this place is solid. i have good memories of it. this is the first place i ever got boba when i…read moremoved to seattle 9 years ago, and i go back occasionally every few years or so. i just want to leave a review specifically for the little stand they had at the recent u district street fair. after a long 1.5 hours there, i was on my way back to my car, and i saw the booth with no line this time that i passed. they had all my fav flavors, including oolong. i was so tired but i was like, ok, i bought my son some things that he wanted, i should just get something nice for myself, too. my son (3 y/o) protested bc he just wanted to go home. at first, i gave in and said yeah, i already spent too much money at this festival. but after i walked away, i thought, no, i'm tired and hot and i worked hard and i came all this way--i should get boba if i want it!! so i came back to the stand and said, "can i have an oolong tea?" and the very nice person at the stand looked me straight and steady in the eyes and said, "yes." she was very supportive and insistent that i have the tea for myself even if my 3 y/o insisted on just wanting to go home. it was arguably a small gesture, but it felt really good to have someone so confident and encouraging that i should do this nice, fun thing for myself. i drank the boba on the way home as my son fell asleep thank you!!!

Refreshing beverage in Seattle, Washington…read more.. We were walking around when we saw this boba shop near the Large Gate at the entrance to Chinatown. My niece suggested that we see if this place was actually Seattle Best Tea. The interior was crowded, so we thought that it must be a popular place. There were people standing in line and a small group sitting in the back of the shop. Service was efficient and polite. I was told that wintermelon tea cannot be served hot. That's ok... I can drink it with less ice on a chilly, cloudy afternoon. Since toppings were free, I got rainbow jelly. Yay! Thank you! We'll be back if we're in the area again!

Flavors were great! And service was nice and simple with…read moretheir kiosk The spot was pretty quiet too

Gaga Tea is pretty decent and one of the few spots where you can actually taste the tea. It's also…read morereasonably priced. I would be back if I was in the area and craving boba but I wouldn't necessarily seek it out. Like most spots, you order from a kiosk and the store is pretty small, so this would be take out only. There's also not a lot of space to wait for your drinks but not much they can do based on how small the store is.

nice tea-tasting location that only seated 5 people. crowded, so watch where you go because…read moredelicate products and furniture all around u. the lady who led the tea-tasting experience was good, but I felt like a better introduction of each tea would have made the entire experience just the best . It was just okay. It felt rushed, too. also, a walk-through on how she preps the yea would have been much appreciated. shop looked pretty , but also was pretty expensive for the ceramics. oh well...nice place to walk around if u got time to kill

Stopped in on Monday to try some teas and ended up buying a really lovely oolong. The shop owner…read morewas very sweet and gave us a sample of a couple types to make sure we picked one we liked. It's smaller but there's a lot to look at and it's well organized. Would definitely come back!

Finally had the chance to try the alley out and definitely did not regret it. I've had it in a…read moredifferent location before but this is the first one I've seen in Seattle and the Brown sugar milk drinks did not disappoint. It's on the outskirts of international district so be prepared to walk or a parking is easier if you are driving here.

I really like the Alley Trio. I've been to a few locations and this one was a different vibe. The…read moreother locations had such a vibey feel and look that gave high end feels more. Nevertheless, the Alley Trio drink is still just as good as the other locations. Staff was good kind and quick. It was served quickly and a great treat to have right after having Cambodian food right next door.

Two things I love: Tea and Cats. I found both nestled in the cozy atmosphere of this tea house…read more When I came in, the barista explained the teas available, showing me a menu with caffeine levels. There was a large selection of caffeine free herbal teas. The teas are all lined up on the counter allowing you to smell the sample jars. I decided on a cup of West Cape Chai and a slice of lemon cake (one of their many pastries). The chai is a nice and polite balance of sweet and spicy flavors. After ordering, I went to the lower level to find seating. It was upon entering this room that I was greeted by a sweet meow from a little cat. Her name is Miu Miu, and this is her house. She promptly followed me to my table and after testing me out, made herself comfortable in my lap. This series of events was so unexpected, yet so welcomed. As for the lower parlour itself - it also serves as a museum, giving history of this landmark. It has an authentic antique charm with comfortable furniture and decor that invites you in. This tea room doesn't try to be anything it's not, and that's what makes it so special. I lost track of the time I spent here enjoying my tea. The barista reminded me twice that I can get more hot water for my tea whenever I was ready, so I did, getting the most out of my loose leaf tea blend. There are only positive things to say. The bathroom was clean and spacious, the interior might surprise you in a good way, the prices were more than reasonable, and it's a place to find peace. I've wanted to come here for a long time, now that I've finally come in, I have a new favorite for my trips to Seattle.

Panama Hotel Tea & Coffee is the café of the historic Panama Hotel, designated as a National…read moreHistoric Landmark. Photographs and artifacts in the café showcase the unique story and history of the building. Jars of a wide selection of teas line the counter, and they have teas, coffee, pastries, cookies, and wagashi. I ordered a matcha latte, and it was a nice hot drink on a cold Seattle afternoon. The matcha latte is actually quite sweet, which I wasn't expecting.

Love this spot, so cool…read more Lots of options. I came in during the weekend for dandelion tea. The owner was so sweet and welcoming. He had just about any tea I needed. He also does tea tasting but I held off, I was in a rush. Use to go out in Pike for my tea but this has become my favorite spot. He's my tea guy :)

Great ambiance, really nice guys, especially to a total tea rookie like me…read more Took the time to explain what I was drinking, dropped a bunch of knowledge on me, and walked me through each tea I was purchasing. Thought I was just grabbing a couple bags of tea for a friend, ended up with an hour long experience I very much enjoyed. 10/10​

The ube latte at Hood Famous is delectable. I went up to the register not sure what I wanted to…read moreorder, but after some help from the barista, I decided to get the ube latte with 50% sweetness. It was the perfect ratio of 2 coffee shots to syrup. I also ordered the chicken congee and really enjoyed the fish sauce and other toppings. It was the daily special. The store has limited seating but has options between the bar overlooking the street, couches, and normal tables to get some work done at. I will visit again when I go to Seattle next!

While I didn't buy my cheesecakes directly from them (I got them from a shop in Chinatown), I was…read moredisappointed that the cheesecakes were below average at best considering the cost. Mango calamansi was more tart than expected, while the one barely had any ube flavor. Overall, maybe a 2 to 2.5 but rounded up to 3.

Jardin is an interesting boba spot with a ton of unique flavors. Albeit the (specialty) drinks are…read moreslightly pricier than usual, it seems they also include crema by default. As part of the Uwajimaya food court, it's easy to get in and get out or grab a drink for the road, plus there's validated parking. They also have sandwiches, soup, and donuts. I'd stick to just the drinks though. Plenty of other options in the food court. While I thought some drinks were good, I thought the overall experience was average. I ordered on at 5pm on a weekday and noticed the "Happy Hour Specials" so I decided to also snag a sandwich. Well, that advertisement was a lie. Their menu advertises 20% off for the combo of a sandwich and a drink while their digital screen shows 10% off with a soup (without the limited happy hour). In the end, I paid about $20 with tax and tip for a sandwich and a drink so they clearly did not honor the happy hour. It's not much at the end of the day, but false advertisement is a bad user experience. Overall, the service is very mediocre. Menu does not make it evident that sugar and ice levels can be adjusted and the employees cannot be bothered to ask. Same with any milk substitutions. Once you receive the drink, it's evident that sweetness can be adjusted at least, still unsure about the ice. Plus the experience with the combo showed apathy. Turkey Grilled Cheese Sandwich - I had ordered food before but saw the happy hour and went for a sandwich. My other food was ready quickly while this grilled cheese took close to 25 minutes. My drink was ready 10 minutes before so I was just left waiting. It's a solid sandwich with a strong amount of cheese but lacking in the protein. Not worth the price. Uhi Empress Milk Tea w/ Boba - first of all, boba is pretty solid. Flavorful with fair sugar coating and chewy, only lacking a bounce. Uhi is another purple yam like ube but originates from Hawaii. Flavor is very similar, so ube and taro enjoyers will appreciate this drink. Jardin Pink Milk Tea - as one of their signatures, I knew I had to try it. The flavor is a watered down lychee jelly and while lychee jelly as a topping tastes fine, this liquid form just tastes off. Not very sweet as a drink but also lacking flavor. More like water with mashed up lychee jelly without the texture. I would honestly never get this drink again, but the others were good. Banana Breeze Milk Tea - good old fashioned banana milk! If you've ever had the little cartons or banana milk tea from a spot like Boba Guys, this is very similar. Banana is flavorful and sweet but the tea helps prevent a sugar overload, so the drink is balanced.

The drinks were pretty unique. There is a wide selection of teas to choose from. We got the…read moreLavender Vanilla Skies milk tea with the creme foam on top and the horchata milk tea with creme foam. I enjoyed the lavender one and it was very pretty when I first got it. The hint of lavender is subtle but the creme was very good! It was nice and sweet and light. The horchata drink was alright. It was cinnamon milk tea in a way and mixed well with the creme. The drinks didn't take too long to make so no complaints there. The place is in a food court so it is just a little window. It is cute on the exterior but not much else.