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overpriced but good quality tea. i'm not the biggest tea fan but the white peach oolong tea was actually very good. it was sweet and floral kind of reminded me of chicha san chen. however, we ended up paying close to $25 after tax and tip for a tiny pot of this with one free refill at that point just go to chicha san chen or heytea lol. they let you smell all their tea before you order which i thought was nice. the milky oolong smelled really good as well (also sweet and did smell like milk!) so i would want to try that if the price was lower but everything else smelled exactly as expected. the seating was very cute but i think the service was very mid. they never refilled our water even though i watched them refill everyone else's water :( wouldn't come back i think there are comparable third spaces in the area where you don't have to pay as much lol
There's a super popular Asian-infused bakery from my home city that's called Duo. People schlep for miles to the suburbs where it's located just to get a bite of their entremets, croissants, and other gluten creations. I've been, and it's worth the trip for sure. So when I went to NYC's Duo Cafe, I was kind of hoping it would be worthy of the name, even if it was in no way related. It kind of was, if one can ever fairly compare a full-on bakery to a teahouse. At least, both are clearly Asian in origin and Asian in flavor. My friend and I shared the thick, creamy Black Tea Basque--which imparted just the right essence of camellia sinensis, and the even creamier Sweet Potato Basque--which conjured up fond memories of roasted sweet potatoes from my parents' toaster oven. We washed it all down with a pot of Milky Oolong, and it was the perfect way to while away an afternoon catching up. The prices were a bit steep for my liking--$14 per cake slice, $18 for a pot for two--but that's the Manhattan tax for you. Seating isn't abundant, but there are enough two-tops and a couple of four-tops to seat maybe 20 people in total. Just come early on weekends or don't count on people leaving the narrow space during peak hours.
I'm so torn with my review on Duo. After eating dinner, a friend & I were in search of a sweet treat and happened to stumble upon this tea/dessert shop and just had to try it. Upon first entering, this small restaurant is so cute and aesthetically pleasing, lined with a few tables and an easy to read dessert menu plastered on the wall. Once seated, staff brings an assortment of tea leaves for you to smell and take your pick. Our favorite which we ended up getting was the milky oolong - a fragrant tea that truly smelled and tasted like your favorite milk tea, without the added lactose. We truly loved this tea and it's primarily the reason for how high this rating is. The dessert itself in my opinion lacked. Though all is Asian inspired, we kind of felt as if it was oriented towards western tastes. We opted for the Dessert Stories - a sampler of what we thought were going to be their most popular picks - without really paying attention to what everything included was. Upon receiving the sampler and comparing it to the menu image, it seems like at their own discretion they decided to swap one of the items with another - so beware if you are expecting it to be exactly how it is on the menu. Caramelized sweet potato: I was expecting so much more from this, and was truly disappointed. This tasted like a plain baked sweet potato, the caramelization did not provide any extra sweetness and it felt as if it should have been brulee'd a bit longer. This feels more gimmick-y than anything, as I typically eat a baked sweet potato for a meal, and now it's a fancy way to get people to eat it for dessert with it tasting exactly the same. Pistachio Basque: This was extremely rich, and after a few bites it becomes too rich to continue eating. The pistachio has sort of a peanut butter flavor and texture, but overall this tasted like straight cream cheese. Sweet Potato Basque: Tastes like mashed sweet potato, so nothing really interesting here Duo Matcha Cake: One of the favorites, where the matcha flavor was pronounced and the cake itself had a strong, bitter matcha flavor and wasn't too sweet. You honestly needed this after eating multiple slices of cheesecake. But again - nothing special about this, I've had similar tasting options elsewhere. Black Tea Basque: Another favorite, the milky cheesecake paired well with the tea and it tasted like a sweet milk tea drink. This one was fun! Black Truffle Basque: This 1000% does not belong on this sampler and felt so out of place. After multiple bites of sweet cakes, this one was fully savory and almost felt like you needed a cracker to spread this on. We were so confused trying it - it isn't necessarily bad, it just doesn't match the dessert plate we were given and just tasted like savory truffle cream cheese. After all the dairy (ironic in an Asian-inspired dessert shop since many Asians are lactose intolerant!) the tea was much needed to help wash everything down. There was one waiter for the establishment, a kind man who explained their tea options, and when serving the tea he directed us that after 5 min of steeping it would be ready. This definitely was not the case for the milky oolong - 5 minutes in and the tea was way too light, so if trying this one aim for more 10-20 minutes for the perfect strength. I do love that we could ask for more hot water to have continuous tea throughout. All in all, we loved the tea, but didn't love the desserts as much. I love the idea of incorporating Asian flavors into the desserts, but definitely feel like there are other shops that accomplish this better!
Stumbled upon this hidden gem in the Noho area and I must say their cheese cakes were so good! I didn't get to try their tea set so I was sad but I got the cheesecake to go. Got the black sesame and the pork floss, seaweed, and salted egg yolk basque cheese cake. I highly recommend getting the latter. Such an interesting take on cheese cake and a traditional Chinese bakery item. The sesame black cheese cake is super light, I would say it was more like a mousse. I will definitely have to come back next time to try out other items.
I liked the experience I had at this cafe! It's not a big place, but coming in around 9, it was too busy. However I still recommend coming In earlier though, so you can slowly take your time. When you come in, they bring a tray of all of their tea options. Giving you a chance to smell each one. I ended up choosing the milky oolong tea. I also got 2 cakes - their matcha cake and their sweet potato cake. Originally, I came in here because I was interested in their matcha cake, but surprisingly, I ended up liking the sweet potato cake more. Although they call it a matcha cake, it's more of a matcha cheesecake. For the sweet potato cake, the sweet potato flavor definitely comes through! I also liked the ice cream that's pared with it!
A very busy but cute chinese tea house! I came on a saturday afternoon around 4 PM, and there was a short wait for a table for 2. They let you smell the different teas before choosing. There's also a rotating menu of the different desserts. We chose the white peach oolong tea and the pistachio basque. The cheesecake was very creamy and pistachio forward. I also really enjoyed the sweet potato creme brulee. The rest of the desserts and snacks didn't really stand out too much, but I liked that everything wasn't too sweet. Servers were very attentive at refilling our waters and teapot. They have a strict 90 minute dining policy, so don't plan on staying too long.
This Chinese tea house is a hidden gem in the East Village! A cozy spot with a natural interior, this is the perfect place to catch up with a friend or go for a solo, peaceful treat. Service here is great. When you arrive, you're given a basket of tea leaves and you get the choice to choose one or a couple of them to sample. All of them were so fragrant and there was a good variety of them of choose from. My friend and I got their sweets tea set with their milky oolong tea and both loved it. The sweets tea set came with melon, dried fruit, cookies, and a bruleed sweet potato. Everything was sweet, but not overwhelming--the perfect pairing for the milky oolong. It was so peaceful and the perfect spot to enjoy your tea while chatting with a friend!
Very unique cafe experience. Open late as well so it's an easy option for post-dinner plans. Got lucky to grab a table for 4 but I do imagine it may be hard during rush hour. I love the basque cheesecake sampler. Got to try a little of everything. Worker was enthusiastic and friendly, despite being the only one in front of the house. We got refills for the teas too, so you definitely get your money's worth.
You can call to put yourself on the wait list and they will call/text when ready. The 4 of us got the dessert stories: hojicha basque, black truffle, pistachio, matcha, sweet potato, in order of preference. The black truffle was almost savory with the prosciutto on top - it would have been too much by itself but I liked it as a balance against the others. It also comes with caramelized sweet potato and vanilla ice cream. We got the 3 tea tasting flight with a cookie (supposed to be green tea but they gave us the regular one, which was still good). We got milky oolong, white peach oolong, and herbal which were all appreciated but the herbal did have a strange taste to me. Unlimited hot water to keep refilling but 90 min table limit. I'd come back to try some other things - (black sesame cheesecake, seasonal flavors). Loved the experience here.
My friend and I ordered the osmanthus taro basque cheesecake. It was lightly sweet and the flavors blended beautifully. I'd definitely like to come back to try the flight or some of their other flavors. The overall experience, though, had some drawbacks. When we first walked in, we were told the brighter tables in the front were already reserved and we were seated further back. The deeper into the café you go, the darker it gets. While I think the intention was to create an intimate atmosphere, it ended up feeling a little too dim for a dessert spot. After we sat down, we were given the tea menu. It was fun to be able to smell the different teas, but the prices felt very high which was about $19 for two people. For comparison, tea at a dim sum restaurant is only about three dollars per person, so the markup was hard to ignore for me. Overall, the cheesecake was excellent, but the atmosphere and pricing made the experience less enjoyable than it could have been.
I loved this tea/dessert shop! Very intimate space, lovely ambiance, but a bit on the pricier end. I came here on a Saturday afternoon and it was not too busy, though seating is a bit limited! They let you smell their selection of tea leaves before ordering. We ordered the tea set ($42) that came with a tea pot, some sweets, seasonal fruit, sweet potato. We swapped the green tea cookies for a slice of the black tea basque cheesecake (+$6 I think). The cake was so tasty, very dense and creamy with a lovely black tea flavor. The sweet potato was also tasty, it has a brulee top which made it very fun to eat. I wish it was a japanese sweet potato though, it would go so well with the brulee top! The walnut cookies and hibiscus flower were just alright, I wish we had ordered the cake set instead to try the different flavors of cake they had. We got the milky oolong tea, which was so good! I wanted to buy the tea leaves for my own home. I would definitely come back to do that next time! The waitress was very sweet and helpful, she answered any questions we had about the food and was very attentive!
loved this place so much! It was pretty small and not that many tables so make sure to make a reservation! the pistachio basque cake was sooo good!! We got to choose between a couple of different teas and I forgot which one we got but it was super yummy and one pot was enough for two. Will definitely be back especially in the cold months!
Cute spot for some tea and small bites. It's aesthetically pleasing and they have a variety of tea selections to choose from. Snacks weren't too outstanding but it is a pretty cute spot overall. Seats are limited and it tends to fill up after 1/2ish. Laptops are restricted on weekends and after 5pm on weekdays. 90 min dining limit is encouraged. The barista played some good Chinese bops.
1 year ago
A great find. The wife and I were out and about in the city tonight and stumbled upon this place. Great venue for a date, great concept with various fresh and healthy teas and dessert pairing. Well done read more
2 years ago
Charming tea spot! Trees outside provided pretty lighting inside. The server was sweet, friendly, patient, and gave great recommendations. I came around the time they opened and there was a lot of seating available. You were able to see/smell all their tea options before ordering. The menus were handwritten on paper. I love that the desserts were hand drawn, too Server recommended the White Peach Oolong and the Pistachio Basque Cake. I liked the white peach oolong a lot. It was fragrant and had a delicious fruity taste of peach that was not too strong. The pistachio basque cake had a nice, creamy texture and was not too sweet. It went very well with the tea. Also ordered the caramelized sweet potato with vanilla ice cream. It had a good combination of sweet and salty, warm and cold. Overall, prices were steep with desserts and teas each equaling the price of a meal. But everything else was good. Would recommend to tea connoisseur friends. read more
Between my friend and I, we got an Osmanthus Taro Basque Cheesecake, the Caramelized Sweet Potato and the Milky Oolong, The cheesecake was not too sweet which was great! But it was really tough- not the oozy soft texture you'd want for a basque. It was also $15 for a slice so definitely pricier than I expected. The milky oolong tea was super fragrant, but we only got a few cups out of it which was disappointing. If Duo cafe was a bit cheaper, I'd frequent it more. Service was fast and the ambiance was vibey (although a bit loud). read more
2 years ago
First time here cause one of the foodies tagged this spot in photo definitely very attractive Service 5/5 we didn't have wait on a Thursday afternoon few seats was available right away found menu was interesting, 100% handwritten 39+ 6 extra for cake upgrade tea was 4/5 tea pot design could be better, due to when the water is lower than 1/2 way it won't touch the leaves so tea won't have any taste unless it's 3-4 full, perhaps better tea pot? Entire setup was just ok, because i definitely expected more but i guess the price wasn't that high so it was ok for what i got. over all a cozy spot for chat and handout for bit, some cool tea times read more
Kind of expensive for the food, so I guess you're really just paying for the experience. They let you smell the different teas before choosing one, and then you can choose desserts for your set. The matcha cake was very good, but the other desserts were just okay. The milk tea was interesting though, and definitely something I haven't seen before (they got the taste of both milk and tea but only into a tea leaf?? it's so crazy) read more
2 years ago
1 year ago
1 year ago
Such a good spot to grab tea with friends or to relax solo! The worker was constantly making rounds to see if anyone needed more water for their teas. read more
I wish there were more places like this in general. This is a super cute tea shop in East Village, and they have a great selection of teas and a $39 dessert and tea combination that seems to come with a great selection of sweets and fruits. I was here alone so I didn't want that many things, and they let me just order a single item from the menu. I had the peach oolong and the caramelized sweet potato. The oolong was perfect, light and fruity. The sweet potato was also really good with the crunchy melted sugar topping, mixed in with the vanilla ice cream. The best part is that they will give you hot water refills! This is a great place to catch up with girlfriends while enjoying some lovely desserts. read more
2 years ago
Saw duo cafe on TikTok and wanted to come and try it! It's a super cute shop and I'll start off by saying that I did enjoy the cake themselves! We got the duo matcha and the marble mousse. Both were a good level of sweetness and had a good matcha and hojicha flavor respectively! I think the marble mousse cookie crust was speculoos. The interior is super cute as well, and they let you smell the tea before you order. I would give it 4 stars based on the vibes and the food alone! The main reason I'm docking 1 star is because of the wait/service. When we got there, there was a line inside and they have you write down your name and number but didn't really clarify if we needed to wait there or could leave. We waited for a bit and then asked for the wait time and they said 10-15 minutes so we decided to wait. After 20 minutes had passed, we went to ask again and they said they weren't sure how long the wait it would be and that we could leave and they'd call us. We went to a store nearby to kill time and another 20+ minutes passed and we received no phone call, so we decided to walk back. After we got back, we realized that a party that came after us (same size) was already seated even though they hadn't called us. The inside is really small so seating is limited so I understand that there would be a wait, but the wait wasn't worth it in my opinion, especially since they didn't call us like they said they would, so we had to wait even longer. They also didn't refill our water. If you get the sweet and tea set you can definitely spend a while here, but since we just got the cake we were only there for about 15-20 minutes so we waited for almost double the time we were there for. I would come back again because I enjoyed the dessert but I'll probably wait until the hype dies down. read more
Absolutely adorable and ambient little tea shop. Everything was delicious and cute and thematic and unique! I really enjoyed all the desserts, the rosella sweets were sooo special and yummy. Nothing was too heavy either! The tea we had was super fragrant. A great place for a chat. The inside is very neutral and warm looking. They play some good ol' Chinese music throwbacks. The service was fast and wonderful and very considerate. Would definitely return and bring friends in tow. Great place for a hangout, and nice location too. read more
3 years ago
This new cafe is a tea house + cafe. Besides offering teas, they offers cakes, cookies and ice cream. You can also get tea for to-go. I tried their tea set, which includes a pot of tea, cookies, baked sweet potato, orange and I upgraded a snack to oolong basque cheesecake. I love their tea selections but for the price point, I expected more treats in the set (should have some savory bites). Also, basque cheesecake tasted good but the texture was a bit too dry for my liking. As for the interior/ decor, it feels tranquil. Perfect place for dating/ meeting with friends. It was 4.5/5 experience for me. I will be back to try more. read more
1 year ago
this place is small but i love the calming ambiance. the osmanthus taro basque cheesecake was delicious and definitely can split with a friend. i love the cream foam on the side. the service is great as the staff was very friendly. read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
Came here on a cold snowy day! I decided to get the tea set that comes with desserts and fruits. It was $39 +$4 for the ice cream scoop and it came w a matcha cookie , 4 small cookies, 2 clementines, sweet potato (+$4 ice cream scoop) , and a pot of tea ( your choice of tea) . When we first sat down they gave us an assortment of teas to select from and smell! We ended up choosing the lychee black tea. We originally were planning to get one set each but saw the couple sitting next to us was sharing! I honestly think portion wise it was a good idea to share the set! My favorite part was the sweet potato with ice cream! Definitely a combination I wouldn't normally pair but it worked really well together! I also really enjoyed the matcha cookie! For the tea, the server comes to refill it with hot water and it was really good especially for a cold winter day! There's a lack of options to do in NYC in the winter in my opinion, mainly because I don't like to be in the outdoors for too long because it's just to cold! I think this place is perfect to go to catch up with a friend and not feel rushed as well as just by yourself! For pricing , I think it's priced well if split with a friend and it's overall a really cute experience! The staff was so sweet. The interior felt homey and I liked how it was somewhat small and decorated! read more
2 years ago
Service is super friendly.tea is so good. It's a good place for dessert. Everything is good and so chill I just loved it ~ read more
Cute Asian cafe in East Village that offers tea tastings as well as desserts (not too sweet)! Service is very friendly and the waiter refilled our tea pot multiple times with hot water throughout our experience. The cakes were also delicious and I thought the taro basque cake was unique. The matcha cake was good, too. The vibe is pretty rustic and minimal--the menu is handwritten on pieces of wrinkled paper and the inside of the space is small and cozy. I do think what they offer is quite overpriced for what they offer, but this cafe is still worth a visit because the products are quality. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
I'm a proud non-insta reel user, recently EVERYTIME I get on insta I get reel after reel of sweet potato crème bruleed, mark suckerburger got my ass he figured me out i couldn't stop watching them. I finally got to live out my Instagram reel dreams mark implanted in my head, good sweet potatoes n the not too sweet vanilla testicular shaped ice cream was awesome read more
2 years ago
Really cute tea house in the east village. Great selection of teas to choose from. Upon being seated we were given a basket full of the different tea options to smell and make our selection, as well as a hand drawn menu to choose from. We settled on the Lychee black tea which was nice and flavourful, and the Sweet & Tea set with the cake upgrade. Unfortunately as we were here later in the day the black tea basque cheesecake, and the green tea apricot mouse were sold out so we opted for the marble mousse cake which was still yummy. It's a nice chill place to meet friends or hang out with good service. It's a little expensive and you definitely need to go early if you have a specific cake you want to try before it sells out. read more
2 years ago
Super cute cafe offering Chinese style tea and delicious desserts. We came 30 mins before closing so my tea was not steeped long enough but I loved their new hojicha dessert. Definitely a cute spot to spill tea while drinking tea. read more
3 years ago
This is a serene and charming tea house. The food is yummy. The music is relaxing. The service is friendly, polite and super attentive. The price point is a tad high for the size of the desserts. My cheese cake slice was tiny and $18.00!! It is still worth the experience and it would be a nice first date spot or to meet your gal pals for a quiet conversation. (Also a good place to come alone to read a book or journal, in my humble opinion.) Worth a visit! read more
2 years ago
I came to this tea house to hang out with friends after dinner just to chat more. Usually I don't give bad reviews, however I felt this place is definitely overrated. We got two tea set for 3 and paid 120 for everything. The dessert was average and the amount was little for 120. The tea is not impressive either. However, I you are seeking only for pretty Instagram photos this place will do the work. We were not aware they only allow you to stay for 90 minutes during the weekend. ( even Friday night) So be aware if you want to hang out with friends a little bit longer better find somewhere else. read more
2 years ago
We got the afternoon tea set. There were a variety of teas and cake slice to choose from. In my opinion, the tea and the cheese cake was good, the rest was just standard. The sweet potato looked so good but the taste was just average. It was a nice change from standard afternoon tea but it's a bit overhyped. read more
2 years ago
I ordered the tea set and osmanthus cheesecake to share. I personally think it was mediocre, only ate the caramelized and tangerine. Decided to order osmanthus cheesecake and boy, oh boy it tasted plain, can't taste the osmanthus. read more
2 years ago
Is really cozy cafe .we order tea set and dessert. Green tea moose cake is delicious. I like idea about before you order You can small all of tea which one you like and then order it! read more
2 years ago
I chose White Peach Oolong Tea, which was very fragrant and of good quality. The tea my kids chose was also very good. My favorite dessert is the toro custard, which has a thin layer of slightly sweet taro puree on the bottom and a savory steamed egg (not too sweet) on top. Everything else is fine, not too sweet. You can open each tea and smell it before choosing your favorite. it's great! The environment is simple but clean, and the service is good. You can ask them to add more hot water, my suggestion is to add it twice, up to three times in addition to the first hot water. I am a Taiwanese who has been drinking tea since I was a child. read more
3 years ago
This place offers variety of tea options, if you have not tried Chinese tea before, you must come and have a try! We ordered the dessert & tea set. Tea here is not bitter but has some special fragrance and sweetness. Their desserts are not too sweet and well match the taste of the tea. The environment is very quiet, decorations are very artistic. This is a good place for datings and having a good time with friends. I will definitely come here again. read more
i enjoyed my time here during a solo date so much! beautiful interior with great music (they place bossa nova, jazz, chinese classics...etc). i got the white peach oolong tea for 1 person and a sweet potato basque cheesecake. it was definitely a little pricey but you get what felt like unlimited refills of the tea, and the size of the cheesecake was actually really large and filling. the cheesecake was delicious and dense, while not being too sweet (perf for asian tastes haha). the flavor builds after each bite, so much that i actually started getting a little sick of it at the end, so i would say that it's better to share between 2 people! tea was soothing and balanced, i enjoyed it so there's no complaints there. service can be a little slow in the beginning bc they let you smell all the tea samples before you order, and it takes longer for the tea samples to circulate if the cafe is busy. overall i had a great experience and would definitely come again to try the tea and dessert set made for 2+ people! read more
3 years ago
Really love their dessert especially the cheese cake! The best cheese cake I have ver had! Their desserts are not too sweet like any other dessert shops yet taste delicious! Will definitely come back. Ambiance and service are amazing too! read more
More info about Duo Cafe
223 E 5th St
New York, NY 10003
East Village
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(646) 454-0603
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