This winter, my husband and I have been so thankful to escape the cold weather and live for a few weeks in sunny Florida. (He has a work-from-home- [or anywhere with WiFi] -job, and I have nice coworkers & bosses!) We have been staying with my husband’s family, who spend each winter on Sanibel Island.
This past week, us girls went to lunch with a local friend at Wisteria Tea Room in Fort Myers, Florida.
We had a lot of fun and enjoyed our time so much that I thought I would do a quick review and share some photos from the experience for anyone who might visit the area!
Wisteria Tea Room History
Wisteria Tea Room opened in 2011 in Fort Myers’ downtown river district. It occupies a charming bungalow originally constructed around 1919.
The sweet owner spent over a year remodeling the property to create the perfect spot for afternoon tea!
Wisteria Tea Room is an ideal setting for a girls’ day out, to catch up with old friends, a small celebratory lunch, or simply if you are in the mood for tea!
It even has a cute little gift area to browse and perhaps take home a souvenir! After all, what girls’ day out is complete without a little shopping? They sell various teapots and accessories, as well as mugs, jewelry, handbags, paintings and more.
“Delightful Teas” at Wisteria Tea Room
Wisteria Tea Room has a pretty large selection of teas, both traditional and more unique!
You begin with two pots of tea per table, but can order as many more flavors as you like, once you finish a pot. We tried Orange Vanilla White Chocolate, Pineapple Coconut, Strawberry Shortcake, and Vanilla Chai Spice.
Each flavor was very distinct, yet soft and, with some honey or cream, just “delightful”. My favorite was the Strawberry Shortcake. I thought it was flowery, bright, and just sweet enough, without tasting too fake-y or synthetic.
Some teas can even be served iced if you are in the mood for a more refreshing libation (especially if you have been basking in that Florida sun all day!)
Dining at Wisteria Tea Room
Tea isn’t all you’ll enjoy at Wisteria Tea Room; in fact, the lunch and dessert menu is so extensive, you may be tempted to come back again to try more food!
The menu gives a few dining options, but the most popular choice is the Royal Tea, which is what we all ordered. That choice presents you with: your pick of soup or Wisteria House Salad, and a tiered tray with a delicious fresh scone (served with Devonshire cream), savory tea treats, delectable mini tea desserts with fresh fruit garnish and, of course, the endless pots of tea.
I chose the Wisteria House Salad, topped with candied nuts, feta cheese, and dried cranberries. It was only complete with the champagne-vinaigrette… seriously, I would eat anything as long as you put that dressing on it! So. Delicious.
The actual goodies served on the tiered tray differ daily, so you never know what variations you may get, but ours had the following:
- Bottom Tier: chicken salad croissant sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches, spinach and artichoke quiche, and mini brie filo bites.
- Middle Tier: blueberry-lemon scones with sliced strawberry garnish and fresh Devonshire cream.
- Top Tier: s’mores ‘bomb’s, mini creme brulees, and small lemon bars.
This food was absolutely phenomenal. They make everything in-house, so you are only getting the freshest, most delicious treats. The recipes have been fine-tuned for years by the chef to reach the perfect flavor balance.
If you aren’t a big eater or don’t want any leftovers, I would recommend the “afternoon tea”. You will still get a tiered tower of goodies, but not the soup or salad at the beginning. This was a lot of food, and I had kept myself hungry all day in anticipation of eating as much as possible!
I loved every detail; the roses on these mini spoons are so cute!
Out of all the desserts, my favorite was… a three-way tie between them all *insert blushing emoji*. I love desserts.
Wisteria Tea Room Experience
We loved every moment of our time at Wisteria Tea Room; they say the best times happen over a hot drink and sweet treats. (Well, I say that.)
Really, it’s the company that makes for a great afternoon. (Amazing food to stuff your face with doesn’t hurt, either.)
There is even an adorable little pergola outside, which we, of course, had to take photos in front of.
Because if you don’t document an event with photos, did it even happen??
If you are ever in the southwest region of Florida, I would definitely recommend planning a trip to Wisteria Tea House into your travels.
The food is absolutely wonderful, the teas are divinely delicious, and the atmosphere is warm and inviting.
What is your favorite flavor of tea? Let me know by leaving a comment below!
As always, thank you for reading my latest post!
XOXO
-LRH
Yo I so wanna eat there!
I would recommend it 🙂