Leslie Gray Streeter, Palm Beach Post, May 10, 2014
The bar: Serenity Garden Tea House … which, you may have guessed, is not actually a bar. It’s a cozy Victorian tea house that now serves beer and wine.
The vibe: A West Palm Beach staple for more than a decade, Serenity Garden is everything you could want in a tea house, including a myriad of sweet design details like antiques and painted furniture. But when longtime O’Shea’s Irish Pub manager Audrey Farrelly bought it last summer, she began plans to make the decidedly woman-friendly place more accessible to guys. She culled some of the teeming collection of knickknacks, added a few Irish touches, and added beer and wine to the menu. So far, she says that seems to have drawn in a few more men, and once they’re there, given the chance, most try a scone. Scones know no gender.
The drink: Serenity Garden doesn’t serve mixed drinks, but Farrelly, a Dublin native, has carefully selected what will be a rotating selection of brews and wine. Currently, she’s featuring Jai Alai India Pale Ale, from Tampa’s Cigar City Brewing. Said to pair well with spicy dishes, it goes well with Serenity Garden’s sassy curried chicken salad.
Other noteworthy libations: While the selections will rotate, Farrelly is now featuring wines from the Jean-Luc Colombo vineyard in Rhone, France, including a lovely Cotes du Rhone. And there’s Champagne and prosecco, too!
Bites: Like most tea houses, the main event is the fancy tea service, but Serenity Garden also offers lunch, including the tender, nutty Waldorf salad, the quiche of the day, and the feta-topped Serenity Garden Salad.