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Tea In Paris
Where to Go and How to Get There

by Sally Peabody

Sally Peabody is the founder and co-owner of Your Great Days in Paris , a consulting business offering custom tours, personal advising and itineraries to travelers wanting to access the best Paris has to offer. Prior to launching her own business Sally earned a Masters Degree from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard.

There is a dimension to savoring fine food and drink in Paris hat is totally missed by many knowledgeable visitors-- and no wonder, what with the whirl of inviting bistros, alluring cafés, wine bars and luminous patisseries . Embedded as they are in daily Parisian life, tea salons provide readily accessible relaxation and enjoyment for those in the know. And while such establishments tend to be wonderful places to socialize, they reach far beyond socialization alone-for these notable Parisian tea salons are luring connoisseurs from around the world to savor the very finest brews.

The Paris tea-world ranges marvelously in mood. Some salons envelop the visitor in gilded sumptuousness. Others are cheery, with stone interiors beneath exposed beams. Some are artfully designed, while others are haven-like spaces where it’s “all” about the tea. Each is reflective of its proprietor’s intense tea-passions and expertise. And while most of the establishments serve luscious French patisserie, some salons feature Asian or Arabic sweets to accompany their blends.

Here are five very different, each eminently worthwhile, places to savor tea in Paris.

For those seeking splendid settings in which to sample deliciously exotic teas and justly famed patisserie, the three historic and elegant salons of Ladurée, 16 rue Royale, (Metro Tuileries or Madeleine) 75 avenue des Champs Elysées, (Metro Franklin Roosevelt) or 21 rue Bonaparte, (Metro: St. Germain des Pres) simply can’t be beat.

In addition, Mariage Frères, the venerable tea-company with a vast selection of fine teas from around the world, offers two charming salons side-by-side with atmospheric, well-stocked shops. Great care is taken to brew teas in appropriate pots and at proper temperatures. Each of these establishments features a soothingly chic colonial ambience. They are well located, one in the Marais, 30-32 rue du Bourg-Tibourg, (Metro: St. Paul) and the other in the Latin Quarter, 13 rue des Grands Augustins. Metro: Odeon.

For those who consider themselves cognoscenti, one of the hottest new Salons de Thé, La Maison des Trois Thés, is a must-visit destination. This sleek, architect-designed boutique in the 5th arrondissement is owned by Madame Tseng, one of only ten recognized Chinese tea-masters in the world (and the only woman in that elite group). Maitre Tseng specializes in Chinese and Taiwanese teas, particularly in top-quality, rare, Taiwanese bleu-vert (Oolong), yellow, white and black varieties. Hers is a lovely salon in which to sip (and to buy) an exceptional array of extraordinary offerings from the hundreds available.

While many of the teas on offer are very rare, and cost gram for gram, more than caviar, there are many choices for the Tea Lover who has a more modest budget but appreciates fine teas. Indeed, among the shops regular customers are many students of the nearby Sorbonne who, for an average of 2 to 3 Euros per day, enjoy world-class tea. La Maison des Trois Thés has a helpful sales staff, many of whom speak English.

Tea-lovers have excellent options in central Paris (near the Louvre and Palais Royale) as well. Visit the galleries Vivienne, a beautifully restored nineteenth century Passage Couvert, and home to A Priori Thé. There is a hard-to-say-no-to array of patisserie on offer, plus salads, quiches and light entrees. A Priori Thé is a great example of a ‘sympathique’ salon in a lovely setting. 35 galeries Vivienne. Metro: Bourse.

When shopping in St. Germain des Prés, slip into the serene La Maison du Thé, 76 rue Bonaparte, directly across the Place from the church of St. Sulpice. On offer here are unusual, top-quality Chinese teas, chosen by the expert owner on her annual buying trips to her favorite small-scale tea-plantations in the Far East. You can savor one of twenty-plus selections, many of which are chosen for their various restorative properties. Teas are served in handcrafted teapots, each selected for their particular flavor-enhancing shapes. Teas are accompanied by small plates of seasonally chosen Asian patisserie. And, if you so desire, you can opt to experience a quietly sophisticated traditional tea-ceremony. Metro: St. Sulpice.

Taking tea in Paris! Savor yet another of the City of Light’s scintillating opportunities for sampling the sublime while relaxing in gloriously embracing spaces.

Sally Peabody, Your Great Days in Paris www.yourgreatdaysinparis.com