Recommendations for Awesome NYC Tea shops
Ok, so im reeeally new to this site. I cant believe i didn’t know about this, because i literally almost never drink anything that is not some kind of tea. I’ve been doing lots of tea hunting around Chinatown, and even met my love (Bubble tea, lol.) i know theres a lot in soho too, but can anyone tell me any tea shops or stores near 109th street broadway? I am known by my friends and family to travel far to get the things i love, but i’d also like to know other places that are closer to my house, since i don’t have the time between college and work often to head alll the way down to Chinatown. I know along broadway there is a cafe ‘green cafe’ or something like that and another tea/cafe store too, but that’s more towards midtown. There is a tea shop around my house about a block away that sells bubble tea, but i’d reall like to know where i can get the boba/tapioca pearls so i can make bubble tea at home. Help please?
Have you checked M2M? Otherwise, I know Kalustyan’s (Lexington between 28th and 29th) sells boba – it’s not close to 109th, but it should be easier for you to get there than to Chinatown.
You simply MUST go to Alice’s Tea Cup if you can. The closest location to you is 73rd and Columbus, but it’s a pretty short trip on the 1 train from you (72nd St. station). The restaurant is quite nice and the front store is great on its own too. Just keep in mind that there’s a 2 oz minimum for purchasing loose leaf (though if you’re nice and it’s not busy you can talk them down to 1 oz on the more expensive teas).
There’s also Tea Magic at 112th and Broadway, which sells bubble tea and might be the place you’re talking about, but I can’t personally vouch for quality.
(’Scuse me while I watch this thread like a hawk.)
If you’re looking for a tranquil, deeply impressive location, can’t recommend Cha-An enough: http://www.chaanteahouse.com/
And if your sweet tooth needs to be assuaged on the side: http://spotdessertbar.com/ They have amazing dessert tapas and carry a small selection of really fine loose leaf tea. (Wonderful oolong there.)
But as happens in fast-paced New York, sometimes you might have time only for a quick cup. Ergo, Argo: www.argotea.com
cool. I’ve been to Argo and its really good. i’ll try ur recommendations thanks so much!
You’re welcome! Also Harney & Sons has a really nice tearoom in SoHo, with very friendly service: http://www.harney.com/blog/category/soho-shop/
Really? I found the service at H&S friendly enough, I suppose, but very slow even before the late afternoon rush hit.
Ah yeah, I’ll allow for that. Speed of service wasn’t on my mind since it was supposed to be a long, taking-someone-out-for-fieldwork/interviewing affair, so I didn’t take note.
Some non-boba (and non-UWS) recommendations:
Bosie is a cute tea room in the West Village. Their desserts look fabulous, although I can’t vouch for them personally, and some of them involve tea (Earl Grey cream, Darjeeling ganache): http://www.bosienyc.com/
Sullivan Street Tea & Spice Company for purchasing loose leaf; they don’t have a tea room but you can get cups to go. They also sell tea-flavored cookies!: http://www.onsullivan.com/
If you’re going by sullivan anyway, you’ll wanna check out Porto Rico Importing Co, which is a block or two away. A great thing to do is to go on yelp.com and type in loose leaf tea; some great stuff comes up.
The Village also has David’s Tea, which has incredible blends, and Mcnulty’s, which is great for bases, especially if you mix your own occasionally. Mcnulty’s prices are UNBEATABLE too.
My favorite is La Maison du Chocolat (1018 Madison avenue, 78th Street) Not a tea shop BUT if you venture inside they serve a really fabulous selection of teas paired with their exquisite chocolates. Their chocolates are the best in the world, worth every penny.
There are more tea places in NYC than I could manage to type out here. I’ve been compiling a list on FourSquare that you might find helpful
Times like this I wish Steepster had a Facebook-style Like button, because I’d be hitting it about five hundred times right now.
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