Top Tea stores in New York, United States

This place is fantastic. I’ve been a customer for years, and have tried everything from their delicious house-made vegan mango lassi, fresh fruits, and incense/herbs/spices. The selection is top notch, high quality, and you won’t find fairer prices in this area. Extremely nice staff as well. Grateful for this local mainstay!

ALERT ⚠️ they sell expired stuff. I have been visiting this store for over 2 years now. I am writing this review now because enough is enough. They sell expired food items and remove/hide expiration dates. This has happened with me couple of times. I bought roasted nuts ..so expensive.. and I had to throw all of them away. This was same case with many other food products. It is so expensive as well almost 4x the market price and it pains to throw food away.

Be careful if you buying from this store

80% of the stuff is expired or stale. I’m a frequent customer. Every time I visit I come home with foul smelling items. They are extremely overpriced, thrice the amount from other stores. Also look out for expiry dates, because they erase it on a lot of stuff. Even the stuff they pack themselves looks good from the outside but when you open it, there’s a high chance it’s stale.

Great location for spices, loose tea, and general groceries in Lower Manhattan. They offer a discount if you use cash and have a great reward program (5% off on your first purchase if you make an account with them!) Will definitely be returning for bulk spices!

The guy behind the counter was pretty rude, was trying to see if he'd exchange something and he kind of just stopped responding, he could have handled it better. Used to be my go to but I think I'm going to skip this place now. Least he could do was talk nicely to an old customer even if he wasn't going to exchange

So happy I visited this tea shop. I bought a lovely gaiwan and some puerh. Jim who runs the store was really knowledgeable and is clearly passionate about tea. They offer everything from 25-year aged pu-erh to simple oolongs or white teas. Tea ware too. He can help you find what you’re looking for based on your budget! 10/10 will be coming back

Unique store. The service is great. Stocked with great herbs, spices, and other natural foods.

Very nice place to buy traditional Chinese tea with good price!

I can find anything I need. Highly recommend.

Great little half basement tea shop. Fresh brewed kumbuca. Everyone was very helpful and informative...

any led zeppelin fan should come here for a cup of tea

There's a good reason this store is called the Best Tea Shop. Top quality. Knowledgeable owner.

I found everything I needed and more. This is my new favorite spice store. It’s well-organized and everything is clearly labeled in the store’s packaging.

This is tea experience that any tea lover will appreciate. I'm not a tea connsierour but this place was absolutely awesome and I already drank a lot of teas I got from here. I'll definitely be back and hopefully for tea tastings.

Beautiful calm experience of having ceremonial matcha prepared in front of you. Tried mild matcha and the flavour was so different than what I’ve tried before. Recommend if you’re into matcha

the matcha affogato was to die for! this place has a super quaint and cozy vibe to it, and the lady that makes each drink by hand is really kind too. if you're getting the matcha affogato, i would definitely recommend using the lowest grade matcha since it's the most bitter one and contrasts with the sweet gelato! i personally thought the ice matcha lattes were a bit too watery for my taste.

Great shop with large selection of traditional Chinese tea.

It's a horrible place that's open, but no one's inside!

Everything about this place is a 10/10. The owner is from Japan and she has her own machine that grinds the matcha from leaves into powder. She gets that specific matcha from Uji, Kyoto. It is traditional style. Only between 4-6 seats, at the counter, hot water pot with wooden laddle. You can also purchase the fresh matcha itself. Maybe best matcha shop I’ve found in the US and I’ve tried MANY. Will be back. Arigato 🙏🏼

I have been at this place several times and had both espresso and capuccino (with regular and oat milk). The coffee and milk was consistently good all times. Recommended!

Nice tea shop with wide range of teas tucked under the bridge, ranging from cheap small packets to expensive cakes of aged teas. Cash only, but there are some ATMs close by. It’s run by a very lovely couple that mostly speak only Chinese, and they’re extremely knowledgeable. I asked the lady working there that day (usually her husband runs it) to brew some tea and chat, and she gave me great tips on how to get the most out of my tea leaves, what teas are good for what times, and some fun facts on tea aging and longevity. Paid for the tea that I sampled and extra for her time and overall had a wonderful experience.

Setsugekka offers 3 grades of matcha, from mild to delicate to velvety. They don’t add sweeteners into its drinks so you can taste the depth of the matcha. It was soul-calming to watch the Japanese lady brewed the matcha skilfully and poured the liquid into your cup with a gentle manner.

＊ Iced Matcha Latte - Hoshinotsuyu (Mild)
They use vegan milk for all lattes, which is pretty friendly for lactose intolerant people. Yet blue original Oatly was used instead of the grey barista Oatly, so the milk base had a less creamy consistency comparing to regular whole milk. Sadly the milk really affected my judgement on their matcha latte. The matcha was watered down and not as intense as expected. The matcha wasn’t whisked well either so some powder sinked to the bottom, but we had no stirrer or straw in hand.

＊ Premium Shot - Senjunomukashi (Delicate)
Splurged on the second tier matcha powder at $11.5, it was indeed stronger than the mild one but still too weak. My friend and I tried premium matcha in Uji and Kyoto before. Both of us have high standards on matcha and we were sorry to say this wasn’t up our alley.

Given the steep price, I was surprised there are no indoor seatings. First you have to sit on the tatami and wait, then you will be asked to move to the counter and watch your drinks being made in front of you. The interior is lovely and well decorated, but you have to leave once you receive your drinks.

The nicest people on the planet. Ambience was a complete vibe with cute decor and the tea amazing. Especially their herbals teas. Everyone was so friendly and our server was super attentive to our needs.

This is a cutesy little spot for girlfriends to hangout COME HERE!

Another great Stumptown location, I’m a big fan of their coffee anywhere. This particular spot is conveniently located near Madison Square Park off Broadway. The shop has some space inside to sit along the window but is mostly a grab and go location.

The line wasn’t too bad and I got my drip coffee quickly. The prices here to me are very reasonable and the sizes great.

Stumptown coffee blends are always a hit and getting it straight from the source tastes extra delicious in the mornings!

We came here for dessert and to chat and catch up with friends after dinner at Great NY Noodletown. The cakes are good but nothing to write home about - way overpriced and don't live up to the hype. Same with the tea. Nonetheless, I think people probably come here for the ambience, which they provide in spades. Recommend hanging out with friends here if in a pinch or near where you're dining.

Prince tea house is a great place for a casual hangout, and a break from your regular coffee shop. They have very interesting teas - I loved the lavender tea! The chicken roll and the curly fries were my favorite, and I love the green tea layer crepe cake.

I went to the first Prince Tea House that opened on the Upper East Side, so I am going based off all my experiences there, which were fabulous…that being said, the service at this location was very good, but this wasn’t my favorite experience.
My friend and I were seating very quickly even though the tea house was quite busy. The servers were quick and cleared our dirty items as well as quickly brought our food out-which was a pleasant surprise. They were did not make us rush out or bother us while we enjoyed lunch. There was also a fun robot that comes through to help the servers with clean up. I thought it was great and the robot even plays music!

The tea is why I always want to come back. If you come for anything, try the Lavender Milk Tea and the Rose Milk Tea-hot. Both are the best I’ve ever had. However, I tried it iced and wasn’t sure how much sugar to ask for, so it didn’t quite taste as I remember. The purple Mille crepe cake was still delightful, but the slice was smaller than I remembered and my friend and I were sharing. The fried squid legs were not as good as I had hoped. They were a little tough and I’m pretty sure the heads were still on.
I love seafood and squid, but the heads was even a little much for me. I’d pass on that. My friend wanted the crispy chicken wings, and those were pretty tasty and perfectly cooked.

Overall, it’s a fun atmosphere with great options if you know what to order.
Do order the Lavender Milk Tea Hot (it comes in a beautiful tea set), and the Rose Milk Tea Hot. I’d also recommend ordering the purple Mille crepe cake but keep in mind you might want one to yourself since the serving size is not huge. Food wise, I’d say order the wings or a sandwich.

The flavor of the matcha was very nice and creamy compared to the other places I drank. The lady who served was very kind and sweet. Since there were no customers, we sat and chatted for a while, but because it was usually crowded, they only made packages. I would definitely recommend stopping by and having a drink.

Really cool experience! The lady working there (the owner?) was super nice and gentle and we sat around her as she carefully made our matcha drinks for us. She also taught us about the different types of matcha and the type we were drinking that day. I ordered the hot matcha medium-strength, and it tasted really good. Nothing beats freshly whisked matcha. The space is really small on the inside, so the number of people who can be in the room is extremely limited. Maybe 4-5 people can sit at the counter where the drinks are made. And there's this sitting space for people waiting or have already received their drinks. There wasn't much of a wait when I went. Right now, they're doing takeout-only, so everything is served in single-use cups, and people don't stay very long after getting their drinks. The decor of the place is really authentic as well!

Delightful little place with peaceful bird sounds and setting. I got an iced matcha latte, and I loved watching my matcha get made in front of me. It’s such a nice afternoon experience, and a perfect way to treat yourself! I didn’t know there were so many kinds of matcha, and I want to try all of the kinds and methods of preparation.

Definitely worth a stop if you’re looking for small batch roasted coffee that is perfectly extracted. They even have 6oz as an option which was a godsend for someone who’s used to smaller coffees! Highly recommend a stop if you’re a quality coffee fanatic

Come for the atmosphere and IG photos but just order tea. The desserts were meh, tasted like they've been refrigerated too long. Definitely not fresh. (Skip the creme brulee combo and the Panna Cotta). Service was minimal and given the staff doesn't dress the part, some of the ambiance is lost. Decorations in the space are nice but please take down the baby shower, bridal shower and birthday banners. Eek. Teas are the only items worth trying, like the Potted Soil themed one and hot tea since it'll be presented in a tea pot over a candle lit base. Even the cold tea is served in the pot...lot of pomp and circumstance but no substance. Tea for two service is really expensive and for mediocre food, pass!

Great coffee. It’s small and a bit tough to get around when there are a lot of people. They have coffee beans/grounds in addition to normal coffee items. There’s a few places to stand, not much seating. It was decently quick service.

It was extremely subtle there. The tea was quite reviving to the palate. The mango crepe tasted excellent, and the server was incredibly courteous about pouring your tea when your cup is empty. It's a peaceful area where you may unwind and catch up with friends, etc. the meals are very affordable.

My friend and I decided to have a little tea journey through manhattan and stumbled upon this little cute shop tucked away in the middle of a block.

Honestly blown away by how beautiful this place was, we were going to just look around but decided to do a tasting.

The owner was so knowledgeable and shared so much information about not onky the tea we were drinking (Phoenix Dan Cong Mi Lan Xiang) but as well as the whole process and tradition. She told us about her own experience under a tea making master and the work that goes into making great tea.

Will come back every time I am in Manhattan, and if you can I would reccommend the tasting if you have the time.

It's a small piece of Portland in New York! I love stumptown - the coffee and the vibe are spectacular. The addition of merch and specially items are always a plus! Can't recommend enough.

A lovely hidden gem for tea in the city. I had a fantastic Dan cong over 5 steepings. The owner of the shop had a wealth of information and provided an excellent tea tasting experience.

I am giving this Tea House location 5 stars. My daughter had her 29th birthday party here yesterday. Her friends & family enjoyed themselves & most importantly my daughter had the best time. Jim was our server. He was friendly & very efficient. He kept everything flowing at a comfortable pace. Whatever anyone requested (more tea, answers about the tea or food) he was very accommodating. Taking away used dishes & cups so the tables didn’t become cluttered. All the guests loved the decor, the food, the tea, & the ambience! The tables were already decorated with beautiful tea cups, tea pots with a burner to keep the tea at a comfortable temperature.
If I was going to take away a star it would be because of the tight space…we had the entire back of the restaurant/tea house to ourselves, so servers & other customers had to pass through BUT I won’t take away a star!!! None of our guests complained or seemed bothered by the space. I also have to commend Sue, she might have been the manager (handling the business side) was also very friendly & making sure we were getting what we wanted (where do you want the cake, do you want to serve it at the beginning or end?). She answered all text messages & questions leading up to the day of the party. We will go back again!!

Nice place, great service, with a variety of matcha types. They explain everything, suggest a drink as per your taste, make it in front of you and serve.
We had the smoothest matcha available, it's expensive but would say worth it for one time. Also had the gelato with the bitterest matcha on top, that was the best combo.
They also have matcha powders for sale, good variety. A nice visit overall.

I did the tea journey, which involved tasting three types of tea in multiple steepings. The owner was extremely friendly and knowledgeable, gave me undivided attention, and taught me a lot about how tea is cultivated and brewed. I found it a very good price for an hour with an expert and many glasses of unusual and delicious tea. Can’t wait to go again.

I was excited to go here since I do at times purchase Stumptown coffee from safeway grocery store in various states.. I actually did not know they had actual coffee shops in NYC.. the coffee was, as expected, very good but the service was at best mediocre. The person at the front, though was pleasant, she was busy conversing with her colleague and more preoccupied with it than customer service. Small store but overall clean and nice.

Great tea shop with extremely knowledgeable owner. Comfortable and friendly place to ask some detailed tea questions. Her recommendations were excellent, and the tea selection itself is very high quality. I visited the physical location and have now begun ordering tea from her for home as well

Had a great time with Nishan who explained a lot about the history and production of tea! He guided us through a couple of tastings. They have a wide selection of teas from mainland China, Taiwan and Korea. The setting is quite intimate, being small and quiet, but it’s definitely worth visiting! Would recommend!

I am a true coffee fan of these type of (independent) places all around the world where coffee making is grafted like an art. And a spend $15-25 a day on take-a-way coffees on average. Based on the positive reviews I went here, bit disappointing. I was one of the first customers early in the morning, service was just not friendly. Two girls that really dont care and not friendly to anyone. Coffee was ok, but not great and made totally rushed although not busy. The €4 pain croissant tasted like it was old. I rather go to places like Kobrick & Co down Meatpacking.

Wow! Seen these roasters in some of my favorite coffee shops and even making blends for other shops I enjoy. But didn’t know they had their own and own storefront right here in Manhattan! The ambiance is cool with old NY diner vibes. The coffee was delicious 😋 ☕️ really had a nice cup when I went. They won’t do pour over for darker roasts which was a bummer but the service was great. Friendly, attentive and kind. Definitely stop in here for your next cup and enjoy some of the best coffee around!

I walked in with my best friend yesterday on a whim in the evening. We met the owner and immediately she greeted us with so much warmth and compassion- we ended up having a tea tasting on the spot (for the Red Water oolong, it was so good) It's small, quiet, and serene. The attention to detail and attentiveness to our experience was so lovely. Also, the shops decor and teaware was so so beautiful. I cannot wait to come back. Will be buying online soon! Thanks so much 💝

The dessert and tea options are fantastic! The service was friendly. I really enjoyed ordering straight from your phone. The order came quickly. Watching the robot go back and forth was pretty interesting. Definitely check this place out if your looking for dessert or a bite to eat or some tea! I highly recommend this place.

A wonderful little shop. If you’re looking for an old school Chinese tea set, this is the place. The guy is very helpful and because of its small size, all of the wares are easily accessible and easy to compare with each other. I’m also really impressed with the tea selection, especially the pu’er tea cakes. 厉害厉害!

The cutest tea spot with soooo many loose leaf tea options to choose from. I had a masala chai latte with oat milk. It was great! My new go to place for quality tea..or shall I say qualitea 😊

TShop was an amazing experience! We had a tea tasting with Teresa and could not have asked for a better experience.

While our timing was a little off (we had to wait about fifteen minutes and then went half an hour later than originally scheduled) every other detail was amazing.

Teresa asked about our tea preferences and experiences and curated an individual tea tasting experience, full of interesting history and information. The place is small – there was one other group when we started and another which walked in right before we left, but had the place to ourselves for most of the experience.

We tried Taiwanese, Chinese, and Korean teas, which were each steeped four different times. As we tried each, Teresa shared with us the history and traditions of the teas, the significance behind different practices, and her personal experiences of visiting different tea regions across the world. We will definitely be back 🫖

This is such a lovely gem of a tea shop! I visited for the first time on a recent weekend and the small space was bustling with customers buying loose tea and ordering cups to go. The owner, Ilana, was so friendly and kind, talking me through my loose tea selections and explaining the correct instructions for water temperature, steeping time, and the amount of times I can reuse the leaves.

The decor is so inviting, with tea cups and mugs everywhere as well as small vases with flowers. There are so many loose tea options that I was tempted to buy several, but stuck to orange blossom and vanilla chai. The store also has a few pastries and tea accessories available to purchase.

I left the store happy with my experience and excited to try out the teas that I purchases. Definitely stop by Physical Graffitea if you're a tea fan!

The tea here is superb!

From the first cup of my gaiwan-brewed guided tasting, Old Bush Dan Cong Man Tang Xiang was poignantly flavorful. Even for my amateur tongue, the notes (grape skin with its slight bitterness) hit with astonishing strength, setting it apart from nearly every other tea I've had. The feel became rounder with each subsequent steeping, and my tea expert taught me the best way to breathe after a cup to fully enjoy the lingering aroma. At the end of my tasting, I refused to try another tea because I was still thoroughly enjoying the aftertaste, which had morphed to a full juiciness that kept me smiling for at least 15 minutes after leaving the store.

So why not 5 stars? I would have given 4.5 stars if I could. Truthfully this comes from disappointment that my experience was so brief. After the 5th steeping, I was told that was all the guided tasting included. I don't know if I missed this information in fine print somewhere, but I was expecting at least 9 steepings. I've done at least 12 with a gongfu-brewed high quality red tea that I would've kept steeping (there was a beautiful sweet potato flavor that was still so strong even after so many steeps) if I hadn't had to go. Plus, part of how I judge a tea is by how many steeps I can get out of it, especially since high quality tea is pricy and thus a luxury for me. I figure this is a guideline intended to get through long lines of customers, but I was the only customer when I arrived, the entire time I was there, and when I left.

Definitely stop by for the high quality tea and the knowledgeable and friendly workers, but maybe factor in service rules that might prevent you from getting as much tea as possible out of a single pot if that matters to you.

This is a hole in the half underground wall, but inside is like a tea paradise. There is a large selection of tea. You can buy any of them froMthe wall that start with minimum 2oz order: they also will tell you how to brew your tea, how long it takes. They also offers fresh tea latte, you choose the kind or tea you want they brew in front of you (takes couple minutes) to make the latte for you. Completely fresh.

Stumbled upon this gem one night when I needed it the most! As you can see from the photos they have dozens of types of tea (including herbal teas) and the cutest teapots ever. I buy my tea in bulk from them now (reasonable prices, great quality), but I still make time to go grab a halva cookie and a pot every now and then.

If I have one complaint (and it is outside of their control) It's that it is super cozy--read: it's tight quarters. There's room for a handful of couples, maybe one small group. Think intimate if you are thinking of going by. That being said, I highly recommend it!

One of my favorite stores in NYC.

They sell Lion’s mane, chaga, rare mushrooms, rare spices. They have Indian candy, Indian brands, Asian brands. They do have fresh produce which are exotic herbs, rare vegetables and fruits.

After doing some research I do know their rare spices and medicinal items are sourced mostly in China which aren’t guaranteed organic nor free of heavy metals. With that, research what you buy and consume. I still love this store even after researching their products. Still my mushroom jackpot.

I come here for most of my spices and incense. I love they’ve been low key and casually maintaining their business for years without selling out and keeping the respect of chefs and staying true to their cultural backgrounds by keeping the store filled with new exotic spices from Asia instead of exotic spices from Los Angeles.

One of my favorites in the East Village. I would come here everyday if I lived closer. They have a massive selection and most important they know their craft.

Love the music, and the people but I must warn you, it's cramp so either take your tea to go or be prepared to stand if you want to stay.

I don't mind, good tea, so cozy and good prices.