Oh my goodness, the fans are leaves!—Just one of the many hidden gems at Cup, Westminster’s only tea bar.
Many may remember Cup from its original location, the cramped yet cozy little place down Main Street. As of Jan. 8, however, Cup is now in a larger location a few buildings down. The new location is more spacious, better decorated and much more inviting.
The walls are a bright, natural green, full of images hung on the wall of nature shots and people harvesting tealeaves. The atmosphere is quiet and relaxing, but not so 
much that you feel like you are trapped in a silent library. Some people sit alone at tradition tables with chairs, others sit in groups on the cushioned seats to the side.
Haley Asch, an employee at Cup, says that the café moved to the new space for a number of reasons. “We now have a kitchen in the same building. Before, we had to do most of our cooking remotely and bring it in to the restaurant.”
She also pointed out that they now have a stage for live music performances. Before, local artists would play every Saturday, but with more hours and a bigger space to perform, Cup now hosts musicians on Friday nights as well as Saturday afternoons.
Samantha Lopez, another employee, boasted of an expanded menu. There are now flatbreads as well as more breakfast options, like the new breakfast bowls. Both Asch and Lopez raved about the roasted turkey and avocado grilled sandwich. Said Lopez, “One of the best parts of the new menu is the cucumber wasabi dressing,” which is a key ingredient on the roasted turkey and avocado sandwich.
There are also plenty of options out there for vegetarians and vegans. There are salad, sandwich and flatbreads options with vegetarian ingredients as well as vegan cheeses, which are surprisingly tasty.
First timers to Cup “have to sample many of the teas,” says Asch. There are so many varieties of loose tea on the wall that everyone must smell them or taste them in order to get the full experience of Cup.
Be sure to check out Cup on Facebook (CUP Tea Bar & Café), Twitter (@Westminstercup) and on Instagram.
