TEA REVIEW #4

Afternoon tea at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is always a treat. Our trip to Richmond last Tuesday was no exception. And, if I’m being honest, it wasn’t our first trip to the Floris tearoom, housed in the old Daughters of the Confederacy building behind the museum. The Museum has done a terrific job of creating an almost Downton Abbey/old world England decor in a turn of the 20th century southern architecture building. 

We visited the first time on New Year’s Day. Talk about a great way to welcome 2024! Alas, we had not started really documenting our tea visits yet, but we knew we would come back for an official review at some point.

So, we decided that July 30 at 12 noon would be our official visit back to Floris. What sets Floris apart from other tea places we have visited is that they have an on-site chef who creates everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) from scratch, seasonally. The menu changes to reflect not only the weather, but also the big exhibits in the museum. The Samurai Warriors show is wrapping up and all summer the theme of the estival cuisine has been “Japan.”

For bread service, the scones were delicious, especially when paired with the unique house-made miso-honey butter. The steamed rice cakes were also tasty. We both agreed the best savory item was the baby tomato pie with togarashi (a Japanese spice mixture of 7 ingredients) and local cheddar. I enjoyed the Japanese egg salad which was topped with a thin piece of lox. The crab salad was a nice idea for the summer fare, but it had too much umami mayonnaise in it, and we both agreed the roll it was on overpowered the crab. It would have been better suited on a thin piece of bread or pastry shell. All three of the sweet options were divine: caramel pudding, sticky rice cream puff with corn cream, and mini carrot cake with yuzu white chocolate. The chef has quite a way of choosing complementary flavors! We can honestly say, if you are looking for the tearoom in Virginia with the best food, Floris is a contender!

If I had to make one critique about the experience, it would have to be the tea itself. Floris is trying to promote local purveyors: Dominion Tea, Roots RVA Tea Blends, and Savory Blends Tea Co. They do offer a very few Fortnum & Mason teas.

The last time we went, I opted for a Dominion Tea called Shenandoah Blue: a black tea described as having blueberry tones with bright cornflower notes. It really just tasted of dirt water. So, this time, I was less adventuresome and opted for the Fortnum & Mason Royal Blend. If you haven’t had it, Royal Blend is a true brew, with notes of flowery Pekoe, and malty Assam. It leaves the palate with an ever so sweet honey sensation. And, while I’m sorry I didn’t venture out of my comfort zone, I am glad that I didn’t let my beverage choice mar an otherwise exquisite experience.  

Michelle had a similar experience on our first visit -- venturing out to try the Georgia's peach tea, and the flavor was very weak despite a lengthy brewing time. This time she chose the well-known, safe Fortnum & Mason option - Green Tea Elderflower - and it was delightful! She drank every sip in the pot! Since the waiter will offer you a second pot if you would like it, she decided to try the waiter-recommended Southern Comfort blend, and needless to say, it was not as "comforting" as the Queen's tea. I love the idea of the VMFA sourcing local teas, but the ones they have are not preferable to higher-quality known brands.

One final benefit of this teahouse - you can make a day of tea and museum-viewing, as the VMFA is wonderful, as is its adjacent neighbor, the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, where we had never visited before, but we will definitely be back!