The Secret Tea Room, Greensboro

At The Secret Tea Room, 30-year restaurant veteran John L. Magee and his family of chefs, bakers, and waiters serve gourmet lunch fare and elegant Queen’s teas. On tabletops, pots of Jasmine Fanning green teas, peppermint herbal teas, or any selection of their 24 varieties of fresh look leaf teas imported from around the world rest beside bone china and three-tiered trays of sandwiches and English-style scones. The café’s specialty Crab Cake YaYa, served with fried green tomatoes, napa-cabbage-green-apple-bacon slaw, and housemade rémoulade sauce, headlines a menu of salads and sandwiches. In addition to its parties and luncheons for adults, The Secret Tea Room hosts tea parties for 4- to 8-year-olds, featuring kid-size servings and teacups that transform into robots.