Alice's Tea Cup

Chapter I 102 West 73rd Street New York, NY 10023. Chapter II 156 East 64th Street New York, NY 10021. Chapter III 220 East 81st Street New York, NY 10028. (212) 743-4TEA. http://www.alicesteacup.com/.

Just as the name suggests, Alice’s Tea Cup is a unique little place to enjoy breakfast or afternoon tea with friends. Offering a very wide variety of unusual and fresh green, white, black, red, and herbal teas, such as Sessa (a sweet, smooth and hearty Assam tea) and Mauritius (broken tea leaves from Mauritius with a hint of vanilla and a strong tea taste) they also have an offering of scones (served with cream and preserves), cookies, cakes and sandwiches to complement your choice of tea. Or if you prefer, they also have soups, salads, crepes and hearty sandwiches for a heavier brunch or lunch.

What is unique about Alice’s Tea Cup is that they cater to both adults and children. Again, just thinking about the name Alice makes one recall the famous adventure story and Alice's Tea Cup tries to provide that kind of experience - bringing you to a different world. From the outside, it looks like an ordinary restaurant or bake shop. But when you step in, you will discover a place decorated with little picture frames, fairy wings and colorful, animated wall paintings. Along with the baked goodies, there are also a lot of items for gift-giving such as tea pots, cups, books, little dresses, fairy wings, necklaces and many more. They all looked pretty to me because most were in pastel shades and pink – my favourite color!

Parties may also be held at Alice’s Tea Cup, where kids may have their own tea party  (yes, they have decaffeinated tea and small portions just for kids) while wearing their little fairy wings, provided by the owners. I happened to see a table of adorable kids enjoying tea and biscuits while I was there. Something that made me smile and remember my own childhood, playing with my sisters with our tea sets and doll houses.

When it comes to the baked goodies, Alice’s Tea Cup did not disappoint. The Pumpkin Scone with caramel frosting (one of their best sellers) that I had with cream and blueberry jam was deliciously moist and yummy. I also tried the decadent Banana Cake with Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting – I don’t think I have to describe this one in detail because it is as delicious as how you may imagine it to be with that kind of name.

Alice’s Tea Cup is an interesting place and, with such an atmosphere, one that kids and adults alike may really enjoy. There is no question that tea and their baked products, which are delicious, are their specialties. I enjoyed nibbling on these sweets, wished I had more time to sit down and properly have tea, and appreciated the thought the owners put into making this place special. Certainly a place that will make you feel comfortable albeit, a little bit too mixed up – somehow a restaurant, tea salon, gift shop and a bake shop without any theme sticking out in particular. Nevertheless, it is a fairy tale heaven for kids and kids at heart, and brings back a lot of good childhood memories. Not a place I would frequent now but maybe when the time comes that I have my own little ones to entertain or have tea with.