Darjeeling Darlings: Aylesbury Tea Room

Aylesbury Tea Room

When its over 100 degrees, what can you really do? Why go to tea (and shop) of course! That is exactly what my mom and I (and Lizzie of course) decided to do on this extremely hot day. We agreed that we wanted to try some place new and on our way to the outlets. With those to requirements, Aylesbury Tea Room was our place! Located in downtown Leesburg, Virginia and just ten minutes from our shopping destination, it seemed to be the perfect stop.

Since we decided to go on the spur of the moment, I was concerned that we would not be able to get a reservation. My worry was quickly put to rest when I called just two hours before my requested reservation time. Karen, the British owner, was extremely pleasant and accommodating. She politely explained that the tearoom was booked for a private party but she could accommodate us at 2:45. Of course my mom and I were running late, being Greek we can’t help it, so I had to phone Karen and let her know that we would be arriving 20 minutes past our appointment time. She could not have been more understanding and told us not to rush.

The amazing William and Kate flag greeted us!

Upon arriving we were greeted by Prince William and Kate Middleton on a traditional British Flag. It was a warm welcome and was just a taste of what to expect inside. The tearoom is mainly a shop that specializes in imported British goods and tea related items. Being the antique lover that she is, my mother was in heaven. There were rooms upon rooms of items for purchase and they were all decorated extremely well. Since the private event was still going on once we arrived, we took the opportunity to explore all that the shop had to offer. We found quite a few excellent piece of furniture that we decided we just had to have and plan on going back to purchase since they would not fit in our car! After our shopping adventure we had worked up an appetite and were more that ready to try all that Aylesbury had a reputation for.

Just a few of the goods available for purchase.

We were seated at a long table set for eight in a room adjacent from the private party. It seemed to be the only place vacant at the time. The modest table was set with two china teacups and matching plates along with a plastic tablecloth. The friendly hostess immediately explained the tea selection and took our order. Aylesbury only serves Yorkshire Tea, which was fine by me since that is one of my favorites. I chose the earl grey and my mother selected the original to accompany the afternoon tea. Both were brought out immediately in teapots with unique tea cozies and were equally delicious. A three-tier tray of four finger sandwiches, traditional scones, and mixed cakes and cookies along with fresh fruit were severed promptly after. I requested to have all cucumber sandwiches and they were happy to accommodate me. The scone was not bad and you could purchase the mix from their store along with the cookies served. The cookies and cakes were all store bought which lead to disappointment. Overall the food was pretty average tea fair and not much was served for $20.00. The food was served on plastic plates, which did turn me off just a bit but could be perfect for people wanting to take young children. Aylesbury does offer a children’s tea for tea goers under the age of ten for around $9.00.

Aylesbury is nice place to stop if you want to take a break from all of the near by shopping and want a place to relax. From what I could tell it is also a fantastic place to hold a party and take young children. The extremely friendly staff, excellent decorations, and fantastic shop made up for the average food and noisy atmosphere. I feel like we caught them on an off day since they were consumed with having an event and would like to go back when there is a little less going on. I would not recommend going when a party is booked since the tearoom part is very small and the noise level is very loud. The Darjeeling Darlings would give the tearoom a 6 out of 10 and the fantastic shop a 10 out of 10.