Okay Nomsters, I have to tell you about the prettiest afternoon I’ve had in a while. I got to preview The Tea Room before it even officially opened, and let me just say, anyone who loves a slow, intentional, put-your-phone-down kind of afternoon is going to be obsessed with this one.
It’s a modern afternoon tea experience tucked inside Laura Hodges Studio on Frederick Road in Catonsville, and it’s not your grandma’s tiered-tray situation (though I say that with love). Think a guided tea tasting, a coursed spread of little bites, and plating so pretty you’ll want to photograph it before you touch it. The standout for me? That scone (more on it in a sec). If you’ve been looking for a special-occasion spot out in the Baltimore burbs that feels different, this is it! Here’s everything I got into.
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What Makes The Tea Room A Must Visit
The Tea Room comes from the team at Laura Hodges Studio, an interior design studio right there on Frederick Road, and you can feel that design brain in every single detail. This isn’t a big banquet-hall tea service. It’s intimate on purpose, only three tables inside, so each seating feels more like being hosted in someone’s (very stylish) home than eating at a restaurant.
The whole thing runs about 90 minutes and it’s coursed out, so instead of everything hitting the table at once, it unfolds bite by bite. What sets it apart from a traditional afternoon tea is that modern, curated approach. Every tea, every jam, every little plate has a reason for being there, and the team walks you through all of it. It’s the kind of place you book when you want the afternoon itself to be the event.
What to Expect at The Tea Room
Here’s what I got into, and why I think it earns the $65. The experience is coursed, so settle in and enjoy the ride.
The Guided Tea Tasting
You start with a tasting led by Adam, their tea curator, who walks you through three different teas before you commit to your own for the service. I loved this part, because having someone walk you through each tea before you commit takes all the guesswork out. I ended up going with Wight Tea Company’s Cashew & Jam, a peanut butter and jelly inspired black tea with toasty cashew and sweet blackberry notes. Such a fun, comforting one to sip on through the whole service.
The Scone aka My Favorite Bite
If you get nothing else out of this post, get the scone! It’s freshly baked by La Cosette Pastry Shop and it comes with all the different jams and honey from Atwater’s and Hon’s Honey, so you can mix and match. It was hands down my favorite bite of the whole spread, and the fact that you can top it a different way each time means it never gets boring. Easily the thing I’d come back for.
The Coursed Bites
The rest of the food’s coursed out nicely, and everything’s plated beautifully and feels highly intentional, which tracks given who’s behind it. This isn’t a giant all-you-can-eat feast, it’s a curated progression of small, thoughtful bites meant to go with your tea, so come for the experience and the setting more than to fill up. The menu rotates with what’s fresh too, so what you get may look a little different from mine.
What’s the Difference Between Afternoon Tea and High Tea?
They’re not the same thing, even though people use them interchangeably. Afternoon tea is the dainty mid-afternoon one, think tea with scones, small sweets, and little savory bites, traditionally served around 3 or 4pm. High tea, despite sounding fancier, was historically more of a working-class evening meal eaten at a high dining table, heartier and later.
What The Tea Room does is a modern spin on the afternoon tea side of that, so you’re getting the elegant, snacky, tea-forward experience rather than a full dinner. Good to know before you book so you come with the right appetite!
The Vibe and Experience
The space is small and intimate, only three tables and six seats per seating, so it feels calm and special, never crowded or loud. It’s easily one of the prettiest spots I’ve been to lately, and it photographs like a dream if that’s your thing.
I’d say it’s perfect for a birthday, a bridal shower, a catch-up with your mom or your best friend, or any time you want to slow down and be a little fancy for an afternoon. Because it’s only 90 minutes and reservation-based, it feels like a real occasion, so I wouldn’t treat it like a grab-and-go coffee run. Bring the person who’ll actually appreciate a good scone.
Good to Know
- Location: 📍704 Frederick Road, Catonsville, MD, tucked inside Laura Hodges Studio.
- Hours: Thursday to Saturday, 11am to 4:30pm.
- Price: $65 per person for the 90-minute experience.
- Reservations: required, and they book up FAST (they were almost fully booked before even officially opening). Book through their website.
- Seating: super intimate, only 3 tables and 6 guests per seating, so grab your spot early.
- Dietary heads up: at least for now, they aren’t able to accommodate dietary restrictions or food allergies, and common allergens are present in the kitchen, so keep that in mind before booking. Caffeine-free tea options are available though.
- Parking: there’s a free lot at Catonsville Square just up the road, plus metered street parking along Frederick Road.
Is The Tea Room Worth A Visit?
Yes!This isn’t a grab-a-snack spot or a place to fill up, it’s a special-occasion experience, and for $65 you’re paying for the tea curation, the coursed bites, and that gorgeous, intentional setting. For a birthday, a treat-yourself afternoon, or impressing someone who loves a pretty moment, it’s absolutely worth it, and it’s one of the more unique things happening in Catonsville right now. If you just want a quick cup of tea, this isn’t that. But if you want the whole experience? Book it!
Have you guys been to The Tea Room yet, or is it going straight to your list? If you’re making a whole afternoon of it out here, Old Ellicott City is a short drive away and full of cute stops, Matcha Time Gift Shop is a must for matcha lovers and Sugar Plum is my pick for a sweet treat after. Let me know in the comments what tea you’d pick, Nomsters, and save this one for the next time you want a genuinely special afternoon out. And send it to the friend who’d 100% book it with you.