I attended a tea with several friends. We were excited about the experience and looking forward some quiet down time in the gardens. The cottage was cute and quaint - totally looked like something out of a story book. Things looked promising. That is where the good experience we were hoping for started to take a downturn. Lana is a VERY chatty person. She talked quite extensively about the creation of the cottage, the previous owners, he ownership, etc. She frequently went off on tangents and added all sorts of personal stories. The thing was, you were captive. You couldn't go anywhere or do anything - you had to sit there and listen. After what seemed like an eternity, we were ready to have tea. The tea selection was a highlight as there were what seemed like hundreds of options to choose from. After some careful deliberation, we all selected the tea flavors we wanted and were seated in the dining room. Here is the kicker - Lana sat down with us! We weren't expecting her to actually sit down and have lunch/tea with us. Not only did she join us, she embedded herself directly into our conversations. It was really awkward. As I mentioned, the tea was great but the lunch, not so much. It isn't that it wasn't good, just that I've had much better most other places I've had tea at for a much lower cost. She either needs to lower her cost or add to her selections. By the time we were done with tea, our allotted time at the garden was up (because of the long winded stories before and during tea). One of the reasons we went was to see the beautiful gardens and we never got the chance! I did have an enjoyable time, but it would have been much better had Lana been less intrusive and left us alone more during our time there. The rating would also be higher if the price was cut. read more

I visited this place on June 7th, 2014 and wrote a review of my experience immediately afterward. I was then asked (and then told!) by the owner and a friend of the owner to remove my review because it was "not nice". I did not remove my review because I feel that Yelp should not be nothing but niceness..... it should be a place where readers get to read honest reviews of each person's experiences at restaurants and other businesses. Well..... three years passed and I was notified on Saturday that my review was removed by Yelp because it was flagged by "someone" for "inappropriate content". After doing a bit of questioning, I found that what was inappropriate was the use of one phrase (that I cannot repeat here because I do not want my review pulled again..... so here goes..... my exact same review..... minus the offending phrase): A bunch of us toured (and I say "toured" very lightly) this little cottege this past Saturday. Yes, the story behind it is interesting and the house itself is lovely (in an overly decorated and claustrophobic kind of way).... but honestly, paying $25 to look around someone's house and yard is pretty insane. Yeah, yeah, yeah..... the house was built by hand and is VERY quirky and very pretty.... but it was built in the '80's (yes... the 1980's) by two guys as a hobby of sorts and then after their relationship ended was subsequently purchased by another couple... and then another... before being bought by the lady who owns it now and gives "tours". Essentially you stand outside while the owner, Lana, tells you the history of the house and how she fell in love with it and bought it. Then you walk around inside (it is VERY small..... 6 little rooms and 2 bathrooms). Then you go into her gift shop/tea shop and get to SMELL her tea. No tastes..... but you can buy some for $12- $15 for 4 OUNCES! And you can buy postcards and notecards with pictures of the house for $3-4 each if you want because NO photographs of your own are allowed. (SERIOUSLY!) Oh, and you're never told the address of where you are... just very detailed directions on how to get there (turn here, turn there, count 6 telephone poles and a couple of pine trees and a gravel driveway or two....) I felt kind of (..... "inappropriate phrase"....) after the whole experience.... but hey.... if you're into walking around someone's (albiet cute and quirky) house while she tells you stories of her life and introduces you to her elderly mother who is kind of sequestered upstairs (REALLY!)... all while more than paying her mortgage as you do so... go and visit. Just don't invite me (again). read more

This adorable cottage is almost in the middle of nowhere, but well worth the drive from anywhere. (Shame on me, I typed the zipcode in wrong. It's been corrected, but until it updates this is in Forestville, NY, near Fredonia.) Lana herself will take you around this very unique building, enchant you with the story of its creation and then, depending on the tour package selected, serve delicious tea and scones. This place is beautiful, and the tea is the best I have ever had, hands down. You can only come by reservation, and the location remains secret until you do so! That just adds to the fun. read more

I really must agree with the previous reviewer, Jennifer G. Going to tea at Lana's was an expensive, awful mistake. My daughter and I, who was making a rare trip to western New York, simply wanted to have a quiet chat with each other. As we toured the cottage, I was dismayed to see three places set for tea. Lana joined us and as Jennifer G. said she embedded herself into the visit. So we didn't have a private time together but had to converse with a total stranger who is not that interesting. The only generous thing is the tea. Food is skimpy. Thankfully my husband had a pizza waiting in the car when he picked us up. The final kicker was that we had specifically requested that our pictures not be included with other guests on the internet. When I checked later that evening, there we were. Really, stay away. read more

I recently went to Lana's The Little House and found it absolutely wonderful! This was a surprise gift from a friend. When we pulled into the driveway and parked, we were already captivated by our surroundings. There was a charming English style cottage surrounded by a lovely garden. We walked through a grapevine arbor and saw a wishing well. A barn was close by with flowers growing around it and pots of flowers hanging on a shelf on the outside of the barn. Lana greeted us as we walked up to the front door. After making introductions, we went inside and got seated. Lana explained the history and architecture of the cottage. We took a tour of the cottage and it was so amazing to see everything. In fact, we kept pointing out things to each other that we were missing. I couldn't believe all the nooks and crannies. I felt like I was on a treasure hunt. After the tour, we looked around the gift shop picking out the teas we wanted to sample. Lana made us the tea and served us watercress sandwiches, scone, and butter tarts which melted in our mouths. During tea, Lana shared many stories she experienced in owning and we laughed all afternoon. Before leaving, we walked the grounds which were so lovely. We were there all day but the time had flown by and we never felt rushed. I can't wait to go back and bring my Mom, she will love this! read more

I just visited this amazing english cottage in the middle of nowhere. It is adorable and Lana is charming! I had the tour and high tea. I can say I've never had high tea in a more enchanted place. The secrecy of the location makes finding it like a treasure hunt, so much fun. Lana's story telling and sharing of the unique history of the cottage is very interesting and entertaining. If you are looking for a unique, personable and private experience you won't be disappointed! I loved it. An added bonus was the exquisite teas we were able to taste and purchase to take home. Now every time I enjoy the tea at home I'm reminded of my visit to this unique, one of a kind cottage and the lovely lady who lives there! read more

I live halfway across the country from Lana's and read about The Little House on a blog. After visiting its website and browsing the selection of teas available, I just had to place an order for several samples. Before my order even left the shop, I had a warm welcoming email from Lana. And when the samples arrived a few days later, I was not disappointed. Right now I'm having East Frisian with my breakfast. I have some black tea blends, a classic genmaicha, and some herbals to continue, including a free sample of Snowflake, her best seller. I can already tell I'll be ordering more samples and soon, some fullsized packets. read more

Absolutely phenomenal day. My best friend from childhood and I went to Lana's to celebrate our June birthday (not saying how old we are now, but we are retired!!!). We pulled into the driveway and immediately felt at home. We got out of the car, and there was this cute barn - then the arbor, the wishing well, the English garden started, the pond was to the right. Lana met us at the door. She was so very welcoming - we felt we had known her for years. She told us the story of The Little House. Lana took us on the tour, and we touched every quilt, tea pot, looked out every window, stood on her upstairs porch, looked out over her roof, it was amazing!!! After that, we picked out our teas. It was hard to do - there were so many!!! We had tea cream cheese, dill, cucumber sandwiches, orange cranberry scones with orange butter and strawberry jam, and butter scones that Lana put candles in, and she sang Happy Birthday to us. We loved all of our teas. We could have as many as we wanted, and we did!!! After we ate, we had to take a long walk around the grounds we were so very stuffed. The pond has lots of fish, the gardens are wonderful - it is truly beautiful out there. All the while, Lana's piano was playing classical music, and it was just a perfect day. We went back in, and shopped in the gift shop. We stayed very long, and we did not feel rushed. Lana was the most gracious hostess I have ever met. We teased her that we picked out our beds while we toured upstairs!!! I have to say that we really did have a hard time leaving because it was such an awesome day. I highly, highly recommend Lana's The Little House for anyone wanting a wonderful day out, a nice ride in the country, and for a fantastic tea. read more

My sister, friend and I recently spent a "ladies weekend" in Lewiston, NY. On the (round-about) way home, we visited Lana's The Little House, after a peaceful visit to the Buffalo Botanical Gardens (we live in the Rochester area, and I can't believe we had never been to the Gardens before - just beautiful!). The three of us enjoyed Lana's charming tales about the history of The Little House and her suggestions of other interesting things to do on our future excursions into the Buffalo area. The house itself is adorable, and you can see all the love that went into its design and building! While Lana was preparing our tea and snacks, we took a relaxing walk around the cottage, gardens and pond; a very bucolic setting, with vineyards in the distance. Two of the three of us are big tea drinkers and were delighted at all the tea choices from which to choose. Lana's website states: "You may enjoy as many blends as you wish. We focus on the art of great tea and art of proper tea preparation. You will also enjoy light bites which include homemade Scones, Butter Tarts and Cucumber Tea Sandwiches." Lana did in fact provide all of this at our tea, and her homemade snacks were delectable! We were happy to have Lana join us at the table for our tea (the snacks were all ours though!), as we continued to share stories and experiences with her. As a lasting memento of our visit, I uploaded a couple of photos Lana had taken of our little group from her website. We found Lana to be congenial, caring, and just generally nice person. We are looking forward to including Lana's The Little House on future visits to the Buffalo area. read more

If you are looking for a one of a kind travel experience you must visit Lana's Little House. After a short ride through the back roads of Fredonia, NY you arrive in a wonderland of enchantment. I expected Hansel and Gretel to emerge from this cute little house in the woods. Lana is a wonderful host, as are her two cat companions Joey and Barney. We were served the best scones I have ever tasted and hot flavorful tea. read more