Zhi Tea

Found a new place to get work done right down the street from my favorite rock climbing gym. The staff is knowledgeable and polite. More importantly they know when to leave you alone to get work done and when to ask if you need or want to try something new. The only reason why this place doesn’t get five stars is the limited amount of seating. Wish there was an East Asian style tea house in Austin, like the modern ones one can find in Korea, Japan, or China.

If you are a tea lover, then this is the place to be! Do not ask for coffee because this place doesn’t have any. They are a tea-​only place, and I appreciated that!
I came during a trip to Austin and I wasn’t feeling too great. The service was absolutely terrific, as they gave us great suggestions on teas to drink and try as well as just nice hospitality overall.
My boyfriend and I got the Turkish Spice, which we both enjoyed as it had a deep and earthy flavor with hints of spice. They also gave us Kenya chai to try as a sampler and some cookies!
I definitely would return here when I come back to visit Austin!

Zhi Tea has a great selection of tea and awesome customer service. My friends and I came here since we’re newbies to tea. I grew up using Lipton bags, so coming to Zhi was kind of mind-​blowing. The woman working at the counter was really helpful and patient with us and our million questions.
I loved the tea I chose. I also tried the teas that my friends ordered and they were all delicious. I’m so looking forward to coming here again.

ALWAYS impressed. love this place more than words! you’ll always have my business. best tea room in Austin.

A cute little getaway for you and a friend!
The shop is pretty small so it is more ideal for smaller groups and they have some seating areas inside and outside on the patio. I was impressed by the patio with a cute swing set from a tree, wind-​chimes, picnic tables, and chairs for those who like to enjoy their tea outdoors. Inside, they have some cute dining tables with décor that have an artistic yet asian feel. Overall a pretty ideal homey tearoom that suites me.
As for the tea itself, I really the matcha warm green tea (also comes in iced latte form) I ordered that came in a cute teapot set on a serving plate with some wafers on the side. Although I only ordered one pot of tea (one serving size) that girl who worked there was thoughtful enough to bring out 2 teacups and 2 cookie wafers for my friend and I as we chatted on the swing set.
The service was great, the girl was patient with me picking out some sample tea bags (that I hope my mom likes!) and my drinks. We happened to go when it wasn’t busy so the service was fast and the tea was presented quite nicely.
Thanks for the unique experience!
Will recommend to my friends :)

The selection and variety of teas and products were impressive and would make any tea connoisseur happy. The presentation of food as well as their tea service was really pretty as well, and it’s obvious they put attention to details like this.
Here is where I think improvement needs to be made: parking is horrible. I had to park 0.25 mile away in the neighborhood and walk to the shop, which was annoying. The ambiance is cool but there’s some wasted space. There are only 4 tables on the right side, and they are in close quarters so it would be hard to have private conversations. The seating could definitely be more comfortable since most ppl spend more than a few minutes in there.
There is a sofa with cushier chairs on the left side but it’s a wasted space if 1 person if sitting there. It would feel intrusive for anyone else to go sit in that «living room» type area with a stranger and when I was there, on a busy Saturday afternoon, many customers just had to stand around because of the limited seating. The food taste was ok, nothing great. The scone was very bland and not worth a 20 minute wait.
All in all, good concept and presentation but I probably wouldn’t go back unless they expanded parking and seating to make it truly more comfortable and cozy to spend a couple of hours there.

Gyokuro is one of the best teas i’ve ever had. If only Gyokuro and Yaupon had tea babies.

I feel lucky to know about this place.
–Staff is knowledgeable & kind
–Large selection
–Free wifi
–Food service
–They offer classes
–Outdoor seating
This place has been a sanctuary for me to get away from the popular places like Radio Coffee and Mozart Café. I enjoy both places but sometimes I need my peace and quiet, Zhi Tea is where I head to.
Service has been great and even the presentation is pretty. I’m grateful that they offer many Oolong varieties, because some shops wont even carry Oolong.
What sets them apart is that as a consumer I feel good spending my dollars here. I know that the owners are dedicated to sustainability and providing a superior product. I’m happy to be a patron here.

I read a lot online about matcha and decided why not, so we looked for a tea place and this one had a decent website. It is in an unexpected location, pretty cool out of the way spot really. The lady behind the counter whose name I think was Sarah (but it’s been a week and the matcha clearly has not been in my system long enough to increase memory yet…) was soft spoken and kind, very knowledgeable and made it even more welcoming, which it already was. My go to for tea for sure.

Such a great tea shop. Whenever I feel like tea or if I’m meeting up with a friend who prefers tea over coffee, Zhi is always my go-​to place. It also smells incredible in there, and their hot and cold tea service is as cute as you can get. They have high-​quality organic teas from all over, and it all tastes terrific. The staff is also wonderful, and everyone I’ve met has been extremely helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly. When it’s nice out, their outdoor area is the perfect tranquil getaway– complete with wind chimes and a bench swing hanging from a tree.

This place is bliss! Beautiful food, great gluten free options. Sweet customer service, quiet-​calming atmosphere, and AMAZING teas! Free wi-​fi to boot.

We needed some peace after a stressful week. Zhi Tea provides that! So many blends, knowledgeable staff, calm environment, and delicious food. We will definitely be back.

So many teas! You can have a tea brewed in house and served either hot or cold, OR you could take some tea leaves in a sample bag or a larger canister. If you decide to stay and drink the tea there, you should either take a hot tea inside, or a cold tea outside. The patio is like having a tea in your backyard! There are two wooden picnic tables with umbrellas and a small metal bench for seating. It’s very homey. The staff are really nice and knowledgeable, and the selection of teas is incredible. The whole place just smells amazing!

A real treasure! I stopped in looking for a rose blend, and walked out with… well, not what I came in for! The violet femme is enticingly floral and so smooth with vanilla nut milk, and I loved my quinoa milk matcha latte! I don’t think I’d enjoy quinoa milk by itself-it’s quite earthy and thin– but it played nicely with their leafy matcha. I do wish that they stocked some local milks instead of the tetra-​packed stuff :/
The shopkeeper assisting me was a fellow tea geek, and was especially happy to point out the nuances of their many oolong choices. I even got the hookup on a tea master in Taiwan to visit! Definitely a must-​visit every time I’m in Austin, and I’m very much looking forward to making some tea cocktails with their excellent products.

5 stars in all areas!
Great customer service.
Great Tea Variety!
Wonderful atmosphere!
Great fresh food!
I’ll be back here frequently.

If you like things that are «organic,» «detoxifying,» «gluten-​free,» «GMO-​free,» «local,» and «raw,» then this place is for you. Complete with Tibetan prayer flags, this shop is just the beginning of the gentrification of East Austin. We came here because I had tasted Zhi tea in the past and really enjoyed it! Unfortunately, what we ordered fell somewhat flat. I ordered a white tea, and my dining buddy ordered black tea. I liked the black tea better, while the white tea just tasted like hot water.
I did buy a can of satchets for work, but I don’t think that we’ll be coming back to the tea room. The service was iffy (it took more than a few minutes to get our orders in) and the gluten-​free (or was it soy-​free? dairy-​free? you never know with these places) brownie was crumbly and not moist. The tea I’ve had elsewhere by Zhi has been very good though, so stars for that!

Zhi makes the best tea in Austin. It’s a fact. Google it. (Okay, don’t Google it.) The shop smells divine, and offers a ton of sample sized packs you can purchase, you know, before you commit to one of the «nuttier» flavors. I personally have never had a bad tea from this place; they makes even the types of tea I don’t like taste good. Last time I went, I noticed people in there to dine, and that’s new to me. I can’t vouch for the «dine in» menu, but it intrigues me. Perhaps next time.

Ever since I found out Zhi existed I liked it. Back for my second visit confirms the hunch. The outdoor ‘patio’ is actually a huge backyard with lovely trees providing shade, and an assortment of yard furniture. I had it to myself for hours — delightful!
Get a pot of tea, they’ll refill the water endlessly so you you can seep out every drop of goodness from those leaves.
Haven’t tried the eats yet — next trip it’s on!

A fine example of what happens when you focus your business.
Zhi is a tea shop which means you’re getting organic loose leaf teas from a local business. That’s a win/​win = local + organic.
The place has a very nice vibe, relaxed and cool, even though from the outside its aesthetically not much. Heads up, they’re tucked right around a corner and can be hard to find as the building is small and unimposing and no garish neon signs, but they are worth the effort.
You can some tea supplies — strainers, pots, etc — and while they seem a little high you can pick it up and hold it which for me is better than saving a dollar or two on-​line.
The tea selection is good, they offer multiple sizes and they do have some tables and chairs if you wanna get your grove on with your favorite brew and the free wi-​fi. Since I haven’t eaten here though I can’t rate the food.
Friendly, knowledgeable service too, always ready to help you understand the different teas.
A bit of advice, on a per pound basis loose tea can seem more expensive than coffee, but it you look at how little tea you use per cup it is actually less expensive.
In summary, if you like tea, go!

Nice little tea room and shop in East Austin where it’s easy to get your zen on. Staff was quite knowledgeable and Unilocal Check-​In got me a free iced matcha drink with my purchase. I have not sampled any of the tea I have gotten yet, but look forward to 5 packages of various green teas (Cloud and Mist, Gyokuro, Kukicha, Tropical Green and Pink Grapefruit Sencha) that I purchased. The tea leaves looked to be of better quality and lower cost than some of the chain tea stores.
Service was friendly, knowledgeable, approachable and knew when to just leave you alone as well as you contemplated which teas to purchase.