Spices and Tease

I go to Chelsea Market one a week at least and was super excited when Spices and Tease moved in. As time passed I noticed employees lack of knowledge and skill. They could not tell me place of origin or if anything was irradiated. When I say skill they spill everything together and then some with their long spoons and I even saw one young lady flip a bowl contaminating everything.

$ 3 for a fresh made tea. The tea blends smell delicious but taste nothing like the drink. Maybe it’s cause I had a flavorful taco from los amigos, but their tea tasted like what you get if you refill a Gatorade bottle with water. Kind of flavor, kind of not. I got the strawberry rhubarb which was definitely less flavorful than my friends cherry hibiscus.
The service was a little on the slow side, the price was whatever but the cash only could be an inconvenience and the taste itself was less than satisfactory. Only reason I gave it 3 stars is because I like their presentation, the price isn’t bad, and the cherry hibiscus I sipped from my friend was somewhat memorable… If I’m back in the area I may give it a try because the line was short compared to everything else.

If you are into cooking at home this spot offers an array of spices to season with.
Descriptions on each offer suggestions of what to pair with meats, fish, veggies, etc.
Service was OK when we dropped in on a Thurs afternoon.
Three small tins for $ 20 is a good way to try a few.
Located in the Chelsea Market. Sure, prices can be a bit high for some, but consider the tourist trap location it’s in.
Also, all the spices and teas are wide open here so it does smell great, but have to wonder how sanitary it is with bugs, people sneezing their boogies into it, etc.

I am appalled by the lack of customer service and the downright disrespect I received today. Each time I appear on NY1 I stop here to get tea and a spice blend I like. Today the when I tried to place my order the woman was not engaging at all and took a customer that was behind me instead of helping me to complete my order. When I told her that my order wasn’t finished she looked at me and said «I’m helping her now» motioning to the woman behind me. Her co worker also said to her that my order wasn’t finished but she just stared and continued helping the woman behind me. I won’t be coming back.

i told the employee i have a cold and immediately she knew what to reccomend an awesome tea to get rid of the runny rose and coughing. Also needed something for energy to stay up no sleepiness she recommended yerba mate. Thanks spices and tease you just cure my cold now i can work for the rest of my day.

I try to hit this place up every time I’m in NYC. There’s something about seeing all those beautiful teas and spices that just draws you in. I’ve really enjoyed the blends I’ve gotten too: they put together a nice tea. Highly recommend the jasmine rose white and the dark chocolate orange black teas. Tea comes in nice tins with a viewing window — perfect for gift giving.

Just a word of caution – we purchased some spices as gifts. The real surprise was found when the person we gave the gift to opened up the box to find it infested with bugs! Called the store and reached out to the owner but have not heard back.

This place is a beautiful sight to behold. The only rub is, everything is out in the open. The spices can easily be contaminated nearby odors, particles falling from above, and oxygen. Take note, THEY DO TAKE CREDIT CARDS NOW.

All of the world’s best markets have a loose spice and tea vendor; Spice and Tease fulfills these roles at Chelsea Market. They offer a large selection of blended and unblended spices which is perfect for both cooks that like to work from scratch or that like to simply use pre-​made mixtures. All of the spices and teas are laid out in front of you, and you are encouraged to sniff away!

I love cooking and was really floored with the place. Just the sight of so many spice blends made me go crazy.
I although had some suggestions for them
1. They should have a smiling and helpful staff. I found it slightly confusing to understand the various blends. They should have someone who can clearly explain the various spices. Now i can understand it could just be me a hobby cook. But it would really be helpful.
2. The recipes on their site are very limited. They should probably enhance the recipe list.
3. Slightly expensive than regular stores. But then you pay for the ease and availability at one place.

The staff here is very knowledgable. Everyone they have works hard. it’s a revolving door as far as when people are hired and fired. everyone on the staff is kind and very professional. the tea choices are great and taste amazing. go here if you want fresh tea or have any spice questions. The owner of this place is absolutely terrible, rude to customers and his employees. I wouldn’t work here or even buy tea here if it wasn’t for the friendly knowledgeable staff. To the owner of this place… bounce dude, you’re the one who isn’t welcome.

The selection they have of spices and teas is amazing… Everything and anything you’re looking for, they have. The service is hit or miss based off of foot traffic and who’s working but it’s worth dealing with it for the amazing selection they have.

For a few years, I would buy a special rooibos tea from Tea Spot, located on Macdougal Street in the Village. Then Tea Spot became Tea/​Wine Spot, and finally, it was just Wine Spot. I yelled at the girl at the counter upon learning this: but. the tea!
For a few months, I would go to the tea place on Sullivan Street, and it was nice, but it didn’t have the tea I wanted.
A few days ago, I wandered around Chelsea Market, and came to Spices and Teas. I found the tea very similar to the one I liked for years. I like that they don’t go through the whole process of scooping and weighing the tea. It comes in a tin at a flat price depending on the tea blend. I’ll definitely be back!
The only rub is that their teas and spices are completely out in the open, which breaks a few rules of thumb when it comes to storing teas and spices. They’re supposed to be stored away from strong smells lest they absorb the aroma nearby, and technically they should be concealed and away from light to preserve flavor. Oh well, the tea was good.

Hit or miss with service. Went once when it was super busy and I was helped immediately. Bought a few tins for Mother’s Day gifts. I went again when it was slow and was surprised by the lack of service. An associate decided it was more important to mop the floor than help me. Another (he looked like the boss since he wasn’t wearing an apron) had more fun staring into space than helping me. He then proceeded to make a call on his phone and walk away from the stand completely O_​o
I was also kind of grossed out by the fleas landing on all of the teas and spices. Made me wonder about the cleanliness and freshness of the open bowls.

Love the peach green tea and the strawberry rhubarb tea. The passion fruit black tea however was not my favorite

If you’re a tea lover or a spice aficionado, this is basically your charlie and the chocolate factory moment. Your time of puuuuuuure imagination! Spices and teas stretch out in front of you, overflowing from big rounded silver bowls, labeled with exotic ingredients and prices. It’s gorgeous. You want to buy every single thing there just because it’s so pretty.
We ogled all the combinations and lamented the fact that we didnt really have a lot of room to take home presents… and hell, where would we start anyway? The fact that it’s cash only is a little lame but we got a cardamom chai tea and happily sipped away at the hot beverage as we strolled the rest of the way through Chelsea market. A great stop, a good photo opp and someplace that I could spend way too much money.

I love the smell of a spice table like this where all the spices are out in the open.
It looks and smells soooo good.
They have a reasonably good collection and a much better location, now that they are part of a store rather than a corridor as they had in the past.

Does it sound hokey or corny to say that «ONLY IN NEW YORK» can you find a tea and spice store as complete as THIS. When you walk up to this store, the fragrance just hits you in the face… and it’s the only time you won’t mind getting «slapped» in the face. WOWWWWWWWW. It’s heavenly.
They give samples, you can smell as many of the teas and/​or spices as you wish, and the very French men behind the counter will tell you whatever you want to know. I guarantee you will not leave empty-​handed because it looks and smells so wonderful… you will just HAVE to buy something… or a lot. The teas are divine… even the sugars are flavored, and because of that, the only time where I will willingly sweeten my tea. The spices are DIVINE. OMG… so strong, fragrant, and yes, orgasmic. I love this place. I will be back FOR SURE… and I love Chelsea Market… I truly love that place, so I’ll be back. What a great addition this spice and tea shop is… and the perfect place for it. Just thinking about this store sends my memory on a wonderful trip back to great aromas and wonderful flavors.
Only downer… CASH ONLY. Almost everyone left at some point to find an ATM to get cash. It was funny and annoying at the same time. Anyway, small inconvenience for some great things.

Oh I cook, trust me I cook. So I was floored to find this place at Chelsea Market in the Meatpacking district.
I’ve never seen a place like this with such a large selection of fresh spices except in Los Angeles Silver-​lake area.
I bought tons of spices and plan on cooking up a storm. Y’all just need to watch out.
Great place. I will be back!

Wow, I’m a little shocked at the last review. It sounds like a minor interaction has overshadowed the whole experience for the last reviewer.
My friends and I found our experience delightful. The attendant took her time explaining all of the medicinal qualities of each spice and herb we asked about and was extremely knowledgable. My friend wanted a blend of herbs but didn’t know exactly what she wanted. We were able to sample lots of different spices and smell each one we asked about. She ultimately got one herb (not the blend she intended to buy) and the attendants were very patient. I would definitely go back if I lived in the area. Beautiful packaging and the perfect gift idea.