Uff this is a difficult store to review. The store has a host and the person was warm, and welcoming.
A lot of tea options, this might be an understatement. Every item is nicely arranged, and the store is large and open.
Now for the negative. As you walk pass the host, you'll find a tea tasting bar. It's chaotic and really annoying. Lots of lookie loos that don't buy anything but are there to take space, be annoying, and pass the time.
Second, the back... not enough seating or tables for someone interested in seating down after buying tea and pastries. The very few seats were taken by annoying people wasting time, minimally buying to stay out of the cold.
Third. The barista? He seemed really annoyed that we dare ask to buy tea. Pppfffh.
Shi Grissom
The low rating isn’t about the decor—this place is stunning, like a dream. You’ll see from my pictures just how magical it looks. I only wish they were scratch-and-sniff because the aroma of all the teas was incredible. We could have stayed forever.
Unfortunately, the rating reflects how we were treated, and it left us never wanting to return.
We arrived around 6:15 PM and were captivated by everything—the teas, the decor, the beautiful cups and teapots. We wandered to the back and decided to ask for a tea flight, having just seen two women enjoying one and having a great time. The barista informed us that they closed at 6:30 and had already stopped sit-down service. No problem! He was helpful, asking what we were looking for and guiding us to the right section.
Once we found our item, we didn’t want to linger past closing time, so we headed to the register. That’s when things took a turn. The two women we had seen earlier were still sitting, chatting, and enjoying more tea—clearly not being rushed out. Meanwhile, as we approached the register, the previously friendly staff became noticeably different. The person ringing us up didn’t greet us—no “Hi,” no “Did you find everything okay?”—just silence. It felt cold and dismissive, especially compared to how engaged they had been just moments before.
To make it worse, another staff member joined in, chatting casually about the song playing, further emphasizing how uninterested they were in connecting with us. The shift in energy was undeniable. It left such a bad taste that I put down the cups I had been considering buying. The only reason we purchased anything at all was because we genuinely love the tea and didn’t want to wait for shipping.
It’s a shame because this place has so much potential, but that interaction was a no.
Kyra Conroy
Service was not warm, but truly delicious scone
Felix Torres
A whole lot of tea. You can do a free tasting of one tea at the counter and then it’s $3 per additional pour after that.
Jim G
Over the past few years *every single time* I come to this store they refuse to do individual tastings because they are under staffed. It doesn't matter if it's the weekend or weekday. What the heck good is this store if I can't taste the teas prior to purchase? Ironically the staff person that interacted with us stayed with only us the entire time we were there. So - why couldn't he also put some tea in a mug and let us sample what we were considering to purchase? Oh I could spend $4.25 for a cup of tea at their cafe to try. But come on, $4.25 for a cup at the tea company's shop? At most it should be $2.00. Greed and inefficiency prevail at this outpost.
Luciano Furlanetti
Quite a good tea, but horrible service. Lady at the counter super rude and unprofessional.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 1
M Reilly
Lifelong New Yorker just discovering this place now and I'm devastated. This place is such a gem, I will now be going weekly!!! Absolutely loved the free sample tastings, so yum and then getting some loose leaf teas as a gift for my friend and then visiting the cafe. The lavender lemonade was so yummy and I also got the Venetian tiramisu flavored white tea which is HOLY MOLY best tea ever. I plan to go back in a few days with another friend and try the tea flight!!!! Cannot wait
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tina Manzer
Bought tea never received. Contacted 3 times. They said they would refund my money. Purchase was $21. They refunded the shipping cost only. $5.99. Don't buy here! Rip off!
Service: 1
Kris Rollins
It was a pleasure shopping in person for my favorite tea brand while visiting NYC, as I usually have to purchase online. I was able to sample some new flavors and pick up some of my trued and true!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tea Tasting, Chocolate Mint, Royal English Breakfast
Mutombo da Poet
Around Soho and you want tea, then this is the spot. Had to buy some teas after the one I had and I highly recommend this spot.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tea and Scones, Vanilla Scones with Jam and Cream, Vanilla Scones
Tea bags were not properly sealed and there was a good amount of loose tea in the tin I contacted the seller. I didn’t have a photo of the damaged tea bags but had submitted a picture of the loose tea in the tin. I was emailed that I could use a discount on future purchases. I will not purchase their tea products any longer. It s like I am being challenged to prove their failure.
Tax Professional
Always a fun place with new varieties. I enjoy meeting fellow tea enthusiasts. It's pricey though. For loose leaf tea in Manhattan, this is still the best option for price and selection that I have found.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Anais Sireuil
An extraordinary tea store! The shop is sumptuous with impressive walls of tea. The teas are well classified according to their nature and the prices are frankly affordable for everyone! At the back we can enjoy a tea tasting area with a small “cafe” where most of the products are for sale to be consumed on site, the sellers are pleasant and answer our questions about tea perfectly. There are other things for sale such as cups, ceramics in general and small cute objects. Great store!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Sujey
We had the Floral flight Tea and the Cocktail flight tea, with some scones.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tea Tasting, Vanilla Scones with Jam and Cream, Vanilla Scones Made Fresh Daily, Floral Flight of Tea
Meh.
Uff this is a difficult store to review. The store has a host and the person was warm, and welcoming.
A lot of tea options, this might be an understatement. Every item is nicely arranged, and the store is large and open.
Now for the negative. As you walk pass the host, you'll find a tea tasting bar. It's chaotic and really annoying. Lots of lookie loos that don't buy anything but are there to take space, be annoying, and pass the time.
Second, the back... not enough seating or tables for someone interested in seating down after buying tea and pastries. The very few seats were taken by annoying people wasting time, minimally buying to stay out of the cold.
Third. The barista? He seemed really annoyed that we dare ask to buy tea. Pppfffh.
The low rating isn’t about the decor—this place is stunning, like a dream. You’ll see from my pictures just how magical it looks. I only wish they were scratch-and-sniff because the aroma of all the teas was incredible. We could have stayed forever.
Unfortunately, the rating reflects how we were treated, and it left us never wanting to return.
We arrived around 6:15 PM and were captivated by everything—the teas, the decor, the beautiful cups and teapots. We wandered to the back and decided to ask for a tea flight, having just seen two women enjoying one and having a great time. The barista informed us that they closed at 6:30 and had already stopped sit-down service. No problem! He was helpful, asking what we were looking for and guiding us to the right section.
Once we found our item, we didn’t want to linger past closing time, so we headed to the register. That’s when things took a turn. The two women we had seen earlier were still sitting, chatting, and enjoying more tea—clearly not being rushed out. Meanwhile, as we approached the register, the previously friendly staff became noticeably different. The person ringing us up didn’t greet us—no “Hi,” no “Did you find everything okay?”—just silence. It felt cold and dismissive, especially compared to how engaged they had been just moments before.
To make it worse, another staff member joined in, chatting casually about the song playing, further emphasizing how uninterested they were in connecting with us. The shift in energy was undeniable. It left such a bad taste that I put down the cups I had been considering buying. The only reason we purchased anything at all was because we genuinely love the tea and didn’t want to wait for shipping.
It’s a shame because this place has so much potential, but that interaction was a no.
Service was not warm, but truly delicious scone
A whole lot of tea.
You can do a free tasting of one tea at the counter and then it’s $3 per additional pour after that.
Over the past few years *every single time* I come to this store they refuse to do individual tastings because they are under staffed. It doesn't matter if it's the weekend or weekday. What the heck good is this store if I can't taste the teas prior to purchase? Ironically the staff person that interacted with us stayed with only us the entire time we were there. So - why couldn't he also put some tea in a mug and let us sample what we were considering to purchase?
Oh I could spend $4.25 for a cup of tea at their cafe to try. But come on, $4.25 for a cup at the tea company's shop? At most it should be $2.00. Greed and inefficiency prevail at this outpost.
Quite a good tea, but horrible service. Lady at the counter super rude and unprofessional.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 1
Lifelong New Yorker just discovering this place now and I'm devastated. This place is such a gem, I will now be going weekly!!! Absolutely loved the free sample tastings, so yum and then getting some loose leaf teas as a gift for my friend and then visiting the cafe. The lavender lemonade was so yummy and I also got the Venetian tiramisu flavored white tea which is HOLY MOLY best tea ever. I plan to go back in a few days with another friend and try the tea flight!!!! Cannot wait
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bought tea never received. Contacted 3 times. They said they would refund my money. Purchase was $21. They refunded the shipping cost only. $5.99. Don't buy here! Rip off!
Service: 1
It was a pleasure shopping in person for my favorite tea brand while visiting NYC, as I usually have to purchase online. I was able to sample some new flavors and pick up some of my trued and true!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tea Tasting, Chocolate Mint, Royal English Breakfast
Around Soho and you want tea, then this is the spot. Had to buy some teas after the one I had and I highly recommend this spot.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tea and Scones, Vanilla Scones with Jam and Cream, Vanilla Scones
Restaurantji Recommends
Tea bags were not properly sealed and there was a good amount of loose tea in the tin
I contacted the seller. I didn’t have a photo of the damaged tea bags but had submitted a picture of the loose tea in the tin.
I was emailed that I could use a discount on future purchases.
I will not purchase their tea products any longer.
It s like I am being challenged to prove their failure.
Always a fun place with new varieties. I enjoy meeting fellow tea enthusiasts. It's pricey though. For loose leaf tea in Manhattan, this is still the best option for price and selection that I have found.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
An extraordinary tea store! The shop is sumptuous with impressive walls of tea. The teas are well classified according to their nature and the prices are frankly affordable for everyone! At the back we can enjoy a tea tasting area with a small “cafe” where most of the products are for sale to be consumed on site, the sellers are pleasant and answer our questions about tea perfectly. There are other things for sale such as cups, ceramics in general and small cute objects. Great store!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
We had the Floral flight Tea and the Cocktail flight tea, with some scones.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tea Tasting, Vanilla Scones with Jam and Cream, Vanilla Scones Made Fresh Daily, Floral Flight of Tea
ugly tea tins, terrible tea
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Loading...