Muses live in the West Village, inspiring spaces that seamlessly and beautifully blend concepts that hadn’t met in NYC yet. Find the latest iteration of the neighborhood’s magic where quaintly luxe West 12th Street meets Greenwich Avenue; I recently met a friend here for an evening of tea and bubbly.
A celeb-endorsed trend in London has tastemakers taking their fancy-blend tea with Champagne. The Tea Set is taking this idea for a jaunt, creating an organic tea room spiked with Champagne and grounded with a savory, organic Indian-English-New York menu. Inside a historic brownstone, owner and former real estate mogul Jacques Doassans created the Tea Set during a bout of world travel; a solid career behind him, he learned to enjoy pleasures of a slow pace. So, upon his return to New York, he set his sights on something even cushier than a corner office.
But it isn’t all relaxation for him now, either. He often waits tables in the tiny space, the friendly and chiseled face of his own remarkable tea room. You’re likely to catch him whether you stop by to cozy up for a meal or to gather his exquisite tea blends in aesthetic, reusable tins.
The physical manifestation of The Tea Set exists only in New York so far, but Jacques’ tea currently can be found in two other chic New York spaces: Nolita’s Tartinery and Eet Restaurant at Splashlight. His original and intriguing tea blends are expanding to retailers across the country and can be purchased online. The Organic West Village Breakfast blend is the first to combine white, green, darjeeling, and black. This is a feat because the leaves must be specially prepared to coexist; they normally all have different steeping times. I tried the Organic Red Peach Vanilla, a decadent and sweet brew of rooibos and herbs. I’m interested in reviews of The Tea Set’s newly introduced Day & Night Sex Booster blend (like the others, this is a loose tea).
A popular brunch spot, we chose to have dinner in the aesthetic and intimate dining room. A banquette lines one wall, covered with pillows featuring the faces of Bollywood and Hindu gods and goddesses. Saturated colors and flower motifs imbue the restaurant with a homey feel; mirror-accented door frames and restored tile floors add gleam.
The menu won’t overtax you with options, particularly in wine selections, which are few but carefully chosen. We enjoyed a spicy lentil soup with toast accompanied by red wine and champagne; it was a savory and comforting appetizer on a cold night. My dining companion is a chicken curry connoisseur; he tried their rendering and approved. I had an organic Cobb salad that was fresh, crisp, flavorful, and tasted quintessentially healthy. The Roquefort cheese it featured was the best I’ve had.
There’s no such thing as too early for bubbly when you take it with tea, so I’ll be back soon for breakfast or brunch. The a.m. menu boasts homemade granola, fluffy omelets, and specialty breads; I have my eye on organic waffles with honey. Open 7 a.m. to midnight each day, The Tea Set doesn’t typically take reservations, but will reserve space for a special request. Visit for delicious and reasonably healthful fare, and don’t forget to take a bit of The Tea Set home with you in a brightly colored, square tea tin.
The Tea Set
235 W 12th Street (near Greenwich Avenue)
New York, NY
(646) 894-0511
www.the-tea-set.com/
