First of all, I love tea. Especially loose tea - green, white, black (seen I am no racist LOL ), but it's maybe just my experience, but the number of these cute little tea rooms with great friendly atmosphere is declining, while REALLY expensive tea rooms are on the rise. I mean there surely is some quality tea in there, but the interior and furniture looks so desperately awkwardly "noble" that it looks like I need a suit and a tie to enjoy some good tea with friends, which is pretty weird to me. I am from Vancouver, so look at this list of some tea rooms : http://jaybanks.ca/vancouver-blog/2013/02/04/top-tearooms-vancouver/ I've been to The Urban Tea Merchant which looks like the most "natural" tea room from the list, but still it's a bit pricey (yeah they have sooo many kinds of tea, but still) and it seems that it's always full. From 5 times I've tried to sit down with my friends, they had free table only once. What a shame, anyway the other tea rooms are too snobbish for me, it's like they are from British Colonial era or something. I feel very uncomfortable in such a locale which is ironic, isn't it? I always thought that tea room should have the most homely atmosphere when compared to all classic hangouts (even more than pubs!). So is it only me or do you feel the same way too?
I'm not that fond of the English tea house. It's just not my style. But there is an aesthetic to tea that revolves around perfection English to Asian and I'm all for preserving that.
While tea is considered to be a delightful beverage for pretty much anyone, it does kind of feel like it's somewhat associated with British upper class (or at least British sophistication). I'm not British, it's just an underlying thought. Don't know if I said this correctly.
That wasn't what I meant. Nowadays, everyone can enjoy tea in the same manner as they enjoy coffee, wine or even beer. But sometimes it feels like there was some kind of special "protocol" to drinking tea back then. And I've felt the same way recently, that I just want to enjoy my beverage and the tea rooms are stylized in a manner that I am uncomfortable with.
It's a room full of tea of course! I know that you in Boston threw all your tea into the sea, but still you should know this... Only joking! Tea room is a obviously another term for tea house.
