Karen Burns at TeaMuse by Adagio Teas

In Paris, Mariage Frères embodies the French art of tea: a historic tearoom where colonial décor frames 500 sublime varieties, exquisite mélanges, and meticulous infusion. From Gyokuro to Marco Polo, tea jellies to “Fils du Ciel” teapots, it turns diversity, presentation, and sensual detail into an elegant, timeless ritual.

Introduced to Paris in 1636, tea captivated French aristocrats, physicians, and writers, spawning medical claims, milk-infusion fashions, and exotic imports. The Revolution decapitated both monarchs and tea’s prestige, but nineteenth‑century Anglomania revived it. Mariage Frères, modern salons, culinary experimentation, and connoisseurship now crown tea a refined French art, rivaling wine.