We discovered The Parisian Tea Room last year, as we were driving through New York to go to JFK Airport. I was really surprised to see this place in an area a bit off the beaten path, with not too much foot traffic, but surrounded by hotels and near Times Square. I am more a coffee drinker, but I do appreciate a good tea sometimes, herbal mainly with mint being my favorite, and we have tried quite a few places in New York; so, why not try this place? We went on an off day as I was off, picking a 11:15am spot rather than after 1pm.

The place is small and beautiful, the decor giving the feel that you stepped into a Parisian tea room in the 1920s, celebrating fashion week with the decor (beautiful wedding dress at the entrance), but also, as we will see in a moment, with their menu. There is a good explanation to it: the owner, Karen Elizabeth Lozner (who made the dress by the way), is a fashion designer! It might also explain why everything there is about details, including the dishes and utensils that add to the charm of the place.

What is great is that you can either go for one of the prix-fixe teas or pick a dish from the menu. We went for the former, with Jodi ordering the French Afternoon Tea ($62pp) and me the Haute-Couture High Tea ($82pp). The difference between the two? Mine had a cheese plate with imported cheese and prosciutto as well as a soup of the day, and for dessert, Jodi was supposed to have assorted mini-pastries with macarons, while I was supposed to have homemade French pastries. So, we started by ordering our tea: the menu was quite limited and I admit that I was a bit disappointed not to see any mint tea. So I went for the Chai Imperial with whole milk, while Jodi had an English Breakfast tea. The Chai was good, but a bit light for my taste (I tried authentic Chai in the past, so this was no comparison to it).

They then started to bring the food, with both of us having a mixed green salad. My cheese plate arrived, made of brie, Gruyere and another cheese that they were not able to name. When the plate came, I was shocked: it was very small! And so was the soup (potato and carrot if I correctly remember) that was more like a cup…

Then our tray came: the savory element was a croissant with hummus and cucumber for Jodi, egg salad for me. The croissant was undercooked and my egg salad was runny.

The sweet element was for both of us madeleines, pumpkin muffins, mini-cheesecakes and a chocolate and a raspberry macarons.

Desserts at The Parisian Tea Room in NYC

I admit that I left fairly disappointed: the food was just off, with small quantity for the price you pay. Angelina Paris is much better food and price wise for sure, so is Lady Mendl. I would pass on this place…

Enjoy (…)!

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The Parisian Tea Room - 347 W 36th St., New York, NY 10018

I Just Want To Eat!