Shamrock, Rose & Thistle

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas…I sure did!

Ah, Shamrock, Rose & Thistle…a charming little tea shop in the heart of Springhill (one of Mobile’s oldest and most prestigious areas). My first experience at SR&T was when I took my mom there for Mother’s Day. We enjoyed the Abbey Garden Formal Afternoon Tea: Traditional English style afternoon tea served on a three tier tray, with a first course consisting of specialty soup, salad, or quiche, tea bread and your choice of tea.

Tier 1:      Fruit and scones with lemon curd, preserves, and Devonshire Cream.
Tier 2:      Selection of tea sandwiches and savories.
Tier 3:      Selection of homemade desserts.

My mom and I visited SR&T for lunch today. We selected the Abbey Garden Tea. Our first course consisted of an Early Grey infused pear salad with proscuitto and a ham and leek quiche. Our second course (pictured below) consisted of: cherry-amaretto scones, tea sandwiches (ham & pineapple, smoked salmon & cream cheese, and spinach, bacon, & tomato), and dessert (maple tarts, spiced rum cupcakes, and snowbars with white chocolate and raspberry). So delicious! I enjoyed the Royal Bengal Tiger tea and mom had the Crime of Passion. Her tea was so fragrant and tasted as good as it smelled!

The time before, mom ordered their tomato basil soup and I chose their mushroom soup. Both were delectable! We decided on the strawberry-kiwi tea, which turned out to be an excellent choice.

The service at SR&T is top-notch and the atmosphere is elegant, yet relaxing. If you’re in a more casual mood, you can take a seat at the tea bar, which is is a cross between a British family pub (no alcohol) and a small British grocery store. They also have a fabulous gift shop featuring Crabtree and Evelyn, Royal Doulton, Portmeirion, San Francisco Music Box, Ne’ Qua Art, Fitz and Floyd, and Bearington Bears Collection.

Check ’em out at http://www.shamrockroseandthistle.com/. They have some great pics on their site of the tea rooms, tea bar, and gift shop as well as their menu items. Also, their gelateria/patisserie will be open soon…I can hardy wait! Since this is a small, locally-owned business, I would recommend calling ahead for reservations as seating is limited. Cheerio!