Crest Hill Tea Room - The Plains

Well what can I say, I entered this place, the temperature outside was 25f or for me -5c. Inside when the “ice queen” / Cruella De Ville. (Minus the 101dalmations) drifted towards us at the door, wearing a big outdoor coat and huddled up trying to get warm, the temperature fell to a negative 30. Borderline rude reception from the get go. An icy hand thrust a frozen menu at us to check over, I attempted to mumble a question or two. Each time I was met with an icicle barbed response, we were handed a card, no offer of a seat for tea, coffee etc. It actually felt colder inside than out in the January sunshine. No heating and made colder by this lady’s attitude . No I will not go back not even with a big coat fur hat and mittens

My best friend and I made an afternoon reservation at this tea room. We planned on checking in with the staff and looking at the antiques the website and name of the establishment boasts about. When we arrived around 15 minutes early we did not find an antique store or even display that could be browsed, and the staff was bustling from table to table. They made a point to ignore that we were standing at the front waiting to at least speak to someone. I eventually was able to flag down a worker (after we'd waited 5-10min) to at let them know we were there for our reservation. The woman walked over to us and rudely asked "what do you want?" When I told her we had a reservation, she made a point to look at a clock and tell us we were early and that she couldn't help us. That our table wasn't anywhere near ready and we needed to leave and return in 10-15min. There was no kindness in her tone. The entire experience made us feel unwelcome and as if they didn't want our patronage. We did as she asked and left, we however, did not return. I would not recommend this establishment to anyone.

This lady did an amazing job for prepping to-go order for my mother’s birthday with 10 people, def call her in an advance (few days before pick up date depending on your number of people) if you want to get to-go orders. It got everything you would expect (teas, sandwiches, scones, salads and so on!).

I would highly recommend it if you’re looking for a get together with friends at your place.

Delicious afternoon tea. We had the Full Monty and it came with five small sandwiches and some veggies, as well as a scone with cream and strawberry preserves, a mini eclair, cookies, and a loaf slice. Lots of food. Available as carryout and several nearby outdoor picnic locations

Always friendly service. The best place around to get a proper brewed tea with great selections. I wish they had a few food options with less carbs, but overall a very positive place. I keep returning!

I am a big fan of afternoon tea and whenever I venture to a new city, having tea is "must-do" on the itinerary. Unfortunately in the DC area, most of the hotels only offer afternoon tea on the weekends (when I work) and I have already experienced tea at my usual haunts (Teaism, Ching Ching Cha, Lady Camellia, House of Steep) quite a few times. My boyfriend took me here for my birthday. He wanted to take me to a new tea house and they happen to be open on Thursdays! We have been to Middleburg for wine tastings but this was our first time to The Plains. Street parking was limited but not too difficult to find a spot in the middle of the weekday.

Crest Hill Antiques is a house that divided into two rooms: the "living room" is where they house furniture, trinkets, and tea ware for sale. The "dining room" is the tea room. There are only a few tables, so I would recommend making a reservation. This tea room is more of a casual rather than a formal tea. The menu consists of soups, sandwiches, and tea sets--you can order afternoon tea or a pot of tea (small individual pots or a large pot to share) and scones. The staff, to some extent, can make a customized sandwich, as we witnessed with the guests sitting near us. We decided to order "Nibbles for Everyone", which is a 3-tiered tray that had sliced cheese and crackers, sliced veggies, sliced fruits, and a small selection of tea sandwiches and pastries. The sandwiches were ham, cucumber dill, and pimento cheese. The miniature desserts included lemon curd cupcake, cheesecake, eclair, what looks like a cream puff that had blueberry jam in the middle, a brownie, and a molten chocolate cake. My favorite desserts were the delicious puffy thing and the chocolate items.

As mentioned, this is not a gourmet tea menu but it was wonderful experience due to the cozy ambiance. You can chit chat and linger over a cuppa for as long as you want and the staff does not rush you. When you are given a preview of your bill, you need to write down the gratuity on the bill, as they unable to process separate charges for credit card gratuities. They have some of the teas available for purchase, as well. If you are a large party (say 5 or more), I would advise making reservations, as they only have four tables in the tea room. However, I think this tea room is a better place to catch up with a girlfriend or have a one-on-one conversation. For tea enthusiasts, their tea menu primarily consists of tea blends, and they have current and back issues of Victoria and Tea Time magazine you can pore over as well.

Great afternoon tea spot! We'll be back.

Wonderful tea room! So glad we found this place. Staff is friendly, great choice of tea, food is delicious, beautiful presentation and prices are reasonable!

We liked the experience of the dry tea samples to smell before selecting our hot tea. The service was very good.

This little hidden gem is absolutely charming! We had a wonderful lunch and enjoyed their hospitality thoroughly. We will definitely be back!!