The first time I came to this place was in 1998, 24 years ago. At that time, I lived near this shop for a short while. Recently I happened to be around this area and remembered this shop, and found that they are still in business. Coincidentally, I had a visitor from Japan who LOVES tea - so I pushed their door open thinking that she may like their tea, and ... out of nostalgia. The owner, Marisha, was there just like 24 years ago, helping me select tea for my visitor. House of Tea has diverse teas from different parts of the world. I chose 2 classic ones - Earl Grey and Assam (with floral flavor) and also teas from Java and Africa. Their tea turned out to be a perfect Torontonian gift for my visitor. I am glad they survived this pandemic! read more

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I visited on a cold, windy day, and it was just me and the owner lady. She was very approachable, and as I asked her my questions about tea, she also asked me many questions that helped with my preferences and selection. Cozy, warm decor with many things to look at (various tea pots and cups, etc.). Heaven for a tea-lover. Smells divine inside the place too. There are teas from all over the world, and so many different scent and flavour profiles. But it's not easy to look around the shop by yourself, so if you want to shop alone and are the shy type, this might not be the place for you. I was there to pick up gifts for 3 different people, and after sharing ideas and sniffing various teas, we arrived on the perfect selection for each person. She took plenty of time and I never felt rushed or pressured to make a big/expensive purchase. Very thankful to have shopped here. read more

I have been a customer here for many years. It has a wonderful selection of teas, and great service from Marisha!

Great selection of fresh teas. The owner is both friendly & knowledgeable and the pricing is very good. This is my go to place for loose leaf teas read more

Wonderful selection of tea and relevant utensils/pottery; excellent recommendations and service.

This would normally be a 5 star review for me. Unfortunately, I feel compelled to knock this place back a star solely based on the damage they do to my wallet each time I'm here! I recommend getting small bags of whatever tea you're getting. Although there may be a small amount of savings when you buy in bulk, the tea loses its freshness after a couple months. House of Tea is definitely worth checking out. I have barely made a dent in tasting what Marisha has to offer... Earl Grey Blue Flower, Rooibos Orange-Eucalyptus, Cranberry-Goji Berry, Rooibos Strawberry-Cream, Rooibos Blueberry and of course, English Breakfast are a few of my favourites. Also worth checking out are the adorable tea accessories that are available. Again, a little on the pricey side but they make great gifts! I mean, who doesn't like tea and/or tea accessories?!? read more

Great selection, very good quality tea. Pricier than other places but if you are a regular tea drinker you can tell you are getting what you paid for. Thankful it's so close to home I can easily purchase in store although they offer online purchases through their website. Staff is also very friendly and helpful. read more

The best tea shop in town! I've been a customer since the opening (for more than 20 years) and have never been disappointed! They have a huge variety of teas and prices are very reasonable. Service is consistently excellent!. Love this place! Michael S. read more

I'm Asian, so I know how to appreciate a good cup of tea. There aren't too many tea shops in Toronto, and it's a shame really. Upon entering House of Tea, there was a very strong unusual smell, that if you aren't used to, can hit you like a ton of bricks. I wouldn't say it is a bad smell, but probably a combination of all the different teas in the shop. They have a large variety of teas, kept fresh in tin containers (which is how your tea should be stored, in a cool, dry place). Unless you're a tea aficionado, ask the staffer there to help you in your purchase. If you don't know what you want, ask them to recommend something based on what you know you like.. Other than teas, they have some really neat tea accessories, such as tea infusers, tea strainers, 2-in1 kettle cup combos as well as these big ass, cute tea pots. The tea pots are a little on the pricey end of a tea pot ($70) but they are hand painted and funky. Expect to pay a little more than your Red Rose Orange Pekoe tea bags, but once you try the good stuff, you'll wonder how you ever lived without it! read more

House of Tea - the front of the store - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Just got into my car from my first visit here to restock my tea selection usually go to Teavana but rather support the little mum and pop shops :) Marisha the owner is a humble friendly and informative woman, a true business woman in all the right ways! I will definitely be back for more it was an amazing experience and more business' need to learn from this woman :) THANK YOU MARISHA :) for the free sample can't wait to brew up a cup and get cozy :) read more

House of Tea - My new tea collection so excited and I just can't hide it :) sharing the good news with the world, well yelp users at least :p - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

My friend and I stumbled upon this place since it was on blogTO and we were on the search for some good tea. The owner was very nice and helped us with the teas that we wanted to see. What makes this place very unique in comparison to other places is that the owner makes her own blend of tea, based on the needs of the customer. There were some teas that I wanted to try, but couldn't commit to 100g minimum. She was nice to give me a sample free of charge for this tea, and it ended up being really good!!! I will definitely come back for it now!! I really wish that she had a try before you buy practice...I don't like to buy tea that I end up being stuck with :( I'll come back and rewrite my review. read more

My experience today at House of Tea was the true example of bad customer service. I have been to House of Tea twice so far. First time there was an old lady (seemed to be the owner) that helped us with picking the tea and I actually liked what we got, so we decided to go back and get more. This time, which was today, there was a middle-aged lady helping a customer in the store. She had no clue what she was doing. Her knowledge on the different kinds of tea was minimal and she took a long time weighing the tea the other customer ordered. We waited for over 30 minutes as she helped the customer before us, waiting for our turn. She completely ignored our presence in the store, and really took her time with the other customer, chatting about random things, giving them all sorts of tea to smell etc. They paid for the tea and were ready to leave when she asked them if they wanted any samples to take home with. Of course they accepted the offer. 10 minutes later, when she asked for them to pick the THIRD sample they wanted to try, I knew we had to leave the store. This was one of the worst customer service experiences I have had, and I will never set foot in this store again. What a waste of 40 minutes of my life!! Just went to another tea shop today and they were very knowledgeable and polite. Will keep going back to the new place. I don't recommend going to House of Tea. read more

STEEP THIS.... I cannot believe that this place does not have 5 star reviews all around! Have you tasted their tea?! Its da bomb, yo!!! I feel like screaming from the tea tops how great their tea is!!! A co-worker told me about this gem over 10 years ago (yes, I am that old). I instantly fell in love (never mind that it is in Rosedale - a luxury neighbourhood that I will live in one day - oh yes). Marisha - she is a tea angel. Even though I hadn't been in the shop for a while, the sweet tea of a gal remembered me. My recommendation to everyone, is to let Marisha know how you take your tea. I am a milk and sugar, earl grey gal. The earl grey cream tea she carries is HANDS DOWN THE BEST earl grey I have ever had. No question about it. Let Marisha recommend some tea for you. Smell the tea. I also really like the honey tea and the O'Connor cream tea. Please, next time you are at Black Camel, step around the corner and grab some tea. You can't go wrong. read more

This review is more about a person than a place. We walked into House of Tea somewhat haphazardly. We were greeted by a very charming lady (Marisha) who spent the next quarter of an hour educating us about tea and giving us different types of tea to smell. The aroma still lingers in my nose and will be imprinted in my temporal lobe for sometime. She provided us with samples to take home and try. It seemed like she was more interested in sharing her passion for tea than making a sale. She has been in business since 1997, offering hundreds of types of loose tea (and accessories), imported from various parts of the world. Their prices are a little steep, no pun intended but not much more than Davids Tea. If you are a tea fan, I highly recommend paying a visit to House of Tea. The benefits compared to going to Davids Tea is getting recommendations from a true expert and supporting a small business dedicated to keeping traditions alive. read more

I love, love, love this store! For years now I've been coming here to buy my tea when I can, even when I was an hour and a half away by TTC. Their selection is amazing - better than anywhere I've ever been. You don't just come here and say "I'd like a 50g of Assam" or Darjeeling or whatever - you can choose from something like 8 different kinds of Assam, a dozen kinds of Darjeeling, and so many more! And the owner (Marisha) is super-nice, and very, VERY knowledgeable about tea! She can advise you about all the different varieties and how they taste, give you tips on the best way to prepare and serve each one, etc. And you get to choose a free sample each time you buy something. It's almost always her working there, but occasionally you may find someone else filling in, in which case the experience is not quite the same. But most of the time she's there. The prices are highly variable - I don't think it really merits the "$$$" rating shown here, unless you're focusing solely on the higher-end teas. They have a lot of varieties that don't cost any more than an average blend at David's Tea or Teavana... But are of better quality. One thing I should note - this is a store, not a cafe. The "Coffee & Tea" category that it's placed in here seems to be mostly cafes, and so some of the review questions don't really apply. It's just for buying loose-leaf tea in bulk (as well as teapots, cups, etc.), not for hanging out and drinking it there. read more

With the air cooling down, I've recently become a tea junkie and this is where I've been getting my fix. They have a great loose tea selection and the women who work here are not only the sweetest people(they always give me a nice sized free sample baggy on my way out), but seem pretty passionate about tea. Although it seems a little pricey, it's good quality so you don't have to brew a lot. One small bag seems never ending. The caramel vanilla rooibos with a little milk and honey is my personal fav. I prepared a cup for my friend from the UK who was raised on Tetley's and she was blown away by the rich flavour. read more

Marisha, Tea Consultant and owner, really knows her stuff. With over 250 teas she was able to quickly suggest some options for my quest to find a fruity tea that was mild and not overly sweet. There are hundreds of tea pots, cups, infusers, and more in this quaint shop. While I waited it was clear that this shop has a strong customer base as Marisha knew everyone's name and asked them various questions like how their home renos were going or how the customer's sister was doing after her surgery. This was returned in kind as I witnessed one customer drop $250 on tea alone, no accessories. Marisha is a smart business woman. With every purchase you get a free sample of your choosing. These samples are quite generous as you get enough loose tea for about 4 cups. This keeps you trying more and coming back for that delicious blend that you just discovered. If you enjoy a good cup of tea this is a place you must check out. read more

This is more a review of the tea consultant Marisha than the House of Tea! We wandered in one rainy Sunday, looking primarily for temporary shelter, but walked out having discovered a local gem. Marisha spent between 15-30 minutes teaching us about a large variety of teas, from where they're cultivated, to how they're dried and brewed. She made it all very interesting and showed great patience as we asked to try the scent of every other variety! What was even more amazing was that we both received generous amounts of free samples, before even committing to buy anything. For the sample I tried the Lapsang Souchong which is a new favourite for me, and Tea Leaf's offering in this category is quite good. I also purchased some Orange Mate, which was descent but rather not particular in flavour! If you want to try a new variety of tea and are not sure which one to go for, this is definitely the best first stop. It would be nice if they offered a 50g package and I find the prices to be rather on the expensive side compared to other tea shops I have visited, but overall, worth a trip. read more

House of Tea - a man in a store - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I came here for the first time today and will be back. It's hard to find good tea in a coffee city. They sell a wide variety of teas from all the countries known for their tea. The owner herself is from Sri Lanka which is well known for their tea. I went in just to check out their Ceylon teas and ended up buying an Assam decaf tea. I enjoy putting milk in my tea and the Assam tea is perfect with milk in it. I've never tried a decaf tea before because I assumed I wouldn't like it. She told me chemicals aren't used to decafinate it. Now that I'm at home drinking my tea, I'm in love. I can't wait to go back and try some different teas. read more

I've walked by here several times, but never had time to go in until today. The store is filled with tea pots of all different kinds. Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, German, French, British, etc. All of them are high quality and drip-free. There's a table covered with different kinds of glass pots for blooming tea, there are cast-iron tea pots, and pots with form-fitting cozies. When I entered there was only one customer, but he was chatting with the owner as if they were good friends however I overheard that this was his first time in the store. When he left, she came over and offered me some advice on the pots according to what I was drinking. She knew everything about them; the ethnicity of their design, the location of the factory they were built in, the quality of the strainers (and what their appropriate for), and how good they were at retaining their heat. I didn't know you could be that particular about a tea pot. The only down side about the store is that there are no cheap tea pots. I was looking for something regular just for the time being and everything was at least $60, most of them were $80-$150. I didn't have the budget for that at the time. The tea assortment is also impressive. There are several kinds of black teas, herbal teas, and green teas. As it was my first time in the store she offered to give me a free sample of tea (about 5 cups worth), so I told her I enjoyed black teas, especially smoked (lapsang souchong). She had me smell four different types of smoked tea similar to lapsang souchong and, like a wine connoisseur, she told me their precise flavours and how I might enjoy them. This shop is not very well advertised but is definitely one of the best tea shops I've been to. This place is definitely legit; it doesn't have an attractive design with fancy wall paper and furniture, it's more humble than that. I think this'll be my go to place for tea. 4.5 stars. read more

Very disappointed!! I got the Earl Grey at the shop and realized there is a 40 dollar price DIFFERENCE on the price on the website. Make sure you check the price in advance so you do not get scammed. read more

What a lovely tea shop and the owner, a tea master, graciously spent time educating us to discover how each type of tea is processed and produced, what differentiates each classification of tea and how the teas are grown. Cheers! Miami Beach, FLORIDA read more

Great tea, and great customer service. The lady who helped me was very helpful and friendly, and she seemed very knowledgable about tea. The teas come in a range of prices, there are expensive ones and quite affordable ones as well. I would recommend this place to anyone who likes good unadulterated tea, it's a step up from the trendy shops such as David's Tea. They also carry a wide range of tea ware and tea accompaniments, including Mate gourds, clay pots and fancy honeys. read more

Though I was impressed with the wide selection of tea, I couldn't believe the terrible service I received when I arrived at this store. I was interested in purchasing bulk loose leaf tea for my business so I called ahead of time to ensure that there was someone who would be there to help me. When I had arrived, the shopkeeper was in the middle of helping someone else so understandably, I looked around while waiting. Then, someone else came in and she began to service him while just giving me a wave of her finger as if to signal to me to keep waiting. At this point, I was still patient. After another ten minutes of watching her serve another customer, I decided that this was not somebody I wanted to do business with. No matter how large or small a transaction, whether it yields large dollars or not, all customers should be treated with respect and dignity. This shop was interested in turning a quick buck while foregoing a partnership opportunity that could have been beneficial in the long run. Very unimpressed. read more

In a Good Eats Episode they talk about how to know if a Tea shop you are in is good. Alton talks about the way the tea is stored, the knowledge of the people at the tea store, the number of different ea available and the differences. Generally I have found these to be pretty accurate. I dropped in here on a sunday after randomly finding the place on my yelp app. I had run out of tea and I needed some. The person I met in the shop was excellent, she steered me clear of some mistakes I was making, blended a tea for me as I wanted it, and was just generally a pleasure to be around. I actually felt really comfortable there, for some reason I just don't feel comfortable in places like Teopia or Davids. They had all of the tea I wanted, and they gave good suggestions. I think I will definitely be making this my tea place of choice in Toronto for now. read more

I haven't been in a while to this amazing tea shop, but I'm due to pop in. Marisha is simply a beautiful person, and the teas are incredible. Her passion for great tea is infectious. I'm glad to see this little tea shop is getting the ratings it deserves on yelp. Check it out if you love great tea, and who doesn't? read more

This is one of the best tea shops I have found in Toronto. I drink mostly darjeeling, assam, and oolong. Most of the new shops like David's and Teaopia are expensive and don't have a wide variety of the teas that I like to drink. House of Tea also has wonderful flavoured teas and they can also make a custom blend for you on the spot. The owner Marisha is very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. Unlike David's they don't try to be trendy. Just great customer service and top quality teas. She also gives you a generous sample of a tea of your choice when you buy something. They have a larget assortment of tea accessories but I usually just go for the tea. read more

The best loose leaf teas hands down. The owner also gives free samples worth several cups. You can't go wrong with this place.

The service customer here is probably the best I have ever had in Toronto. The owner is knows her stuff and is sweet as pie! Lots of selection, quality is great and she gives you generous free samples with your purchase. I can't wait to go back! read more

My friends showed me this place and I fell in love. They have the best selection of tea here and the staff is incredibly helpful. They are happy to answer any questions you may have about their products and can help you find the perfect tea for you. If you're a tea lover, check out this place. You'll never want to go anywhere else for your tea! read more

The proprietor spent a lot of time asking questions and listening to me before recommending specific teas. She is knowledgeable and pleasant. It's a beautiful little store with excellent products, well worth a trip across town. read more