After coffee shops, we will be meeting at tea bars. The latest thing in Tokyo and around the world. The tea bar concept has emerged in response to the growing demand for high quality teas and the desire for a unique and memorable tea drinking experience. Not only is the design of tea bars as pure and beautiful as the taste of freshly brewed tea, but the way tea is packaged and the significance of tea has made a comeback. Think of tea ceremonies or a hot cup of tea with a splash of hot milk, as the British love to do. But also pop and artistic versions and unusual combinations of Matcha or fruit teas, sometimes with a dash of alcohol, that is what we like to drink now.
LOEWE STORE MADRID
This week in Madrid, Loewe is offering its customers hot tea and biscuits to celebrate its collaboration with Loewe Howl’s Moving Castle. The magical world of the film is brought to life through an imaginative ready-to-wear collection launched in their stores. The campaign was photographed by Juergen Teller.
TEA BAR, PORTLAND OREGON
Erica Indira Swanson founded Tea Bar, a small space with a menu of quality tea drinks. She now has three locations and a line of bottled teas to take home.
Her concept is enticing: “Our teas are sourced from small family farms around the world – from Egyptian rose petals to matcha from the rolling foothills of Uji, Japan.” These ingredients flavour some of her best-selling boba drinks, such as Vanilla Rose (made with organic black tea, vanilla and rose petals) and Vanilla Matcha (matcha sifted and whisked to order, infused with Tahitian vanilla bean and milk). Have a look at her online shop.
REDSTRAW TEA BAR, SANTA MONICA, LOS ANGELES
A place that makes tea pop. The interior, the way the tea is served and the tea creations are all about athletics, like the colour combinations and the way they are served. All natural ingredients, of course, and made to order by the finest manufacturers. One of my favourites is the Grashopper, a green tea with natural jasmine flowers and cucumber infusion.
YUGEN TEA BAR, MELBOURNE
Find some of the world’s finest leaf teas and the story behind them. Pastry chef and tea sommelier John Demetrios pairs the most interesting flavours. They have a day and night menu of delicious tea-infused cocktail combinations and their online shop will have you shopping for tea leaves.
TELL CAMELLIA, HONG KONG
Tell Camellia is a hidden tea bar on Pottinger Street in Hong Kong that takes tea-based cocktails to a whole new level. They source teas from all over the world and offer unique and complex “tea-tails” named after different countries. They even have a menu of “T & Tonics” where they mix tea with gin and then re-distill it.
