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31 Jul 2015
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The Best Coffee and Tea Cafes in Savannah, GA

Classic or crunchy, laid-back or proper, artsy or all business - in Savannah, you’ll find coffee houses and tea rooms that fit these descriptions. Our top picks for the best coffee and tea cafes in Savannah are all within a short drive or leisurely stroll from your Lucky Savannah vacation home.

Foxy Loxy Print Gallery and Café

The Foxy Loxy Print Gallery and Café serves superior coffe and tea, in a handsome setting. They offer live music every Tuesday evening on their backdoor patio, which they've dubbed the “Acoustic Altar”. You can also enjoy beer and wine while you listen to folk and blues music at this unplugged venue. The Foxy Lady serves as an art gallery for featured artists and is well known for its Tex-Mex Cantina food, served throughout the day and into the late evening. 

Fox Lady Print Gallery and Café offers a variety of rooms to enjoy coffee or tea in; the front enclosed porch offers a serene ambiance, there is a cozy living room with a fireplace for intimate meetings, and a side room offers a large table for group meetings. The large patio in the back - with ivy covered walls, umbrellas and plenty of tables and chairs - is always a crowd favorite.

Maté Factor

Mate Green Tea

Three blocks east of Forsyth Park on Hall Street you will find the latest addition to the coffee and tea spectrum. Technically a tea house featuring Maté - the green tea that is wildly popular in South America and gaining momentum in North America due to its reputation as an anti-oxidant powerhouse - this café is just adorable. From the trim awnings to the yellow gingham curtains in the window and the meticulously painted exterior showcasing all the color details found on homes throughout the Victorian District, this little gem is definitely on the bohemian side. 

You’ll find the interior to be warm and delightful. There is a sunken seating area on the ground floor, lots of nooks, and a loft to hide in or engage in some important conversation. You'll hear world music and smell fresh whole grain breads and pastries, served up with a spirit of community and cooperation. Try the Mayan Mocha - their most popular drink made with roasted maté, carob, vanilla and cinnamon!

The Sentient Bean

On Forsyth Park at the corner of E Park Avenue and E Bull Street, the Sentient Bean offers fair-trade coffee, art, live music and vegetarian food. Lofty ceilings, concrete floors, cool air-conditioning and plenty of shabby chic seating creates a laid back vibe. You'll enjoy reading or writing on their shaded patio out back. 

In keeping with the theme of homemade, organic, fresh and yummy - all the Sunday brunch ingredients are sourced at the farmer’s market across the street on Saturday. Packed with locals who enjoy Forsyth Park, the dress code is very casual. The Sentient Bean in Savannah is the perfect weekend spot for a relaxing ambiance, good food, and Fair Trade organic coffee. 

Foundery Coffee Pub

Tired of noisy, crowded coffee shops with unpredictable play lists and tight quarters? Then the Foundery Coffee Pub in Savannah is your place. This non-profit public house was founded on the premise that public houses - or pubs - were historically coffee houses. Their goal is to deliver a better atmosphere for work and a superior cup of coffee to keep you fueled.

Collaborating with local coffee roaster James Spano of Cup to Cup, the Foundery Coffee Pub has developed a special House Blend and also offers a daily coffee from a distinct origin like Peru, Ethiopia, or Costa Rica. A respite from the manic pace of Savannah’s National Historic Landmark District, Foundery offers plenty of large tables so you can spread out, get good directional lighting, and listen to a consistent playlist of music from the 40’s and 50’s. 

Gryphon Tea Room

Tea and Tiered Tea Cakes and Sweets

If you're looking for a classic low country tea experience, the Gryphon Tea Room is a must. Located on the Southside of Madison Square on the ground level of the Scottish Rite Temple - built by the Free Masons in 1926 - is The Gryphon Tea Room of Savannah. They serve tea all day with a classic three-tiered selection of tea sandwiches, sweets and scones. And while you may come for the tea, you'll stay for the exquisite cuisine and elegant decor. Some of our favorites from their menu include the Herb-encrusted Goat Cheese Medallions, the Smoked Salmon Club Sandwich, and the Prosciutto and Fig Preserves Pressed Panini.

The Gryphon Tea Room exists in what used to be a pharmacy, which is now owned and operated by the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), a school well versed in historic preservation. Many of the interior elements belonging to the original pharmacy have remained intact. Leaded glass windows and green Tiffany lamps, held in the grips of sneering gryphons bring a medieval air to this gorgeous room. We highly recommend getting dressed up and spending an afternoon enjoying this historical place over a cup of tea. 

Gallery Espresso 

Located on Chippewa Square at the corner of West Perry and Bull Streets, Gallery Espresso offers the comfortable and warm coffe house experience you expect from an episode of Friends. The walls are adorned with revolving art exhibits, there's always an interesting playlist, and the coffee is delicious. The tea selection is extensive and there are plenty of other beverages to choose from including a curated selection of wine to pair with their excellent fruit and cheese board.

The spacious, naturally lit front room has plenty of comfortable seating with armchairs, sofas and café tables. Antique display cabinets offer tea wares and coffee wares for sale, while the back barista bar tempts with sugary and savory snacks. 

The Savannah Tea Room

Located inside E. Shaver Booksellers, this tearoom is quiet and cozy. If you want an education in the Art of Tea, The Savannah Team Room is the perfect learning environment. Becky and Elizabeth have been purveyors of fine teas and herbal infusions for 18 years and can educate you on tea selections such as Assam tea, Black tea, Oolong tea, Green tea and White tea. Come sample any number of pure teas, blends and varietals and learn some interesting facts, such as:

  • The Chinese classify their tea by the color of the liquor whereas the British by the color of the dried leaf - so what the Brits call black tea is red tea to a China man
  • Some teas are meant to take milk whereas others are not
  • All true teas come from a hybrid camellia plant so herbal “teas” are really infusions.

Savannah Coffee Roasters 

Located at Coastal Empire Trading, this 100+ year-old Savannah Coffee Roaster occupies a renovated 12,000 square foot warehouse. Coffee Roasting takes place in the heart of this modern comfortable space, and you can taste the freshness in every cup. Working directly to source coffee from growers around the globe, the café serves house-made pastries, organic ice cream, freshly baked breads, quiches, and other locally produced foods. The wine bar offers customers wines by the glass and specialty craft beers to pair with café foods such as burgers, paninis and their famous buttery croissants.

The Coffee Fox

Stop into The Coffee Fox on the corner of Whitaker and Broughton for one of the standards - like an Espresso, Americano, or Macchiato. If you're feeling daring you can try one of their signature drinks like their Mexican Mocha, made with Adam Turoni’s exclusive blend of dark chocolate, habanero and cinnamon. The Coffee Fox in Savannah also serves a short list of reds and whites by the glass, seasonal craft beers, freshly baked kolaches, and delicious espresso brownies. A popular hangout for students and tourists alike, it’s pretty much always buzzing.