Detroit, MI has 4 tea rooms and tea shops in this guide.
4 tea spots
Detroit's Tea Scene
Detroit's tea scene is small and split between formal service and new cafes. Lily's & Elise on Livernois serves French-style afternoon and high tea all day at $35 to $65 a person, and The Whitney on Woodward runs a champagne-and-scones Mansion Tea Service three days a week. Midtown's Chai Khana pours Iraqi chai and karak chai, and sml wrld on Gratiot Avenue makes dairy-free matcha and hojicha.
Midtown has two picks a few blocks apart: The Whitney on Woodward Avenue and Chai Khana on Second Avenue. Lily's & Elise is on the Livernois Avenue of Fashion on the northwest side, and sml wrld is on Gratiot Avenue east of downtown.
Detroit Tea at a Glance
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Tea Rooms & Tea Shops (4)
Tea houses, afternoon-tea rooms, matcha bars and loose-leaf shops that brew tea from other makers. Each card says what the place is known for and its price range.
Lily's & Elise is a French-style tea lounge and patisserie on the Livernois Avenue of Fashion. It serves afternoon and high tea all day, every day it is open, in tiers from a $35 petite afternoon tea to a $65 high tea with soup, salad, three savories and four sweets; a standard service brings three pots of tea for the table. The loose-leaf list runs from Assam Mokalbari to rooibos blends, and the teas are sold in the shop to take home.
The Whitney is a restaurant in the 1894 Romanesque Revival mansion built for lumber baron David Whitney Jr. on Woodward Avenue. Its Mansion Tea Service runs Thursday through Saturday with seatings from noon to 1 p.m.: a glass of champagne on arrival, then house teas with scones, strawberries in double cream, canapes, warm hors d'oeuvres and pastries, played to live piano. It does not take dietary substitutions for tea.
Chai Khana is an Iraqi-owned tea house that opened in winter 2025-26 in a triangular, window-lined corner storefront on Second Avenue. The drink list covers traditional Iraqi chai, a $5 karak chai, Arabic coffee and matcha, with sandwiches and pastries. It keeps long hours and has plenty of outlets, which makes it a common work and study stop.
sml wrld is an all-dairy-free matcha cafe and slow bar on Gratiot Avenue. It serves hand-whisked matcha and hojicha with plant milks, a monthly rotating specials menu, and a salted date drink built on date caramel and coconut whip. Espresso is on the menu too, but matcha is the draw.
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Detroit Tea Tips
Book The Whitney tea early
The Whitney's Mansion Tea Service only seats between noon and 1 p.m., Thursday to Saturday, for parties of up to six on its booking page. Reserve ahead and note it cannot change the menu for dietary needs.
Plan around Lily's & Elise hours
Lily's & Elise is closed Monday and Tuesday. Tea service runs all day the rest of the week; breakfast and brunch are served alongside it.
Order Iraqi chai at Chai Khana
Chai Khana's menu includes traditional Iraqi chai alongside karak chai and Arabic coffee. Go for the tea rather than the lattes if you want the house specialty.
Expect plant milk at sml wrld
sml wrld serves no dairy at all, so every matcha and hojicha latte comes with a plant-based milk.
Pair the two Midtown stops
The Whitney on Woodward Avenue and Chai Khana on Second Avenue are a few blocks apart in Midtown. Take the noon-to-1 p.m. Mansion Tea Service on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday, then walk to Chai Khana, which keeps long hours, for a karak chai.
Brewing at Home After Detroit
Found a tea you liked in Detroit? Buy the leaf, then use these to brew it the same way at home.
Teaware
Kettles, gaiwans, kyusu, scales and matcha whisks for brewing at home.
Steeping Chart
Water temperature and steep time for green, white, oolong, black and pu-erh.
Tea Ratio Calculator
Grams of leaf per 100 ml, for gongfu and western brewing.
Bitter Tea Troubleshooting
Fix a bitter, flat or astringent cup by changing one variable at a time.
Cold-Brew Tea Ratios
Leaf weight and fridge time for cold-brewed tea, by tea type.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I get afternoon tea in Detroit?
Lily's & Elise Tea House on Livernois serves afternoon tea ($50) and high tea ($65) all day Wednesday to Sunday. The Whitney on Woodward Avenue serves its Mansion Tea Service Thursday to Saturday with seatings from noon to 1 p.m.
Where can I get chai in Detroit?
Chai Khana in Midtown is an Iraqi-owned tea house serving traditional Iraqi chai and karak chai.
Where can I get matcha in Detroit?
sml wrld on Gratiot Avenue is a dairy-free matcha cafe serving hand-whisked matcha and hojicha. Chai Khana in Midtown also serves matcha.
Can I buy loose-leaf tea in Detroit?
Yes. Lily's & Elise sells its loose-leaf teas, including black teas and rooibos blends, in its shop and online.
How much is afternoon tea in Detroit?
At Lily's & Elise Tea House a petite afternoon tea starts at $35, the afternoon tea is $50 and the high tea, with soup, salad, three savories and four sweets, is $65 per person. A standard service brings three pots of tea for the table.
Detroit Tea by Neighborhood
Midtown
Best for: Mansion afternoon tea and an Iraqi tea house a few blocks apart.
Top picks: The Whitney, Chai Khana
Avenue of Fashion
Best for: All-day French-style afternoon and high tea.
Top picks: Lily's & Elise Tea House
Tea Reading for Detroit Visitors
Read these before you order: what to ask for, how it is brewed, and what it should cost.
