11 |
Variety: 
Artistry:
Service:
Food: What I had for lunch was very pricey also misleading. It states a choice of 4 sanwiches, but you only get 2 cut in half, then this is what should be stated. Also had a cup of soup that should have included the muffin we had to pay extra. |
|
- cm 06/15/11 |
|
Variety:
Artistry:
Service:
Food: I am totally amazed by a couple of these reviews. My friends and I eat lunch here at least twice a month when we are shopping in Plymouth. I also hosted a friend's baby shower and have attended three other bridal and baby showers here in the last two years. They have always been excellent and the owner Phyllis always goes the extra step to insure satisfaction with everything.Something they are doing must be right, because last Friday afternoon, they were getting set up for a Friday evening shower because their Sunday dates were tough to get. I love Sweet Afton's - don't change a thing with this 20 year old classic!! |
|
- Maryellen McCorack 05/24/11 |
Variety:
Artistry: 
Service:
Food: I went to a large birthday party hosted at Sweet Afton Tea Room and the food, presentation, service and atmosphere were outstanding. I went again with just my family this past week and it was awful. We each had the high tea and it came with almost no food. Compared to the high tea we were served at the birthday party, this was about 50% less. The first course were two quiche bites which were literally not even 1 inch by 1 inch. The tea sandwiches were so thin that we couldn't distinguish whether they were chicken salad, egg salad, or the garden herb cream cheese that we had ordered. The bread was so thin that it looked like they had sliced one slice of bread in half and then ironed it to make it that thin. The tea and the varieties of tea were excellent. The service was not the greatest d... (more) |
|
- J. Johnson 05/15/11 |
|
Variety:
Artistry:
Service:
Food: We recently had my daughter's baby shower here and it was a wonderful experience. I heard several guests comment that it was the nicest shower they had ever been to and I would have to agree! The decor is antiquey with a touch of femininity and they were totally accomodating to us adding a few extra decorating touches of our own, and even helped a bit. The food was so good and so attractive and served on such pretty dishes and silver platters. The teacups and pots were gorgeous and nostalgic. The wait staff was wonderful; extremely courteous and efficient and served everyone in a timely fashion and best of all they were so easy to work with and not demanding on how we ran the shower, working around us rather than us working around them. I would highly recommend this place to everyone especially if you want a personalized feeling for your special event. |
|
- Grandmother Susie - to - be 05/09/11 |
|
Variety:
Artistry:
Service:
Food: My husband surprised me with a 30th birthday surprise party, and after taking the blindfold off, revealed 30 of my friends and family sitting in the Sweet Afton Tea Room. It was a delightful event, and the owners even gave an impromptu demonstration of some rare tea bricks. My two year old daughter was given her own china teapot filled with chocolate milk. She is still talking about it! |
|
- J.P. 05/08/11 |
|
Variety:
Artistry:
Service:
Food:
SORRY THIS IS NOT A TEA ROOM!!!!!!! |
|
- Mrs. D. Burkey 04/22/11 |
|
Variety:
Artistry:
Service:
Food: I had their chicken pot pie and a pot of their great cinnamon orange spice tea for lunch today. It is always a wonderful treat for myself to eat lunch here. Very relaxing. Then it is out shopping in sunny downtown Plymouth. Life is Good!! |
|
- Penelope 04/12/11 |