I was miles from my car and my cold walk became unbearable when it was time to turn around from strolling past mansions. The wind froze me to the bone and even my teeth were feeling frost bitten. Empire served me a shot of espresso while I thawed my numb face in the cozy coffee shop. The espresso was good. Warm air was a welcome sight. read more

Always enjoy coming to this coffee shop whenever I visit Newport and walk along the Cliff Walk with my family. Not only is their coffee delicious, but their staff is also kind and considerate. On the day we visited, it was incredibly cold outside and we needed a place to warm up with some hot beverages. However, we had our dog with us. Since they were close to closing time, and our dog is very small and well behaved, they allowed us to bring her in so she could warm up as well. I thought this was a very kind gesture on their part and made me appreciate their business that much more. Thank you again to the staff for such a great experience. read more

All of the food is amazing and I chose the best plant based sandwich I've had in a while along with a gingerbread latte made with oat milk. The service here is truly incredible. The server was kind and patient while I took my time deciding. He truly loved his work and it showed. The ambiance was high energy with a mix of locals and tourists. Everyone getting along as I heard laughter and joy. read more

Empire Tea & Coffee - Plant based breakfast sandwich with a vegan egg, vegan cheese and arugula on toast. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Newport, Rhode Island

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Stopped here for a cold drink while walking around and exploring Newport. It was a cute little cafe with nice and refreshing drink options and conveniently located read more

Empire Tea & Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Newport, Rhode Island

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Location of Empire Tea & Coffee is great! There is indoor and outdoor seating. Service was okay. Lots of staff and it wasn't too busy. Got my drink quickly. They have lots of choices of iced teas which is perfect for this hot summer . Place was disorganized, trash cans full, and mess mostly trash on the floor. The bathroom situation is challenging, there's one bathroom available, the other one is for staff only. Bathroom line even blocks the entrance. Basically drinks are on point, but the ambiance, space needs attention. read more

Empire Tea & Coffee - Arnold Palmer tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Newport, Rhode Island

This was a very cute cafe just a couple blocks away from where we were staying. They are open later than some of the other nearby coffee shops and was perfect to get an afternoon iced coffee. They don't make their own syrups but have a nice selection and some great seasonal specials. There was a ton of outdoor seating which was great to sit and relax for a bit. read more

Empire Tea & Coffee - May 2024 specials - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Newport, Rhode Island

First visit: If you want me to tip you for pushing buttons, you probably should look at me when I order. Customer tip: 0. Not once did I ever get that basic human acknowledgment from cashier. Coffee gets a B. Music seems to be picked by the cast of the View. Second visit: Person at the register was LEAGUES better than the first visit. I was actually blown away by the professionalism and personality. So, I have decided to split the difference between a 1 and 5 star review. read more

Came here with my boyfriend yesterday for an early afternoon pick-me-up and had an amazing experience. First off, the cashier was so friendly and gave perfect recommendations when it came to the pastries. With his help I settled on a cinnamon babka, a red velvet latte and a dirty chia. I had asked for the babka warmed up which made it 10/10. The red velvet latte warmed my soul and was a perfect little sweet treat. For a foggy weekday, this place was packed so it is clearly a loved local spot. Don't let the unkind reviews keep you from trying this place out. Excited to go back! read more

Went to this location 3 times during our long weekend in Newport! As sole tea drinkers it is sometimes difficult to find locations that make good tea drinks. Empire had a ton of loose leaf tea selections and we enjoyed all of the drinks we got. They also have some pastries from Providence Bakeries. We tried the chocolate chip old fashion doughnut from Knead Bakery and thought it was tasty! You don't see chocolate chips in doughnuts often. One of our drinks was forgotten about but the staff was very gracious to refund us that drink after we asked about it and they made it. read more

Pumpkin and Chai? Yes please! So, so good. Empire has a creative drink menu with something for everyone. There's wifi and a decent amount of seats as well so quite a few people hanging out. read more

Empire Tea & Coffee - Inside - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Newport, Rhode Island

Great cold brew, açaí bowl was frozen solid so wouldn't recommend that. Would go for their breakfast sandwich next time. Really friendly employees and lots of seating inside and out. Gets the job done! read more

Consistently serves wonderful lattes. Ambiance is great and right in down town!!! Love this place. Service has been kind and relatively quick! read more

Bellevue's outpost of Empire Tea and Coffee has improved significantly since my last review! While the "coziness" of the coffee shop leaves something to be desired, I will say that they know how to make a great cup of tea! I really love how Empire steeps the teas to order - no guesswork that results in a weak or bitter cup of tea and subsequent waste of money. The baristas here really know what they're doing. Whether it's a perfectly prepared chamomile tea, a lovely nitro cold brew, or a "grown up hot chocolate" (espresso with whipped cream and vanilla), I haven't been disappointed! They also have some great food up at this location that's not offered down on Broadway, I think due to the larger kitchen / prep space. I had a Kale Salad with freshly cut apples, creamy avocado, and a flavorful carrot-ginger dressing today for lunch, and I was very impressed with the quality. Like the other locations, they get Knead Donuts and Providence Bagels delivered fresh every morning, plus a few other house made scones, cookies, and sweet breads. You won't go hungry here for sure! While the Broadway Empire will always be my favorite, I'm getting to like Bellevue a whole lot more. read more

I never leave reviews - as I've worked several of these jobs myself - but I felt so unwelcome and judged by the staff at Empire today, for no reason. Nobody greeted me or was friendly at all. The one person who helped me gave me a weird and hateful stare when I attempted to make conversation. No thank you's or goodbyes. This was such a bummer because I love empire's coffee but that was such a whack and uncomfortable experience. It turned me off from ever going back there. read more

The perfect pick me up for a morning before exploring the mansions. Got the pumpkin spice latte and it was delicious! Enough pumpkin flavor, not overly sweet, and strong coffee taste. Cute interior with some cozy nooks by the window. read more

Empire Tea & Coffee - Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Newport, Rhode Island

Stopped by for something warm to drink during the cliff walk. So dog friendly. Complementary water. Cozy atmosphere. Ordered: Cherry tea with cinnamon topper. Hazelnut latte 4-6 dollars for small cup. Highly recommend! read more

Love this spot, the staff is always great and they have a HUGE variety of beverages. Their COVID setup is really great and probably my favorite that I've seen of coffee shops, really ensures distance! Their seasonal drinks are always the best but you also can't go wrong with a standard coffee drink. read more

Empire Tea & Coffee - Summer special - hibiscus strawberry lemonade - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Newport, Rhode Island

The best part of my day is going there on a walk with my wife and son. Excellent food, coffee, whatever you need in the morning. Couldn't recommend enough. read more

Decent coffee shop. Quite crowded for a good reason. Customer service is great. Would definitely visit again.

Friendly staff. Open early. 6am! Big and spacious. Varied and delectable food offerings; I purchased the chocolate cake and vanilla brioche donuts. (Fresh and tasty.) I was intrigued by but did not try the prepared smoothies and chia pudding with fruit. Loved their large tea menu; available both iced and hot. Very happy with my cold brew. Hoping to return! read more

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I loved this place so much that when I was visiting the area I stopped in twice in one day! I love a good tea and coffee house that thinks outside the box when it comes to tea! I highly recommend anything and everything with lavender--SO GOOD! read more

I got a matcha tea and avocado toast and it was an amazing breakfast and looked beautiful! It was very causal and comfortable in the building. The workers were very kind and helpful! Would recommend this to anyone! read more

Empire Tea & Coffee - Avocado Toast - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Newport, Rhode Island

Orange and cranberry scone was excellent. So was the Americano. Comfortable interior, plenty of seats, friendly and helpful staff. Recommended. read more

Bad coffee, rude/aggressive staff. Bad vibes all around. Barista screaming people names and being rude

They changed the avocado toast and it is almost inedible. It is such a shame because the old avocado toast was the best!

Solid latte, which was a nice change based on the past few places I've tried in Newport. They made it in my mug and it was properly strong, appropriately foamed, and even had a little design despite being in my travel mug, which I don't think I've ever seen before, obviously just because they can. Surprisingly the prices were very reasonable, not just standard but even slightly on the low side, which isn't a huge deal but it's a nice bonus. They have a big rack of loose leaf tea. They say they can add pumpkin to anything, but beware that it's just the basic monin syrup. The space is great, not too quiet to feel fine chatting but not too loud to sit and work. There's free WiFi via a password. The snacks look great. There's a bike rack out front. The staff are friendly and helpful. read more

Empire was a tea cafe I've been trying to get to. So after a long walk in the area I ran right into the new location on Bellevue Ave. I enjoyed the famous Kale salad that was awesome. It was huge so I shared with a friend. The Latte was rewarding after my walk. I think my other favorite is a iced green tea. Really gets you going!! The place is spacious and bright with outside seating. Parking can be tough in that area but you can manage. Everything was made fresh and the counter staff were friendly and helpful. This is definitely a place to check out while your out shopping and visiting Newport on your summer vacation. It is very close to the local university . It's a great place to meet friends . Give it a try, I'm thinking you won't be disappointed ! read more

Empire Tea & Coffee - Fresh to order - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Newport, Rhode Island

I was disappointed that the hibiscus lemonade is made with syrup rather than real tea, so I got the Berry Berry iced tea, which was very good! read more

Empire Tea & Coffee - Berry berry iced tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Newport, Rhode Island

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So awesome! Seasonal lattes are the pot of gold (turmeric) and the Dancing Leprechaun. Lots of different options. Will definitely be back soon. read more

Empire Tea & Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Newport, Rhode Island

Great place for coffee and lunch. A small selection of sandwiches but reasonable and fresh. Turkey deli sandwich and BLT , both were excellent today. read more

Empire Tea & Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Newport, Rhode Island

Definitely my favorite spot for homework or coffee dates. The coffee is always so good!! I'm obsessed with the spicy mocha (it reminds me of coffee I had in San Diego). The matcha is also very delightful when I'm not feeling coffee. I've tried their breakfast sandwiches & açaí bowls, and the food is also so good. I have no complaints. read more

Empire Tea & Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Newport, Rhode Island

This cafe has been operating behind closed doors through a window on one Side and a pick up door around the corner.. It's made things complicated by the fact that the handwritten signs do not adequately describe what to do next and when. The pick up side is unorganized because there is no clear order... Apparently, I was too close to this door when someone Yelled out to get back from deep inside the store.. I'm sorry to say this but I find it offensive to be street trained by a cafe employee.. put up a barrier with a note.. anything but telling a customer how to behave is in bad taste.. I'm sure I'm not the only customer that has felt victimized at this coffee shop. Please get it together and rethink how to run this silly method of take out.. read more

never thought i'd be laughed at in front of my face for my order. these people are the definition of entitled coffee-bar people. i asked for extra espresso in my small latte cause i like bitter coffee but i wanted a latte and the woman taking my order and the GROWN man who made the latte both audibly laughed in my face. i'm a carpenter and get up at 6 am every day i was extremely tired and wanted some extra caffeine i didn't expect this and it left a bad taste in my mouth the whole day! sufficed to say i won't be coming back here unless im in dire need. go to annie's across the way it's incredible service and amazing food and coffee. much better to support a local diner than this weird corporate coffee place! read more

This place is set up perfectly for social distancing and operating in a covid friendly world. Walk in, place your order (if you didn't order ahead) walk out, and your order will be up waiting for you around the corner. They have plenty of seating outside on their patio and they take up a pretty amazing corner in Newport for people watching or socializing safely with friends. I got a simple yet delicious hot chai latte. It was creamy with a nice spice to it. there is Plenty of parking around it (off-season) and a large lot right next door. They are across the street from the Tennis Hall of Fame! read more

Empire Tea and Coffee is in a nice spot. It is a little pricy for the average person but it is every bit worth it. I love the avocado toast, very rich taste and the people who work there are super nice. read more

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Their social distancing plan is great in theory, but poorly executed by the lack of proper signage informing people of what to do. It felt annoying ordering and picking up our order, and we weren't the only ones. While we waited we saw several other people confused about what door to go to. More importantly the coffee sucked. I would normally sugar coat it and try to come up with something nice to say but I'm over it. It was a pain to order from you, it took 10 minutes to flavor and add milk to a cold brew, and it wasn't good on top of all that. read more

Deconstructed Avocado toast is literally a sliced open avocado, pit removed, dash of red pepper sprinkled on top- thrown into a to-go container with toasted bread. WTF? If I wanted to make my own avocado toast I would have stayed home and done so. I can't be the only person who finds this absolutely absurd. read more

Chai tea latte was lukewarm, flavorless to the point that it tasted like the mere shadow of Chai (like did you just sprinkle some cinnamon into milk, or...?) and for a large constituted less than 16 oz of liquid and foam. That, combined with the barista's dead-eyed stare as she monotonously took my order really came together in the blandest of combinations. The decor was cute though. read more

1. Get ahold of that caprese sandwich!!! Unforgettable. 2. They have oat milk even though it's not on the menu 3. Free WiFi!!! read more

Asiago Bagel with homemade Hummus and Tabouli. Sorry that there are no pictures. I unhinged my jaw and threw the bagel in. No overpowering garlic or onion taste. #Delicious read more