{"id":215749,"date":"2026-04-30T18:50:37","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T18:50:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/215749\/"},"modified":"2026-04-30T18:50:37","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T18:50:37","slug":"skip-manhattan-as-a-new-high-tea-trend-takes-hold-on-long-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/215749\/","title":{"rendered":"Skip Manhattan as a new high tea trend takes hold on Long Island"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A new high-end tea experience is quietly gaining momentum across the Three Village area \u2014 and it\u2019s bringing a taste of luxury hospitality into some of the North Shore\u2019s most historic homes.<\/p>\n

Rugby Reserve, founded by Miller Place\u2019s Anita Solaman, is a seasonal, in-residence high tea series that transforms local properties into intimate, curated tea settings \u2014 offering a close-to-home alternative to the kind of experience typically found in Manhattan hotels.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought about it for five, maybe 10 years,\u201d Solaman said. \u201cWhy do we always feel like we have to go into the city for something like this? Why can\u2019t we have it here?\u201d<\/p>\n

The concept has begun to take off following a series of recent events, including a spring sitting at the Setauket Neighborhood House that drew a multi-generational crowd.<\/p>\n

A luxury experience, without the city trip<\/p>\n

With a background in corporate hospitality, Solaman said she was familiar with the level of service offered at high-end tea destinations like The Garden City Hotel \u2014 often compared to iconic venues such as The Waldorf Astoria and The Ritz-Carlton.<\/p>\n

But she saw an opportunity to recreate that experience locally.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve taken clients to high-end restaurants and tea salons,\u201d she said. \u201cBut not everyone wants to travel into Manhattan.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her answer was Rugby Reserve \u2014 a rotating, seasonal series of tea events held throughout the year, each designed to reflect the time of year, from spring through the holidays.<\/p>\n

Historic homes set the scene<\/p>\n

From the beginning, Solaman said the setting was essential.<\/p>\n

Her first event, held last December at the Bates House in Setauket, helped shape the concept: pairing traditional tea service with the character of historic North Shore homes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s when the idea became to partner with historic properties, because they already have that story,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Each location \u2014 including the Setauket Neighborhood House \u2014 becomes part of the experience, offering guests the feeling of stepping into another era.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like walking into a tea room in a hotel, but instead it\u2019s right here,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Every detail is intentional. Solaman has sourced vintage china and teapots from thrift shops, churches and community donations, with pieces dating from the 1920s through the 1940s.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese teapots have wonderful histories,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s so exciting to keep them in service.\u201d<\/p>\n

An intimate, curated experience<\/p>\n

Guests are served a multi-course tea featuring organic, fair-trade blends alongside a menu of finger sandwiches, macarons, scones and pastries.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re really trying to keep it high-end, including the food,\u201d Solaman said.<\/p>\n

Seatings are intentionally small, designed to create a more personal, relaxed atmosphere.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou come in to take a moment to pause, enjoy with friends, share with loved ones, and be taken care of,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s about slowing down.\u201d<\/p>\n

That approach appears to be resonating. Solaman said recent events have drawn a wide range of guests, from milestone celebrations to first-time tea experiences.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had everything from a 95th birthday to a little girl having her first tea,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Building buzz close to home<\/p>\n

While still in its early stages, Rugby Reserve has started to build a following through social media and word of mouth, with each event generating new interest.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt becomes a destination,\u201d Solaman said. \u201cSomething different, something to celebrate.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Solaman, the venture also serves as a creative outlet alongside her corporate career.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is my creative,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

As she continues to expand the concept season by season, her goal remains simple: offer a reason to slow down.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn today\u2019s world, everything is so fast,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is about taking your time and just enjoying.\u201d (Scroll down for more photos from Julianne Mosher)<\/p>\n

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Subscribe<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A new high-end tea experience is quietly gaining momentum across the Three Village area \u2014 and it\u2019s bringing…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":215750,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[75,84,83,9,24,63,85121],"class_list":["post-215749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-manhattan","tag-manhattan","tag-manhattan-headlines","tag-manhattan-news","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-three-village"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215749","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=215749"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215749\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/215750"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=215749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=215749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=215749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}