Tea Time in New York: Harney & Sons

For many, New York is the place for broadway shows, famous art, and yellow cabs (like the ones pictured below).

For me, New York is a place for tea time. I am obsessed with tea and I seek out food wherever I go. Still, with all of my adventures in Little Tokyo, Koreatown, and the Upper East Side museums, even I’m surprised that tea has been the constant in all of my New York visits. But hey, maybe it’s called the “city that never sleeps” because it’s been drinking too much caffeinated tea? 😉

Harney & Sons

Almost every time I visit the city, I find myself in SoHo at Harney & Sons.  They have a small tea salon in the back and a large selection of teas in the shop up front. Tea can be expensive, but Harney & Sons manages to remain affordable without sacrificing quality. Some of the fruity blends taste a little too artificial to me, but I love the floral ones!

After taking a seat in the tea salon, look through their tea menu for a few minutes. So many choices! I’m partial to white and green teas, though I ordered a really nice coconut black tea once. This past summer (2016), they had an iced matcha special which I thoroughly enjoyed (you could even adjust the matcha level).

Here’s the most important thing to know about this place: the scones. are. delicious. The clotted cream and the strawberry jam are so good; I always wish I could eat about 10 of the scones. Even my boyfriend, who was rolling his eyes at me when I said I wanted scones after eating a large lunch, agreed that these were very worth it.

The staff are always friendly, so don’t be shy to go up to their counter + wall of large tea tins. If you’re curious about a flavor, they’ll open up the tin for you to take a whiff. They also have several sample teas to try every day. I’m usually too shy to try things, but I make it a point to try their sample teas 🙂 Some tea places can be stuffy and less-than-kind, but I’ve only had pleasant experiences with the Harney staff.

Make sure to look through at all the tea accessories and scone mixes that they have stocked up for you. This is a perfect place to shop around for some gifts. My favorite tin to gift is the Royal Wedding Tea, but I’ve also really liked Jane’s Garden Tea and their buckwheat tea (all about $8-12). Tip: If you have a student ID, you get a discount on your purchases!

I wish you a most wonderful tea time in New York (and across the globe)! Stay tuned for my next Tea Time in New York post @ Tea and Sympathy!