Best of Boston

Best Tea

2006 Best Tea, Afternoon

L’Espalier

Boston
For a modern Boston tea party, head to L'Espalier on a Saturday afternoon, when the Back Bay brownstone is filled with elegant ladies nibbling on [...] read more»
2005 Best Tea

Cha Fahn Tea

Jamaica Plain
The city's recent tidal wave of boba teas, loose-leaf blends, and trendy teahouses has been difficult to wade through, but the calming sanctuary inside Jamaica [...] read more»
2002 Best Tea

Tealuxe

Boston
Given this town's historically intense dedication to tea, you'd expect us to claim at least one intensely dedicated tea outpost. Well, we have two—each a [...] read more»
2001 Best Tea

Tea-Tray in the Sky

Cambridge
Boston has long had a stormy relationship with tea, but this Alice in Wonderland-inspired joint puts all bad memories to rest with its 80-plus flavor [...] read more»
1999 Best Tea

Tea Tray in the Sky

Cambridge
This little cafe offers a welcome respite from Starbucks culture, offering everything from your standard Assam to more exotic blends, from scented and flavored teas [...] read more»
1998 Best Tea, Afternoon

Bristol Lounge

Boston
Life should always pause around 4 p.m. so people can revive themselves with a cup of tea. Besides this genteel refreshment (or coffee, if you [...] read more»
1998 Best Tea, House

TeaLuxe

Cambridge
Built for a rainy October day— or snowy February— or any day that needs a little sprucing. With Billie Holiday singing from the shadows and [...] read more»
1997 Best Tea, House

Tealuxe

Cambridge
A reinvention of the English tea salon, guaranteed to lure the true connoisseur. They offer almost 140 varieties, from the finest-grade Indian Darjeeling to Japanese [...] read more»
1994 Best Tea

Ace of Cups Teashop and Bakery

Brookline Village
A funky yet civilized place to sink into an overstuffed chair and enjoy a pot of tea and a light meal. Make reservations for the [...] read more»
1981 Best Tea

The Afternoon Tea at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Boston
The café, which is open during the classical-music recitals too, serves a dozen different teas, as well as light lunches. read more»