Anaba Tea Room

Bring back anaba tea room please.

I just discovered this place only to find that it’s closing and re-​branding as a ramen noodle house. I enjoy some quality ramen, so hopefully they’ll take just as much care in their new dishes as they did on their old menu.
Our server was very informative, which was particularly helpful as they’re just letting some menu items run out. (Understandably so.) The menu has good variety, and everything is low in price. I love that the appetizers are cheap and actually small portions, so if nobody wants to share a plate-​full of something with you, you’re not stuck eating an entrée-​sized starter.

This is a lovely little oasis in Shorewood. There is a garden store on the main floor. Downstairs is the main dining area and on the roof there is a beautiful greenhouse, where it is great to sit in the summer. You can also sit upstairs in the winter, because they keep the greenhouse heated, so it is nice and cozy. They even have heated floors up there!
There is a wonderful, extensive tea menu and each type of tea can be ordered as a cup or in a pot to share. They have an afternoon tea option on the menu that includes delicious scones, sandwiches, pastries, and of course, tea. They also have great light lunches with several vegetarian options. I love the cucumber sandwich with minted cream cheese. The tofu cucumber salad is also delicious.
The dinner menu includes many unique Asian-​inspired dishes with several great vegetarian options, and they are always willing to substitute tofu for the meat in many of the dishes. This is great as a vegetarian, because it means I can have the opportunity to try many of the dishes on the menu. I have never had a dish I did not enjoy here. The food is incredibly flavorful, fresh, and well-​prepared. All of the desserts I have tried here have been incredible.
The service at Anaba Tea Room is always wonderful. The servers here are always very friendly and accommodating and are very knowledgeable about the food and tea menus.

Love, love this place. We drive by all the time on the way to French class, and we couldn’t resist stopping by for tea and sandwiches on a rainy Saturday.
I had already decided what we were going to order before we arrived — the Afternoon Tea, of course! Four little scone sandwiches on top, two petite regular sandwiches plus a salad on the second tier, and two scones, two crumpets, and a delicious tart on the third tier. PLUS a whole pot of tea. All for $ 30. A bit much for lunch, that’s true, but the sandwiches held up really well in the fridge for a few hours. It was totally worth it. The cucumber mint sandwich was by far my favorite, and S. really liked the Asian curry sandwich. Everything — I mean EVERYTHING — was so fresh and had amazing textures and flavors. We also ordered a cup of the vegan barbecue soup, and my (meat-​eating) husband declared it to be the best tomato soup he’s ever had.
We also purchased some loose-​leaf tea and a few items from the home and garden shop on the main floor. They have a nice stationary selection, and also a wide variety of garden gnomes, which was cute. The third floor is a garden/​greenhouse with additional seating inside and outside, and it overlooks Capital Drive.
I can’t wait to go back We had a fantastic time and the food/​service/​tea was wonderful.

Yes it’s lovely.
Yes the tea selection is awesome. And full of flavor.
No, lunch food is not so great.
I’d go back for tea and relaxing.
I won’t go back to eat.

First off, atmosphere. We ate in the greenhouse, which was just lovely. Also very nice for kids.
Food, well, we wanted to try a bunch of different things, most of which were winners. Korean tacos, Vietnamese tacos, duck wings, pork buns were all top-​notch. The Larb and the spring roll were not as great.
The service is lovely, the environment is terrific (sit in the basement or in the greenhouse, or the roof when it’s nice I assume). The little store on the main level is über cute too.
We will definitely be back. It’s really 4.5 stars! A hidden gem.

I’ve been to Anaba Tea Room a few times now and each time it’s been excellent. I absolutely adore their smoky tofu Rangoon and sweet chili tofu dish over sticky rice. One time I forgot my to-​go box and I really couldn’t get over it for, like, a day!
The first time I visited, I made the mistake of not getting a cocktail, but ended up stealing sips of Dan’s (Turmeric Coconut) whenever I could. Another time, I tried their Thai Lime Ginger with Serrano infused sake, Thai basil, Thai lime iced tea, and ginger beer. Every sip was complex and interesting.
DO save room for dessert; I always do. They have an amazing five spice bread pudding that is heavenly.
The rooftop garden area is lovely on warm days and in demand.

Absolutely stunning place. The basement restaurant is cozy, with a multi-​story skylight accentuated by Asian décor. The rooftop garden and greenhouse is so peaceful and… just perfect. (The bathroom is clean and modern, as well.)
They do proper afternoon tea and cream tea (tea with scones, clotted cream, jam, and lemon curd) for a very reasonable price. The tea and scones were delicious. They give you two scones, which is lovely, but the portion of clotted cream and lemon curd is not enough. I know cream is expensive in the States, but please give us a bit more (up the price a little if you need to)!
I had the duck wings, with a «spicy» plum sauce and some sort of slaw. The spiciness was subtle and really good. I don’t normally like slaw but I enjoyed this one. The portion was just right and the price was very reasonable.
Our service was decent enough. The waitress was relatively attentive, and answered our questions knowledgeably (her tea recommendation was a definite thumbs-​up).
Our meal was very relaxing and satisfying. If I lived in the area, I would go here all the time! Just give us a bit more clotted cream and lemon curd and this place will be perfect!!!

Anaba Tea Room is truly unique.
Once you walk in you are in the main floor which has a little green room full of little plants to buy. The main floor has books, gardening tools, candles to buddha statues for your garden. The man that works there told me a little bit about the air plants that mostly grow in amazons and the glass bulbs that was in them hanging from the ceiling their one of the only ones in Milwaukee that carry them, which I thought was pretty cool. The roof top has a garden and a place to eat too don’t worry is heated. I decided to go to the bottom floor which was the tea room. Art pieces hang on the walls and you get a menu full of large selection of teas and a separate menu for dinner. I love masala chai and tried the lycée red tea that was alright but man, the food was fantastic! oyster, mussels, noodles and the steak! The staff is friendly and attentive. When the bill came I was pretty much amazed… Got alot of amazing food at a really good price. Usually I spend over $ 100 for a «good» dinner but I spend half and got much more. I was impressed, Anaba now will have a regular. ;)

I really love the atmosphere and design of the place, earthy art on the walls. A warm respite on a cold March Saturday night. Drinks are creative and affordable.
For appetizers, we had the mussels — nicely prepared and broth was rich and flavorful.
My boyfriend had the seafood curry. It had the perfect amount of heat to it. And I had the smoked tofu sandwich. House-​made taro chips were yummy. Two slabs of tofu were a little bit much; a better constructed sandwich would have been easier on the tofu and included an extra layer of something else. It’s times like these you can tell when a chef does not quite get the vegetarian palate. That said, I do though give Anaba a lot of cred for preparing a creative menu. So many Milwaukee restaurant menus seem to be carbon copies of each other (i.e., mac-​n-​cheese, cheese curds, bean burgers, fish fry, etc.)
The overall experience hit the spot. We live in Shorewood, so Anaba is a good walkable destination for us. And dinner for two including an appetizer and drinks for $ 30 is a good deal I think.
We’ll be back for the chill atmosphere and the accessibly priced food.

I finally was able to make it to the Tea Room within their hours. I spent about an hour looking through the adorable gift shop, and shockingly only bought one thing.
We chose to sit up in the greenroom, and it was a bright, warm day. It’s small, so if it is a busy time then it can get crowded and loud — luckily the obnoxious crowd didn’t sit down until we were about to leave.
We started with a pot of the hibiscus tea (they have over three pages of tea, and one is specifically non-​caffeinated), the server was very knowledgeable about the tea as well.
My companion got the cucumber tofu salad, which she said was very good, but the serving size was laughable. She joked that they served it with chopsticks so that it would take longer to eat, therefore fooling you into thinking you ate more.
I got the radish and carrot sandwich which was a little strange… I liked how thinly the veggies were julienned, but they cut the crust off the bread, and that was disappointing. Not to mention it made it look soooo tiny. It was globbing over with cream cheese too.
The highlight of the dining experience was the carrot/​cumin vegan soup — which it took every ounce of control not to lick the bowl.
I am looking forward to trying this place again once Lent is over and I can enjoy meat — some of those entrees sounded much more promising.

This place is awesome! Great hidden gem.
I came here a few years back when it was packed and thought it was more a restaurant than a place I could enjoy tea, snacks, and study. I was completely wrong when my girlfriend took me back here this past weekend. This place blew me away.
I didn’t get to see the Garden Room yet I will be back many times to check it out again. First off, we got there around 11 on Saturday to study and drink tea. They were completely fine with us just chilling on a $ 9 pot of tea and re-​steeping it 3 times studying away for 2 hours.
After that, we did get their two soups they had on special that day. One was a cabbage Korean soup and the other a carrot ginger soup. Both were delicious and set up for a nice experience. We then split the cucumber tea sandwich that was so refreshing and hit the spot. For dessert, we got the Matcha Devenshire Cream Tart that was one of the best desserts I have ever had in my life. The cream was so good! Definitely get this when you go there.
For the service we had Pat, who has a rocking beard, that knew EVERYTHING about tea. I have been an avid tea drinker for multiple years but he is on a whole different level. We chatted for a while about the tea before going with his recommended Pu-​erh tea and couldn’t have been happier.
Pat mentions that he tends the bar on the weekend and at night turns into an Asian fusion place. I am looking forward to eating dinner Friday or Saturday there.

I love this place and I would live here if I could.
Anaba has a beautiful ambiance with a lovely gift shop on the first level filled with home and garden goods. Below is where the eating and drinking happens. Tea rooms can either go Hail to the Queen English tea time or Asian inspired; Anaba leans more to the Far East with the décor, food options, and in the variety of teas. If you do have an Anglophile with you, the tea time offerings would be to their taste with scones and devonshire cream and other sandwich assortments.
The tea selection is exquisite. If you are coming for dinner, check the menu first since it is a more sophisticated and streamlined menu. The service I’ve had has been excellent. It is a quiet place with a more mature crowd (which I’ve noticed is the crowd I run with these days) so expect a relaxing, soothing experience.

This is one of my favorite places as of late.
Before I even get to the hostess station I could spend hours upon hours looking at all of the wonderful garden and gift items. Once I am pulled away, it is finally time to descend the stairs and typically be seated quite promptly. The staff is friendly and the service is prompt. They offer a lot of small plate options, however I warn you that the portions are generous! I ordered Pickled Eggs ($ 3.00) and I was shocked to see a huge platter with three eggs and garnish delivered to the table. I ordered the special a couple weeks ago and was delighted with a big bowl of broth, wide whole wheat noodles, vegetable, pork and spice ($ 9.00). It was the perfect compliment to a cool evening. I’ve never had enough of an appetite left (in a good way) to order dessert, but there are a lot of great options for sweets as well.
Happy hour features a great discount on wine and the cocktail of the evening and runs through 7PM so more than the early diners can take advantage. The sake and tea cocktails are delicious.
Other items of note: They have a beautiful year-​round greenhouse available for small groups or additional seating, The tables are metal and the walls are glass (duh…it is a greenhouse) so dress warmly! It is a tad chilly in the cooler months.

ORDERED: Ginger Pear sandwich — $ 8, Asian Egg salad sandwich — $ 7, Jasmine Silver Needle tea and a turmeric tisane
TASTED: My ginger pear sandwich was really great. The open faced citron oolong scone was an interesting way to serve chicken salad. My wife said her egg salad sandwich was heavy on the curry and too spicy for her liking.
Our side salads had the choice of tarragon honey vinaigrette or ranch dressing. My wife ordered ranch but both salads arrived with vinaigrette.
SERVICE: Very slow. Our waitress explained she was working a double shift and was tired. Being our first visit we chose to dine on the upper level outside. I’m not sure if being four stories above the kitchen (it’s technically in the basement) slows everything down but a simple lunch took well over an hour.
The highlight of Anaba Tea Room is the first floor shopping. I can only describe the goods here as «best of Etsy». The shop sells the exact glass ware the restaurant uses. We spent more on stuff here than our meal.

We went to Anaba for brunch and were able to sit under the skylight with all the plants and vines above our heads. Very cool, and I love the artwork in this little sanctuary.
So, there is no brunch menu, only «specials» that the waitperson tells you about. The day I was there, there were two brunch specials.
Two of my companions ordered the second special: steam bun french toast with ginger maple syrup and a fruit compote, and scrambled eggs with scallions. They both also had the lychee tea.
I ordered the first special: steak with fried egg on top and toasted ciabatta bread, served with fried potato straws and a fruit cup with ripe strawberries, pineapple, and dragon fruit. I had the masala chai with my breakfast.
Everyone agreed that my sandwich was fantastic. They had a spread on the ciabatta that was tangy and spicy and really top notch. I loved my meal, and the chai was excellent.
My compadres’ breakfasts is a spin on chinese steamed buns, but instead the buns are flattened and fried like french toast. It was good, but the portion was quite small and the ginger syrup with fruit compote quite sweet.
All in all it was a great meal, and I would love to return to try all of the different teas they offer.

One of my favorite places to eat in MKE. It gives me a little «Alice in Wonderland» feel when I go up to the rooftop and garden store.
The good:
–Miso soup w flour– type mushroom dumpling
–Black bean cake w kimchi– rice /​bean patty w curry flavor
–Iron goddess oolong tea
–Prosciutto Thai curry shrimp –yum
–Mango Ginger glazed pork ribs special — good
The Not-​so-​bad:
–Beef Braised short rib– not bad, lots of veggies
–Korean BBQ chicken w cilantro-​lime noodles: just ok
–Shrimp w Habanero Coconut milk
–Wild mushroom pasta
–Lemon grass chicken
–Grilled pork loin
–Thai chili beef w lime
–Chai flan: good, but bottom a little rubbery. Subtle light flavor
The Ugly:
–Shrimp and chicken «Phở». NOTHING like Phở — poorly named and poorly executed.
I prefer having dinner here than brunch, as the dinner menu is so much more creative. I’m not a huge fan of «tea sandwiches» and I found them to be overpriced for what you get.
Brunch:
Asian egg sandwich: actually tasty
Prosciutto avocado: very small amount of prosciutto
Ginger lime matcha tart
Masala chai tea latte: yum
Chocolate chai: Meh — not that great.
Macrab chai: yum
Décor: front room nice, main underground restaurant is a bit haphazard with Awkwardly placed tables and screens
So yea… I tried just a «few» things at Anaba ;-)

The taste: Brunch is much preferred over dinner, and I can never convince myself to order anything else other than the Afternoon Tea. What more could you want? Sandwiches? You got it: Asian chicken pear, smoked salmon, asian egg salad (with a kick), cucumber and cream cheese. Salad? Check. With a wasabi vinaigrette. Desserts? They’ve got you covered. Crumpets. Scones (flavors change often. and have never had one I didn’t like) Devonshire cream, lemon curd, marmalade. Pastries with a delightful green filling. Lime, maybe?
Over 70 (or is it 90) different kinds of tea. I never remember which ones I get, but have tried all the Chais (all wonderful) and many others. With or without honey, depending on my mood, it’s always much improved by the third plate of the Afternoon Tea.
Oh, they also sell these really cute truffles in the shape of chocolate mice.
The place: Try eating in the Greenhouse (if it’s not reserved for a private party). Or outside if it’s nice. It feels like you’re eating in a garden. And if you opt for the basement, they have artwork by local artists that changes pretty frequently (and might be available for purchase). Though there’s some exposed pipes, the plants growing throughout the underground (main) portion of the restaurant make it feel homey and comfortable.
It may seem a little girly, but boys can partake and enjoy the Afternoon Tea, or get a special (last time they had a burger with bacon on it, and the boy was pleased).
My face: Food coma-​esque. I’m in love. I’ve gone with boyfriend, numerous friends, my grandparents, boy’s grandparents, sister, out of town guests. Needless to say, I’m a big fan. And Tea for 2 for $ 30? Not bad.
Not bad at all.

Such a unique Milwaukee experience! I absolutely love the vibe of the downstairs restaurant and cannot get enough of the plants/​magnets/​tea sets/​stationary they have in their store.
I came here for the afternoon tea for two. Everything was presented beautifully on a three plate tower: smoked salmon, cucumber, curried egg salad, and chicken salad sandwiches on the top two plates; lime tarts, scones, crumpets with vanilla and citrus creams, sliced strawberry on the bottom plate. (Check out my picture) We picked the dragon pearl jasmine green tea from their three page list and really enjoyed it.
We also had their two soups of the day. The coconut curry soup was ok but the pork belly watercress soup was pbb the highlight of my meal. It EXPLODED with umami flavor — I think I could have had 5 bowls!
I will definitely be back and cannot wait to try their dinner menu!

Had a tasting from Anaba Tea Room at a Unilocal event and I knew we had to go check it out in person.
I usually don’t pay much attention to the atmosphere/​seating but this place is fantastic. There is seating in the lower level, green plants everywhere, and a skylight that goes all the way to the 3^rd floor, natural sunlight in the basement… its an odd and good thing. There is also seating on the roof, inside the green house or outside. On a sunny summer day in the upper 70s, it didn’t get better than that.
I had the Asian Egg Salad which tasted fresh and had a nice curry flavor. My girlfriend had the Vietnamese Shrimp Salad. Though I really liked the egg salad, I found my fork always going towards the shrimp salad.
Strawberries and cream for dessert, a perfect end to a wonderful lunch.
Oh, and teas, yeah, part of the business name. They only have 1 iced tea every day, which was the one disappointment. A wide array of hot teas, but not ideal for the summer. They did have a cold masala chai, will have to try it next time.