Ah, tea. A drink as old as civilization, and always a wonderfully refined way to relax. Not all tea shops are built equal, however. Dobra Tea in Portland, Maine, stands head and shoulders above just about every other tea place we’ve visited. And all we had to do was drive five hours from home to experience it 😢. Oh well. One has to work to experience the finer things.
So what makes this shop stand out so much for us? Well, for starters, just the décor itself is a sumptuous feast for the eyes. From the moment you walk in, you’re wandering into a densely-decorated and infinitely cozy place of relaxation. The chairs and tables are elaborate, and the artwork is colourful.
The commitment to elaborate trappings extends to the menu as well. Seriously, who’s ever heard of a menu that has a table of contents? And more impressively, the menu actually justifies the table of contents! The whole thing is a 70+ page booklet, full of photos, explanations of the origins of the teas, and carefully-written descriptions of the teas and snacks offered by Dobra.
Just going through the menu is a contemplative exercise 🙂 . Although we only came in here for a short 30 minute break away from the sudden powerful gusts of wind outside, we ended staying quite some time past that, due in no small part to us enjoying the menu itself. Ultimately, after much, much consideration we ordered a nice little snack of matcha latte and shortcake.
The shortcake was of two types: Lavender and raspberry. Both were delightful. They were delicate little snacks that were gently sweet and melt-in-your-mouth rich. It’s the type of biscuit that you could easily eat by the boxful. Thankfully for our waistlines, the serving size was just as delicate as the shortcakes themselves, and we happily, slowly ate the shortcakes in between sips of piping hot tea. Speaking of which…
The matcha latte was a rich, sweet concoction. It was good and hot, which was just what we needed after walking through some bracing, bracing wind.
We spent a solid two hours here. A good chunk of that time was spent perusing the menu and taking in all the decorations. And once that had all been settled, it was just us, sitting and eating and chatting away in the comfortable digs of this splendid tea house.
We’re sure to come back to Dobra Tea the next time we visit Portland, and we heartily suggest that you check out this place too, whether for a quiet intimate afternoon date or just to sip tea, read, and relax 🙂 .
Where to find Dobra Tea:
Address: 89 Exchange St, Portland, ME 04101, USA
Phone: +1 207-210-6566
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