Teahouse: BonBonnerie

Monday is Teahouse/Tea Room, Accessory and Brand Review Day!

This busy little tea room & confectionery combo packs one heckuva punch! Quaint and out of the way, this cute little hole in the wall is a relaxing, if girly enclave of tea.

The first thing to note is that there is plenty of parking for this teahouse located in a Cincinnati neighborhood known as O’Bryonville.

You’ll have to take a side street to find the BonBonerie, but Google’s directions from my iPhone were pretty much correct.

If approaching from Madison Rd, note that it is behind a store called “Hemptations”, and that you cannot reach this tea room by going up the stairs. You’ll need to walk up and around the small hill to the right where there is also plentiful parking.

My best friend and I took the chance to visit this teahouse recently. It is worth it to note that we were two of three men in the establishment. The decor is decidedly feminine. As a bonus, the BonBonerie is also a confectionery offering fresh made cakes, cupcakes and other sweets. These are so good that the BonBonerie supplies the confections served at many of Cincinnati’s finest dining establishments and local favorites.

Despite the decidedly feminine atmosphere I felt right at home drinking a hot cuppa “Bushman’s Brew.” Made from the Honeybush tree from Southern Africa. The staff presented the tea already bewing in a custom tea bag tied off at the end placed in a ceramic mug.

The tea brewed up a beautiful dark amber color, much like a Darjeeling. The aroma was sweet and delicate with just a slight hint of spice. I caught notes of flowers and, it seemed, light sappiness.

The tea came out particularly hot. This was unfortunate, as the tea didn’t need to be brewed at such a high temperature. I estimate a better temperature at around 185(°F) to 195(°F) as opposed to the roughly 230(°F) I was presented with.

The flavor of the Bushman’s Brew was stern. A bit of a bite at the end of each sip. This was contrary to its aroma and may have been contributed to by the high temperature which it was brewed at. After it cooled down a bit, some of the honeyed notes remained in the taste, but this tea’s experience was much stronger than I’d hoped.

Overall, I thought the promise of the BonBonnerie was high. Intricate, artsy and filling the need for a more girly atmosphere, while not being Victorian in style. This tea room certainly has soemthing going for it. They seem to miss the boat when it comes to temperatures for the teas they serve, and a number of the blends don’t match particularly well with the sugary sweets they offer as confections.

There’s certainly room for the BonBonerie to improve, but the experience remained relaxing and comfortable despite the disappointment with the tea itself. I’ve heard great things about this tea business and hope my experience was a rare disappointment rather than the expected norm.