Now located in the old Bristol Art Gallery on Hope Street, Revival is looking better than ever. With its uber-high tin ceiling and gleaming white interior, the home décor and gift shop is reminiscent of a boutique that could be found on the Champs-Elysees in Paris. Owner Victoria Fonseca is a woman after my own heart; she and I have both spent a great deal of time in Europe and we’re both in love with men who were born and raised in Portugal. In fact, she and her co-owner husband, Diamantino, recently returned from an extended jaunt through the western part of his native continent.
“We went to Europe to meet with tea experts and to visit tea shops in France, England and Ireland,” Victoria explains. “We’ve wanted to create an authentic tea house experience here in Bristol for quite a while. We’d been on Thames for five years but the building was older and didn’t have the French doors we wanted.” As luck would have it, the couple was strolling through downtown Bristol and noticed the recently vacated storefront at 423 Hope. They just knew it was the perfect place to expand their thriving retail business.
“We’ll open the tea room soon,” she says, gesturing to the right half of the shop where counters will soon be built and tables awaiting guests. “In the mornings we’ll offer the standard selection of pastries and beverages. People can take out or eat in and enjoy the free Wi-Fi. In the afternoons, the linens come out and we’ll be doing high tea by reservation... just like they do in Europe.” She’s literally radiating warmth and excitement as she speaks and it’s clear how passionate Victoria is about bringing this experience to Bristol.
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