Victorian-inspired teahouse opens at Dubble Dutch Hotel » Urban Milwaukee

Dubbel Dutch Hotel. Photo taken on July 22, 2020 by Jeramey Jannene.

The agency is preparing to expand operations at Dubbel Dutch later this month, launching a daytime tea and pastry concept that will see the cocktail bar transition from Campari to chamomile.

Novel Tea Room is scheduled to begin its grand opening on Sunday, Oct. 20, at the hotel, 817 N. Marshall St. Its sister concept, Agency, moved into the building in August after moonlighting for several months at the cafe Discourse in the city center,

Like Agency, Novel will focus on contemporary interpretations of traditional drinks; in this case, tea. Founder Ryan Castelaz and his team have already shown off their prowess with drinks like the Parisian, a matcha-based latte that has become a staple on Discourse’s menu, and Big, Wig, Beautiful, a Pride Month special made with bubblegum oolong tea .

There’s more to come at Novel, which plans to feature 30 varieties of tea, plus experimental sweets and a selection of rare books – all in a Victorian-inspired setting.

Castelaz will lead the next business with his partner, Sean Liu. Along with Agency and Novel, the duo operates two locations for Discourse, one of which houses The Green Room, a late-night cocktail bar serving alcoholic and N/A drinks.

The Novel/Agência space has three distinct areas: a lounge with 16 seats, a private patio with 24 seats and a place for private events. The public-facing cafe and lounge is situated on the main floor of the hotel, which includes 17 rooms on the upper floors.

Built in 1898 as the Charles A. Koeffler, Jr. House, the building was converted to its current hotel format in 2020. Due to its historic preservation designation, the ornate architectural details were preserved during the remodeling process. Since opening last summer, Agency has embraced this aesthetic, adding royal purple lighting to the lounge area, which also features candles, intricate sconces, and a fireplace.

Now fully housed in the building, Agency, a hybrid cocktail lounge known for serving a double menu of alcoholic and N/A drinks, has expanded its offering with a seven-course tasting menu. The experience includes five cocktails and two culinary snacks – as well as some “unexpected surprises along the way”, jokes the company.

Before the Agency and the soon-to-open Novel Tea Room, the space was occupied by the Gülden Room, a café and cocktail lounge. Space Time Coffee and The Daily Bird also operated from the building.

Novel is scheduled to run from 8am to 1pm on October 20th. Future updates and regular opening times will be shared via Instagram.

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