user_321
User's reviews
-
Victorian Grace
My mom and I have been to almost all the tearooms in the Tampa Bay area, and today, after going to this, must say that it is one of the best! Each room was decorated so beautifully and charming. The food was delicious--espically the spinach tart!! Oh my gosh--I loved, loved, loved it! (And I am not a fan of spinach--but I could seriously eat that everyday!) All the desserts were wonderful! My favorite was the orange cake--I just wished it was bigger, since it was SO good! I could have eaten a giant slice of that! :-) We had such a wonderful, relaxing experience. I'm so happy they left the teapot on the table, so we could truly enjoy ourselves, without constantly being interupped. Can't wait to go back!
-
Moffat's Gaelic Dish
In response to 'Tea Lover' on 5-4, who felt the need to write after my posting: I honestly find it very hard to believe that you have no connection to this tearoom. You say you actually own a tearoom in this area. If so, they why would you defend this tearoom? Isn’t this tearoom competition? From the few pages of reviews I have seen, it looks like this teahouse has only received good reviews and that the owner responds back to thank them. She hasn’t responded yet to my review. I’m sure it came as a shock to her to not have something perfect written about her place. (By the way, I have a feeling you are the owner of this tearoom) “Nit picking”—was this not a teahouse review page I wrote this on? Isn’t that what reviews are for? To point out your experience? The good and the bad? I did both. No, I had not been there before. I went once (back in Sep of 08.) I drove up and down the same road for 15 mins. I past the tearoom numerous times. It’s a house. So while, yes, I saw it, I thought it was a home, since I didn’t see a sign. From the road, the tiny sign was totally hidden by trees. Not a smart move for a business. “Its an honor to have your tea poured” Why is that? Please explain how it is an “honor” to have my tea poured by a teenager dressed in jeans (and I believe I remember her having some sort of weird body piercing—I think I remember it was a nose ring…) I'd so love to know where the 'honor' in that is! When I go to a tea house, I want to drink lots of tea. When I “have the honor to have my tea poured” that means that I cannot drink as much tea as I would like because I have to wait around for it. The thing that is so nice, relaxing and enjoyable about a teahouse, is the once the food and tea has been served, you are left alone. Unlike a restaurant, you can have private time to relax and chat without being bothered. But when you are anxiously sitting around, waiting for more tea and are constantly bothered by a server pouring you tea and serving you sugar, it really takes away the “teahouse” feel to it. It was defiantly the least relaxing teahouse visit I’ve experienced. I have been to almost every teahouse in the Tampa Bay area (so probably yours too! If you actually are the owner of another teahouse). This and the one in Hyde Park were the only ones that took the tea away. All others either had a candle teapot burner or just left it there. The tea is so boiling hot when it’s served! I’ve never had cold tea from a pot that was just left at the table, at a teahouse. I know tea leaves are expensive. I buy my tea from Teavana. I’m not stupid. But I do know that you can reuse the same tea leaves for a few pots. And I do know that some, if not all, of the teahouses in this area do that. That is why I pointed out the fact that you can just refill the pot with hot water.. While 2 bowls of sugar for 2 people does sounds like a lot. So what? You didn't metion how long they were there or how much tea they drank. If they were there for hours and drink numerous pots, whats the problem if thats how much it takes to make each cup of tea to their liking. The few costumers who do that will not throw you out of business. To each there own---some people like their tea very sweet, while others, bitter. I went to culinary school. I’ve worked in a restaurant before. I’ve worked for a caterer. I know all about the difficulty of preparing and serving food. So, except for me actually owning a restaurant/teahouse, I’ve “walked in their shoes.” Notice, I did not complain about the food. I said it was delicious! It was just the teapots and sugar I wrote negatively about. For me, it took away the “teahouse” feel. It felt more like a restaurant than the teahouses I’ve been use to going to. I know that all businesses, small and large, struggle. And I am in NO way hoping they go out of business. (On a side note, The best teahouse I’ve been to was the Main Street Tea House in Safety Harbor . The original owners ended up selling it, then the quality of the food when down, the started having male servers, they changed some recipes, and they eventually went out of business. I was SOOOO upset when I heard that!) So again, “Nit picking”??— I was writing my experience, my opinion on this review page. Again, Isn’t that what reviews are for? So sorry it upset you. Anyways, if you are the owner of this teahouse, I'm not writing to bring you down. I'd like to see you succeed, which is why I'm being honest about a few aspects of my visit that I feel could be improved. I'm a big fan of teahouses and I'd like to see you do well. Don't worry about skimping out on a dollar's worth of sugar if it risks customer satisfaction. A more comfortable environment will surely bring repeat business and make up your profit margin in no time. Also, a more clearly marked location will likely bring you more business from the locals who have not yet experienced the joys of a tea house. That is why large companies spend MILLIONS of dollars per year for billboards that people only see from the corner of their eye. The fact is, it works. You don't need an expensive billboard, but it wouldn't break the bank to have a larger and more visible sign. If you are the owner of another teahouse, I don’t understand why you’d jump to the defensive of another teahouse---that was defiantly not something they taught us to do in culinary school! Lol. Question to the owner: Do you mind telling us why don’t you leave the teapots and sugar on the table? Now that I see your resonse to TeaLover--I find it very rude and ridiculous that you only expect to have people who truly understand tea write on here. What makes you think I don't understand tea and teahouses?? Because I didn't write a wonderful review? How rude and disrespectful of you! It was you, after all, who asked me to write a review on this site as I waa leaving! (bit you in the butt, huh?! lol!)
Tearoom response:
I don't know who you are, but I did not write this review...I DO NOT know who 'Tea Lover' is and I would appreciate you taking this unwarranted agenda elsewhere. Thank You!