Dudley's Bookshop Cafe 2025

During a recent road trip, I had the opportunity to visit Dudley's Bookshop Cafe, a fixture in downtown Bend, Oregon since 2009. I haven't been able to visit since the time of my first review in 2019 and was curious to see if anything had changed. 

I am delighted to share that Dudley's still offers a nice selection of loose leaf teas from Metolius Tea, Jasmine Pearl Tea Company, and Prana Chai, as well as coffee and baked goods.

Orders are placed at the counter and seating has moved upstairs.  I ordered the Prana Chai Masala Blend which was delicious as always.  They no longer provide the teapot and filter for you to pour yourself.

Aside from some decor changes and furniture moves, Dudley's feels like the same warm community bookshop and I look forward to the next visit.

If you're in the neighborhood, consider signing up for Dudley's Bookshop mailing list to stay updated on news and events.

Address:
135 NW Minnesota, Bend, Oregon 97701

Hours:
Mon: 10-5:00pm
Tue-Fri: 10:00am-6:00pm
Sat: 10:30am-6:00pm
Sun: 11-5:00pm

Tea Shout-Out: Old Asia Teahouse & Restaurant

The Tea Shout-Out highlights restaurants and other businesses who go the extra mile to serve good quality tea.

This Tea Shout-Out goes to Old Asia Teahouse & Restaurant in Beaverton, Oregon which offers an impressive tea menu in addition to delicious food. For my visit, I ordered Seven Treasures Donburi and  Laphet (Fermented Tea Leaf Salad) paired with Da Hong Pao oolong which was served on a gongfu tray with complimentary hot water refills.  My tea even came with the twin to my cat teapet!  

Tea and teaware are available for purchase.

Old Asia also offers an Afternoon High Tea Ceremony by reservation.  This three-course meal allows you to choose a tea for each course.

Clockwork Rose Tea Emporium

While in town for Tea Fest PDX last month, I had the opportunity to enjoy an afternoon tea at Clockwork Rose Tea Emporium.  The Steampunk-themed tea room first opened its doors in downtown Beaverton, Oregon in 2016.  

Just inside the entrance is a gift shop with a fun selection of decor, accessories, and treats.  Many of the teas on the menu are also available for purchase.

The tea room is spacious with plentiful seating and whimsical decor, well-suited for the steampunk theme as well as a Mad Hatter's tea party.  Some of my favorite touches along with the lovely vintage pieces were the 30-foot color-changing dirigible hanging over the banquet table, the tea cup chandelier, the hand-painted fireplace mantle and the random kraken sightings.  I was also particularly fond of the absinthe green upholstery.

The tea menu is extensive, largely favoring flavored blends including black, oolong, green, and white teas as well as tisanes.  My selection for this visit was the deliciously smoky Clockwork Rose house blend.

Our first course was a refreshing Caesar Salad.  This was followed by three tiers of savories and sandwiches, two types of scones with jam, lemon curd and clotted cream, as well as several sweets including blueberry panna cotta, macarons, and meringues.

The tea room can accommodate some dietary restrictions if they are noted while making the reservation.

Afternoon Tea is available by appointment only and reservations can be made by phone, email, or online.  

Clockwork Rose Tea Emporium hosts a number of themed tea events throughout the year.  Be sure to visit the official website for upcoming events.

Address:
12412 SW Broadway St, Beaverton, OR 97005

Hours:
Thursday-Saturday 11:00 am to 4:00 pm

Sunday 11:00 am to 3:00 pm

Closed Monday-Wednesday

Maruzen Tea Roastery

Recently, I visited Maruzen Tea Roastery on Gofukucho-dori, a popular shopping street in Shizuoka City.

Maruzen specializes in green teas roasted on-site and categorized by the roasting temperatures. They offer two steaming levels for the green tea, light/asamushi and deep/fukamushi, and then the temperature used for each 100C, 130C, 160C, and 200C.

Each roast is available prepared, packaged to brew at home, and as gelato. Meal and dessert sets, including seasonal offerings, are also available.

Purchases for dine-in and takeout orders can be placed at the counter just inside the door.  

Upstairs is the dining area where the warm wood tones and natural lighting lend warmth to the minimally decorated space.  Tea and meals are brought to your table, so you won't need to navigate the stairs while juggling a tray.

My tea for this visit was the 200℃ Dark Roast made from high grade tea leaves. I happened to drop in during a lull so I was able to rest from a long morning walk and catch up on some writing while sipping my tea and listening to the Ontario-based jazz station that was playing on the tea room speakers.  The tea was very good and the peaceful moment was much appreciated.

Address:

2 Chome-2ｰ5 Gofukucho, Aoi Ward, Shizuoka, 420-0031, Japan

〒420−0031 静岡県静岡市葵区呉服町２丁目2-5

Hours:

11:00am to 6:00pm

Yanagi Chaya

During a recent visit to Asakusa in Tokyo, I took a break for tea and dessert at Yanagi Chaya (やなぎ茶屋).  The tea room is located on Shin-Nakamise shopping street near Asakusa Chuo-dori, a brief walk from Sensoji Temple and the famous Nakamise-dori shopping street.  I was in the area for a morning appointment and arrived just minutes before opening with a very brief wait to enter.

The tea room is spacious for the location with a modern interior and seating on the main floor with additional seating a half-floor down.  Orders are placed at the counter near the entrance. Find a table and your order number will be called to pick up at the counter.

Yanagi Chaya sources their tea from Morihan (森半) a tea company in Uji that has been around since 1836.  The menu includes matcha and hojicha tiramisu, matcha shiratama, matcha soft serve and floats, seasonal parfaits and, of course, a variety of matcha and hojicha beverages.

For this visit, I ordered the Uji Matcha Tiramisu with a hot cup of Hojicha.  

While there are now many places offering their own take on matcha tiramisu served in a wooden box, Yanagi Chaya's was the first I heard about through social media and it did not disappoint.  In fact, it was delicious!

Yanagi Chaya's sister shop is Maccha House located in Kyoto's Kawaramachi District.

Address:
〒111-0032 東京都台東区浅草1-30-6 橋本ビル1F
〒111-0032 Tokyo, Taito City, Asakusa, 1 Chome−30−6 橋本ビル 1F

Hours:
Monday-Friday 11:00am-5:00pm

Saturday-Sunday 10:00am-5:00pm

Friday Afternoon

In December 2017, Friday Afternoon made the successful transition from an online tea store to a full-fledged tea room, located on Stone Way North in Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood.

The tea room is a welcoming and inclusive geek-friendly space.  The room is well-lit with plentiful seating at tables and in cozy armchairs, and there are dozens of tabletop games available for entertainment. 

The walls are decorated with artwork by featured local artists, often in collaboration with the neighborhood Art Walk.  I was delighted to see pieces by my dear friend Laura Cameron on display during one of my visits!

Friday Afternoon hosts a wide range of workshops and events like pop-up shops, concerts by the Seattle Video Game Orchestra, Chat and Craft sessions, cosplay events, and Paint & Sip workshops like the one I attended in August.  Check out their Calendar to learn about upcoming events!

The tea room offers a nice selection of loose leaf white, green, oolong, and black teas, as well as herbals and tisanes.  All teas are available to enjoy in-house or to-go.  Packaged tea and teaware are also available for purchase.

Owner Friday Elliott is an experienced tea blender and has created an impressive range of seasonal and themed teas, most notably the Fandom Blends.  Friday also provides custom blending services by appointment.  

For this visit, I savored a pot of Satemwa Dark tea which was served in a French press with complimentary hot water refills.  I also took the opportunity to stock up on Coffee Kisses tea from Bitaco in Colombia.

At the time of this review, tea room hours may differ due to COVID-19.  Follow Friday Afternoon on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates and more!

Address:
4228 Stone Way N, Seattle, WA 98103

Hours:
10:00 am-6:00 pm

LizzyKate

LizzyKate first opened its doors in downtown Kirkland in July 2016.  The tea room, owned by Will and Amy Riffle, is located on Kirkland Avenue, adjacent to many of the city's festive events and a short walk to the marina and several parks.  At the time of my visit, a classic car show was underway just steps from the entrance.

The tea room interior is modern, bright, and airy with seating at tables and at the tea bar.

LizzyKate offers white, green, oolong, and black teas, matcha, herbals and tisanes, as well as tea flights, a daily iced tea menu, tea lattes, tea mocktails, and kombucha on tap.  Tea baristas are ready to offer customized suggestions to suit your tastes.

Tea can be enjoyed hot or cold, in-house and to-go.  Conveniently packaged loose leaf tea and teaware is also available for purchase.

The tea room hosts tea and food pairings as well as classes. Check out their Calendar to learn about upcoming events!

For this visit, I enjoyed a pot of refreshing Sejak Korean green tea paired with a Fukusa wagashi by Tokara.  The tea was served with a cozy for the removable infuser and a digital tea timer so I could relax and enjoy the ambiance without worrying about over-brewing.  Re-steeps are complimentary.

At the time of this review, tea room hours may differ due to COVID-19.  Follow LizzyKate on Facebook and Instagram for updates and more!

Address:
115 Kirkland Ave, Kirkland, WA 98033

Hours:
11:00 am-5:00 pm

Matcha Cafe Maiko Seattle

Matcha Cafe Maiko Seattle is located inside Westlake Center by the entrance to the Seattle Monorail.

I had previously visited the Las Vegas branch of Matcha Cafe Maiko in 2018 and couldn't pass up the opportunity to visit the downtown Seattle branch after it opened in May 2019.

Since this location is a tea stand rather than a full-scale cafe, seating is somewhat limited and located adjacent to the stand.

The menu features matcha and hojicha served hot or cold, as well as in soft serve, floats, and parfaits.

For this visit, I went for a little of both sides of the menu with a Matcha Ice Cream and an Iced Hojicha.

At the time of this review, the tea stand is temporarily closed due to COVID-19 and will re-open as soon as it is safe to do so.  Matcha Cafe Maiko Seattle on Facebook for updates and more!

Address:

400 Pine St # 324, Seattle, WA 98101

Hours:
10:00 am-8:00 pm 

Magnolia Tea Room

Magnolia Tea Room closed for business in July 2020.

Magnolia Tea Room first opened its doors in scenic downtown Silverton in November 2018.  The tea room is located on Water Street in the historic Julius Alm Building (1908), a short walk from the Farmer's Market and just one mile from the famous Oregon Garden.

The decor is modern chic, well lit and spacious with plentiful seating and no sense of crowding.  French cafe music plays in the background, adding to the ambiance.

It's worth noting that there is no dress code for taking tea at Magnolia Tea Room.  I had a very nice conversation with the owner and she confirmed that casual dress is welcome, even if you're coming in fresh from a hike around nearby Silver Falls.  The ambiance is intended to create a positive space for the customer to feel welcome.

Magnolia Tea Room offers a nice variety of tea sets for all appetites ranging from a simple pot of tea to their multi-course Magnolia Afternoon Tea.  Everything on the menu is made from scratch.

For this visit, I enjoyed the Afternoon Tea which began with a serving of mango sorbet, followed by a bowl of broccoli lemon soup, and finished with the customary tiered stand of savories and sweets.  My tea selection was Russian Imperial.

My teacup and saucer matched the tea room's light fixtures and chairbacks which was a nice touch.

Reservations are highly recommended and required for parties of 5 or more.

At the time of this review, the tea room is temporarily closed due to COVID-19 and will re-open as soon as it is safe to do so.  Follow Magnolia Tea Room on Facebook for updates and more!

Address:
115 N Water St, Silverton, OR 97381

Hours:
11:00 am-4:00 pm Tuesday-Saturday
Closed Sunday and Monday