La Maison du The, 75006 Paris

Tea drinking has been taken to a higher level in this very pleasant tea house on the rue Notre Dame des Champs in Paris.  It is run by the tea importer, George Cannon,  who has been offering more  than 250 different sorts  of tea since 1898.  The teas are imported from China, India, Ceylon and Japan and range from strong black smoked teas to light, flowery green teas, most of which you can either buy or taste here.

You can order the tea on its own, or accompanied by home made scones and cakes, which are absolutely delicious – particularly the scones which are served with  strawberry jam and thick cream.  The teas, served in a variety of teapots, each more delightful than the next, vary in price from Euros 4.50 to Euros 12.00 for the top of the line teas which are known as the Gardens and come from world-renowned estates.  The tea with cakes or scones costs Euros 7.50 which is excellent value.Another very nice touch is the hot handtowel which is given to every customer as soon as he or she sits down.

When you arrive, you are given a cup of the Tea of the Day, while you take time to  choose from the menu of teas available, and this stretches to several pages.  There are some interesting things to be noted about the making of your pot of tea.  The water used is bottled because the  water in Paris is very hard and not ideal for bringing out the full flavour of the teas. Then the water is boiled in  kettles made specially by Canon, which are set to the temperature required for the tea you have chosen,  as, contrary to what one often hears in England, many teas must NOT be made with boiling water.

There is also a light lunch menu, which offers quiches and  Indian dishes, made by the resident Indian chef, who obviously takes great pride in his creations. They vary in price from Euros 12 to 16 and  there is a special lunch formula at Euros 16.50 which is accompanied by a pot of tea of your choice. We were there too late to have lunch, but it is programmed for my next visit!

One of the highlights of the teahouse are the Japanese Cha No Yu tea ceremonies, which take place approximately once a month, and for which you have to book well in advance.

The other very interesting feature of this tea house are the massages which are offered on site in a downstairs salon..  You can choose from a selection of five or six different types of massage, including Relaxing, Californian, Head Massage and Shiatsu.  The massages, which start at Euros 45 for half an hour,  are accompanied by a tea tasting of your choice and from a quick look at the visitor’s book at the entrance to the salon, they are much appreciated and there are many regular customers.

The front of the house is reserved for the sale of the teas, which are kept in large pale green metal canisters,  as well as displays of  a larve variety of tea cups and teapots, which make the perfect gift, or even a treat for yourself!