The Panama Hotel Tea & Coffee House

• Cuisine(s): Coffeehouse
  Hours: Sun 9am-8pm, Mon-Sat 8am-10pm
  Price: $
• Payment Types: MasterCard, Visa
  Features: Free Wifi
  Serving: Lunch
• Alcohol: None
  Reservations: Accepted, Not Necessary
  Parking: Street

Description

This old rooming house, once home to Japanese immigrant families before they were snatched away for World War II internment, is now a hotel, tea shop, and museum. The eclectic tea selection includes different teas from China, Japan, India, and Sri Lanka, along with the usual teahouse staples. Try the pale, smooth jade oolong, or the smoky, complex lapsang-souchong. And on a weekend tour, you'll be let into the basement itself, which stores the belongings Seattle's Japanese families had to leave behind. Bring a camera, in the best Japanese tradition, and be a good tourist.