Another afternoon tea outing with Georgia of Notes on Tea. This time we visited King’s Carriage House on the Upper East Side.
The building is a charming townhouse with an adorable, quaint exterior.
SETTING: ★★★☆☆
The tea room is housed in the back of the first floor of the townhouse. There is an additional dining area upstairs, but afternoon tea is served on the first floor only. With about seven tables, the space does have the feel of a converted home — even the furniture reinforces that impression. Despite the cozy concept, the room felt a little cold rather than snug, possibly due to the yellow walls and cool tones in the decor.
SERVICE: ★★★★☆
Service was generally good but not entirely consistent. Staff were attentive for the most part, though there were a few occasions when we waited a while to flag someone down for a request.
TEA & TEA SELECTION: ★★☆☆☆
There was no printed tea menu; the server listed about five tea types (black, green, etc.). I chose Earl Grey, which arrived in attractive teaware. Each guest received a different teapot while the teacups and saucers were the same for everyone. The tea was served in tea bags rather than loose leaf, and only one bag was placed in the pot. When hot water was later added, the brew became too weak and diluted.
SAVORIES: ★★★☆☆
The selection of tea sandwiches was solid, but they did not taste especially fresh and the bread was slightly chilled; I prefer savories at room temperature. A goat cheese tartelette stood out as the best item among the savories and was quite enjoyable.
SCONES: ★★★★☆
The scones were served warm and accompanied by generous mini bowls of homemade jam and clotted cream. Portions were good, with two scones per person.
SWEETS: ★★☆☆☆
A variety of sweets appeared on the bottom tier. They did not taste homemade and were not particularly impressive. I was disappointed that the mini brownies had icing that had hardened, and the overall presentation was lacking. This was my least favorite course of the tea service.
Alongside the sweets, chocolate-dipped strawberries were served on a separate plate; I enjoyed those.
OVERALL: ★★★☆☆
If you are on the Upper East Side and seeking an afternoon tea under $30, King’s Carriage House is an acceptable option. However, it does not match the quality of some other tea services in the same price range.
INFO: King’s Carriage House | 251 East 82nd Street | New York, NY 10028 | 212.734.5490
AFTERNOON TEA HOURS: Tuesday – Sunday, 3PM – 5PM
COST: $24.95