Now just called The Tea House (I guess after all these years here, they're no longer a mystery? :)). Cozy spot with an extensive tea menu! I was impressed to see Chinese teas I don't typically find in tea houses (outside of China). Food menu is also impressive as well. I went with a group of five and we couldn't have ordered more different items. Seemed like everyone enjoyed their meal. They have both a cafe menu (salads, sandwiches, etc). They also have a traditional polish menu. I tried the golabki (stuffed cabbage with rice and pork in a tomato sauce) which came with a choice of potato (I chose dumplings) and salads/slaws. Very nice! Huge portion and could easily feed 2. Tasty hot stuffed cabbage paired nicely with the bright crunchy herbaceous slaws. read more

Really can't say enough good things about this place. I sorely miss it since moving away from Preston. The range of teas is astounding and the quality (of the many I tried on my many visits) is amazing. Each tea is served in it's proper manner in beautiful teapots and cups. If you're not into weird and wonderful teas, they also have coffee and 'regular' tea on the menu aswell as juices, smoothies and other soft drinks. There is no need for you to be afraid of a new tea drinking experience though, as the staff are extremely knowledgeable (seriously, they know EVERYTHING about tea!) pleasant and very accomodating. They agreed to host my vegan society meetings and even made an effort to make the menu a little more vegan. I only tried one of the food items on the menu, this was tomato stew/soup with vegetables. I forget the name but recall it was Hungarian. Either way, it was delicious, just as I hear that all their food is from my friends. This ranges from toasties and sandwiches to more substantial dishes hailing from the owner's native Poland and other places around Europe. Other than the great drinks, food and service the place is nicely decorated and makes you feel a million miles away from the Preston high street. There is always some background music on but you would only really notice it if you listened out for it. All in all it makes for a very relaxing atmosphere, especially if you get some Yerba maté! If you're local to Preston and haven't sampled the delights of the Mystery Tea House then you ought to, right now. You'll soon be a regular. If you're just in Preston for a short time, you need to check it out before you leave. read more

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I dont often return to the town of my birth, but I had a dentist appointment, so with a hour or so to kill beforehand, I used my Yelp App to scope out a tea house in the Preston area and low and behold, they came up with this one. Now, as I said, I dont often return to Preston if I can avoid it (sorry!) but I may have to make the odd excuse now I have found the Mystery Tea House. Its a wonderful place, with a book full of a vast range of loose leaf teas, from Black, Green, White, Flowering, Yerba Mate, Jasmine, Oolong, Red Bush and Pu-erh with also seasonal varieties available on a board by the counter. They also serve cakes, soups, salads and stews. The staff were ridiculously friendly and more than happy to talk tea and recommend different blends and as well as serving them, they sell all the teas, freshly bagged from the containers behind the counter and also online at their website. If I am being picky, I would say the seating was a little too formal for my liking, all small wooden chairs and tables, a couple of nice comfy seats to get lost in whilst you sipped tea and read a book would of been nice, or at least the option of both. The decor too, whilst relaxing and comfortable, it was all based rather randomly on an African theme, whilst the food was a mixture of English, Hungarian and German and then the majority of the teas Japanese and Chinese. My other worry was it was so quiet and down a side street, Preston isn't the most cosmopolitan of towns, sorry cities and I only hope is that it gets enough custom to survive. Whilst I was there, a customer asked what coffees they did, when the lovely lady behind the counter explained just the basic ones, that this is a tea room (clue is in the name really), the customer looked a bit flummoxed and slightly disappointed. I also overhead the shop keeper telling someone over the phone that business is quiet slow. Its by no means anything to do with the quality of tea or the service they offer, because that is first class. I could of easily sat there an hour or so, tasting the white pearl teas and flowering jasmines, but I had a dentist appointment to keep, so I bought some fresh leaves from the counter before I left and promised the lady that I would return and definitely before my next dentist check up! if you are in the area, please visit, its a wonderful little gem in the heart of Preston. read more

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Mystery Tea House in Preston is somewhere I've heard of via word of mouth for a long time, and always positively, but somewhere I've never had chance to visit until now, and to cut a review short, I'm very glad I did. Hidden away on the narrow Cannon Street (which reminded me a bit of The Shambles in York). Mystery Tea House really does live up to such a fantastical name, as when you walk into the door, it's a rather dark but cosy space, decorated in bright colours and with a distinctly African design, from the artwork to the tribal masks on the walls. As my dad and I walk in, friendly staff members smile and welcome us, informing us that there's more seating upstairs should we want it, as downstairs was already bustling with happy and relaxed looking customers. The bar area where the staff were talking from boasted several ceiling height shelves full of all sorts of wonderful and exotic tea blends. So we climbed upstairs, and entered another space, just a bright and colourful as downstairs, and keeping the same African style, but with more areas to lounge, such as sofas, tables looking out of the windows down over the street, and a cute little table under a tree with a bookcase, for those wanting to spend the afternoon. We took a seat at a little corner table, and were immediately impressed at the menus. Both food menus offering sandwiches, cakes and delicious looking soups, but also an incredibly extensive tea menu, with teas of all varieties and blends to tempt you. I personally love flavoured black teas, but usually aside Earl Grey it's hard to find any in general shops and cafes, but Mystery Tea House had a whole page of intriguing choices! After much deliberation, I decided to try the Rose Desire tea, and my dad, being somewhat a traditionalist, went for good old Yorkshire Tea, which as amusing an idea as it is, proves that the venue is not pretentious enough to deny people a good old fashioned cup of "builders tea" should they want it, and thus not alienate visitors. The tea came in traditional side-handle teapot with non-handled cup, and with a side of lemon slices and a small jug of honey. A very nice touch indeed. My dad's Yorkshire Tea came in a more English-traditional teapot and cup, which he was perfectly happy with. The Rose Desire tea was absolutely divine, with a lovely strong rose fragrance, and fresh a fresh flavour which forces a content sigh out of you with each sip. My dad commented how surprised he was that it smelt like Turkish delight, and after browsing the tea menu, had plans to try all sorts of new and exotic teas, he particularly liked the sound of the Jasmine Tea menu, and the Oolong Teas (even if he did keep calling it "oblong tea"!). As for food, I decided on a ham and cheese toastie, wheras my dad opted for the delicious sounding and looking Tuscani baguette, opting for some extra salami topping. When the food arrived, we were very pleased! My toastie was very tasty, but my dad's Tuscani was massive, clearly freshly made, and very appetising indeed! He raved about the flavours and quality as he ate it, and insisted I try some, which at first I turned down, but in the end agreed to... and I'm glad I did! It was flavourful, cheesy, with delicious mushrooms and that extra salami my dad wanted. For under £4 we were very impressed, and said we'd get again for certain when we next visited! During our meal, the friendly and helpful staff were happy to bring me extra hot water so I could enjoy more of that delicious rose tea, and told us about some other tea options I might like next time based on my enjoyment of the Rose Desire tea. When we went downstairs, we chatted to the staff about our enjoyed experience, and how we both had plans for different teas we would try in future. The staff member behind the bar happily brought various jars off the shelves, telling us about the types of tea, and letting us take a deep sniff of each blend. My dad later told me that he was very impressed with this service, as well as the friendly approachable nature of the staff, allowing him to be brave enough to ask about whether you would have milk and sugar in various blends, without feeling silly. Our experience at Mystery Tea House was very pleasant indeed. Relaxed and comfortable, but with some great options to explore. The tea we had was lovely, and the food was superb, it was also nice that they sold loose tea to take home, as well as tea making accessories and tea sets for the tea lovers out there. But the thing that stood out for us was the service. Friendly, helpful, polite and genuinely enthusiastic staff full of personality really made this place feel welcoming, and most definitely made us want to return! Well done, Mystery Tea House! :) read more

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I hadn't seen any reviews for Mystery Tea House prior to my first visit, but I went with two colleagues who had been before with high praise for the place. Upon entering, the staff were really nice and friendly (two Polish girls) and, as there were no spaces downstairs, we were motioned upstairs. You have to bare in mind that this place is really quite small. The spaces for three of us involved sitting next to someone else on the sofas upstairs - yes it's one of those places where people think it'd be nice to read a book, and take a whole four table space up in the process! We ordered Tuscanni baguettes which are basically half a baguette with cheese, ham, mushroom and whatever extra toppings you want on for 30p each extra; and although this on its own wasn't massively filling, it was very nice and wasn't particularly expensive (£3.90 ish with toppings). Onto the tea - there are so many different types to choose from! Downstairs there's a whole section of the wall with jars of tea on! The tea was really rather nice and complemented the light lunch well - and there was also a selection of cakes for afterwards. All in all, Mystery Tea House costs the same as you'd pay to go and have food and drink at, say, Starbucks, but it's a really nice local 'gem'. I'm looking forward to coming again. read more

It's a lovely little gem of a place, ideal for a quick break from the centre of town - we love the range of teas, teapots and little cups!

Wow - these people love - and know - their tea and have created the perfect place to enjoy it along with a slab of delicious cake. This is no traditional english tea room though. The reggae tunes, green walls adorned with masai imagery, squishy sofas (upstairs) and stripped floors make for the most chilled out vibe in Preston. I'm only a casual tea drinker, so the 140 tea varieties seemed daunting, but the lovely staff are really keen to use their encyclopeadic knowledge of tea to recommend one that suits your mood and taste buds. Despite the laid back atmosphere this is also somewhere that mums and grans would feel comfortable, I tested this theory by taking mine (they loved it). I loved it so much I went twice this weekend. This is the perfect place to unwind and a must visit for anyone who remotely likes tea, non tea drinkers (like my hubby)can have hot chocolate and a cake. I defy anyone to emerge from this place without loving or learning more about those precious leaves. I'm going to be there for an Argentinian pick-me-up (pop in and ask)every Saturday morning. read more

my daughter introduced me to this wonderful tea house and now I am introducing more people to this wonderful place. The staff are fantastic and the service is top quality. Its the perfect place for business meetings, shoppers having a relaxing break, all age groups etc. The teas and coffess are briliant and the food is aboslutely wonderful. Long may this gem continue to shine. read more

I really liked it. The staff are lovely and the teas are arranged in glass jars like an old sweet shop. I had a coffee ( I was struggling to finish my dissertation and was exhausted) which was really nice, and a cactus juice which was unexpectedly good. I just had toast but all of the food going to the other tables looked great and I will have something next time. There are nice big settees upstairs and everything comes together nicely. It is the non-alcoholic continental (best pub in Preston) read more

If you are looking for a great place to relax along with the best selection of teas you are ever likely to come across and also great service then this is the place for you!! The atmosphere is great to relax and unwind in and it really does feel like somewhere you can dart off to to escape the rat race of town - far far better than sitting in the confines of a corporate coffee house. The staff are welcoming & friendly and happy to share their knowledge of all of their teas. I was hooked after my first visit and have been back several times already to buy loose tea to take home - for someone who has been addicted to coffee for years it has been quite a revelation, I am now determined to work my way through the extensive menu over the next few months!. Oh and one last thing do try the Yerba Mate if you need a bit of a lift - different and very effective!! read more

Since my original review in 2009 I have been back many times and enjoyed it more and more. All age groups seem to like it equally. Great. ============ I had a pot of a delicious green tea in the Mystery Tea House today and I will be back for more. It is a great place to escape from the world and enjoy one of the finer things in life: tea. It is at the very far end of Cannon Street from Fishergate so it took some finding. Prices range from about £2 to about £4.50 for a pot of tea for one. There is also a reasonably priced range of cakes and food such as toasted sandwiches, but for me the tea is the big attraction. The staff were friendly and helpful without being pushy. I loved it. read more

A wonderful place! the service is helpful and discreet, with amazing choice of teas from around the world!

The best place I have found with such a wide verity of tea. They also serve very nice food.

Amazing teas and lovely food with the best service I've ever had, can't recommend enough!

A very nice place, different then the typical English locals. The atmosphere is worm and cosy. One thing I didn't like was the small toilets, you don't have space to...move. But I will surely go again there, is like not being in a different mysterious world of teas. read more

i've lived in preston for 45 years, and can see it for what it is, - not a city but a dirty, dying town. what it has done to deserve a gem like this is beyond me. the young polish staff are a credit to their parents, it's just a pity that the staff who normally work in the service industry aren't as pleasant, helpful, knowledgable.... give it a go and you'll run out of superlatives. didn't try the food, but if you can convince yourself to try something other than a cup of nescafe or builders tea, you will be hooked. the decor and cleanliness of the cafe is second to none wishing them all the best for the future, they desreve to succeed john read more