The Carolina Inn
is an iconic landmark in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It is where almost any student or graduate of The University of North Carolina (UNC), Chapel Hill, has been either as an undergraduate or at some later time. There is really no other place like it in the town.
The lobby and seating areas:
We stayed at the Inn on our very first visit to the area when we began our search for a house and a community in North Carolina.
The Inn did not disappoint. The rooms are lovely, the service impeccable, the location perfect.
But this post is about their afternoon tea.
I love tea. And a truly formal afternoon tea is something I look forward to for days in advance. So it was that I made reservations for my daughter and I for a Friday afternoon when I would pick her up at the airport and we would come directly to the Inn. We had crystal clear weather, arrived a few minutes early so had time to sit outside with a glass of wine (why not?) before being shown to The Piedmont Dining Room, overlooking a rear terrace. There are about six tables in the room, nicely spaced for privacy, that can accommodate two to six people. The hostess was lovely and explained all the teas available and what kind of cakes and tea sandwiches we would be served.
I did have that Southern Pecan Tea: it was nice and strong and black, just the way I like my tea. And lots of it.
The yummies were just that and again, plenty to go around.
No one rushed us. The room was pleasantly quiet.
One last word: the ladies room. It is gorgeous. From the glossy furniture as you enter, to the inlaid tiles, to very separate “toilette” rooms, it is one of the nicest I have seen anywhere. Plan to stop in!
Tea is served Thursday through Sunday and reservations are a must. For anyone local, I highly recommend it…. and if you want to go, give me a call and we can make a party of it!
