Lavender N Lace Tea Room Lake Alfred – An Enchanting Escape

If you’re looking for an elegant escape from the busy theme parks, a trip back in time to Lavender N Lace Tea Room would be one of our top picks.

Set in lush lawns and landscaped gardens, this enchanting 1920’s cottage nestles in the shadows of an ancient oak tree draped in Spanish moss.

The setting is picture-book-perfect, a stone’s thrown from the shores of Lake Alfred. It could have popped right out of a Disney movie set.

You’d be forgiven for expecting a British owner to greet you at Lavender n Lace. Visitors are often surprised to find a Pakistani family running this traditional English tea room.

Sehar Bajwa and her husband Hafeez lived in England. From extensive travels during a shipping career, a passion for cooking and baked goods was born. The couple emigrated to live the American dream on retirement.

They settled on the shores of Lake Alfred in 1987 and have been serving tea and delicious eats at Lavender N Lace ever since.

Chat to family members during your visit and you’ll be greeted with warm and charming hospitality and fun tales of travels.

The cozy historic home has been transformed into a series of vintage dining rooms. Small, intimate dining areas lead into a larger dining room and a light filled veranda.

Each room is elegantly decorated, with shelves and dressers brimming with pretty china tea pots, tea cups and saucers.

There is outdoor seating available in the charming trellis shaded patio, surrounded by lush tropical plants and pretty floral displays.

The menu at Lavender N Lace Tea Room combines traditional British fair with an Asian twist, using recipes passed down from Bajwar’s mother. Throw in a sprinkling of Southern and we have ourselves a delicious array of cuisines to choose from.

There’s a selection of soups, salads, sandwiches, entrees and desserts. All lovingly homemade from scratch. Most menu items are priced around $13 or less and there’s a good selection of appetizers. There are gluten free options available too.

Lunch begins with a serving of complimentary, freshly baked warm and delicious savory mini-muffins, seasoned with herbs.

And of course, there’s a wide range of hot or iced gourmet teas. Teas are priced at $4.95 and served in large porcelain tea pots, giving several cups. There’s a wide selection of flavors on offer.

Choices range from bold and tangy flavors like Orange Cinnamon to exotic picks like Egyptian Chamomile or Himalayan Strawberry.

We opted for Orange Cinnamon, Apricot and traditional Breakfast Tea. All were excellent, but the Orange Cinnamon was exceptional. So much so, we even purchased some to take home from the on-site store.

Lavender N Lace Menu Choices Include

• Crunchy Chicken – Chicken breast baked into a casserole with rice, celery, and almonds; in a creamy sauce with two kinds of cheese topped with crunchy potato chips.
• Cottage Pie – Ground sirloin, cooked with herbs, spices, garden vegetables, topped with mashed potatoes.
• Crepe Cozumel – Chicken breast in a roasted red pepper sauce, served with melted cheese and sour cream on top of both crepes.
• Homemade Quiche – Flavors of the day
• Ultimo Roast Beef Panini – Slowly roasted sliced beef, caramelized onions, tomatoes, provolone, and our horseradish pesto mayo on a toasted onion poppy baguette.
• Marinated Vegetables – Fresh garden vegetables pan seared in garlic and cumin, tossed with our house marinated bean salad, and served over organic greens.

And save room for dessert! A whole tray of home-baked house specialties will be presented. Choose from Angel Pie, Hummingbird Cake, Peanut Butter Pie or English Trifle to name just a few.

Lavender N Lace Tea Room might be fancy and flowery, but the guys enjoyed it too! In fact, I just noticed Ken is wearing a lilac t-shirt, blending perfectly with the decor 😀

After dining, head over to the adjacent gift shop. It’s crammed wall to wall with pretty stationery, greeting cards, lavender goods, jewelry, clothing, food items and artisan gifts.

Plus, as expected, there’s also a wide range of specialty teas available for purchase.

You can experience a full-blown Afternoon Tea once a month – call 863-956-3998 to make a reservation. Check upcoming dates on the Lavender N Lace Facebook page.

Lavender N Lace are also pet friendly too – dogs can dine on the patio. Lake Alfred is just a couple of minutes walk away where there is lots of space for pets to run around.

Where: Lavender N Lace Tea Room – 430 North Lake Shore Way, Lake Alfred, FL 33850
Hours: Monday to Saturday 11am to 3.30pm
Phone: 1 863-956-3998
Web: Lavender N Lace Website.

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