Eagle Rock Boulevard’s charismatic collection of independent shops and restaurants have gained a worthy addition in Flowers Finest, the tearoom/shoppy-shop which opened last month.
The brainchild of Karina Vlastnik and Kendall Brinkley, founders of Flowerhead Tea, Flowers Finest serves a full menu of the L.A.-based company’s small-batch teas in a colorful, retro space filled with whimsical art and flourishes.
It’s the first storefront for the company, which has been selling its special blends online since 2020. The brand has gained fans with tasty spins on classics like chamomile and chai, made with leaves and flowers from California farms, as well as its colorful, retro branding.
Flowerhead Tea’s trademark design ethos is fluently personified in the Eagle Rock Blvd. store, which seamlessly mixes old with new. Its front shop is stocked with a vast array of brand new tea accessories and locally-made goods, as well as tons of vintage finds. Many of the antique and vintage tea kettles, glassware and in-sundry tchotchkes for sale were personally collected by Vlastnik and Brinkley over the years.
Past the shop sits the tea counter, which looks something like a technicolor 1950s luncheonette. The art on the wall is all contemporary, though, as is the menu. In addition to all Flowers Finest loose and bag teas, the cafe serves special drinks like an iced vegan spicy chai latte, served over pebble ice.
There’s also rotating menu of inventive baked goods courtesy of Emily Alben, from Pinyon in Ojai. Recent entries include strawberry Earl Gray Rice Krispies, chai blondies and roasted fig and goat cheese biscuits.
Some nights, Flowers Finest’s generous seating area doubles as the location for classes and events. The shop just held a tea-making workshop, with plans to soon start up chess nights and book clubs.
Flowers Finest is open Wednesdays through Sundays, from 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
