The Steeping Room

02/19/2008 Posted by anthem815

I've been to this place many, many times and I can't say enough good things about it. Located right next to the Starbucks at the Domain, this place reminds me a lot of the cute little restaurants in NYC. The place is small but clean with very minimalist decor with booths. On a nice weather day they have tables outside that you can sit at and enjoy watching the foot traffic. The staff is very polite and friendly and the owner/manager (an older gentleman with glasses) has always been there every time I went. I would highly recommend the tea sandwiches, especially the red pepper hummus and salmon, cucumber and cream cheese (forget the exact name) one. The teas of course are amazing and there a hundreds to choose from. I personally like the matcha tea. You could get it in a kettle to share or a bowl for yourself. The desserts here are really good too. I especially enjoy the earl grey mousse and almond torte. You just have to go for youself, I can't say enough good things about it. The last time I went the good service was even more exceptional and ended up leaving a big tip. You will also feel so clean and healthy after your meal too, not bloated like if you were eating fried foods.

Pros: everything!

Cons: if there's anything, i would say the parking.

11/10/2007 Posted by oldaustingal

This place if friendly, relaxing and has a fantastic selection of teas. The baked items are high quality and the selection changes with the season. The pumpkiin tart with spiced whipped cream was to die for. The German chocolate cake is amazing! Nice staff, this place fits well in Austin. I should know, I was born and raised here. Don't be intimidated by the swankiness of the Domain-the people here are warm and friendly.

Pros: food, service

Cons: parking on busy days

08/12/2007 Posted by mountainmanven

I have never tasted scones as good as those found at The Steeping Room. It seems like most of the crowd is there for various mixed drinks which include tea as opposed to the real thing, but it doesn't seem to have affected the quality of the products they deliver. Sandwiches are good, but unremarkable. I recommend going for teas and pastries for a relaxing date or meeting.

Pros: Teas, Service, Desserts

Cons: Not much

06/08/2007 Posted by nrbrandon

When I first noticed The Steeping Room I assumed they just served tea, but to my surprise and delight, they have a huge menu full of vegetarian dishes. I ordered the coconut iced tea ($2) and field green salad ($7), which were both scrumptious, and I ate at one of their outside tables on a Friday evening. It's great for people-watching and nice with the view of the trees. I had two different servers and they were both attentive and friendly. I will definitely be going back...there are several other items on the menu I'd love to try!

Pros: good vegetarian choices, multitude of tea choices, friendly service

Cons: parking

04/29/2007 Posted by smullen98

This place is next to Starbuck's in the new shopping area called The Domain. It's a fabulous local business in the middle of a bunch of chain stores. It's a real find. I've been eating there regularly and the food is always incredibly fresh and fantastic and I'll never get through all the teas. Plus they have beers l like like Bootlegger and Fat Tire. I haven't had the wine yet but they have a list of that too. Best of all the have fresh baked good they make right there some teas in them which are fantastic. I'm always surprised that people pass it to go to Starbucks -- unlike Starbucks they thank you for going with free -- they have a loyalty card they mark each time you get take-away tea and they give you a free tea after 9 or 10. Plus it's LOCAL and BETTER!

Pros: everything there is great

Cons: it's not so visible next to Starbucks and the sign looks like sLeeping room but it's sTeeping room

03/20/2007 Posted by jmbauer

I wasn't planning on stopping by The Domain when it opened, but when I heard that it included a locally-owned tea shop, I decided to give it a try. It's right next door to the Starbucks, and I'm still trying to decide whether that's ironic or genius. The decor looks more like West Elm than the typical kitschy British tearoom, but I for one like that. The tea menu is huge (4-5 pages), and their lunch menu has organic tea sandwiches, scones, cake, etc. I was going to order some Classic Grey to see how well they did the basics, but then the Kasbah Cooler caught my eye. It's iced mint green tea with pomegranate syrup, and it was wonderful. I normally don't like tea sandwiches, but they had a roast beef on wheat with roasted red peppers and basil mayo, and it turned out fine. They're not dirt-cheap ($9), but also include a side salad with a pretty tasty vinaigrette. So I give it a thumbs-up, and will probably be back for dinner sometime (apparently they have a chai bread pudding).