At TeaSmith in London, experts advise on the selection of exotic flavors from the floral to the bittersweet. Try the Phoenix Supreme oolong tea, made from the cuttings of a 500-year-old plant once reserved for Chairman Mao ($43 for 1.7 ounces; teasmith.co.uk). Le Palais des Thés, with shops throughout Paris, stocks rare blends from Asia, Africa and South America. Thé du Hammam, richly flavored in the traditional Turkish manner with rose petals and orange-flower water, comes in an Oriental silver tea caddy ($60 for 3.5 ounces; palaisdesthes.com). You won’t even need lemon or honey.
—Esther Bintliff
