Rose Town Tea Garden in Tokyo serves lunch with a Victorian flair

Visitors from Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo enjoy tea time at the naearby Rose Town Tea Garden in Ome, Japan, June 24, 2020. (Theron Godbold/Stars and Stripes)

Rose Town Tea Garden boasts a gorgeous view of the Tama River in Ome, Japan. (Theron Godbold/Stars and Stripes)

The Princess Heather menu at Rose Town Tea Garden in Ome, Japan, comes with a tower of finger foods and deserts. (Theron Godbold/Stars and Stripes)

Cucumber sandwiches and croissants stuffed with pastrami, pimento and tomato are among the savory choices offered with the Princess Heather set at Rose Town Tea Garden in Ome, Japan. (Theron Godbold/Stars and Stripes)

With coronavirus restrictions at U.S. military bases around Tokyo easing enough to allow some local travel, what better way to relax than with a light lunch and a pot of tea?

Like a scene from a period movie, Rose Town Tea Garden’s Victorian-style building is nestled in trees with the sounds of the rushing Tama River below.

This quaint restaurant in Ome with a very European feel isn’t a bad drive for those at Camp Zama or Yokota Air Base.

Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, the tea garden has seating for 28, according to its website. Reservations are not required but highly recommended, especially on weekends. Tables are widely spaced, providing room to socially distance.

Discerning palates will find something to savor among the 20-plus flavors of tea from herbal to black and green. The set menu features only homemade entrees.

I ordered the Princess Heather set and it was a grand affair that came with a well plated and zesty garden salad that set the tone for the meal. The second course was a potato and smoked salmon soup that was warm and had a delicately fishy flavor.

The final course was a tower of finger sandwiches and desserts: scones, cucumber sandwiches, pimento and tomato stuffed croissants, pastrami, cinnamon coffee cake, lemon custard tarts with fresh fruit toppings and a mango custard, all served with a pot of steaming black tea. It was delicious, almost decadent and a fair value at only $26.

Five menu sets are available, including a children’s set that comes with sandwiches, dessert, scones and juice or milk and costs a little over $11.

The prices drop as you work down the menu from the Princess Heather; each set differs by subtracting one or two items, but all sets are served with a pot of hot tea.

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Location: 1-Chome 112 Futamatao, Ome, Tokyo 198-0171

Directions: Google GPS code is Q6RH+C6 Ome, Tokyo

Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday.

Prices: Start at $11 for a children’s set to $26 for the Princess Heather set

Dress: Casual

Information: Phone: 080-4187-172O; Online: rosetownjapan.com

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