Top 10 Cups of Tea in Austin

1. Fluff Meringues & More
This meringue shop has Afternoon Tea service that boasts scones with homemade clotted cream & seasonal jams (and other pastries), and the full option includes a curated selection of cheese, charcuterie, and local honeycomb. Oh, and a selection of 14 teas from the Tea Palace in London. Order their hot drinks “fluffed” and visit one of the regular “Spill the Tea with the Beckies” drag events that benefit Out Youth.

2. Sips by Steep Society
Here we have an Austin-based, female-founded tea club that operates as a personalized monthly subscription box. Fill out a short questionnaire and soon you’ll be receiving teas from around the globe, covering all flavors and caffeine levels. Their Sips by Steep Society is a great way to connect with fellow tea lovers.

3. Dosed by Addy
What’s more relaxing than a cup of nighttime herbal hot tea, filled with fragrant red rooibos, chamomile, lemon balm, basil, licorice root, lavender, and natural vanilla flavor? That’s easy: It’s exactly that, plus 10mg of full spectrum water-soluble CBD, and they’ve got five flavors to choose from.

4. 101 by Teahaus
This place is a wonderland. There is simply not enough space to list all of my favorites here, but for iced, go with Jasmine green tea with grapefruit and honey, Masala chai, or Sea Salt Creme Thai tea (add boba!). If you need warming from the inside out, opt for any of their kabillion loose leaf teas. Whatever you choose, be sure to add it to one of their delectable Asian dishes and live your best life.

5. Greenbelt Kombucha
I’m not sure anything screams “Austin” quite like four flavors of locally-crafted kombucha in cans. There’s peach blossom white tea, blood orange Yerba Maté, strawberry fields rooibos tea, and hibiscus berry black tea and each can is only 40 calories with only freeze-dried fruit for added sweetness and flavor.

6. Sugar Pine
This delightful Japanese eatery offers white chocolate Thai tea ice cream, plus a strong full flavored iced red tea for that double cool-down. Bonus: Sugar Pine's owners also own both locations of CoCo's Cafe, which specializes in pearl drinks, iced teas, and a large menu of Taiwanese fare.

7. Willie’s Remedy/Reserve
Is it excessive to have two CBD teas in this list? Of course not. The legendary musician’s Remedy line offers delicate but tasty CBD-infused loose leaf tea in five flavors: peppermint, chamomile, hibiscus, black, and green. (If we lived in one of the 11 states that have legalized recreational marijuana, I could tell you about the Reserve line. Alas, you’ll have to resort to the internet.)

8. L’Oca d’Oro
Sure, chef Fiore Tedesco and his team are whipping up gorgeous pastas, seasonal veggies, and exquisite proteins, but they’ve also got Lost Pines Yaupon Iced Tea available. That’s naturally sweetened, naturally lightly caffeinated, incredibly sustainable tea. But if boozy is your game, consider the Immondizia Partito, a daily punch of wine, infused spirits, rum, citrus, and herbs – tasty and zero-waste – which has nothing to do with tea, but everything to do with fun.

9. Vixen’s Wedding
My favorite tea at this Goan-insipired spot is the flowering moondrop tea, served just before blooming in a gorgeous glass teapot with matching clear glass cup and saucer. It’s a great way to settle after a meal brimming with rambunctious flavors.

10. TIE: The Steeping Room/ Zhi Tea
Between these two local, wildly different gems, you can’t go wrong no matter what flavor, temperature, or style of tea you prefer. Even better, each of these spots know their teas’ origin stories and ideal steeping factors, and have plenty of patience to help you find your own groove.