Willows

My daughter wanted a tea party for her birthday. Since we were out of town for her birthday and school is out I searched for a tea room. To my luck, I came across this gem. They were so accommodating with helping plan her party. Everything was perfect. From the delicious teas, finger sandwiches, biscuits, and incredible personalized birthday cake. I hate that I don’t have a tea room like this back home. If I’m ever in this area again, I’ll be sure to visit again! Thanks again for everything!

Found this gem while strolling through downtown panama city. Very cute, cozy tea shop that will make you feel like you’ve walked into the UK. A friend and I shared a pot for two of French Vanilla black tea and had the strawberry cheesecake. I’ll be back for sure!

I am so upset to have to give Willows a bad review. I’ve been going for years and it’s just been slowly declining. This weekend was the last straw for me.
I went with my three friends. It took almost TWO HOURS for us to get our tea and when we got it the tea was OILY. I’ve never ever seen tea like that, my friend sipped it and it was disgusting. I told the server and he apologized but then came back from the kitchen and said that they said it was fine.
Everyone seems like it’s their first day every time I visit. No one is friendly and the service takes forever.
Sadly I will never be going again.

Fantastic little tea house. Great selections of quality teas. All dishes and deserts are made by hand. Loved the pastie (similar to a beef pot pie) and the sponge cake with warm custard desert.
The also have a small kids area complete with hats, stuffed toys, themed books and a tea play set for any young princess that may come along.

Walked in at 4:20 on a Saturday and was rudely informed that they were closing. Saturday hours are until 6:00pm.

Panama City doesn’t have a lot of options when it comes to tea, but fortunately the few that they do seem to have all seem to be very good. Willows is no exception and even though I’ve only lived in PCB for a month, I feel that this is the best place to get a proper cuppa. The owner is wonderful to chat with and does an excellent job of making you feel welcome in addition to providing some of the best finger foods and tea I’ve had in a while.
My wife and I decided to make a reservation for the Sunday Duchess Royal Afternoon Tea since it seemed like a good way to try out the place and spend a quiet afternoon together. We were the first group in for the day so the owner spend some time talking with us which was nice. She even made us a special assortment of sandwiches since we are vegetarians, and all of them were excellent. It takes a special knack to balance out strong flavors like bleu cheese and marmite, but everything was strong enough to be interesting without being overpowering. Additionally, the tray came with various pastries which were all flavorful without being cloyingly sweet, and the traditional scones with clotted cream and preserves.
While everything was delicious, mostly what stands out in my mind though is the proprietary afternoon tea blend that they serve. It’s that perfect blend of English teas but without the slightest trace of tannins. We managed to down two whole pots on our own and only stopped because we were practically sloshing.
While Panama City may lack any kind of bubble tea or more Asian style options, Willows will definitely fill the void for any tea aficionados who feel like they’re stranded without any options. Be sure to check out their website as the owner advised us that it will soon be updated more frequently to include weekly specials as well as other events going on.

Nice place to eat and enjoy British culture. My wife and I had Shepard’s Pie for lunch and it was delicious. The English Breakfast Tea is tasty and went very well with the meal. The proprietor is very friendly and very knowledgeable about the origins of high and low tea. Great location in the heart of Panama City.

I come here any chance I get when I want to relax with either friends or myself. The atmosphere is British themed and definitely gives you the feeling as if you are there. I love that they use actual china for the tea cups and place doilies on the plates.
I usually always get raspberry tea. However, this time I ordered apple cinnamon spice. They waitress recommended me to mix Chai tea with it. So I did and wow, it was great. I highly recommend to mix the milk with the tea as well. I also love the scones with the cream and preserves.
The service was very nice and the waitress answered all of our questions. The only thing I’m not a fan about are the prices and quantity of what I am buying. The scones are great but they are very small and a little over priced. I usually don’t mind the price because of how wonderful the food actually is.
If you’re looking for a quiet place for tea, this is perfect. It is definitely worth a try for the experience.

When we first arrived it was a bit noisy because of a wedding party! No acoustics!!! Sounds bounce around but it was inviting! Bathrooms are nothing special but clean! I did see a very small roach crawling on the floor! Waitress was a bit slow to get our order and it wasn’t even rush hour! Overall our experience was average! Food quality was good! Cream of celery and squash soup were tasty, not over garnished (no presentation)! We ordered quiche and it also was pleasing to the taste buds!

The atmosphere is authentic, but the food is what makes Willows 5-​star. The bangers & mash are my favorite main dish; the sandwiches for an appetizer or sandwich combo selection for a great lunch. The desserts are also excellent. I recommend a dessert with tea if you are looking for an experience you will delightfully remember.

Terribly Asparagus quiche. Tasted like nasty canned asparagus and the crust was soggy. Their French bread tasted worse than the kind they sell at Walmart. The side salad is iceberg. Yuck. Nice British theme and style but they give the impression that British good sucks. Terrible service. Never she back after giving me food. Glass remained empty entire lunch.

Willows tea room is one of my go to places, great atmosphere and it’s nice to have a tea party with your kids or girl friends. I always get the scones, tea and one of their delicious sandwiches! The employees are always super sweet!

I love Willows! It is a nice place to go and take a break from a crazy day. However, the wait can be EXTREMELY long if you come when it is even slightly busy. They also do not tell you that they charge for water even if you buy something else. Beware or be charged.

Wow! I wanted to get my mom a gift certificate for tea here for her birthday so I called up the shop and spoke to a lovely lady with an english accent. Not only did she let me purchase the GC over the phone (believe it or not, even some chains won’t let you do that) but she even offered to bring it to my mom in person as I live out of state. You don’t see that kind of service just anywhere. Wish I were there to enjoy the tea as well; next time I’m in town I definitely will.

Perfect place to take your little princess for a real tea party! I took all three of my daughters there and it was perfect! They even had a child size table for them. The service was prompt and the waitress was so kind!

What a great addition to downtown Panama City! Willows Tea Room is a unique addition to Panama City and provides a cultural experience along with great food and beverages!
Though I have never been to the UK, I agree with another reviewer who says this place FEELS very British. There are huge pieces of wall art all around the tea room with pictures of London landmarks and other British scenes. Each table has a little pot of flowers with the Union Jack planted on top.
The tea room is spacious and has a refined, if slightly unfinished, ambiance. Our server greeted us promptly and allowed us to choose our own table. She was friendly enough, and also pretty prompt.
They have a variety of teas, pretty much all of the ones you’d expect — Earl Grey, Irish Breakfast, even Lapsang Souchong. You can order a pot of tea «for one» or «for two.» I ordered a pot for one, which came with enough tea for about 5 small cups of tea. Honestly, two people just wanting to sample could easily share one. Wanting something new and authentic, I ordered the Yorkshire Gold tea, which I have never seen in stores but had read about online. Besides the pot of tea I was brought a goblet of sugar, a cup on a saucer, and a small cup of milk. Two spoonfuls of sugar and a dash of milk later (I drink hot tea straight at home) I was drinking some VERY delicious, smooth tea. It’s hard to describe but it was a very pleasurable experience and made me wish I had had more time to sit and relax and enjoy the tea with a friend instead of being on business.
Willow’s food menu isn’t as extensive as their tea list, but it is absolutely worth checking out. Some of the dishes I saw listed were:
Meat pies (pasties?) served with HP Sauce
Various quiches
Shepherd’s Pie
Bangers and Mash
Ploughman’s Lunch
For my part, I chose the Shepherd’s Pie, an old favorite that ALWAYS burns my mouth and sometimes falls flat at other restaurants. My lack of patience again led to a bit of a burn (those mashed potatoes keep everything HOT) but this was one of the best, most authentic tasting shepherd’s pies I’ve ever had. It was a healthy sized portion, but not huge by any means. I was definitely full and happy afterwards. Even the broccoli served on the side was fresh and deliciously green. Prices were a bit high for lunch, but not unreasonable. The tea is very affordable, with a whole «pot for one» selling for approximately $ 2.50 while the Shepherd’s Pie was about $ 9.00, about middle of the road compared to other menu items.
There is a shelf near the register where many of the brand name teas they serve are available for purchase by the box. There is also a community/​business card board near the restrooms in the back.
A nice British lady (the owner?) cashed my check out at the register, and happily engaged us in a short chat about the tea we had chosen and its popularity in parts of England. Oh, and as if you had any doubt this place has a definite British thing going on, the water for the tea is heated in an electric kettle, which is what I always see the British doing when I watch their television shows.
Willows is a must-​visit if you are planning on spending any time in downtown Panama City. It’s a bit upscale, but still casual, and would be a nice alternative to Starbucks when wanting to meet for non-​alcoholic drinks with a group of friends.

5 stars because it is different and different is exactly what this city needs. LOVE Willows! A spot of tea is always nice! Tasty pastries, soups and sandwiches! They also have tea parties! =)

I’ve only been here for soup and tea, but what excellent soup it was! The owners are good, friendly people, and the atmosphere is well crafted. Definitely recommend

Nice little British tearoom in downtown Panama City. I had scones with clotted cream and marmelade (which were fantastic) and a pot of tea from the large selection. There are copies of a newspaper for UK expats in the US around. The place feels very British. The physical environment is quite simple, nothing too exciting about it; but I found the experience of hanging out there very nice. They serve sandwiches for lunch or if you just want to hang out and drink tea and eat scones or other British pastries this is a fantastic option for the afternoon while you read a book or chat with friends. I was very pleasantly surprised to find a place like this in a small town like Panama City.

Willows is such a quaint little British tea room with a wide selection of teas, great food, and extremely friendly staff. It’s a great place to grab lunch or to sit and relax during the afternoon. I’m pretty sure they have free wifi also.