Shop 52 Denver - Twelve: {Seven Cups}

Hello there and welcome to this week's installment of Shop 52 Denver!!! This little treasure is not only a shop but an experience. Please welcome to the spotlight...Seven Cups!

From the outside it may look like any number of local tea or coffee shops, but when you step inside...

it's as if you just stepped through a secret passage into the Far East. The sounds of Asian music and a trickling fountain provide a sense of calm. And the decor is among the most intricate and finest I've ever seen. Every detail is tended to. Just look at this close-up of one of the carved doors in the front room:

Seven Cups is Denver's first traditional Chinese tea house. Their aim is to not only serve premium teas, but to educate their customers about Chinese tea and tea culture. The name, Seven Cups, comes from a famous ancient poem about tea. Click HERE to read the poem.

When I arrived at the tea house I received a warm welcome from Rebecca, one of the staff at Seven Cups. The tea house offers a very large selection of tea, and at first glance the menu can seem a little overwhelming. I LOVE tea and know that my preference lies with black teas, so that was at least a starting point. Rebecca was extremely helpful in assisting me with my tea selection, describing the flavors of various teas and even allowing me to smell the tea leaves. I decided to try a pot of the Gong Fu Yunnan Black Tea. It was heavenly.

  I enjoyed my tea while taking in the atmosphere...

and reading a book. For me, there is something so comforting and relaxing about drinking tea. The feel of the toasty mug between my hands, the smell of the steam rising from the mug, and the combination of warmth and flavor in every sip. Ahhhh...pure bliss. 

After I finished my second pot of tea (I know...I TOLD you it was heavenly!), I browsed around a bit. These tea cups, pots and accessories were created by Joe James, a local artist. Beautiful!

(The photo is a little blurry because the lighting was really dim in this area of the tea house.)

Tea pots and tea sets in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and styles also fill the wooden shelves at the front of the tea house creating a magnificent display.

Functional AND decorative.

How I'd absolutely LOVE to own one of these. Especially this one:

Incredible detail.

Seven Cups also sells their tea in bulk packaging to go. All of the teas are personally sourced from farmers in China and most are organically grown.

Here's a closer look:

 I couldn't resist taking a package of Gong Fu home with me, but you probably figured as much, right??? *wink*

Did you enjoy your tour of Seven Cups? I hope so! I definitely enjoyed my first visit and will be sure to visit them again in the near future. 

GIVEAWAY:  At the end of February I'll be giving away some goodies from a couple of the shops spotlighted in my Shop 52 Denver posts!! To enter, just leave me a comment letting me know what you enjoyed the most about Seven Cups!

Thanks for stopping by today!!! Have a FANTASTIC day!