It is a bit of tradition that I’ve started with my family — to have Christmas tea together at least once during the festive season. We get dressed up in cosy or elegant clothes, and head off for an afternoon of treats… best done (for myself only, as I fill up quickly!) on a relatively empty stomach…
Here in Kingston, we usually go to the Secret Garden Inn (so stunning, and the service is wonderful — the proprietress is so kind and friendly!), but this year, I wanted to explore a bit and try something different. So off we went to The O’Connor House English Tea Room, which is about 25-30 minutes outside of Kingston, in charming Deseronto, ON.
It sits right next door to Karen Brown’s Antiques & Collectibles, which I believe is also known as The Great Deseronto Antique Emporium… or perhaps these three just meld beautifully into one another, because you can walk right through the antique store into the tea room! But before we went to tea, we had to browse all the interesting items the store had to offer; here’re some of my favourite finds:
There is a homey, small family establishment feel to the tea room, and for Christmas, it was joyfully decorated in almost every corner. At first glance, you may feel the tea room is very cramped, but it’s just cosy and full of fellow convivial spirits…
We went on the 20th of December, so it was very busy, and we waited about 45 minutes for our food, but the kiddies behaved well, and we were just enjoying the ambiance, the tea (which came earlier, of course) the decor, and the other people enjoying their festive teas.
The teas are those you could get from the regular grocery stores, and the food itself is a little simpler than the more “sophisticated” establishments that we normally frequent, but the sandwiches were made well, and the jam and cream for the scones were absolutely delectable. Nothing to particularly write home about, but definitely nothing to sniff at either! I would still write home, I suppose, about how much the relaxed atmosphere and satisfying bites warmed our souls and filled our bellies…
On me:
Reiss ‘Lola’ printed flippy dress, black (2025)
Not seen: Ted & Muffy (formerly Duo Boots, and also now back to Duo Boots) ‘Huntsman’ boots, black (2016/2017)
After all, the point of going for Christmas tea, is to spend time with each other as a family. The pretty settings and adorable, scrumptious treats are just, I suppose you could say, the jam on the English scone.
Please do visit The O’Connor English Tea House… they do other themed and seasonal teas as well throughout the year, and of course, getting to see how they decorate the tea room at other times will also be fresh and exciting to see.
I hope 2026 is full of experiences and adventures! Go do or try something new! Stay kind, everyone. x
