Rosewood in Lunenburg serves up English specialties.
Southern hospitality meets British charm at Rosewood, a café, pub, and tea room in Lunenburg. Owners Kathy and Paul Davies are the reason. She hails from Maryland; he’s from Kent in southeast England. The couple married in 2014 and, after living outside Winchester and commuting in opposite directions, they decided to move south.
“We found Rosewood on Zillow one evening in early 2017 and arranged to come and look,” says Paul. “As soon as we pulled up outside we knew this is where we wanted to be.”
Built in the late 18th century as a Colonial-style home, Rosewood has served as a post office, an antiques store, a judge’s house, and a tavern. It’s also seen a few celebrity guests: Mark Twain stayed overnight while writing about the Virginian Railway, and both Robert E. Lee and Edgar Allan Poe also stopped by.
The Davies spent a year renovating and redecorating before reopening in 2018. Now, in its newest iteration, Kathy and Paul call Rosewood home. When they’re not busy serving customers, they live upstairs.
Kathy brings her culinary prowess to breakfast and lunch. Favorites include an English breakfast waffle served with cheddar cheese, bacon, fried egg, and tomato. Her grilled bacon blackberry sandwich with Swiss cheese and jalapeño on sourdough is a best-seller.
Rosewood’s cozy pub is right out of the English countryside. Expect European craft beers, like Old Speckled Hen from England, Wee Heavy from Scotland, and Spaten, brewed in Munich. If German fare gets you going, don’t miss Rosewood’s annual Oktoberfest, which serves up endless wursts, schnitzels, pretzels, and bier aus Deutschland.
But Afternoon Tea service—authentically English, thanks to Paul—is Rosewood’s signature event. “Tables are laid with fine china, crystal glasses, and fine silverware to complete the scene,” he says. You’ll find him dressed to the nines, serving hot tea along with Kathy’s homemade delicacies—specialty scones, traditional tea sandwiches, and sweets—to the friend groups who come to celebrate birthdays and bridal showers. “Afternoon tea is something not to be rushed. It’s a time to relax and enjoy stepping back in time,” he adds. RosewoodVirginia.com
