Dickens Coffee & Tea Room, Lake Mary - Closed

I had lunch at this Tea Room in the corner of the strip mall on Lake Mary Blvd and Rinehart Rd today. I had a Chicken Pesto sandwich and a pot of Dickens Black tea. It cost $7 ($3 for the tea). It was fine. Some cold chicken on bread. Not exactly a demanding request. The place looks like a working class tea room. There are dainty affectations (commemorative plates, china, British food containers, tea caddies). The furniture seemed more Danish country than English. I think they wouldn't have a problem with it being described as working class. Dickens (champion of the working class) is the namesake. Americans might not even recognize the distinction. I think the owner is Black Irish (maybe Welsh). The place seats about thirty. I was the only male. It was half full! With only two hands on deck, I would expect to spend a little more time here than you anticipate. They served me fast because I think they thought I stumbled into the wrong place and wasn't into the fantasy. They were probably right. Or maybe I was ruining the fantasy. The table next to me was given a pot of tea and then abandoned until I was about to leave. Same with two tables that came right after me. It's never a good sign when they tell you straight away that this is a slow paced place so you should adjust your internal clock. The waitress wouldn't (actually said couldn't - though that is not factually accurate) take my meal order with my tea order. Oddly, she came back a minute later and then could. I think the two women do it all - hence the leisurely pace (marketed as purposeful). Like vegan food, this is (and I wasn't expecting it to be) isn't my bailiwick (I'm sure they feel similarly). It's more for book club women dreaming of meeting Mr. Darcy or Rochester. Or maybe a little girl's birthday party (that was going on today). They serve sandwiches, desserts, soups, salads and platters of finger sandwiches and petit-fours. My sandwich was at the low range. It was listed at $10, but, that was with a side salad. There was some confusion in ordering and it was presumed that I didn't want one. I didn't care either way. I just note it because maybe $10 isn't the low mark. Maybe it is the $7 they charged me. The full tea service (probably for 2-4) was around $20. I say check it out if you are in the mood for a change of scenery. I went to another tea place on 434 a few years ago (not sure if it still exists) and I think there may be another near Oviedo, but, this is the only one I've seen in this area.