Le Vieux Lyon to join list of Columbus-area tea rooms
Le Vieux Lyon French Bakery Café, is set to open in a new Reynoldsburg location, adding to the small but growing number of Columbus-area tea rooms and salons.
Le Vieux has moved from 1774 Brice Rd. to 1792 Brice Rd. and plans to reopen Saturday. The new space, just a few doors down from the old, will allow the bakery more room for seating as well as the opportunity to expand the shop's offerings.
Mohammed Halaoui, who owns the bakery with his wife, baker Manira Camara, said they will introduce a new mini-market with pre-made products to the bakery as well as a salon de thé, or tearoom.
More:Reynoldsburg Bakery Le Vieux Lyon Sparks the Joy of French Pastry
"It will feel as if you are ... having tea in your own living room. So it will be at a certain comfort level for our clientele," said Halaoui. "You will love to just go there and spend time."
The menu will continue to offer French pastries and other items. Halaoui and Camara are Guinean, but Camara grew up in France and studied baking there. Halaoui moved to Columbus in 2000, and after getting married, Camara followed a few years after.
Le Vieux's menu will offer croque monsieur, a hot sandwich made with turkey or chicken and cheese, and a croque madame, the same but with egg. The menu will also include new items such as salmon and tuna sandwiches, as well as salads, croissants, brioche, baguettes, cannoli, flan, macaron and other pastries.
The bakery will also feature packaged cookies, jams, teas and other items sourced from France, and French-inspired gift items.
Le Vieux ran into a few complications and delays, including issues with contractors. The café, which previously had two tables, now has several tables and seating areas.
Despite being closed for the last eight months, Camara has continued to bake for customers, who she and Halaoui say are the best part of the business.
"It's more than money, to be honest," said Halaoui. "We love the people, connections we have, the relations we have with our clients. I think we love that even more than the business."
The bakery's hours will be Wednesdays through Fridays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Le Vieux Lyon will join a small list of central Ohio spots dedicated to teas, from herbal and bubble teas to lattes and much more. Here are four more tea rooms, houses and salons in the Columbus area:
Cambridge Tea House
Cambridge Tea House, 1885 W. 5th Ave., has a menu that includes over 30 loose-leaf herbal, white, black, green, oolong and jasmine teas.
Cambridge also offers tea lattes, iced tea, coffee and other beverages, and serves all-day breakfast as well as lunch with a light menu of scones, finger sandwiches, desserts and salads.
The tea house can also host events and offers "posh picnic" and at-home tea party rentals.
Hours are Wednesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
More: Cambridge Tea House's dainty delights ideal for outdoor dining
ZenCha Tea Salon
ZenCha Tea Salon, at 982 N. High St in the Short North, has an international tea menu spanning Asian teas and teas from South America, Africa, Great Britain, Germany, India and the Middle East. Also served are herbal, fresh fruit and bubble teas, and lattes in addition to lunch, dinner, and weekend breakfast and brunch.
The tea salon hosts special events such as tea tastings, seminars, tea ceremony demonstrations, high tea, and bridal and baby showers.
The salon is operating on temporarily reduced hours, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Fridays, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. The salon is closed on Tuesdays.
ZenCha Cafe & Tea
ZenCha Cafe & Tea in Bexley, 2396 E. Main St., is no longer affiliated with the original ZenCha in the Short North, but the wide variety of teas is still true to the original. The tea room has bubble and fresh fruit teas; African, Middle Eastern and German teas; chai and mate teas; and lattes. Plus, ZenCha offers a retail mix of tea bags, pots and cups.
The tea room also serves lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. Hours are Tuesdays through Sundays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The café is closed Mondays.
The Brewed Leaf
Located on campus at 2060 N. High St. and in Olentangy Plaza at 809 Bethel Rd., The Brewed Leaf serves a variety of green, oolong, milk and fruit teas, lattes and more. Its menu also features "toppings" such as bubble, wild rice, pudding, aloe, red bean, grass jelly, taro and sea salt cheese cream.
While the High Street location is temporarily closed for renovations, the Bethel Road location remains open, from noon to 9 p.m. seven days a week.
tmoorman@dispatch.com
@TaijuanNichole
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Five tea rooms and tea houses in Columbus area
