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The Ultimate Guide to the Best Tea Houses in Hong Kong
We Hongkongers love our tea. It’s not much of a surprise that people here are predominantly tea drinkers, given the fact that Hong Kong has a deep-seated appreciation for the art and culture of tea.
Today, we’ll explore the best tea houses in Hong Kong – the ones that give you an experience as authentic as it is memorable. These aren’t tourist traps. Oh no, they’re the spots where you’ll find people who actually know their Bi Luo Chun from their Luan Guapian.
So, whether you’re craving a fresh brew of traditional Chinese tea or wish to indulge in a cup of exclusive Pu-erh tea, give these tea houses a shot!
Luk Yu Tea House
Media Credit: melissa
Website: https://www.mehongkong.com/eng/home/mice-ideas/detail/Luk-Yu-Tea-House.html
Address: 24-26 Stanley St, Central, Hong Kong
Operating hours: Monday to Sunday – 7 AM to 3 PM
Contact details: +852 2523 5464
Bestsellers: Aged and fresh Pu-erh teas
Founded in 1933, Luk Yu Tea House is an iconic Michelin-rated Cantonese teahouse and restaurant. The whole place exudes a vintage 1930s interior and decor, and it was named after a famous Tang Dynasty poet, Luk Yu, who wrote “The Classic of Tea.”
This three-story stone structure teahouse is famous for its traditionally prepared dim sum, sweet and sour pork, and other classic Chinese dishes. Of course, all these dishes are served best with the restaurant’s signature Pu-erh tea varieties.
The daytime teas offered here are mostly Hongkongers’ all-time favorites, like aged and fresh Pu-erh tea leaves sourced from Yunnan, China.
These teas are known for their earthy and subtle yet lingering bitter aftertaste, so they’re a good match to oily and savory dim sum and cha siu bun dishes offered in Luk Yu Tea House.
Green Ginkgo Tea
Website: https://www.greenginkgotea.com/
Address: Shop 110, Pacific Place, Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong
Operating hours: Monday to Sunday – 11 AM to 8 PM
Contact details: +852 6710 1116
Bestsellers: Light Roasted Hojicha, Yame Gyokuro, Phoenix Oolong, Kyoto Uji Sencha Snowmelt
Nestled in a quiet little spot in Admiralty, Green Ginkgo Tea (GGT) is the first-ever hand-brew teahouse in the city. This tea bar offers a diverse selection of teas sourced from different parts of China, Japan, and Taiwan.
The teahouse aims to make tea as accessible and enjoyable as coffee, so their take on the tea-drinking scene is different from the traditional. Here, you can enjoy cold brews, fruit-fusions, milk teas, matcha sodas, and other unique tea blends.
This teahouse also features an online shop selling things like premium and limited edition tea sets. Green Ginkgo Tea also provides tea workshops. Currently, the teahouse is offering the Teascovery Journey at Pacific Place for HK$380.
LockCha Tea House
Website: https://www.lockcha.com/locations/hong-kong-park/
Address: 地下層, 香港公園, The K.s.lo Gallery, Admiralty, Hong Kong
Operating hours: Monday to Sunday – 10 AM to 8 PM
Contact details: +852 2801 7177
Bestsellers: Oolong Teas, Black Teas, Green Teas, Pu-erh Teas, White Teas
LockCha Tea House is a renowned spot for traditional Chinese tea in Hong Kong. It’s set in multiple locations, so if you talk about tea, this teahouse is one of the first ones to come to mind.
Its flagship teahouse is situated inside Hong Kong Park in Admiralty. This place has the classic look of Cantonese-style teahouses, so you can feel like you’re sipping tea in the olden days.
In terms of variety, LockCha Tea House is hands down one of the best because it features more than 100 tea varieties made and brewed fresh daily. The estate teas offered here are pure and unblended, sourced from local farmers.
Moreover, LockCha is a full-service vegetarian restaurant and it serves vegetarian dim sum. The pan-fried mushroom bun and steamed truffle siu mai are a must-try with their tea beers.
Apart from that, LockCha Tea House also offers private tea classes during weekdays – you can sign up on their website!
Plantation Tea Bar
Website: https://plantation.hk/
Address: 18 Po Tuck St, Shek Tong Tsui, Hong Kong
Operating hours: Wednesday to Sunday – 12 PM to 12 AM, Monday to Tuesday – Closed
Contact details: +852 5596 6254
Bestsellers: Osmanthus Oolong, Aged Gong Mei, Hawthorn Tangerine Pu-erh, Sparkling Wild Purple Tea Buds, Perfume Lemon Dancong
Nana Chan, the founder of Teakha, established the Plantation Tea Bar. Every loose-leaf tea and teaware used in this teahouse is directly sourced from local tea masters and makers in Japan, China, Taiwan, and India.
Some teaware pieces and sets are up for sale, so if you wish to gift someone a fancy teapot or ceramic set, you can order them through their website.
Anyway, when you drop by and don’t have any idea what to order, we recommend you get a cozy seat by the bar counter and book their 30-minute tea-tasting session. If you opt for this, you can try a changing tea-tasting menu that’s specially crafted by Plantation Tea’s tea masters.
The teahouse also offers an a la carte menu with more than 20 teas, so if you just want to get your favorite, you can order by the pot. Plantation Tea Bar also hosts regular tea tasting and pairing workshops.
Tell Camellia
Website: https://tellcamellia.hk/
Address: H-Code, LG Shop 2, 45 Pottinger Street, Tung, On Wo Ln, Central, Hong Kong
Operating hours: Monday to Sunday – 6 PM to 2 AM
Contact details: +852 9821 5501
Bestsellers: Matcha Milk Punch, Far East Paloma, Teaspresso Martini, T-Tonics, Smoky Hunter
Amidst the bustling Central district, you can find the first modern tea cocktail bar in the city – Tell Camellia. It’s like a hidden getaway in Pottinger Street where people can enjoy a shot or two of farm-to-table and tea-infused cocktails in solace.
What’s unique about this teahouse is that it showcases modern takes on exotic tea varieties. That’s why its menu has two sections – Teatails and T&Tonic section.
The Teatails features signature and original tea-infused cocktails with different themes depending on the specific tea’s country of origin. Some of the top picks here are the Far East Paloma and Teaspresso Martini.
Meanwhile, in the T&Tonic section, you can find internationally sourced teas like Kyoho grape and sakura tea or Italian almond and truffle tea blended with gin and topped with tonic.
MingCha Tea House
Website: https://www.mingcha.com/#/
Address: B2, 15/F, Fortune Factory Building Block B, 40 Lee Chung St, Chai Wan, Hong Kong
Operating hours: Monday to Friday – 10 AM to 7 PM, Saturday to Sunday – Closed
Contact details: +852 2520 2118
Bestsellers: Jasmine Blossoms, Oolong Teas, Green Teas, Japanese Teas
Whether you’re a tea connoisseur or you simply wish to experience authentic Chinese tea ceremonies and tea tastings, MingCha Tea House is an excellent choice. It’s set within a factory building in Chai Wan, so the teahouse is quite secluded.
The teas used here are directly sourced from traditional farms in China. Besides that, MingCha showcases a range of premium teas like Jasmine Blossoms, Bai Mu Dan, Teguanyin Supreme, and so much more, so many teaholics frequent this place.
It’s good to know that the tea brewing, tasting, and pairing workshops offered here are also suitable for kids, so you can bring the whole family and learn the art of tea through MingCha’s in-house tea masters.
You see, unlike most traditional teahouses in Hong Kong that serve Chinese dishes like mooncakes or dumplings with tea, Ming Cha Tea House offers international treats Here, you can pair your tea with tasty treats like French pastries, Dutch cheeses, and Spanish cold cuts.
Nana’s Green Tea
Website: https://www.cafedecogroup.com/zh-hk/brand/nana’sgreentea/
Address: Shop B128, AIRSIDE, 2 Concorde Rd, Kai Tak, Hong Kong
Operating hours: Monday to Thursday – 12 PM to 9 PM, Friday to Sunday – 12 PM to 9:30 PM
Contact details: +852 2117 1309
Bestsellers: Green Teas, Matcha Shiratama Frappe, Hojicha Tea, Matcha Latte
Nana’s Green Tea is one of Airside Mall’s food and dining establishments. This modern Japanese teahouse might not be as grand as other teahouses on this list, but it’s still a local favorite because of its offerings.
You see, this teahouse is known for its artfully curated menu offering Japanese matcha-infused drinks and desserts. It also uses premium-grade matcha powder directly sourced from a well-known Kyoto-based tea studio – Yamamasa Koyamaen. That’s why if you’re a matcha fan, don’t hesitate to come and visit!
Aside from sweet treats like handmade matcha pudding, matcha chocolate, parfait, and hojicha jelly, you can also enjoy your tea with other Japanese munchies like udon, donburi, and salads.
Basao Tea (Wan Chai)
Website: https://basaotea.com/
Address: 17號 Moon St, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Operating hours: Monday to Sunday – 10 AM to 7 PM
Contact details: +852 2952 3313
Bestsellers: Seaside Honey Oolong, Wudong Dancong, Matcha Latte, White Peony Tea
Basao Tea opened its doors to tea lovers in Wan Chai in 2018. It’s set amidst the restaurants on Moon Street, so it’s quite easy to find.
This place is like a go-to spot for people who are just starting to explore the world of tea. The menu even features flavor profiles and color indicators so you can easily choose what type of tea you’ll order.
Basao’s Oolong teas and White Peony tea are best paired with their sweet treats like tea-infused roll cakes and ice creams. On hot days, try some of their fruit-infused tea cold brews and fruity iced chajito specialties instead.
Aside from that, they also offer workshops where you can learn more about the traditional way of preparing Japanese matcha and Chinese Gongfu tea ceremonies.
