Where to Eat & Drink : Mariage Frères Tea House
As modern-day Paris rushes by you on the street, take a moment to step off the curb and back in time with the family of Mariage Frères, a luxurious luncheon experience steeped in tea leaves and history.
The Mariage family began trading in spices and colonial foodstuffs in 1660. Louis XIV commissioned Nicolas Mariage to bring back teas from Persia and India.
Two members of the Mariage family, Auguste, and Aimé, originally from Lille, settled in 1830 in the Marais district of Paris.
Following family tradition, on June 1, 1854, the last two sons of Aimé Mariage, Henri, and Édouard, founded Mariage Frères, a tea and vanilla importing company supplying delicatessens, tea rooms, and hotels with their goods.
There are eight Mariage Frères stores in Paris, but my favorite is the shop & restaurant tucked away on a small, quiet street in the Marais on 30 Rue du Bourg-Tibourg. Even the restaurant's facade speaks to the magical step back in time that you are about to experience. Open the doors, and you'll land in the historic tea shop often bustling with activity.
Walls of wood shelves and huge black metal containers create a stunning backdrop as your eyes land on the staff; all dressed smartly in jackets, vests, and bow ties. Don't let the scene intimidate you - the staff speaks English. And this is the PERFECT gift to bring home to friends and family as the keepsake black metal tins full of fragrant tea are lightweight, easy to pack, and many of the teas in the Paris shops are unique to their location.
Step forward to the next room, and you will find a light-filled restaurant and atrium with Art Deco vibes. The all-male staff is dressed head to toe in white, and the customer service is impeccable.
“I first came to Mariage Frères ages ago as a place to escape the cold and damp of Paris’ long winter and early spring.”
The table linens, china, and silverware proudly sport the Mariage Frères logo, and everything on the menu, both savory and sweet, includes tea in the ingredients.
Lunch at this establishment can easily take two to three hours. Each pot of tea is unique to the individual and is not shared. I often try two to three different pots of teas while I am visiting and, if alone, bring a book to read or a journal - there is no wifi, and it's impossible to pick up a cell signal in the restaurant.
Entirely removed from technology and fully present, time languishes in a lovely way as the room fills with the scent of tea and people from around the world. A bar counter at the back of the restaurant is the stage for the brewing expert on staff. Each tea is professionally steeped and timed to perfection.
The menu is available in both French and English. While, at first glance, the extraordinarily long list can be overwhelming, think of the experience like a fine wine. Start with what you know you enjoy (vanilla, citrus, bergamot, green tea, or black) and ask the waiter to offer his recommendations. Again, they are there to help you.
Warm, cozy, full of tea and good food, an afternoon at Mariage Freres is the perfect way to spend part of your adventures in this beautiful city.
