Podunk Tearoom
(20 reviews)231 E 5th St, New York, NY 10003, USA 212-677-7722 Owner?
Recent reviews
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Max Sugerman
This is a really fun place to have a classic tea time break. Highly recomend stopping by. Very helpful staff and good selection of black teas to choose from. Also, a decent selection of snacks, it feels like stepping back in time
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Kristin
As a major tea enthusiast,I've had high tea on at least 3 different continents and dozens of different cities. Still, I have not found a really great tea house in NYC. Now that I have, I'm reluctant to share my secret. The tea selections at the big hotels and places like The Russian Tea Room is lackluster at best. Tea in NYC tends to be synonymous with tea bags or green tea. This is one of the few places I have been to that had both decent food and a decent selection of flavored blacks. I recommend both the Lady Black and the black tea with coconut and vanilla. The owner is very nice and there are several regulars. Be warned that this is a small tea house so it may be best to try on the weekdays.
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Bill
This place feels like your aunt's chatchke filled house, and I mean that in only a good way. From my experience, the pastries available tend to vary with what has come out of the oven recently, as everything is made by hand in small batches (again, as if you're at your aunt or grandma's house). Everything tends to be on the pricey side, and there better teas tend to be the herbal ones, but the atmosphere and baked goods still make it worth visiting.
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podunklover
This is like a little piece of heaven on earth. I go to Podunk at least once every 2 weeks and have been going there for a couple of years. I have yet to bring someone with me who is disappointed... the pastries are delicious. The scones are the best I've found in NYC. And Elsbeth will mix any kind of tea for you... she has an extensive list to chose from but is more than happy to play around with it a little to get you that perfect flavor and aroma.
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missginsu
Nestling into chairs, we reviewed the menu, ordered the cream tea, and looked through a few of Podunk's vast array of children's books. The tea service arrived lush and beautiful. The strawberry jam packed a peppery whollop in the back of the throat. The scones were airy, crisp and tender. The whipped cream was freshly whipped and begging for juicy berries. We've been back several times with happy results.
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Diane
I have never been as badly treated in an establishment as I have been treated at this place. My husband and I stopped in for a mid-afternoon tea. We were the only ones in the place at the time, but when we sat at a table near the window, we were told that we couldn't sit there because that table was meant for 4 people. (Did I mention no one else was there???) After we ordered our pot of tea (which was ridiculously expensive), we waited 20 minutes without getting our tea. When I went to inquire, the woman at the counter said something about how they would be more attentive to our service if we were actually ordering more. I was floored by this, and when I told her that one second thought, we no longer wanted our tea, she said that was fine and maybe we had better leave. So we did.
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Will
This is the perfect tea room, the best in the world. I've drank my drank (tea that is) all over the world, and walking into Podunk was like entering the pearly gates of tea heaven. Immediately struck by the smell of homemade, fresh out of the oven sweets and savorys, I struck up a conversation with the most amazing woman I've ever seen, Elsbeth, who runs the joint. I've been back there several times now and she's one of my better friends, a good thing, as she's also one of my better dealers. The tea is always delicious, especially with her suggestions and smells offered. The pastries etcetera are completely BALLZ CRAZY, whatever that means. It means good. Not only is every aspect of this place perfect, the clientel is eclectic and interesting.
The negative reviewer overreacted from one accidental hang-up.
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Victora
Been to Podunk many times and have always had a good. Time. Yes they have a no cell phone no laptop policy so it's not a sit and work place but I've had a nice time writing in my journal, talking with my companions or just drinking tea. You can get only tea if you want-- there's no minimum purchase that I know of and the proprietress has always been very kind. Any detractors? No bathroom! Otherwise lovely.
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Laura
A very pretty place with adorable presentation. Not particularly good value for money. I had the cream tea (3 mini scones served with cream, preserves and fresh fruit) with a pot of Charred Rose tea, which was smokey and delicious. The scones were passable. Podunk seems to exist in the realm of the 'Ladies Who Lunch,' so it's not really a place to sit and read or study. I can see where the earlier reviews are coming from; the proprietress is a bit bizarre and awkward, but she was not particularly unkind.
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Catherine
I had to search through the menu for something reasonably affordable, as everything is done up in packages of tea and food. Plus the tea selection was far from impressive. I finally settled on Student Tea only to find out that I couldn't be a student there. They apparently have a no laptop policy, and while I can understand their desire to keep the serenity, the woman really didn't have to be so rude about it. It's right around the corner from my house, but I won't be going back.
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Stephanie
Regarding the previous post, I've never experienced a $$ minimum, especially as high as $12. Most of the individual teas (NOT full/high teas with food included) run from $5 to $6 and easily yield 2-3 cups. One person can have one of these and that's it; one doesn't have to even purchase food. And the service has always been friendly. One note: not every food item is available all the time--everything is made that day.
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Amy Johnson
Lovely place with a wonderful selection of pastries. The proprietor has her own, unposted rules, though, and one of them is that if you aren't spending at least $12 for tea, you can't sit to eat there. NOT a friendly person. Real attitude at times which has caused me to stop coming.
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Karen
My Podunk experience was DELIGHTFUL! I went by myself on a Friday afternoon and enjoyed the serenity and charm of a New England summer cottage all within a 5 minute walk from my apartment. Elizabeth- the owner and operater-is a breathe of fresh air. Gracious, passionate, charming and cheery, all while serving up some of the most delicious scones, baked breads and (of course) teas Id ever want to have. I left feeling both deeply relaxed and energized- Podunk is a jewel.