The Tea Box

Liss

Tea time 14th January 2008

1 found this helpful

A friend and I met here for a sunday tea. When we arrived (about 12pm)the place was empty and I was a little concerned.... but by the time we left 2 hours later the place was packed and people were queing for seats! After looking at the menu I am not surprised as it is really set-up for morning and afternoon tea rather than lunch.

The tea menu is at least 4 pages long - rather daunting I found - so I randomly selected a flowering jasmine tea, which was rather nice.

When the tea arrived it came with a timer that told you when to stop brewing and start drinking for a weak, medium or strong tea! Quite a novelty.

I will definitely be returning to the Tea Box next time I am meeting someone for a hot drink, but if I am meeting someone for a bite to eat I will be going else where.

paul_ratcliffe

Top Brew 13th January 2008

2 found this helpful

I've been to the Tea Box a number of times since it opened a few short months ago and it's quickly become my favourite place for a cuppa in Richmond. As you'll gather from Sue's review, yes there were a few teething troubles with the speed of service when they first opened but that all seems sorted out now. The atmosphere is laid back and a million miles away from the chain coffee shops that choke the high street, with real care and attention put into both the drinks and the food. The sandwiches and cakes are well made and tasty and with three pages of different teas on the menu to try out there are plenty of reasons to keep on coming back to this little gem. Check out the flowering teas for something a little unusual you're unlikely to see anywhere else.

Tibbz

The Tea Box, Richmond 12th January 2008

2 found this helpful

The Tea Box in Richmond is a really good place to go if you want a new, adventurous and top quality tasting cup of tea or a relaxed chat. It is very cosy and appeals to all ages. It is usually quite busy as it is very popular and the staff are extremely friendly. I am very happy that The Tea Box has opened up as I don't think there are enough places to have a good cup of tea in Richmond, at a good value for your money. As you walk in the door you are immediately greeted by a pungent aroma of flowering, herbal, black and green teas making it irresistable to sit down and grab yourself a cup of tea and a freshly made cake or scone. I would highly recommend The Tea Box for the next time you are in Richmond!

elijahs_fire

The Tea Box/House... 8th January 2008

2 found this helpful

Just off the main streets, round the back of a church on Paradise Road, Richmond, is a perfect place for the tea lover.

Taking the old site of the 'Chocolate Cafe' (a place where I have heard many bad reports) now rests 'The Tea Box'. The style of this place is an interesting fusion of 1920-1940s tea room with a younger, hipper, and trendier 'Tea House' style. It combines styles from sleek black Japanese, paintings of Indian tea plantations, victoriana decor, and just a tad 'art deco'... and it strangely works! This synthesis of styles, blending the old with the new, puts the old tea lover (bingo players included) at ease as well as offering home to the new young aspirant or business person.

The place offers circa 37 different varieties of tea, a limited range of coffee (for those who are addicted, and aren't adventurous enough to try one of the teas!), soft drinks and juices, and even champagne, wine and beer! Along side the multitude of beverages there is plenty of choice of food to choose from, including things regular tea-room goers would recognise (the old carrot cake, tea cake, tea loaf.. etc) as well as things for lunch (sandwiches and salads) and things for an everyday treat (cream teas, afternoon teas and even high teas!!).

The place is modern enough to have an internet wi-fi connection, yet traditional enough to play an interesting array of classical music to 1940s style music! It is well worth visiting.
The staff are friendly and obliging, being able to ask easily any question on their selection of teas including recommendations and interesting quirks of the varieties supplied. If you like the tea you try, they do have retail of teh teas and tea regalia (such as teapots etc).


When I first discovered the Tea Box I spent several hours a day working on my laptop in a nice comfortable chair, being served tea (which is very reasonably priced at £1.95 per pot of tea for the more common teas, but goes up to £2.95 for some of the more exquisite teas that are well worth a try!). Every time I was there I was treated with kindness and diligence. The attention to detail was superb, including different styles of tea cups and pots for different teas, as well as advise to how long the teas are steeped.

I believe that customers should be aware that it is a tea HOUSE, serving some of the finest teas in the world (Heston Blumenthal uses the same teas in his restaurant!!!). It is also a tea room, meaning the service is with friendliness and kindness that you would expect from a local tea room.

The reviewer above, 'Sue', should be reminded that when reviewing it is best to review a business when it has actually taken off rather than within the first few weeks of opening for hte best service. Places find their feet; some find it within a few months, others take years (I know this from helping set up a few businesses!). I feel that since I've been going there (mid-late November) I have had no complaints, only praise.

Unfortunately, other people have caught onto my secret retreat in Richmond, and it can get slightly busy especially at the weekends. Though the staff try very hard to get you a seat, and if not will give an estimated time when a seat will be available, offer water and give you the menu to read through whilst you wait (which does take some reading!). I have also witnessed people having afternoon tea birthday parties in the place (three tiered plate stacks... very traditional!), and have takeaways.

A very affordable, yet sophisticated place which offers a 'home from home' without the washing up! perfect!

RobTJ

The "Perfect" Tea Box 11th November 2007

1 found this helpful

My wife and I used to walk past the Chocolate Cafe after it closed and wonder what would take it's place, after all, it's off the beaten track of the usual place for a bar or cafe to be located in Richmond.

Regardless of it's location we were pleasantly surprised with the news that The Tea Box would soon be opening and as soon as the doors opened we took a look in. The first impression is that of an old tea room in 1930's England, or even 1930's India - with a more modern chill out type of music playing in the background - sounds strange but it works.

The place was packed out when we arrived. There were at least 4 members of staff busy taking orders and ringing the till - however none of it was with a hint of panic or rush, just like the waiter who came to take our order after we were lucky enough to get a table. He was welcoming, patient, realising that we were first time customers, gave us time to ask questions as to the types of tea available - and believe me there's a lot to choose from - we ordered some Earl Grey and a strong Lapsong Seuchong Chinese leaf. The china the tea was brought in was quaint and made you feel like you should appreciate the contents a little more than the cardboard coffee cups you throw away on your way into work.

We chose some sandwiches from a good menu and they too were well presented and filling.

The customer service is the thing that stands out in this place. The patience and the attention to customer satisfaction is great. My wife is pregnant at the moment so she doesn't want to eat soft cheese, something which is on the menu in plenty. We explained this to the waiter who suggested some harder cheeses and then said that he would get some in for us! The second time we phoned to ask what time they were closing on a Sunday evening and I was asked, "What time were you thinking of coming around" ? They said that they were still finding their feet in terms of opening times to suit the local customers! I think that that type of customer service is excellent.

I recommend this place to anyone who's looking at an alternative to the every town Coffee houses that are in every high street in the country. Go along for a change and for some excellent customer service.

sue

Richmond Tea Room 27th October 2007

5 found this helpful

There used to be a café in Richmond called the Chocolate Café - sounds good doesn't it....well, it wasn't that great actually. So when it closed down I wasn't too disappointed. After a few months of an empty shop, a new café called The Tea Box has just opened in its place.

The Tea Box looks like the perfect place to while away a wintery afternoon, with its antique-looking furniture, large choice of teas, and tempting looking homemade cakes. We visited a few days after they first opened, for some morning tea.

We chose a small table by the window, decided which cakes we wanted and I headed up to the counter to order, only to be advised that it was table service. Fine, I sat back down and flicked through the paper, getting a little annoyed as it wasn't busy, but took at least 5 minutes for someone to come and take our order. Although there was 4 staff working (that we saw), only one seemed to be dealing with customers.

Eventually we ordered and got our tea and cake. I loved the old-fashioned tea cups, and also liked the "Perfect Tea Timer" we were given which would tell us when our tea was brewed light, medium or strong. The carrot cake was pretty good, the chocolate cake not so good.

elijahs_fire at 08/01/08

I think reviewing a place too soon is the error of amateur reviewers. After all, what business opens and runs perfectly smoothly?! Have you been back since?

sue at 08/01/08

You are right, I need to get back and see how things are progressing for them. I take it you are more of a professional reviewer? Will look forward to some more interesting reviews from you!

paul_ratcliffe at 13/01/08

Yep, the Tea Box definitely deserves another visit! The service is much improved since this review was written, with the initial teething problems now ironed out!

elijahs_fire at 14/01/08

I'm not a professional reviewer at all, other than reviewing the occasional book. That's not quite the same thing as places to eat and drink, of course.

Definitely have another visit, it may be worth your time!

Elza at 18/05/08

I've been to The Tea Box several times now. Pretty decor, and the food and drink is always lovely (great scones and clotted cream!) but I have to say that each time, the service has been extremely slow and somewhat erratic (a long time to be noticed and served, a long time for the order to arrive, and then not always correct when it does arrive), which is a real shame. The staff appear to be on another planet much of the time. I do hope they're able to sort this out because it's letting them down.

dADDYMAC69 at 16/08/09

I think you will find that the professional reviewers critique a venue on their opening night - its never too early to review a new restaurant.

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