Mainz is known for a great deal of things to include a tenacious pro soccer team (Mainz 05), The Gutenberg Museum, and the Mainzer Dom (Mainz Cathedral). However, a little known gem that exists in this beautiful city is a little tea shop called Mutter Holunder which is a nod to German folklore and healing traditions involving elderberries.
I first found this place by looking up “tea shop” on Google Maps. It caught my eye because the reviews showed that they sold English scones with clotted cream and jam. At first, I was cautiously optimistic because it has only been a couple of months since our amazing UK trip and having delicious English scones on the daily. To cut to the chase, this place delivered well above my expectations.
They have a huge selection of herbal blends and an equally large selection of Ronnefeldt loose leaf tea (a Frankfurt based tea giant). I spent several minutes just looking through all of the options. Eventually I had enough of a mixture of ideas and confusion to ask the employee for some help. I asked to see a few Darjeelings and Oolongs. Then something caught my eye: “Wild Tea.”
She confirmed my suspicion that the tea was in fact harvested from ancient wild growing tea trees in China. As expected, it carried a steep price point. I was visibly conflicted about buying such an expensive tea without ever having tried it.
This is when she informed me of their coolest feature in the shop: you can pay for a cup or a pot of ANY tea for just a few euros. Even the most expensive tea can be brewed for you to try without committing to the minimum 50g bag.
Armed with this knowledge, I promptly ordered the Chen Shi Wild Tea and the Famous Earl Grey for my wife. We sat in the cute little dining area in the back of the shop while our son took a cat nap. It was one of the more pleasant tea shop experiences I have had. The tea and scones were amazing as well.
I will be finding myself here regularly to explore new tea and indulge in the occasional English scone. If you are ever in Mainz, Germany, you must stop into Mutter Holunder and get a mug of tea and hang out for a bit. You wont regret it!
Mutter Holunder: Augustinerstraße 10, 55116 Mainz. https://maps.app.goo.gl/uYPYKEvKfyjAipm26
This story is part of my series where I explore tea shops wherever I travel! For an in depth explanation, check out this blog post here.
Leaf After Leaf 
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