The Sofitel Le Scribe hotel in Paris opens the first Dilmah Tea House, steps from the Opéra Garnier

Since Thursday 22 October 2026, the Sofitel Le Scribe Paris Opéra has been home to the first Dilmah Tea House, a lounge devoted to tasting Ceylon teas. The Sri Lankan family firm chose this five-star hotel in the 9th arrondissement, 200 metres from the Opéra Garnier, to introduce guests to its teas, herbs and spices. La Revue des Hôtels attended the opening.

☰Contents

1. A first Dilmah Tea House in Paris
2. Ceylon teas, herbs and spices to taste
3. “Taste, Goodness and Purpose”
4. Dilmah, a Sri Lankan family firm since 1985
5. The Scribe: 201 rooms, 200 m from the Opéra
6. What else to taste at the Scribe?

A first Dilmah Tea House in Paris

Dilmah Tea opened the Dilmah Tea House on Thursday 22 October 2026, at an evening reception held from 6pm to 8pm at the Scribe, which the brand describes as an iconic address of Parisian luxury hospitality. According to its chairman, Dilhan C. Fernando, this is the first Tea House the family firm has opened. Our journalist Djahny Bariol attended the launch.

The lounge is conceived as a place of discovery and of passing on knowledge. The idea, Dilmah says, is to offer a new way of tasting tea, one that goes beyond the simple ritual of a cup being served.

Ceylon teas, herbs and spices to taste

Ceylon teas, which take their name from Sri Lanka’s former name, are explored here through tasting: aromas, textures, origins and craftsmanship. The house highlights the diversity of the teas, herbs and spices it selects, the distinctive character of their terroir and the skill of the artisans who work them.

The lounge is aimed at seasoned connoisseurs and the simply curious alike, and the experience is part of the Scribe’s art de vivre. Neither opening hours nor tasting prices have been announced; the hotel’s website did not yet list them on 24 October 2026.

“Taste, Goodness and Purpose”

Dilhan C. Fernando, tea grower and chairman and chief executive of Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company, sums up the opening: “My father, Merrill J. Fernando, founded our company in the belief that tea should be savoured pure and authentic, with respect for people and for the land. That is the meaning of our commitment: Taste, Goodness and Purpose. Paris honours craftsmanship and elegance. It was therefore only natural to open our first Tea House here, at the Sofitel Le Scribe. We invite you to rediscover tea through its origin, its craft and its natural affinity with fine dining.”

Dilmah, a Sri Lankan family firm since 1985

Merrill J. Fernando founded Dilmah in 1985. Still family-owned, the company sells single-origin Ceylon teas, picked, crafted and packed in Sri Lanka. It describes itself as the world’s first tea brand owned by its growers.

The company works through the MJF Foundation and Dilmah Conservation to support education, inclusion, communities and the environment. Its motto comes down to three words: “Taste. Goodness. Purpose.”

The Scribe: 201 rooms, 200 m from the Opéra

The Sofitel Le Scribe Paris Opéra is a five-star hotel with 201 rooms, including 38 suites, at 1 rue Scribe. Its interiors, entirely reimagined by designer Tristan Auer, blend the heritage of a historic hotel with the intimacy of a Haussmann-era apartment. The hotel readily recalls its past: the Lumière brothers’ first film screening, the meetings of the Jockey Club, the daily life of Joséphine Baker.

The Opéra Garnier is 200 metres away, a two-minute walk, as is Opéra metro station; the Galeries Lafayette, Printemps and place Vendôme are just a few minutes away. For another side of the brand, read our review of the Sofitel Strasbourg Grande Île, the very first Sofitel.

What else to taste at the Scribe?

Tea already had its place at the hotel: L’heure du thé, an English-style afternoon tea, is served on Saturdays and Sundays from 3pm to 5pm. The Scribe & Cie café-boutique welcomes lovers of coffee, tea and pastries from the morning onwards, and the Rivages restaurant, beneath the glass roof, serves the cuisine of chef Florian Ollivier, with a Sunday brunch from noon to 3pm.

For comparison, discover the finest afternoon teas in Paris’s palace hotels and their prices, as well as the Christmas 2026 tea time at the Peninsula Paris.