When we traveled to Manhattan last month we did have one goal that had to be accomplished. It could not be missed. Visiting Harney & Sons SoHo Shop & Tasting Room. I fell for Harney teas after having their Paris blend with my delicious French toast at Cantine Parisienne, which sadly now is closed. I quickly placed an order and haven’t been disappointed yet. When we visited the restaurant last month, I have to admit I was a bit disappointed that they didn’t have Harney & Sons‘ tea but some other French brand.
For tea lovers, Harney & Sons SoHo shop is paradise. Set just off of the main strip in SoHo, it would be easy to miss the quiet and understated tea shop. But once inside, it’s not so quiet. The walls are covered with neatly stacked tins full of loose teas. Some of the teas are classics, others are exotic and adventurous. There’s a tasting bar where they’ll brew up a sample to whet your tea whistle and there is a small cafe in the back of the shop that was bustling with people on the afternoon that we visited. And, of course, there’s bagged tea and other tea-related goodies and gifts for you to pick up for yourself or a friend.
But the best part, at least if you ask me? The loose tea! While you can buy your tea in prepacked tins you can also buy it by the pound. And for the teas that we purchased, it was noticeably cheaper than buying it in the tins.
I’ve tried a handful of Harney’s teas. Their bagged sencha green tea is nice and I love Harney & Sons’ Paris blend but their Viennese Earl Grey has quickly become my favorite. We got a white tea Earl Grey, too, from them that’s tasty.
Harney & Sons SoHo Shop & Tasting Room
433 Broome Street
NY, NY 10013
Photos by David Pinter of PSFK
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