Jacqueline’s Tea Room

My husband and I took our two young children here for Afternoon Tea on Christmas Eve. I have had the opportunity to attend Afternoon Teas in several states, and I was still pleasantly surprised by the options for this one. All of the food is made on the premises (hence the requirement to have reservations for Afternoon Tea by 8 o’clock). Jacqueline made a couple of tweaks on the traditional with amazing results, such as adding lavender to her cucumber sandwiches. However, the best by far were the scones. They were delightfully warm, crusty, crumbling but not dry. She served two types for us: chocolate chip and then vanilla and nutmeg. Both were delicious and even reheated several days later well. The lemon curd and Devon cream served with them just added to the yumminess.
Also I just want to add a note about the service. Jacqueline served us herself. Though her place was definitely not super kid-​friendly compared to some of the tea places I have frequented (such as a separate kids menu, juice options instead of tea), she did a great job of highlighting which tisines or herbals my kids would enjoy. And when my kids started to get restless, she hurried out with paper and pens so they could draw. Her attention to trying to keep the kids entertained showed a lot of thoughtfulness on her part.
My only reason for the four stars vice the five is when I made the reservation, I was told the menu would be tailored for my young kids, which it was not. The food was delicious but I paid a lot of money for each kid to not eat it. Of course, I snacked on it throughout the next couple of days…
My husband and I are already talking about making a return visit for their Cream Tea, which includes a pot of tea and those delicious scones.

After the closing of the Clipper Merchant tea house, I have been on the lookout for awhile for a new tea room. I love trying different flavors and kinds of tea and the ceremony of a tea room experience. I booked a table at Jaqueline’s to take my daughter, home from her first semester in college, on a special outing.
Jaqueline’s is just outside of the main strip in Freeport, in a stand alone home with parking. The tea rooms are beautifully decorated and there are a few rooms of gifts (jewelry and housewares) for sale. We were given a choice of tables, which I really appreciated and settled in for a lovely experience.
I had booked us for the 4 course high tea, which ran $ 30 per person. This included unlimited pots of tea. The pots are small which is great as you can sample a few different kinds with ease. I started with a fruity white tea which was lovely and then moved to a fall spiced rooibos. There was also a dish on the table with clotted cream, lemon curd and jam.
Our first course was a cream of mushroom soup, served in a tea cup, which was tasty. Shortly after, our other three courses came out on a tiered platter. The bottom plate had two kinds of scones, which were exceptional (buttery and flavorful). The center plate had four kinds of sandwiches (cucumber, goat cheese and pear, chicken salad and stilton and cranberry), and the top plate had a biscotti, a small slice of chocolate cake and a mini eggnog custard.
The food was all very good but tended to lean to the sweet side. My daughter, who came hungry was a but disappointed that there wasn’t more savory food. There may have been food available to order but I never saw a menu or heard any mention of other food options.
Our server was lovely and attentive, as was Jaqueline herself. There was a festive and celebratory feeling among all the other patrons in the room.
On our way out, we found the perfect gift for one of our relatives!

I love this place, especially the tea. After discovering it in 2011, I have ordered my tea from here ever since. If you go in for the Cream Tea, you get a pot of tea and 2 scones with Devon cream, jam, and lemon curd. The lemon curd is divine. Jacqueline is very attentive and knowledgeable about her tea. She makes the scones as well, with different flavors each month. The décor is a little cutesy, but the experience makes up for it. There are so many flavors of tea that I haven’t tried most of them yet, and I’ve tried at least 20. Irish Breakfast is my favorite, with Pumpkin Spice a close second. I also recommend Amaretto and Mt. Kilimanjaro. If you order the tea (you can do it online), she ships it via USPS Priority Mail, so you get it in a couple of days.

Amazing tea and four course meal. Jacqueline is the best!