I love how a cup of afternoon tea can serve as a way to relax in one moment and as a pick-me-up in another. While it’s debatable as to when the afternoon tea tradition first started, people have been enjoying sitting down with fancy cups and choice steeped leaves for a long time.
This month is the time to salute all things tea: April is National Afternoon Tea Month, and April 21 is National Tea Day. In Nashville, there are plenty of places to celebrate. Here are eight old favorites and new spots around town.
Suraj Spices & Teas
311 Hart St.
This woman-owned spice and tea shop in Chestnut Hill has a large and unique array of teas, and the shop owner encourages bringing your own containers to fill, which is an environmental win. The Cream Earl Grey is a favorite, and you won’t be sad if you leave with a new salt of some kind in addition to your tea choice.
Sam & Zoe’s
525 Heather Place
Sitting on the porch of Sam & Zoe’s in Berry Hill sipping tea is a great way to spend an afternoon. The cafe's Mint Fields tea is good hot or cold, depending on the season. If you hit the parking lot just right, it’s slightly hidden from the main road and the perfect quick stop to take a deep breath after work and before you head home. Don’t ask how I know.
British Bee Tea Company
British Bee Tea Company
2412 Antioch Pike
I was sad to find out my favorite little British tea shop in Antioch had to close its shop and cafe in recent weeks. While the owners figure out the next steps, you can find their teas for sale at the Mattress Express next door. I love the shop’s Frosty Plum Spice Tea and Buckingham Palace Garden Party Tea — both have little pops of color and feel just a tad extra fancy. The tea is good enough to walk into a mattress store to grab some, I promise, even if I did love the little cafe. You can also order online.
The Silver Fern
145 E Spring St. Suite B1, Cookeville
This shop is not technically in Nashville, but they ship locally for reasonable rates. If you've got a free Saturday afternoon, the drive to Cookeville really ain’t all that bad. The Moroccan Mint Green Tea that was thrown in with a gift sent to me is especially aromatic and delightful — lovely with a soak in the tub.
Chai Wallah
Various locations
Chai Wallah is a social enterprise that supports women tea farmers in Kenya as well as women tea sellers in India. The chai is rich and delicious. It also supports open-hiring practices, which means the first person who applies gets a chance at the job, a method often used to prevent discrimination in hiring. Chai Wallah is often on the go, set up at festivals around town. While it doesn’t have its own brick and mortar shop, you can also find it at various coffee houses around town, like Crema, The Cookery, Retrograde Coffee and more.
The Horn
619 Murfreesboro Pike
We’ve given love to The Horn before for its coffee and snacks, but the truth is the shop’s Somali chai is enough reason to visit. If you’ve ever driven down Murfreesboro Road and wondered why there aren’t more convenient places to stop for a quick sip, this is your place. The owners and people who work in the shop are extremely nice and helpful.
The Café at Thistle Farms
5122 Charlotte Pike
The Café at Thistle Farms is the spot I recommend for a traditional tea experience with a larger group or a spot for a quiet cup of tea on the patio. The shop is an arm of the social enterprise Thistle Farms, which works with women survivors of trafficking, sex work and addiction to find healing, employment and more. While I love the tea shop’s girly aesthetic, you can also grab an afternoon tea box to go — a more-than-sweet way to spend some time with a friend on your own back porch.
High Garden Tea
High Garden Tea
Order online
High Garden Tea has been around in East Nashville for more than 15 years, and I dig it for its witchy vibe. While I typically will take whatever is being recommended from these folks, I do love the Bergamont Green Organic tea. It tastes like the perfect mix of green tea and Earl Grey with some added floral notes. The shop was destroyed in the March 2020 tornado, and they’ve been working to rebound since. Order online.
