January is National Tea Month, and what better time of year to get cozy with a warm cup of antioxidant-packed tea. Though you may know the best place in your area to get a cup of coffee, Long Island also has many lesser-known spots to get a quality cup of tea. If you are looking for an elegant afternoon, you can try out Robinson's Tea Room or The Secret Garden where you can dress up - or borrow some hats and boas to get dressed up. For the less formal, stop by Sip Tea Lounge to relax and chat with friends over a steaming mug of loose tea. Check out these other great locations and expand your tea horizons!
Robinson’s Tea Room
97 Main Street, Stony Brook
Robinson’s is renowned for its authentic British High Tea, complete with a long list of fresh brewed teas, finger sandwiches, scones, and light breakfast, lunch, and early dinner options. Reservations recommended.
The Secret Garden
225 Main Street, Port Jefferson
This tea café combines elegance with fun and offers hats and feather boas for guests to wear as they enjoy delightful cups of tea, scones, tea sandwiches, homemade soups, fruits, cheese from C’est Cheese, and miniature desserts.
Hidden Oak Café at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum
440 Montauk Highway, Great River
This little hidden gem offers an array of fine teas, along with fresh baked goods and heavenly slices of pies that you can enjoy while looking out on the gorgeous lawn and the Connetquot River. There is an $8 fee to park at the arboretum, but it is free if you have an Empire Pass.
Clipper Ship Tea Company
80 Main St, Northport
Boasting one of the largest varieties of tea on Long Island, Clipper Ship Tea Company offers 160 varieties of loose leaf tea, stored in canisters on the shelves of the shop for customers to peruse. They also specialize in raw honey and artisan chocolate, including tea-infused chocolates from Azure Chocolat in Greenlawn. There is no seating at this shop, but the staff will brew cups of tea to-go for $2.75.
Chat Noir
230 Merrick Rd., Rockville Centre
The days of elegant teatimes are reimagined at Chat Noir, which has a constantly changing tea lineup of black, green, herbal, fruit, and oolong teas which can be enjoyed on their own or as part of a full afternoon tea with sandwiches, pastries, and clotted cream. Chat Noir is open for brunch/lunch and dinner
Milk and Sugar
49 West Main Street, Bay Shore
Though Milk and Sugar does not specialize solely in teas, they have a wide array of gourmet teas wrapped in silk, specialty loose teas, and flavored tea blends that are blended uniquely to the area, with names like Bay Shore Blend and Fire Island Blend, that are a must for first-time customers.