Cambridge Tea House

Do you ever have the urge to just get fancy or down right proper? Of course you do! And what says "I'm a well bred individual, who is concerned with diplomats, and is down-right polite" than sipping on a cup of tea.

Address: 1885 W 5th Ave, Columbus, Ohio 43212
Phone:(614) 486-6464

Cambridge Tea House is a quaint little restaurant located at the edge of Grandview. Parking is tight, and the place, itself, is rather small. Inside you will find a light color palette of tame wood, a large helping of white, and a splatter here and there of rosy reds offset by regal golds.

Small tables make for more intimate dining, but can easily become crowded with large tiered platters of pastry, plates, and your tea pot-all snug in its warmer. I accompanied a few friends to brunch on this particular day. A smallish menu of light sandwiches, pastry, and a variety of egg dishes sat on the table next to a vary thorough tea list.

After a few moments of glancing at the offerings we each sent in for a small pot of our tea choices. The pots were large enough to serve one for the entire meal, and came out piping-hot and fully brewed. I chose the Queen Catherine- a blend of three Chinese teas. The full body tea was perfectly brewed, and was everything one expects from a good quality black tea. Each pot came with its own tea cozy, keeping the pot warm while you discuss your latest game of crokay/ art/ or politics.  

The food came at its own leisure, this was no problem for a lazy Saturday brunch. I had the quiche and simple cream scone. The quiche was the ever popular broccoli and cheddar variety. You can't really go wrong with a slice of quiche (unless it's ill seasoned or over cooked) but the egg pie was tasty. The scone was excellent, one of the best I've had in quite some time. It was crisp and sugared on the outside, yet soft and biscuit-y on the inside. It was served with strawberry preserves and clotted cream; the combination of the two was quite delightful. The fruit cup that came with it, however, was plain and uninspired (although fresh).

I succumbed to the offer of a rhubarb pavlova. A simple baked meringue island with rhubarb compote and a few sliced strawberries. The dessert was light and refreshing, even if it left something to be desired (maybe a nice flight of dessert wine). The meringue was baked at too high of a temperature, browning it slightly and the whipped cream was from a air foamer (It's ok, everyone does it). Rhubarb did shine in the compote, typically that earthy quality is masked by mounds of sugar. The topping of fresh strawberries was obvious, and the berries were not ripe, perhaps a different choice or a splash of something not red would have been a more exciting choice. 

Overall, I enjoyed myself at the Tea House. It was a pleasurable change of pace; don't get me wrong it could have been more adventurous- but it was a wholesome experience. I would suggest going for brunch, a bachelorette party, or tea time with young princesses. They do offer occasional ,reservation only, candle light dinners (I feel like I'm in "Keeping Up Appearances") but their hours are a scosche tricky, so make sure you check before you head over to this one.

Keep Eating,

JTFussy