The Dish on Dishington's: Lovely Tea Room in London, Ontario

Gathering for tea with "good family" at Dishington's

 

There's a  delightful tea room in London that Detroiters can drive to:   Dishington's

Of course, we're referring to London, Ontario. :)

You'll need an enhanced driver's license or a passport, but with just a short two-hour drive from southeastern Michigan,  you can have afternoon tea in another country. Dishington's is located in the Lambeth neighborhood of London and its unassuming, grey brick exterior belies the treasure of tea time treats you'll find inside.

Dishington's is located in the Lambeth neighborhood of London, Ontario

Once past the front foyer, the dining room displays a charming  balance of cheery elegance. The dark wainscoting is offset by white walls decorated with bright sconces and decorative posters. Rich-hued flower tablecloths provide a welcoming backdrop to the assorted china and tea fare.

Dishington's interior a charming balance of cheery elegance.

Dishington's began in 1981, the creation of Myrna Taylor, after she returned to Lambeth from a trip to England. Equipped with Wedgwood china and a mission, according to the tea room's website,  to have a gathering place "for people to enjoy life and celebrate good friends, good family and good food".

In 2008, Tami and Richard DeJonge purchased Dishington's and have been carrying on the tradition that Ms. Taylor started thirty years ago.

Joined by our good family (husband, Chris, my brother, Ed and his wife, Sandy) , we visited Dishington's the first week in October as part of our annual color tour of northern Michigan (and more!). This year, we drove up to Sault St. Marie and took the bridge to Manitoulin Island. From there, we ferried to Tobermory and then traveled to Stratford, taking in the "Merry Wives of Windsor" before our last stop in London.  (This is not the direct route, however, which would really only take two hours from Detroit!).

On the ferry to Tobermory

Many ways to get to Dishington's!

Dishington's was the perfect place to visit as our four-day excursion was concluding. We started our relaxing repast with a  pot of finely brewed tea, and then we dined on delicious soups, scones, sandwiches and  cake - all made on-site.

Delicious scones serve with Devonshire cream and strawberry rhubarb jam.

The scones were excellent and the fresh Devonshire cream and strawberry rhubarb jam that accompanied them were equally  scrumptious.  In addition to the tea and scones, our table ordered one of the turkey sandwiches with cranberry mayo and havarti cheese and  the squash soup - all nicely presented and very tasty.

A sign for dessert!

And, literally looking for a sign as to what to order for dessert, we saw a poster on one of the tea room walls that declares, "vegetables are a must. . . may we suggest the carrot cake".  Yes, you may and we did. An excellent choice.

Scrumptious carrot cake.

No matter how you get to Dishington's - plane, train, car or ferry - it's a great spot for afternoon tea.

And, that's the dish on Dishington's!