Tea Cellar

A fortress of solitude for the sophisticated tea nerd.
Usually when I think of tea, I imagine white-​haired British ladies in an array of colorful hats, gossiping in loud voices over cups of mismatched floral teacups and crumpets. The Tea Cellar is the exact opposite of this vision. It’s quiet and refined with lots of dark wood, white marble, and a giant glass humidor that they use to store, display, and age tea.
And what a tea selection they have! From a fruity melon tea from the island of Majorca (my husband’s favorite) to a $ 300 pu-​erh which was only described as being «hand-​carried out of China after years of negotiation.» There was even a free show! The moonlight litchi which came to us in a beautiful glass teapot blossomed into a giant flower, being held with one piece of silk thread. It was absolutely gorgeous.
The tea menu is a bit intimidating with their pages upon pages of writing on it – our server who was basically a walking tea encyclopedia broke it down for us in an easy to understand format. Kudos to him!
On Saturday and Sunday, the Tea Cellar offers an afternoon tea for $ 45 per person which comes with your selection of tea and a buffet of sweets and savories to whet your appetite such as pumpkin tarts, lobster tea sandwiches, chicken salad roll ups, oysters, macarons, cheesecake, creampuffs, etc. I was not too big of a fan of the savory selection (I’m a picky eater in general) but I definitely got my money’s worth in the sugar department. The cheesecake was one of the best I ever had and the berry scones were absolutely perfect. I’m a big fan of clotted cream and feel like other places in town do not ever give you enough so I was happy that I had a whole buffet of clotted cream to myself.
It’s a big pricey for what you receive but this is definitely a place for a special occasion! They are also open late at night for those looking for a place to sit and talk with a friend but maybe are not interested in cocktails.

I am in love with this place! *Thank you Kimberly Santos, for letting us take part in the event!**
I have a passion for all hot teas and afternoon tea delectables. This place is such a treat! It is not your typical sit down and wait for the tea service to bring you your crudités and desserts. It’s a buffet! So load up on your oysters, chicken salad rolled in cabbage leaves, macrons, crème brûlée in a cup. #ftw (for the win).
Location — in the heart of DC, although getting here can be a challenge for not non-​native DCs. Valet is a must, no self parking, $ 12.
Venue — clean, sleek, like others have mentioned, it has a minimalist and simple feel. Very zen, and refreshing, but has a nice warm ambiance. We had a space kept to ourselves. Although I saw a lot of nice books for small parties, couples, get togethers, that would make it very enjoyable.
Service — superb! I mean, kudos to the valet service, to the host who greeted us, down to the tea service water who took care of us. I have to give much props to the valet guy who was so graciously kind and gave my little toddler a stuffed panda bear *heartfelt thanks*
Price — totally worth my $ 45! AND ITS BUFFET, did I mentioned that yet? So, sorry Ritz Carlton, Park Hyatt’s got you beat.
Overall, yes, definitely coming back here, hopefully for my birthday! Enjoy Unilocalers and non-​Yelpers!

I went to the Tea Cellar for a holiday tea with some girlfriends. I thought the selection of the buffet was just ok — for savory options, there were mini lobster rolls, tiny lettuce chicken salad wraps, little butternut squash and bacon tartlets, and fresh oysters (so note to vegetarians — nothing for you, savory-​wise). There was a better variety of sweet options — several little tarts, pastries, cookies, scones and macarons, and those were what really shined, as they were all delicious. The problem was that it was not well stocked — the first time we approached the buffet, there were no oysters or lobster rolls; those were replenished several minutes after we’d finished filling our plates and had sat back down. There was also only marmalade with the scones — no clotted cream or lemon curd as you would expect with your tea. We and several other tables were asking about that, and the cream and lemon curd was finally put out around 30 minutes later, but once it was out, there were no more plain scones. So while I definitely didn’t leave hungry, it led to a bit of a hectic atmosphere with us having to repeatedly jump up and head back to the buffet when something was finally put out, rather than just filling one plate and being done with it. Which brings me to the seating… My chair was a low, swiveling arm chair type chair, and it was extremely difficult to push it back to get up from the table without knocking into the table, and then to scoot it in when sitting back down.
We also had a problem with our tea — the pots were delivered and we were instructed to let them steep for three minutes. When we then poured, we all discovered that the water was only tepid. By the time our pots were replaced with water that was actually hot, we’d already been there for over ½ an hour (though the tea, when we finally got it, was delicious).
So while enjoyable it wasn’t really the relaxing tea experience we’d hoped for, and especially for the price (it’s interesting that there are reviews from just a few weeks ago stating that the price of the buffet is $ 45; it must have recently increased as we were charged $ 50 each, plus tip, so I paid $ 60 total for a few cups of tea and a plate of snacks) I would probably try somewhere else the next time. If you do go for the buffet, I would definitely recommend a reservation on the earlier side — ours was at 3, and because they were a little slow in taking our orders, and of course the snafu with the tea, and issues with replenishing the buffet, we also felt rushed as the buffet ends at 4.

Find a new place to burn more money in the afternoon in DC! Since Mandarin no longer serves tea buffet, tea cellar is the only one left. $ 45 per person. Not bad. This is a nice place to have just tea. I like the blossom tea. See pics.

The only reason give the Tea Cellar 4 stars is because the chairs are uncomfortable for (buffet style) tea. Wasn’t a coincidence when my daughter, then the neighboring couple complained the chairs were hard to get up and push away from the table to go help yourself with the buffet offerings.
Which brings me to the buffet. Excellent variety of delicacies perfectly portioned in an array of palate teasing displays. I noticed most people spied the selection in awe a moment or two before selecting.
I’ve been there 4 times now and the chefs change the sweets and savories to ensure your return to afternoon tea bliss.

Three and a half stars. Okay amount of 2-​hour metered street parking in the area. I liked that I was able to order a la carte from an abbreviated selection of the BDT brunch/​lunch menu, as an alternative to the $ 45 buffet of pastries and tea sandwiches (well-​stocked but limited variety). Good lighting even though we were around the corner from the nearest window, and the lovely décor helps justify dressing up to feel like a proper lady. Staff didn’t start setting the table for our bridal shower until almost 10 minutes after the reservation time, so that was rather disappointing.
Other than the initial mishap, service was attentive and helpful. Waters and teapots were refilled regularly, and they were happy to discuss tea recommendations at length. I was satisfied by the number of steepings we got from each order, and the built-​in pricing structure is sensible with the ability to upgrade when in the company of fellow tea nerds. I definitely recommend the flowering teas– very pretty and the Moonlight Litchi Blossom was a particular hit, closely followed by the Freak of Nature oolong. Caffeine content notes are helpful so you can manage against your usual intake to control how awake you are for the rest of the day. I’d definitely come back for the leisurely teatime: Barrel Aged Forbidden Forest lapsang souchong, Tieguanyin Competition oolong, Royal Snowflakes.

I did get the buffet this time. The savory section was excellent, and though I’m not much of a sweet person, the sweets I did have were fine. It makes for a great experience for special occasions.

Wonderful high tea with a large buffet selection of tea sandwiches, desserts, and small bites. It was a perfect place for a girls date on the weekend and we enjoyed several helpings of the small bites as well as trying out some unique teas.

Came here late on a Saturday night for a date night with my partner. Service was attentive and polite. I got a litchi white tea and my partner had a ceylon. Both were very delicious and each pot had about 4 teacups worth of tea. The waitress also came by with more hot water as the night went on. The desserts were rich and delicious, the atmosphere was subdued — it was perfect for a long conversation. Would love to come back during the daytime when they have a bigger sweets selection.

Just love it. Very pricey, but great atmosphere, relaxing and great selection of teas.
Their apple pies are to die for, and high tea is great to try.

Found this by accident when we had a late night craving for tea after dinner and I’m so glad we did. The atmosphere is great, it’s very dimly lit and romantic and not super noisy. The tea selection is good too, they have lots of different price ranges and flavored. The dessert is good too although we only had the cherry cobbler and that was amazing.
Will definitely come back next time we’re in DC.

Love this place… Great service, Great atmosphere, Great Tea, Great Apple Pie and most importantly great Bathrooms!

Ugh. I love tea and I’ve been wanting to try this place for ages. 30^th Birthday comes around and we head here after going to Central. What a huge disappointment. The design of the place is terrible and the backless chairs and communal table aren’t really my idea of a relaxing atmosphere for drinking tea. Also it really should be more clearly indicated that this is basically within Blue Duck Tavern. It seems awkward that waiters for BDT would be serving tea. We were actually given a menu for BDT and had to again explain we were there for the Tea Cellar.
They have an amazing tea menu, but really Ching Ching Cha is a much better experience.

My boyfriend and I were searching for a coffee and/​or tea place around 10:30pm on a Friday night. Because it’s D.C., there were only a few options and none of them were particularly appealing. However, as I was scrolling through Unilocal,I came across Tea Cellar. Opened until 12:30am? We’re there!
It took a minute or two for us to realize the Tea Cellar was in the Park Hyatt (the location pin that showed up on Unilocal was not where Park Hyatt is, despite the address being correct). Having been to Blue Duck Tavern before, we were surprised that there was also a tea place in the Hyatt. We’d never seen it before. However, once we walked in and asked, we realized the Tea Cellar is adjacent to Blue Duck Tavern. Tea goers sit in the lounge with the comfy armchairs by the high windows.
After we sank comfortably into the armchairs, we both separately ordered. I decided to go with the moonlight jasmine blossom and my boyfriend with the 1999 vintage pu-​erh. My tea was scented with jasmine flowers. It’s a ball that’s been hand tied to open in the shape of flower. The server brought over individual glass teapot warmers that keep the tea warm with a tealight candle and matching glass teapots containing our respective teas. I had to wait for my tea ball to blossom and then it was ready to drink.
Another time, my boyfriend and I decided to order the tencha tea (described as «rare shade grown green tea traditionally ground for the Japanese tea ceremony, preserved in its natural state. The smoothest and most complex expression of Japanese green tea ever to leave Japan’s lush tea fields.») to share. Very smooth and soothing. I think sharing is ideal because drinking a whole pot of tea by myself was almost too much for me.
Each teapot contains enough tea for 7 – 8 pours (could have been more, I lost count). The tea was delicious and fragrant. I love drinking tea and Tea Cellar provides the perfect venue and ambiance. The teas are a little costly, but I’d definitely go back every now and then. It’s a nice place to unwind, drink some tea, and read a newspaper or work on a paper. In addition, you can request more water to be added and given how much tea leaves they put into the pot, the flavor of the tea doesn’t fade even with additional water pourings. I believe the cheapest tea costs $ 8 and there’s also a 1985 pu-​erh tea that costs $ 300! Can’t say I’d spring $ 300 for tea even if only less than 7kg have been produced worldwide. I could go for any of the green, black, herbal, and white teas though.
Open 2:30pm to 12:30am daily!

My sister and I were in search of High Tea and chose Tea Cellar based on the rave reviews from Unilocal.I wish I could say I loved it, but the price was a big turn off. With the expensive Tea Table ($ 40), extra cost for the tea (I had the Litchee tea, which was tasty. The Jasmine was better. Both are $ 12 each), and tax and tip for basic service, I found myself stuffing my face out of spite of the price. If I’m spending that much for tea, I’m eating like it’s lunch AND dinner.
Yes, the décor is nice, but it still has the sterility of a business hotel with a grand view of the street. The server was polite and helped make a few recommendations, but I’ve been elsewhere where they provide an extra pot of tea for no additional charge. The food was tasty – but since it was buffet style, the breads were dried out from sitting in a refrigerator. Not what I expect for the price.
If I was just rating the food, I’d give it a 4. Instead of open-​faced bites of dried out bread, I wish the kitchen would prepare it as needed… it’s not like this was a Las Vegas buffet where food disappears off the tray as soon as it’s brought out. The pastries were meticulously made and all very good. Presentation was 4 stars.
Would I be back? If someone else insisted on it, but I found it overrated for ok tea, ok food, ok service, and ok ambience.

My Mom and I had a wonderful time at the Park Hyatt’s Tea Cellar. The pictures don’t do this place justice. We sat in the comfortable armchairs right next to windows and loved it! We shared the blood orange green tea and really enjoyed it. The food and the service was amazing. I can’t wait to come back!

This is the same signature quality option for tea as is at the Buenos Aires Hyatt in does for cheese. Top notch service and setting with diversity in tea here that can’t be beat! I cannot say enough positive things but it’s really not about what I say, it’s simple: if you enjoy tea this is a DC must!

I am so glad that I discovered this place.
It is such a squanky little tea place.
On the weekends they offer a buffet style where you pay $ 30 for little pastries and sandwiches.
I loved the cauliflower-​I ate like three bowls.
The sandwiches were good and so was the dessert.
I got the blood orange green tea after reading some reviews, it was good.
The service was fantastic!
Our server was super attentive and sweet.
The restrooms were so nice!!!
I think I am going to come here often!
Such a great place to spend your Sunday afternoon.

What a LOVELY way to spend the afternoon. Sipping fine teas from around the world in from fine china, refreshing myself until dinnertime from the buffet of sweet and savory treats; lounging on cushy chairs; why I would have thought I was British Royalty if I didnt’t already know the truth.
The tea cellar is elegant and relaxing, plus you get a tea sommelier. This is a great place to be spendy: if you do not consume alcohol, but want to order the top of the line, most expensive beverage somewhere to impress someone, you can do it here. Their top tea costs $ 300 per pot. On saturdays and sundays, you can partake of the buffet like I did. Like most top notch spots these days, the menu is seasonal and local, thus may have changed by the time you visit. Fortunately, when I went in November, the offerings were all fall flavors. As is the norm at tea, start with the savory. The pulled pork wrap was bulging with pulled pork, seasonings, lettuce and a lovely spinach tortilla. There was a tiny crab salad sandwich with egg on pumpernickel, beautifully adorned with a slice of radish. That taste of the Chesapeake reminded me of summertime crab abundance. The lentil butternut squash salad was earthy and intensely spicy. Insanely spicy. I could not handle this heat. But that was ok because Brie and house made jam on ciabatta helped extinguish the fire. To me, the 2 stars of the savory show were the house smoked turkey thigh on brioche with house made ketchup, tempura crunchies, and chives (delicious) and (surprise!) a SAVORY scone. Yes, the savory scone was Kennett square mushrooms, scallions, and cheddar cheese. Devon cream optional. Yes, please.
For the sweets, the buttery lattice crust cranberry linzer torte was packed with tart fall fruit, cinnamon, allspice, and of course a touch of sugar. It was so beautiful, I didn’t want to eat it. After the first bite, I realized how delicious it was and didn’t want to stop. The banana walnut bread is not for the faint of heart nor the weak of jaw. The full pieces of walnut both in and on the bread are amazing. The red velvet mini cupcakes with pearl crunches and cream cheese icing will have you run down south and slap ya mama. Yes, they are that good. The lady apple tarts provided a trick of the eye. I thought these creamy almond pastries had a cherry on top. It wasn’t until I’d bitten into the apple that I realized it was an apple, a little tiny lady apple. The vanilla bean panna cotta topped with clementine was amazing even for panna cotta. Get your lactaid ready. This is real panna cotta.
We started with a tea that was technically a black tea but called first flush darjeeling. Hand-​roasted Dragonwell was next. This tea prides itself on long, thin leaves, the smaller, the better. The competition oolong, also called the iron goddess of mercy, was one of my favorites. This tea was full bodied without being over bearing. It also had a certain natural sweetness.
On a fall afternoon, especially under beautiful setting of the Park Hyatt, there is no better thing to do than have tea with a trained sommelier at the Tea Cellar.
I’m a fan.
10÷4÷12

Tea Cellar was elegant yet very relaxing and comforting. I could come here for a cup of tea by myself without any hesitation. Great service. Welcoming, friendly and attentive.
Tea sweet/​sandwich station is now $ 30 per person. Honestly, tea sandwich was pretty disappointing. Bread were dried out and none of 4 – 5 kinds of tea sandwich was interesting or flavorful.
Among sweets, Scone, fruit tart and Madeleine were good, buttery and light texture but I’m not sure if these were worth $ 30…
I would come back here for a cup of tea and order a snack from the menu.