Tea On The Tiber
8081 Main Street
Ellicott City, MD
410-480-8000
visit website
#5
of 55in MD
Map of Tea On The Tiber
Overview
Our shop has been designed to resemble an English tearoom from the 1850s, the time when tearooms began popping up throughout England, and 'teatime' became a national pastime for our British friends.
Our shop has been designed to resemble an English tearoom from the 1850s, the time when tearooms began popping up throughout England, and 'teatime' became a national pastime for our British friends.
In the wintertime you can warm yourself by our coal-burning fireplace in the foyer, and in nicer weather you can 'take tea' on our deck, overlooking the Tiber River.
Our tearoom is unique in several ways. Not only do we plan to serve the finest loose teas available, and wonderful foods done in the English manner, but everything you see in the shop itself is for sale ... from the window and wall treatments, moldings, furniture, pictures, and lighting fixtures, right down to the ruffled aprons our servers will be wearing. Anything that can't actually leave the building the day you visit, can be ordered through 'The Source Unlimited,' the interior design shop on our second and third floors. Please feel free to visit them and peruse hundreds of fabric and wallpaper samples. You may also go downstairs to our Victorian gift shop, where you'll find wonderful treasures for gift-giving, or simply for pampering yourself.
Reviews
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Food: I have to say I was disappointed this time. Tables were very crowded which created a loud room. Tea was great, food was average at best. Staff was curt and unaccomadating. We've been to Tea on the Tiber before and had a great time, but the friendly atmosphere has changed. |
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- Andrea 06/11/09 |
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Food: This is a very pretty tea room and the food was good as was the service I brought my Aunt and Cousins from out of town and they raved about how good it was. Thanks again |
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- Laura 05/15/09 |
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Food: In March are Tea Ladies Group had our monthly outing and picked Tea on the Tiber. We made reservation for afternoon tea. Our party was in the library t and the food was excellent. Our servicer was a little shy but very polite and was always attentive to the groups needs. Our Tea Ladies Group will definitely revisit and have posted pictures of our time on Tea on the Tiber. |
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- Brooke 05/14/09 |
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Food: I have made several trips to this tearoom with different groups of friends since it opened. We have always enjoyed ourselves and have never felt the need to rush or to leave before we are ready. I will say that I agree the portions and the tea selection have been reduced recently. Because of our group size we are usually in an upstairs room and find the atmosphere comfortable for visiting and have at times included other tables in our conversation. It is not the best tearoom I've visited, but I always enjoy my visits. The price is irrelevant when the company is good. |
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- PAM 05/02/09 |
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Food: This tearoom is delightful in every way. I go often. Not every customer will have the same perception. That is just human nature. It is sad to me that those who offer unwarranted negative reviews are the ones that may be heard the most. My bridal shower was held here. All guests were pleased. Anything can be picked apart if you have that type of personality to begin with. Maybe Susan B. and the others should just stay home and fix a pot of tea for themselves. |
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- Eliza 03/11/09 |
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Food: Too expensive for the quality of food and service. The food was so-so, and not as fresh as we would have hoped. The tomato sandwich was mushy and wet and tasted like it had been refrigerated for a while. There is another business in this tearoom. It is clear to patrons that this is the true focus. Sorry to say that I'm disappointed. |
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- Susan B. 03/07/09 |
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Food: We celebrated the wedding of one of our Red Hatters here at this tearoom. The server was very attentive and friendly. Even took the group pictures. Very relaxing and fun afternoon. Good food and excellent tea. I had the hot cinnamon spice. Very warming on a cold January day. |
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- Donna 01/26/09 |
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Food: I had tea with a group of 10 Red Hat ladies last Saturday as a celebration of a recent wedding! We were served in a sunny and bright room. Everything was excellent from Donna who greeted us to our tea maid who delivered excellent service! The tea fare was delicious and was nicely displayed on the 3 tiered servers. The tea was served promptly and we chose our own tea from a nice assortment! All was quite lovely. I am disturbed by a prior review which paints a poor picture of this lovely tearoom in fantastic Ellicott City! This lady surely was having her own bad day or her expectations are ridiculous. Tea on the Tiber is consistently a delight, in my book! |
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- ~roxanne from Maryland 01/26/09 |
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Food: The tea room itself was lovely, but very cramped. The food was of good quality, but rushed. We felt unrelaxed and as if we were in a cafe. Very few comforts that are usually taken with tea. Too commercial and quick. |
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- Frances 01/01/09 |
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Food: Having been to this tea room several times I am disappointed to see the petty reviews. I think some people are mistaking a traditional 'tea' for lunch at Ruby Tuesdays. A tea room is not a place to go for 'lunch.' Although I do always leave full, I go to chat with friends, linger over tea, try some yummy treats, and to have a relaxing experience. That is always achieved. I find when the girls clear the table or ask if I need anything, that they are being attentive not pushy. I also don't expect to sit there for 4 hours which may be what some people want. There are two seatings usually, so that isn't even a realistic expectation. A couple of hours is lovely to spend there. It really seems like the people who work there enjoy their jobs. If ever I had a question I spoke to a ma... (more) |
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- Elena 12/07/08 |
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Food: We almost didn't try Tea On The Tiber because of the poor rating the previous person placed on the website. I'm so glad that I ignored her review. I have been to many tearooms and I found this one to be the prettiest by far. The food was good, the service was excellent. The women who work here were extremely pleasant throughout our two hours at the establishment. I'm looking forward to our next visit. |
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- Susan DeMarco 11/29/08 |
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Food: This was my second time taking 'tea' at this tea room. It feels like they want to get you in, get you out. There is nothing customizable (in terms of ordering more food, etc.) or 'boutique' about this place - everything is completely unremarkable or poor in every way. Things look shabby and the china is worn and cracked. The service was terrible for the 20 percent tip they demand you pay (its included). The tea sandwiches are made from cheap, thick sandwich bread. There are better B-more tea rooms than the hefty price tag and inhospitable atmosphere! |
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- Cathy Vespoint 11/16/08 |
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Food: What a lovely afternoon in every way! |
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- Genevieve 10/30/08 |
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Food: My girlfriends and I have tea frequently and love to travel to find different tea rooms. On my very first visit to this tea room we had a pleasant experience. Back in Spring 2007, I decided to invite my friends to Tea on the Tiber to ask them to be my bridesmaids. On this particular occasion the service and attitude by both the server and manager were lacking. We felt rushed througout the entire time and could not enjoy our meal. The server asked us about every 15mins if we were done. You could feel it in the air, as if they wanted to scream 'hurry up and be done!.' Ignoring my better judgement, I visited yet again with my aunt and grandma (their first tea experience) and recieved the same treatment. I am in the process on planning another tea for our 'girls time' and I would NOT choose this tea room to visit again. There are comparable tea rooms in the area that do not come with the uncomfortable atmosphere. |
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- Miyoshia 10/08/08 |
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Food: My friend and I were at this tea room over the weekend. We had a nice experience despite the horrible weather. I do wish the A/C had been on to take the humidity out of the air in the room we were in (upstairs). Due to the heat we had iced tea which was lovely and tasted nice. It was not the kind of day to have hot tea for sure, so I cannot speak for the 'artistry' of the tea prep. But, if what the other reviews say is correct then I think I probably would have been disappointed to have to fish a tea bag out of a tea pot with a spoon or fork. In all the tearooms I've visited this has never been the case. Additionally, something I noticed and was disappointed about (and not just with this tea room but with others in the Baltimore area) ia that seconds were not offer... (more) |
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- Anon 09/29/08 |
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Food: I have enjoyed the Afternoon Tea here quite a few times and have never been disappointed. The choice of loose teas is large enough to please all tastes (I'm a no-frills black tea person, my friend Patti is more adventurous). The good sized cranberry scone was just the way I prefer it...NOT like a cookie! I absolutely love the addition of cheese and fruit too. I wish more tearooms did this. The tea sandwiches: an excellent cucumber and dill on white bread with a slice of hard boiled egg that made it interesting, a delicious curried chicken salad on a butter croissant, a tomato sandwich (Patti happily gobbled mine since I'm not fond of tomatoes), and a spiral sandwich that was tasty but I can't remember what it was. The sweet course is always good: a moist and very pretty yellow cake wi... (more) |
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- Lori A. S. 09/27/08 |
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Food: I had the pleasurable experience of afternoon tea at this establishment today and I was happily surprised. I really wasn't looking forward to it given some of the negative reviews, but I am pleased to say this is one of the best teas I have been to ever. The hostess was friendly and seated us immediately. The tea choices were limited but seemed well rounded and I really liked my jasmine. I did ask that my tea leaves be taken away and the waitress did take them but she said they leave them in case we want a second round of the tea since the leaves are stong they can be brewed a second time. I can't imagine finishing one pot of tea let alone two but the answer made sense. The food was beautifully presented and diverse. I'm used to standard tea fare elsewhere but the sandwiches here we... (more) |
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- Keeley Travers 09/25/08 |
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Food: I was going to host my best friend’s bridal shower here due to several good reviews I have heard about the tea room. But after reading the “Tearoom Responses” to other perfectly innocuous reviews I refuse to ever patronize this establishment again. How unprofessional and insulting, reading those responses destroyed any trust I might have had in the staff to help me make a very special day the best that it could be. |
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- Tracy Lynn 09/22/08 |
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Food: Went with my girlfriends (one of them had been here previously) last week. So few teas to choose from compared to other area tea rooms. Tea sandwiches were made with normal thick white sandwich bread - nothing gourmet or special here. Things look dingy and overused from the china to the carpet. Service was only fair - don't expect the waitress to want to talk to you or give you special, preferential treatment other than giving you a teapot and setting down your tea tray. Save your money and time. This place (tea room? decorating shop? - it's unclear) is not worth the half tank of gas per person. I'm not planning on coming back. |
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- Lauren 09/18/08 |
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Food: I agree with other reviewers that this tea room was lacking. Could the high opinions and differing experiences really be accurate (friends of owners/family members writing in to boost reviews, etc)? When I went two weeks ago and had the afternoon tea, the tea menu selections were scant compared to other area tea rooms. I had to brew my own pot of tea at the table. No real tea room does this to their patrons. it's uncouth as the server did not take away the sopping wet tea leaves but left them on the table. the sandwiches were lackluster and the scones were not homemade. i was very disappointed at the high price, no matter if it included tax or tip. the included tip is automatically 20 percent. the service was so so and did not merit such a high percentage. the tip should be left up to the discretion of the patron, period. i am sorry to report that i will not be coming back. |
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- Eleanor M., Catonsville 08/10/08 |
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Food: Our visit to Tea on the Tiber was truly an elegant experience. Our hostess Jackie warmly welcomed us to this beautiful tearoom and our server Nicole ensured that we had a relaxing Afternoon Tea. We tried the ginger peach, apricot (our favorite) and chai teas, all were full bodied and perfect. The food was beautifully prepared and the presentation was wonderful. |
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- Jeannette Mendonca 07/25/08 |
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Food: I have been to this tea room several times and it is generally one of my favorites in the area. The cost of the afternoon tea includes tax and tip, which is nice. My positive rating is based on my multiple experiences at this tea house, but I do have to say that the last time we visited (about two weeks ago) I did not think it was a good as usual. We were seated upstairs at an unstable table. Every time one of us leaned on the table, it shifted in our direction. In addition, the food selection was not as good as I remembered it being on past visits. The ginger scone was large and tasty, but ginger is a very strong spice that not everyone likes (including one of our guests) so I was surprised it was the only option offered. The cheese was wonderful, as were the sandwiches, especia... (more) |
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- LR 07/23/08 |
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Food: We recently visited this tea house and had such high hopes. I was just going to comment on my experience when I saw the rude remarks of tea on the tiber's manager in response to a patron's concerns (see review below 4/05/08). How unprofessional. We were served scant portions, (as other patrons have noted), and over-microwaved scones. The china we were served with was cracked and the pattern was very faded and dingy. The service was fair. All in all, Tea on the tiber is not worth the money. it's all frills with little substance. I am very sorry to report a negative response, but a paying customer has a right to give truthful feedback. |
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- Margaret Boeck, Columbia 07/23/08 |
