Staten Island Restaurant Tour, Part XII: Prince Tea House (New Dorp)

Close your eyes and think of England.

English-style high tea in Staten Island? The traditional ritual of really good tea, crustless sandwiches, scones, desserts — basically high-class finger food — has been fun, and expensive, when I’ve tried it in the homeland of “afternoon tea.” But would it transfer to New Dorp? I had to find out, alighting at New Dorp station, the only one on the Staten Island Railway to have elevators, as of Sept. 2023. Two others are slated. A good omen for return visits in my old age!

Clifton and Jefferson Ave. will also become handicapped accessible, according to MTA.

I have been informed by a Staten Island native, who regrettably has just passed, that New Dorp is a dining center. I regret that I will not get to enjoy it with him but I was impressed by the sheer profusion of interesting restaurants and other foodie destinations on New Dorp Lane. Apparently it attracts people from all over the metro area for events like the New Dorp Food Crawl. This is but a small sample.

For your sweet tooth.

Words to live by.

May all your days be beautiful.

My destination was the Prince Tea House. In addition to SI, this Asian-European fusion chain has several locations in Manhattan and two in Queens. Its reach extends to New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Virginia. Afternoon tea all over the place!

At the corner of Clawson St., I am reminded.

But first, I strolled to the end of the lane to get a sense of what else was on offer, including high-end Italian at the Fig & Vine…

Remind me to try the flatbreads here.

…and even a humble halal food truck!

Which would be considerably less pricey.

At the end of New Dorp Lane was another of the neighborhood’s attractions.

What could it be?

I just couldn’t resist a walk on the beach!

These two people had the same idea.

This part of the neighborhood is actually called New Dorp Beach, as is the beach itself. New Dorp is the English version of Nieuw Dorp, or “new village,” the name given the area by its original Dutch settlers. It remained a separate town in Richmond County until absorbed into the City of New York in 1898.

A walk by the water.

Even the panorama mode hardly begins to capture the feeling of walking on that soft sand, dodging rocks here and there, and being blessed by the bright mood-enhancing sun.

A blessing of sunshine, with thoughts of my friend.

Sand and surf stretched to the horizon. It is hard to believe that the adjacent playground was a crash site in 1960 when United and TWA planes crashed overhead, killing more than a hundred people.

Trudge trudge.

I returned, sunburned, to the Prince Tea House for the afternoon tea. The interior was classy. Also empty, but that’s why I prefer dining in mid-afternoon.

I just like a peaceful vibe.

Classy all over the place!

Like I said.

Filling my pot was Fleur de Geisha green. Long afternoon-tea experience has taught me that it’s rude to pour it yourself.

A staffer did the honors. It’s part of the afternoon-tea experience.

And without further ado, the three-level tray. It is called a “curate.” Sandwiches on bottom, scone in the middle, and desserts on the top. This was a slightly scaled back version of the afternoon tea you’d get at, say, the Goring Hotel in London. But it also costs a fraction of the price.

Ta-dah.

And what do we have here? The savory part of the meal included smoked salmon on guacamole toast; tuna with a kick, probably a hint of jalapeño; a variation of the cucumber-mayo sandwich, an afternoon-tea staple; melted cheese on toast; and deviled egg. Crusts at no extra charge. The open-faced approach is something I haven’t seen in afternoon tea before until I encountered this distinctive variation in an out-of-the-way place.

Far from England but close in spirit.

The scone accompaniments, including strawberry jam and the indispensable traditional clotted cream, came in pleasing fish-shaped dishes. Once upon a time, as an afternoon-tea virgin, I was cautious about the clotted cream. Now I eat it all.

It’s not like I have afternoon tea every day.

Desserts included heart-shaped raspberry jam cookie, many-layered pistachio cream cake, and a delightful hot chocolate soufflé.

Of which the last was best.

Done. The teapot holder, center, had a lit candle to keep the tea warm, so it warmed me even on this cool early-February day.

Good to the last drop.

Company on the way home may not have defined the word salubrious. This fella has had too much afternoon tea!

Nice tummy.

On the beach I helped myself to a few souvenirs of New Dorp: a bit of driftwood with interesting knot and a fragment of shell, because I’m an old guy and I gotta have my calcium.

Pens for scale. That’s my desk.

And that was it for New Dorp. I know I say this a lot, but I saw a lot of places I’d like to return to here, including that appealing slice of beach. So my feet will be hitting New Dorp Lane again in the future, perhaps many times in the future. This area is, so far, possibly my favorite Staten Island food find.

Previously on the Staten Island Restaurant Tour:

Part I: Angelina’s (Tottenville)

Part II: Fina’s Farmhouse (Arthur Kill)

Part III: Laila (Richmond Valley)

Part IV: Il Forno (Pleasant Plains)

Part V: Breaking Bread (Prince’s Bay)

Part VI: Woodrow Diner (Huguenot)

Part VII: Il Sogno (Annadale)

Part VIII: Riva (Eltingville)

Part IX: Marina Cafe (Great Kills)

Part X: Do Eat (Bay Terrace)

Part XI: Canlon’s (Oakwood Heights)

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