Appalachian Tea is a whimsical little oasis in the center of the bustling city of Charleston.

This tea house offers a relaxing experience for those interested in a good cup of tea.

My friend Sara and I went to check it out.

I've been to this location once when I did a cookie and tea pairing prior to their grand opening. So, I was super excited to see it up and running as a tea house.

We walked in, and you can see the small retail space with books to leisurely read. From here, we were seated in the dining area to get our tea party on. But you can also just hang out upstairs in the library and study or work with tea.

The tea menu includes all sorts of options for black, oolong, white, green and more.

And if you don't want tea, they do have hot chocolate, coffee, and milk.

As a tea newbie, I asked for something good for beginners. Sasha, the owner, suggested trying the "ice wine," which is a black tea based fruit blend. It was sweet, fruity and fragrant - and lovely!

After that sample, Sara and I decided to split a pot of the "Peach Jasmine Green Tea," which smelled absolutely heavenly.

You can sniff jars of the teas to get a feel for what you'd like to order!

The tea was served in this beautiful teapot, the sugar cubes in an equally gorgeous jar and stunning tea cups and saucers. It really feels like quite an elegant experience.

And if you aren't familiar with tea but want to try, these folks are great! Just tell them and they'll guide you in the right direction.

Or, if you just want a spot where you can enjoy a little whimsy, this is great.

OR, if you just want a spot to relax with some quiet, this is even better.

Of course, we also had to try some of the pastries while here.

We were first surprised with mini peppermint meringues.

They had gingerbread cookies, chai pudding, shortbread cookies, coffee cake, scones, coconut cake, and brownies.

We sample the shortbread cookie (my favorite!), the coffee cake, gingerbread and coffee cake. The shortbread just goes perfectly with the tea.

It was so good, I took some of the ice wine to go and I'll try my hand at home-brewed tea. What's your favorite blend?