Tea at Mariage Freres, original watercolor, 9" x 12"As I mentioned yesterday, Mariage Freres salon de thé
is next door to Cuisinophilie at 30, rue du Bourg-Tibourg.
The tea salon is straight through and no photography is allowed = why the fuzzy picture. Make a sharp left up the narrow winding stairway, you'll find yourself in Le Musée du Thé.
No one bothers to go up these eerie, creeking steps to the tea museum. Not even the staff come around.
It's a bit dusty and I didn't see many explanatory labels. I was the only visitor.
There's a treasure chest of antique tea paraphrenalia -
all manner of tea canisters, tea pots (some shaped like elephants), old labels, etc.
stashed up there.
It's an adventure, especially since downstairs is jammed packed in both the shop and the tea salon.
Doodling IS ALLOWED in the salon plus I stole a few shots.
The waiters dressed in white suits and race around the giant palm planters. There's a skylight too that gives you the feeling you might be in colonial Singapore or Thailand.
Be sure to visit the museum upstairs next time you go.
