Best English Tea experience in Markham by far. Interiors of the shop gives you the Victorian tea room vibes to prepare you for an English afternoon tea experience. The menu provided guests with selection of the tiered savoury and sweet treats or a more "a-la-carte" style of English Fares. I visited the first time with my parents and we had tuna melt, steak and kidney pie and scones. The food was excellent and prepared with care. The server, Adam, was very friendly checking on our table often and refilling water for our tea pots. We had a wonderful experience. I would recommend reserving table via their online website if you are visiting on Saturdays as it does get quite busy from 12pm on wards and they are not open on Sundays. Will definitely bring my girl friends back to the shop for some more tea time! read more

First high tea experience at this location and it was great! The server Adam is very kind and alert to when we needed more hot water for our tea pots. The decor is neat and cute with many unique pieces all over the interior. The menu is set seasonally so we were able to experience a Christmas themed afternoon tea. I have to say though that the food tastes better than it looks. Some of the sandwiches look plain but taste great. The Christmas gingerbread and sugar cookies in the dessert tiers look very generic but taste better than everywhere else. I had the rose congou tea and it complimented the gingerbread cookie very well. Definitely will be returning to this location when a new menu of sandwiches is released. read more

The Old Curiosity Tea Shop - Desserts Near Me - Markham, Ontario

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I love this tea shop. It's not the fanciest but it's definitely one of a kind and giving you all the authentic vibe of a Tea shop in Britain. Service is excellent. Afternoon tea is detailed close to perfection. I like the fact they use real and high quality ingredients for food and teas. I will go back for a nice afternoon tea chat with family or friends. Definitely book a reservation to secure your seating as space in this place is limited. read more

Updating my review - just for the tea, not the dine in service. The tea here is honestly the best tea I have ever tried in my life, and I am an avid lover of tea. I purchase a lot of tea here to take home. It is premium quality, and this is evident. It is very flavourful, but they do not use any artificial flavours. They blend various tea and use oils. I love their house black tea blend, Angel's dream, and the Irish cream. I also get the teas to give as gifts. read more

Friendliest service I have ever experienced! Adam is so kind and helpful and really makes you feel at home. That being said, they could definitely use an extra server. We went for afternoon tea on a weekend and the service was very slow, just because there was only the one person serving all the tables and greeting people/selling packaged teas in the front of the shop. I imagine it'd be quicker on a weekday, but it was fairly busy when we went and waited almost half an hour before we received our pots of tea. The space is very quaint and sweetly decorated (it got pretty hot the day we were there, though, I don't think they have A/C so probably best to come during cooler months.) We opted for the traditional afternoon tea. First I must say everything was plated and presented beautifully, on charming floral china. I had the Buckingham Palace tea (earl grey with jasmine) which was delicious. Unfortunately neither myself or my partner really enjoyed the food. They bring out a tiered tray of sandwiches and afterwards, a tiered tray of desserts and scones. They give you a TON of dessert (we were hungry but couldn't finish -- too much 'sweet') but very few sandwiches -- a better balance between sandwiches and desserts would be good. We were served cucumber, egg, and pimiento cheese sandwiches. The egg 'sandwich' was just one piece of bread with a slice of egg and dollop of mayonnaise on top. The sandwiches weren't terrible or anything -- just very basic and 'blah', made with basic ingredients on Wonderbread-style bread. The dessert tray was an assortment of cookies and squares, which we assume were store-bought because they had that look/taste. The currant scones seem to have been made in house, but we found them dry and not at all flavourful. Adam is such a sweetheart and I really wanted to love this place, I adore going for tea and I was so impressed by this place's charming decor, however we'd probably only return for a cup of tea only (not the full experience). The price ($25 PP) is low compared to other afternoon teas, but it's reflected in the quality of the food. Again, not that the food was terrible-tasting... but you could easily make the same yourself at home. It felt less like going to a restaurant and more like going to a friend's house for tea. read more

Don't I love, love, love this store!!!!! I love tea, old fashioned, caffeinated tea. Not flower tea, not fruit tea (these are popular now, I am told), I demand real tea leaves. This shop delivers. I often walk into this store when I have my leisure weekend walk. The lovely aroma of tea greets me when I step into the store. The store owner himself often serves me. I prefer a large variety of teas (light, medium and strong strength). I smell the tea leaves before I pick and choose what to buy (by gram). The whole experience is relaxing, luxurious, oh so zen. The quality of the tea leaves here meets and exceeds Twinings. Humm... selection: I bought black tea leaves with a vanilla aroma, Nepal tea leaves, Northern Indian tea leaves, black teas with fruit flavour. I expect to buy more later. Though I don't foresee myself buying, I am told that fruit tea leaves are very popular now. Oh, they have an online store at http://www.cuppa.ca/orders.htm. It often runs specials and discounts. I personally prefer buying in store just to smell the tea leaves. :-) read more

I first walked into this place and was stunned by the beautiful Victorian decor. You will also notice its a senior hotspot, but thats not important. Service was flawless. Like literally cannot point out a flaw with their customer treatment. Extremely nice and attentive staff, owner was a sweetheart. My friend and I opted for their "Authentic British Experience" (25 dollars per person, two person minimum requirement) that comes with 2 tiers of cold sandwiches (ham and cheese, cucumber and cheese, cheese and chutney, and their egg sandwiches) and 2 tiers of baked goods (scones, lemon patisseries, chocolate biscuits, clotted cream, and strawberry/blueberry jam), which was accompanied with your choice of tea. (we picked their fruit tea,"Angel Falls Mist" and it tasted like a hot Kool-Aid drink, not bad.) To be truthfully honest, their sandwiches were not that great, esp their cheese and chutney sandwich. Their scones lacked flavour, hence the accompanying clotted cream and jam, but I prefer scones that are really sweet or savory without condiments needed. What did it for me was the experience, I truly enjoyed this royal treatment and for that reason, I will be back again, and again. read more

I was shopping for tea for a bridal shower favour and came across the Old Curiosity Tea shop website. They sell tea online but since they were fairly close to me, I stopped by the shop. They really helped me out. When I decided the type of tea that I wanted, they didn't have enough to sell me and offered to order it in. I was there on a Tuesday and the Shower was on Saturday. They assured me that they would be able to get it in for me within a few days and would call me. Sure enough, they called me the minute they received the delivery and I was able to pick it up and package it in time for the Shower. Not only was the service the best I've received in a long time, it was also the best tea product I've tasted too! The guests at the Shower loved it! I will be back to sample more of their teas! read more

The only place I get my tea - great selection, special ordering available and they remember all of their regulars, regardless of frequency of visits. The interior reminds me of my granddad's sitting room - very cozy! I went with my bf once for a Valentine's Tea For Two special, which included a pot of tea each (any flavour), pinwheel sandwiches (salmon w/ cream cheese, cucumber, etc.) and a selection of chocolates and small baked goods. Everything excluding the chocolate was made in-house. There is also a small seating area outside (2 tables or so). Also, check their site, www.theTEAstore.ca for their selection. read more

Had tea and small dishes on their make-shift patio back in the summer. Our server was the owner I believe- he was very friendly and very knowledgeable about the menu. Tea was delicious. Try the toffee pudding! So good! read more

I took my mother here for mother's day and had a wonderful time! The tea selection is fantastic and the hospitality was very warm and genuine. They have decorated the shop with all sorts of tea paraphernalia and the atmosphere is reminiscent of Downton Abbey. The owner is always there so you aren't dealing with a sullen teenaged summer student or indifferent employee who is disconnected from the business and consequently totally apathetic about the service. Quite to the contrary this small business does their best to be in tune with their customers. It was obvious they took care in making the little sandwiches and pastries, which were actually totally filling. My only problem is that tea cost $25/person which I felt was a little high. read more

Brought my sister here for her birthday and did thr high tea option. My overall experience was great!!! They had yummylicious assortment of quaint pastries and sandwiches that perfectly served just enough food for the both of us. We probably tried 3 varieties of tea, ehich was unlimited btw, and were delightful. We probably spent 2 - 3 hours there just talking and overly enjoying our QT complimented by our tea and treats. Staff was super sweet snd knowledgeable on the teas. Would definitely come here again but try other items on the menu! read more

Really enjoy the little tea house with decent decor , English high tea sets . The afternoon tea sets are fresh and tasty , nicely presented. The waitress service is excellent , friendly and very helpful . read more

Came with my friends for girls afternoon outing. The place is very traditional English style and nicely decorated with lots of details. The staffs were very friendly and the afternoon tea special was excellent. The sandwich esp the nutty one was very yummy albeit the sweet dish was a little on the sweeter side for my taste. All in all, a cute little teashop great for girls gathering. Would reco! read more

The Old Curiosity Tea Shop - The sweet plate - Desserts Near Me - Markham, Ontario

Superwoman and I just had the most wonderful experience at The Old Curiosity Tea Shop yesterday. We'd heard about it a while ago but never had the chance to go because it's a bit away from where we normally hang out, but we were craving a good afternoon tea after our epic Montreal road trip where we went to a different tea spot every day, so we decided to try our luck. Turns out it's not smart to try to come without a reservation because they are super busy, and for good reason (spoiler alert: this place is awesome). However, we were lucky enough to be able to score a table about 3.5 hours afterwards (we just checked out a few stores on Markham Main Street, ran some errands at Markville, and then headed back) - and it was SO worth the wait. The person who looked after us might have been the owner - he was super attentive, knew the menu and everything very well, and seemed to care like an owner would. He magically appeared when we both ran out of hot water for our tea and just anticipated everything we needed. So the service was great. The tea was also great. At first when we were waiting in the front of the shop I was a bit concerned because the teas were stored in huge glass jars, and I wondered if having the sun shining on them every day might have an adverse effect on the flavours. But our teas were deliciously flavourful - very good quality. Superwoman got Buckingham Palace, which is a blend of earl grey with jasmine. I thought it was weird and couldn't understand the appeal when I first read about it but I had a sip and it was so, so nice! Floral but not perfumey, slightly fruity, and fragrant. I had their signature blend and it was a very nice, classic breakfast black tea. I was very pleased. I was also very pleased that they provided regular granulated sugar as opposed to rock sugar, which hotels seem to like to supply but takes forever to melt. My favourite would be raw sugar, but I am perfectly happy with white. The teapots were on the small side, which I initially was concerned about, but they have no problem refilling your hot water, and they take up less real estate on your table if you're at a table for 2. The savoury stuff was delicious - there were classic sandwiches (ham and mustard, cucumber with mint and cream cheese, an open-faced egg sandwich) - but the best thing by far was the Welsh rarebit. I am OBSESSED with Welsh rarebit and I was so, so delighted that it was part of the savoury tower!!! Apparently they switch things around to see what people like and it was a happy coincidence. But that Welsh rarebit was perfectly executed - gooey, hot, crispy, and unctuous. The sweet tower was also lovely. The tart and cookies at the top I wasn't super interested in upon first glance, but they were very, very tasty! The shortbread cookies were very buttery and charmingly cut into the shape of teapots. I think they could have been browned a bit more, but they were great as they were and melted in my mouth. The scone was warm and fluffy - I prefer versions that are crispy on the outside and this one was a tender, soft scone, but I enjoyed it all the same. I loved that they served it with real clotted cream. We had raspberry jam and apricot jam, which are not our favourites (I'm not a fan of apricot and Superwoman doesn't love raspberry), but they did the trick and were good. If they ever decide to serve their teas with a special jam like something from Kitten and the Bear, for example, I think it would take their tea service to a whole 'nother level, and well worth the price hike it would probably warrant. Overall, we had a wonderful, wonderful time here. We enjoyed every second thoroughly, we loved every morsel of food, and every sip of tea. The environment was also very charming. We were so glad we were able to score a seat in the end, and we'd both, as tea fanatics, highly recommend this spot. This is probably one of the best tea rooms we've been to in the GTA, if not the best. The value for the price was also amazing. If you go to a fancy hotel in downtown Toronto you'd be paying double, and I don't feel that they are twice as good as this place - in fact, I might prefer this place. This discovery was a particularly happy one, because Superwoman and I had been lamenting that the Toronto market doesn't have a medium-priced offering, tea-room-wise, that's privately owned by people who really care and make great food, like the spots we went to in Montreal - but it turns out we were wrong! We will happily return here regularly. :) read more

We loved our experience at the Olde Curiosity Tea Shop. They had a large selection of tea's. The variety and quality of their finger sandwiches and freshly baked scones we're excellent. Better value than a lot of places that offer high tea. The cosy ambiance, great service and attention to detail allows me to give it 5 Stars! read more

The Old Curiosity Tea Shop - Desserts Near Me - Markham, Ontario

Very busy shop. Need to do the reservation at least one or two weeks. But it's worth it. Especially the scone is my favourite.

A random find but so glad I stumbled across it! I love that there's something as unique as this place just a short drive from my house. The minute I walked in I was pretty floored at how cool it looked! Very Victorian inspired with a bunch of old and fascinating tea pots plopped up on various fixtures on the wall. I also got a kick out of how the waitress was dressed. So, so awesome. I ordered the Vanilla Cream looseleaf tea. It was delicious. The only downside to the place is that it gets really hot in there and the construction outside gets fairly noisy (not the fault of the shop, of course). I'd definitely recommend this to anyone looking to try something new or anyone who's passionate about tea. Their selection is phenomenal. Tip: Make reservations in advance. read more

We go back all the time for the incredible service and food. I definitely recommend tea with scones instead of the big set. I hope they never change this because it's what made me a repeat customer!! I always joke around saying that I'm going to visit Molesley on Main. Adam is just incredible! Please refer to my previous in depth review about this hidden gem! read more

Very nice little tea shop. Nice tea selection. Classic afternoon tea offers regular High Tea items such as petite sandwiches, scones and cream and a few desserts. $28 per person with a minimum order of 2. It does state the maximum 2 hour limit. Love the decor tho, very Victorian with a splash of Canadian pride. It is located inside a mall beside Longos. Parking is ok as long as you are not fighting with the grocery shoppers read more

Roughly 25.00 a head... worth every penny. We did the tea party with finger sandwiches and pastries. .. great service. . Great experience read more

I came here for afternoon tea on a week day with a fellow Yelper. This place looks like grandma's holding onto all things Victorian - not to say that it's bad but just different. The afternoon tea was $20/person which is pretty inexpensive when compared to other afternoon tea places downtown. The tea selection is very, very extensive. It's far more than any other afternoon tea restaurant I've been to so I was pleased. Note that they also sell all of them at a great price for about five bucks for 50 grams - cheeeeaaaap. We were first served a two tiered platter of finger sandwiches (egg, salmon mousse, ham & cucumber) and then currant scones with a variety of jams & double cream. Sandwiches were standard but the scones left a lot to be desired as they tasted more similar to bread and weren't crumbly. I overheard the host/waiter and the kitchen staff discussing changes to the afternoon tea menu so hopefully there will be improvements in the future. read more

I LOVE CLOTTED CREAM AND SCONES!! This tea shop is AWESOME! I came here with my mom, my grandma, and my pregnant sister, and we had a great time! We did not go for the prix fixe, instead we each ordered our own sandwiches: open face melted cheese, tuna salad, chicken breast, and my personal favourite, cucumber and cream cheese. We also ordered different teas: lemon mango punch and cranberry apple which were delicious (I drank the whole pot). And of course we had to have the scones with clotted cream and jam. They come nice and warm ready to melt in your mouth! The service was great, both the host and the waitress were very attentive. They do serve coffee, but that kinda defeats the purpose of their HUGE selection of teas (they have one menu dedicated to tea). You are really transported to a Victorian tea room due to their décor and beautiful collector's china. The hours may not be convenient for everyone, but it IS afternoon tea, and they DO take reservations. You must try it! read more

The Old Curiosity Tea Shop - Scones and clotted cream, cranberry apple tea, cucumber and cream cheese sandwich, and chicken breast sandwich. Yum!! - Desserts Near Me - Markham, Ontario

I went with my fiancé and two of my girlfriends on a Saturday at 1pm. We made reservations about 2 weeks prior. The decor inside was lovely with great attention to detail. There were English style teaware lined across the walls and a large portrait of Queen Victoria hung on the wall. The gentleman who served us was very attentive and made some excellent suggestions for our tea choices. We ordered the afternoon tea and my fiancé and I shared a quiche and my two girlfriends shared a shepards pie. They had a large tea selection. I got the Festive tea which was a spiced ceylon tea. Very warming and Christmassy. The china it came in was beautiful. My fiancé got a more simple design on his teacup while us girls got girly floral designs which was nice. The tea sandwiches were really good (about 4-5 per person), the rarebit is like a piece of bread with melted cheese on it which was delicious (about 2 per person). They came on a two tiered platter, beautiful presentation. Dessert also came on a two tiered platter and was an assortment of shortbread cookies, gingerbread cookies, tarts and scones with clotted cream and preserves. We were pretty full by then and packed up half the desserts to go. We stayed for almost 4 hours just to chat and catch up with my friends and never did the server rush us to leave. He came by to check on us multiple times and offered to refill our teapots. I would definitely recommend this teashop if you are into teas and afternoon high tea. It is a lesser known place and more convenient than having to travel downtown to those fancier upscale high tea places. Delicious food and impeccable service. read more

The Old Curiosity Tea Shop - Desserts - Desserts Near Me - Markham, Ontario

In my opinion this is the best Tea Room in the GTA. The quality of the food, service, and ambiance is second to none. It has been established in Markham for many years and has always maintained it's charm and elegance. It has become the place I take friends and family to celebrate birthdays, engagements, new jobs, anniversaries, actually anything that can be celebrated as well as those "just because" moments. I have never been disappointed. Adam, the owner, always makes sure your time there is very special. Nita Hammonds read more

Cute little tea shop in the midst of the town of Markham. Located in a very old Victorian style house with teapots all over the place. We went here for high tea, which includes tea, little sandwiches on a two-tiered plate and scones with jam on a two-tiered plate. (All for a fix price of $20/person - with reservations). The sandwiches were so cute and they had very interesting flavours. We thought there was no way we would be satisfied with these little finger sandwiches, but with the tea and biscuits it was perfect. Their selection of tea is impressive and the service was impeccable. The waiter let us smell the tea prior to steeping it. Everything was served on mismatched china, which makes it a very unique experience. The place is very small so it's probably not recommended for larger groups (we went with a group of 3). The house is quite small so we had to use our "inside voices" - we took this cue from the other guests. The dress code seemed semi-casual, but not lavish. read more

I love this place and have been coming here for years! The character and ambience is unmatched in the GTA as you are transported into Victorian times. Great tea selection, Welsh rarebit is not to be missed, and of course the scones are soft and fresh. The owner, Adam is gracious and personable. read more

The best tea shop in York region. Afternoon tea at the Old Curiosity Tea Shop is a real treat. They have excellent, professional service that can't be beaten. The owner is very knowledgeable and ensures you have a great experience. The afternoon tea for 2 is a delight and so much better than other places I have tried in the GTA. Treat yourself and stop in for a little bit of Britain in Markham. read more

Always gracious! I have been coming here to celebrate birthdays with friends for many, many years. Always a delight to be well received and enjoy the sacredness of a quiet environment that is steeped in old traditions of elegance & etiquette. read more

Cute little gem for afternoon tea! The place is very quaint, with an old British-style atmosphere. The food option was good, and the tea selection was great! The host, Adam, was really friendly, attentive and accommodating, overall really great! Highly recommend if you're looking to enjoy and experience some old-school style afternoon tea. read more

Lovely old Victorian style shop with an impressive collection of teapots on display. Hard to make reservations for high tea but very much worth it. The High Tea Menu was not full of filling and overly sweet cakes but a healthy collection of very light scones and sandwiches. read more

I have lived in Markham my entire life and unfortunately only discovered The Old Curiosity Tea Shop one month ago. Since then, I have already been back because I loved it so much! The first time a friend and I got scones and tea, which we thought were the best scones we've ever had. The second time I went with my boyfriend and we got the full afternoon tea and were very impressed with the sandwiches and desserts! It was a beautiful display on such lovely china. They have a wide selection of teas and I have enjoyed every one I have tried. I love that I am so close to this tea shop and will continue to bring guests of mine. read more

-has a large collection of tea -there was only 1 server and 2-3 ppl working in the kitchen -the A/C was broken so it was extremely hot while drinking tea in the summer -the bathroom was also out of order so we had no where to pee our tea -$25 per person -nice Victorian decor and teacups read more

My bridal party hosted my bridal shower here the other weekend. Overall, it was fantastic. The food was lovely along with great service.

I spoke to Adam when I made the reservation and he was very friendly. Even when I had to push our time back a bit he assured us they would keep our table until we got there. As promised, we arrived with our table waiting and Adam explained everything to us. They had a good selection of tea and the sandwiches were really good and very traditional. Our favourite were the scones and clotted cream that followed. I loved their traditional settings and Adam even brought out a "princess" plate, with teacup and saucer for my toddler. We enjoyed every minute of it and would definitely come back. read more

Nice tea shop and beautiful interior decoration. Lots of tea selections. Sandwich and dessert are okay. However, it's really hard to call in to make a reservation. Most of time there is no one to pick up the phone... read more

The Old Curiosity Tea Shop - Sandwich tray and Dessert tray - Desserts Near Me - Markham, Ontario

A mother's day tradition! The tea and sandwiches are always delish but above all the service is top notch! The place is small and cosy with an authentic english decor. Just wish hours were a bit more flexible for late seatings. read more

If you like high tea this place will not disappoint. The atmosphere including the fancy tea cups as well as more tea selection than you can imagine. Adam is incredible. He is definitely all about the customers and the experience. The food was delicious. Thanks for helping us celebrate a 70th birthday party. read more

Great place to have a great tea experience - without paying an arm and a leg or fighting downtown traffic

I brought my dad, sister and our close family friends here for a traditional, English-style afternoon tea today. I wanted to show them that there are other places out there OTHER than Chinese restaurants which we have been going to for DECADES. The setting was beautiful, the service was impeccable, and we truly enjoyed the assorted sandwiches and the different kinds of teas we got to taste. The desserts were too sweet for our Asian taste buds so we ended up packing most of it to take home (which we will very slowly polish off, sliver by sliver lol) but we appreciated the beautifully crafted shortbread cookies that were shaped and decorated as pretty flowers. One of our friends held up a cookie that was shaped as a tulip upside-down and said "I know what shape this is! It's a soft-shelled turtle!" That caused some laughter all around. We all had a really good time and I am really glad I got to show my friends and family what English-style afternoon tea is like. Yes, it was not cheap, but it was worth every penny. At $24 per person, it is still cheaper than a lot of other tea places in the city that don't even provide the same level of service and quality of food as this place. I will be back again soon with friends and/or family. read more