A teahouse or tearoom is an establishment which primarily serves tea and other light refreshments. A tea room may be a room set aside in a hotel, especially for serving afternoon tea, or may be an establishment that only serves cream teas. Although the function of a tearoom may vary according to the circumstance or country, teahouses often serve as centers of social interaction, like coffeehouses.
Tea served in a tea room at the Shantytown Heritage Park in New Zealand
Tea house in Moscow, 2017
A teahouse at night in Yu Yuan Garden, Shanghai
A chaikhaneh (teahouse) in Yazd
As well as referring to the drink itself, tea has long been used as an umbrella term for several different meals consisting of food accompanied by tea. English writer Isabella Beeton, whose books on home economics were widely read in the 19th century, describes meals of various kinds and provides menus for the "old-fashioned tea", the "at-home tea", the "family tea", and the "high tea".
Afternoon tea with scones, jam, and little cakes at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong
Thé avec des artistes ("Tea with the artists"), Jules Grün, 1929
Afternoon tea on a silver serving tower at a Hotel in Edinburgh
Finger sandwiches: cucumber, egg, cheese, curried chicken, with prawn canapés served during tea at the Savoy in London.