The best teahouses and tea shops in the Philly region

For Haleema Wright, a good cup of tea is more than dunking a tea bag into boiling water.

“It should be a sensory experience,” said the owner of At My Sister’s House tearoom in Mount Airy. “I love to see how people respond to the different types of tea [in my shop].”

Wright wants customers to smell and taste the botanicals and fruit enhancing the notes of the tea leaves she uses for her homegrown brand. Serving Philadelphians that experience as they cozy up in her vintage and Moroccan souk-inspired tearoom brings her joy.

The Mount Airy tearoom isn’t the only place pouring out elaborate experiences. There are plenty of tearooms, restaurants, hotels, and shops in the Philly area with extensive, expertly sourced selections. You can sip on Earl Grey at hotel high teas or purchase floral, sweet blends to brew in the comfort of your home, maybe topped with salt as one Bryn Mawr College chemist suggests. (Tea-loving Brits have differing opinions.)

No matter the experience you seek, you’re never too far from a nice cuppa in Philadelphia.

Inside the Rittenhouse Hotel is a room dedicated to afternoon tea. Sip on almond, floral white Chinese tea, rich and malty Indian black tea, a South African rooibos with notes of vanilla and almonds, or a fruity, floral blend of green tea with plum, quince, and cornflower. Three tea service options are available: the Signature ($70), which includes a pot of tea and a medley of snacks, such as canapés, sandwiches, scones, and mini confections; the Impressionist ($95), adding a glass of sparkling wine and a loose-leaf tea to take home; and the Rittenhouse, an upgrade to rosé Champagne for $120. The Opulence option offers the complete package, with traditional caviar service, for $275. Tea time runs Thursday through Sunday, with seatings at 12:30 or 1 p.m. and 3 or 3:30 p.m. A live harpist performs until 4 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Phone reservations are recommended.

📍210 West Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, 19103, (Mary Cassatt Tea Room), 📞 215-790-2533, 🌐 rittenhousehotel.com

Rebecca Goldschmidt’s tearoom in Northern Liberties serves as a haven for creatives. For 16 years, the cozy space has welcomed visitors to “let our chai change you,” as advertised on the sidewalk board. The popular chai ($7) features masala (anise, cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne, and ginger) and black tea, freshly ground and blended each morning. Sit in the main room, back room, or garden. The front of the shop offers housemade loose-leaf tea blends for purchase, ranging from $5 to $50 depending on size.

📍713 N. Fourth St., Philadelphia, 19123, 📞 267-639-2442, 🌐 therandomtearoom.com

For over 10 years, Peggy Stevens has been selling malty Assam tea, sweet and nutty Japanese green tea blends, and other loose-leaf teas. After starting her business in Wayne and spending a decade in Rittenhouse, she now operates at 211 N. 13th St. near the Four Points by Sheraton Philadelphia City Center. Her tea shop offers a variety of blends, available for purchase online or in-store. Stevens’ teas are also featured at Parc in Rittenhouse.

📍211 N. 13th St. #304, Philadelphia, 19107, 📞 215-568-2920, 🌐 premiumsteap.com

This Chinatown teahouse offers aromatic teas and pastries, served in delicate China teapots kept warm by a flame underneath. Enjoy the Du Hammam Green, English toffee milk, citrus jasmine, and more. Prices start at $8.50, with options for iced teas, milk foam, and unique presentations like a potted plant with mint. Pair your tea with crepe cakes, tiramisu, or coconut panna cotta.

📍203 N. Ninth St., Philadelphia, 19107, 📞 215-560-8912, 🌐 princeteahouse.com

Enjoy an afternoon of petite sandwiches, pastries, and tarts with your tea. At the Dandelion, tea options include chamomile, Earl Grey, chai, and honeybush and rooibos, with tea tiers priced from $20 to $60. Individual pots of tea are available for $4 to $7 as you feast on snacks, including deviled eggs and crab croquettes, a la carte. Afternoon tea is available Monday to Friday from 3 to 5 p.m. Reservations can be made online or by phone.

📍124 S. 18th St. Philadelphia, 19103, 📞 215-558-2500, 🌐 thedandelionpub.com

Wright’s Mount Airy vintage, Moroccan-themed tearoom at Myrtle Jean Lofts offers a community space for women. Open Friday to Sunday, guests can enjoy tea served in delicate teapots for $15. You can try her housemade blends including a lemon, Moroccan mint tea, a lavender lemon chamomile blend, and a spiced hibiscus. Brunch features an elaborate setup and catering from local businesses, including Ultimo Cafe and Green Eggs Cafe, priced at $50 to $60 per person. Tea-making classes are also available.

📍 4663 Stenton Ave., Philadelphia, 19135, 📞 267-205-7692, 🌐 atmysistershouse.com

Saturdays and Sundays are for afternoon tea and le goûter (snack) at this Rittenhouse Square hotel. Enjoy blends from French teahouse Palais des Thés, including a sweet and fruity green tea with notes of green dates, orange blossoms, roses, and red berries called Thé Du Hammam; and an Earl Grey with a sprinkle of safflower petals called Thé Des Lords. Sandwiches with smoked salmon caviar and whipped feta, and pastries with raspberry cremeaux and orange pumpkin mousse accompany the tea, along with a selection of wines. Service runs from 1 to 3 p.m. Reserve via phone or on Opentable.

📍 120 S. 17th St., Philadelphia, 19103, 📞 215-569-8300, 🌐 sofitel-philadelphia.com

Reading Terminal’s shop offers everything needed for brewing tea at home, with gleaming canisters of bourbon vanilla black, Yin Hao jasmine green, and other loose tea leaves priced from $5 to $25. Boba and fruit teas are available to go as a treat.

📍1136 Arch St., #400, Philadelphia, 📞 215-922-2317, 🌐 readingterminalmarket.org/merchant/tea-leaf

Michelle Francl, a Bryn Mawr College chemist and tea expert, favors the tearoom in Eagle Village Shops in Wayne. Try a full tea with delicate floral overtones called Darjeeling, a smoky Earl Grey, a bright and robust blend of three teas called Scottish Highlands, a tangy raspberry and ginger white tea, or a gunpowder green tea with peppermint called Moroccan Mint. Afternoon tea ($36) includes four flavors of tea, sandwiches, scones, preserves, assorted mini pastries, and a pot of loose-leaf tea. A single pot is $5. All teas can be purchased by the bag. Reservations are strongly recommended and can be made online.

📍 503 West Lancaster Ave., Wayne, Pa., 19087, 📞 610-971-0390, 🌐 atobritain.com