Visit This Spot In Sumner For A Delicious High Tea In Washington

Anglophiles, unite! Though the Brits are eminently teasable, there’s one cultural relic of theirs I recommend we import: high tea. Indulgent finger sandwiches served on a towering three-tiered tray alongside sophisticated tea blends from around the world— what could be better than that? In the coffee-fueled culture of the PNW, Sumner’s Secret Garden Tea Room & Gift Shop serves a high tea in Washington that may convert you from bean to leaf. Not to mention, it’ll make you feel like the princess you always wanted to be.

After operating for 15 years in Bellevue's Factoria Mall, The Secret Garden Tea Room moved in 2006 to its current digs: an ornate Victorian mansion in Sumner. With write-ups in piping hot tea publications, including *TeaTime Magazine*, this "pinkies-out" refuge is a stalwart believer in the ceremony of high tea.

The Secret Garden Tea Room ensconces you in an atmosphere of old-world civility. Here, casualness *isn't* king, and there's something refreshing about that.

You might think that the star of high tea is, well, the *tea*. It's in the name, after all. But the secret draw of high tea— and what keeps me coming back— is the scrumptious food.

The classic flavors of high tea fare have been honed for centuries by the English upper crust. Admittedly, I can't think of many great English culinary contributions. Few outside the Commonwealth can claim an ardent love for mushy peas on toast. But high tea cuisine is stylish, flavorful, and habit-forming.

We're talking iconic goodies like cucumber, egg salad, and ham sandwiches on ferries of bite-sized, crustless bread. We're talking cream scones (pronounced sc-AH-ns) with clotted cream and tart jam.

This feast of tiny bites pairs spectacularly with a range of teas, and The Secret Garden Tea Room offers several varieties.

In short, this beloved Sumner joint is a purveyor of high tea *par excellence*. Its sophisticated vintage charm and outstanding dining make a compelling case for taking some things seriously. Pinkies out, Washingtonians. A high tea may be just the thing to change your casual ways.

The Evergreen State is renowned for its natural beauty, but that outdoorsy-ness has produced a population with difficulty seeing the merit in anything that isn’t totally casual. High tea proves that not only are some pretenses good, they’re a delightful reprieve from our hectic modern world. If you’ve been craving high tea in Washington, there’s no better place to go than The Secret Garden Tea Room and Gift Shop.

Combine your visit with an on-theme stay in one of nearby Tacoma’s historic neighborhoods and check out Grit City’s enviable Antique Row.

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1711 Elm St E, Sumner, WA 98390, USA

The Secret Garden Tea Room & Gift Is A High Tea Café In Washington That Will Make You Feel Like A Kid Again

Andrea Verschuyl

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