The five best tea houses in Hong Kong for buying Pu-erh and Oolong tea (and others). With an English explanation and the possibility to try before you buy.
If you like Chinese teas, then you will love visiting tea houses and tea shops in Hong Kong. Some resemble traditional tea houses and others are more modern and serve dim sum on the side. But Hong Kong is not only for teas like Pu-erh and Oolong: you can also find white teas, black teas, and flower teas in addition to the more recently hyped bubble teas, cream cheese tea and fruit teas. Shops selling bubble tea are literally everywhere.
The more traditional tea houses on the contrary are hard to find. This especially goes for shops where the hosts can explain the differences between the teas you can try in English. Read on to find out about my favorite (traditional) tea houses in Hong Kong.
1) Lock Cha Admiralty @ Hong Kong Island
This tea house is in the middle of a park on Hong Kong Island. The surrounding area and the interior contribute to this Lock Cha’s number one spot on my list. Lock Cha serves a great variety of teas, with my personal favorites being Rose Pu-erh and Selected Phoenix Oolong. You can order a variety of all-vegetarian dim sum and relax while refilling your teapot multiple times.
If you find a tea you like, you can buy it as a souvenir. Ask the host if you can try small cups of some of the teas that you’re interested in buying. As my haul is slowly disappearing, I keep wishing I had bought more…
Location: LockCha 樂茶軒, The K.s.lo Gallery, 香港公園地下層, Admiralty, Hong Kong
2) Li-nong tea @ Lantau Island
After taking the cable car up to Ngong Ping, your eye falls on Li-nong tea house. Here you can brew your own traditional tea. The hosts will gladly show you how to raise the teapot high when pouring to give the others in your company something to look at. There is a wide variety of teas to choose from, though not as many as at Lock Cha. The same goes for the snacks selection, but who cares, you’re there for the tea.
In the shop, they sell beautiful teapots and traditional tea sets. There are more types of tea on sale in the shop than you can order in the cafe part of the shop, but the hosts are perfectly willing to brew a small tasting cup of any tea you’re interested in buying. I bought a very good Yunnan Chitsu Pingcha Pu-erh cake with a deep and rich taste.
Location: 立農茗茶, 7W42+HR, Ngong Ping, Hongkong
3) Lock Cha Central @ Hong Kong Island
Lock Cha Central is located next to the very popular tourist spot at the Parade Ground and opposite the Tai Kwun Centre for Heritage and Arts. From the terrace and the indoor seating area of this Lock Cha tea house, you can see the interesting historical buildings around the parade ground. While the location is interesting, it is not very serene because of the many tourists in this area. Even though you can refill your teapot many times, you will do it at a faster pace than at the other tea houses. The hosts also looked rushed (in the offseason with only half of the tables occupied).
This venue doesn’t serve dim sum with the tea but does have beers on the menu. Lock Cha Central feels more like a cafe with a nice view than a tranquil tea house.
Location: LockCha 樂茶軒, G06-07, Block 01, Tai Kwun, 10 Hollywood Rd, Central, Hong Kong
4) Ying Kee Tea House @ Tsim Sha Tsui
A small tea shop with one table where you can try out what’s for sale. Even though it is a shop it has its charms. A lot of thought went into the interior of Ying Kee Tea House. The hosts can tell you all about the teas they sell in rather good English. My favorites are Supreme Yunnan Pu-erh and Special Old Pu-erh Cake.
Location: Ying Kee Tea House – Tsimshatsui Shop, 75WC+P9 Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
5) Tin Tree Tea House @ Cheung Chau Island
This small tea house is situated at the popular Cheung Chau Island boulevard. They sell a variety of teas and you can even try some at the shop. Because many tourists are passing by this place, it might not be possible to try one of the teas whenever you like. What speaks in favor of this shop is that they sell tea in very small packages, so you can buy many different ones to try at home.
Location: 田株茶莊, 626H+66 Cheung Chau, Hong Kong
Bubble tea, cream cheese tea and fruit tea
Who doesn’t love bubble tea? (Alright, I know someone who doesn’t) These teas look so interesting and because there are so many mixes to try out you never know what your cup of tea is gonna taste like. Bubble tea equals adventure, an exploration of taste.
I have mixed feelings about the tea with cream cheese on top. When you choose hot tea, the cheese topping does have a refreshing effect. But I’m not a fan of the taste.
Another favorite of mine is fruit tea and especially the one I bought at a mall in Shenzhen. To normally brewed tea like Pu-erh or Oolong, large chunks of fruit are added that you can eat after you finish your tea. These are not the small chunks the cafes in my country put into a drink to give it a fruity taste, but rather a full-size dessert. You even get a fork to eat it properly. Very refreshing!
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