Dr. Bombay’s Underwater Tea Party

When patrons order coffee or tea from Dr. Bombay’s Underwater Tea Party, a teashop in Atlanta’s Candler Park village, they don’t just leave caffeinated—they walk away knowing their purchase helped educate, clothe, and empower women in Darjeeling, India. 

Through the Learning Tea—a scholarship program initiated by Dr. Bombay’s owner—a portion of all the shop’s sales benefit women who age out of orphanages and cannot afford to pursue an education. Every year, up to 12 women receive scholarships covering their living, school, and medical expenses. Dr. Bombay’s also hosts monthly private Indian dinners; 100 percent of those proceeds support the Learning Tea as well. The names of loose-leaf tea tins for sale poignantly drive home this mission: A Darjeeling black tea is named “I Am 17 School Lunches,” and an Assam tea’s label reads “I Am 5 Pairs of Shoes,” for example.

Philanthropy aside, there are plenty of reasons—sweet, savory, and literary—to visit Dr. Bombay’s. The menu includes ice cream, sandwiches, quiche, samosas, and an assortment of baked goods. Used books fill floor-to-ceiling cases and are available for one dollar each. 

Groups of up to 20 can reserve the cafe’s whimsical piano room for High Tea, which consists of hot tea and dainty snacks served on vintage china. The snack assortment consists of scones, clotted cream, jam, quiche, and finger sandwiches, punctuated with a serving of sorbet.

The shop’s unique decor could keep patrons gazing for hours while they sit in funkily upholstered armchairs. Paper lanterns, upside-down parasols, origami cranes, and wooden bird cages hang from the ceiling, while vintage paintings cover the walls, making Dr. Bombay’s a colorful place to both eat well and do good.