Tisane Tea & Coffee Bar

03/26/09

Great for meeting up with friends

by turtlegirl1976 at Citysearch

I love getting together with my friends at Tisane's, I don't feel like they are rushing me out the door after my meal. The waitstaff let you linger and chill out, which is a great thing since I usually feel rushed in other places.

Parking is sketchy, but the atmosphere is so laid-back that it's worth the hunt for a spot. It can get horribly busy though, so if possible EARLY is better than later!

• Pros: Teas, Service, Menu Options, Martini's
• Cons: Parking

09/23/08

Great variety of teas and coffees; excellent food, be wary of evenings.

by 7Kim at Citysearch

Tisane has evolved over the years: boho/hipster joint, upscale teahouse/eatery, gay mecca, martini bar. It retains features of all of these but can't be readily pigeonholed as any of them. The entrees are quite varied, uniformly delicious and moderately pricey. Drinks are reasonably priced. Service can be spotty, though regulars do get noticeably better service and iffy service seems to be confined to busy evenings. Most common server sin seems to be "slow to approach". Minor peeve: music tends to be overly loud.

Things to bear in mind about Tisane:

- The place tends to fill up fast in the evenings, especially Tu, Th, Fr, and Sa.

- The immediate parking lot is quite small and also tends to fill up. After 8.00 PM, parking for Tisane is allowed on the Wash Tub side of the parking lot; prior to this, you risk being towed. The parking lot of the set of stores across Farmington Avenue has designated parking spaces for Farmington Ave. businesses, including Tisane.

- While Tisane is anything but a "gay bar" in the old sense of the term, the surrounding area has some of the features of a gay village and Tisane does tend to draw many gay, lesbian and transgender customers. Specifically, Tuesday night is traditionally "Boys' Night" and the first Sunday of every month is traditionally a lesbian get-together, though neither occasion is a privte affair or even particularly exclusive. At other times, gay/lesbian/trans vibe is muted but seldom absent. Whether this is a pro, a con, or not an issue is for you to decide

• Pros: Great food, fantastic variety of teas. Very friendly and relaxed during off-hours (mornings, afternoons). Very kind to regulars. Good drinks.
• Cons: Can fill up fast, tends to be quite loud in the evening, moderately pricey. Service can be iffy, especially in the evenings (I love the place, but it's true). Parking can be chancy.

08/18/08

Great Idea, Was Better, Now just OK

by ntuitive1 at Citysearch

Like another reviewer, I am a local and love independent coffee/tea houses, so I really want to love this place, but I just can't. I actually used to love it more until they made the menu more pedestrian. Gone are the days of the pu pu platters and strange fondues on the menu. Some of the good stuff remains, like the calamari, but in general it's degenerated into mostly run of the mill fare. The last time I went there I couldn't even find a decent wrap on the menu. I pine for the Tisane of the old days.

The martinis are still first rate and there's an extensive selection. My all time favorite is the Almond Joy martini, but many others are great too (like their purple haze). I have eaten here for breakfast, lunch, dinner and after dinner and it has mostly never failed to disappoint, but I agree with the others that the service is not always the best. I have never had a rude waitperson, though. Flighty and scattered, perhaps, but never rude. Still, where else can you find what is essentially a Starbucks/Teavana/Bistro/Martini Bar in your own neighborhood? The concept is awesome and there should be more establishments like this one around.

• Pros: Great martinis, good tea and coffee
• Cons: iffy service, lack of inspiration on the new menu