Elixir

I really miss this place! Is there another place in L.A. that is similar?

I loved the place. One of the best places in Weho to have a conversation.
Are there any other places like this one?

The store is gone, but the product remains! (
) And thank god for that, because I’m definitely willing to tithe half my income for this shit. Like I seriously considered becoming a greedy wholesaler just to get my hands on a nearly endless supply of the 32 oz. bottles… I’m still thinking about it.
Now, does this stuff really do any of the crap it purports to do? Is it really just a brilliantly marketed do-​it-​yourself Italian Soda ripoff with a New Age spin and undeniably catchy branding? Am I just one of many yoga-​obsessed, 30-​something soccer moms who can’t seem to get enough of this [overtly capitalist] healthy-​living shit?! Perhaps. But this stuff is delicious. And it makes me feel good. It will make you feel good, too. ;)

I went here with Henry during the winter.
It was after dinner and it was so cold.
They had an assortment of teas, tonics, books, candles… hippie stuff.
He ordered 2 teas for us and we found a place to sit in the garden. It was really peaceful, they had nice music on, a fountain, and a nice rock formation.
Every seating area is closed off with tall bamboo or some sort of tall plant, cant remember.
i fell in love with the place.
and the bathrooms actually smell nice: D

I hear rumours this place is closing at the end of the month – anyone know if it is true?
It’s a great garden and overpriced gift shop but a fun experience overall. But don’t go hungry. Unless you sustain yourself through vapor alone.
Check out the creepy ode to Mao’s Cultural Revolution in the bathroom.

You can’t fault the Zen garden and the tranquility it gives you any time of the day. $ 5 for a tea is probably worth the entrance and I’ve always found a seat when I’ve come, which is more than I can say about the parking nearby (damn Urth Café!)
I miss seeing the dude with the cat on a leash, but I guess I need to come more than once every 18 months to have a chance of giggling at that sight again.

I love this little oasis but am sad to hear it’s shutting up shop, at least temporarily. Apparently the company was going through some restructuring. I’ve got to stock up on some Rooibus and oolong so I’ll swing by and double check to see if it’s still open. I hear there’s another place round the corner though.

This is the thing you’ve gotta know about me: I really REALLY like beverages. But when I think of tasty and refreshing, my mind goes to iced lattes and iced chais and, of course, the old standby, a Makers+Diet.
That said, you wouldn’t think I’d rush to the thrilling flavors of an elixir, but these things are really fairly spectacular. Nothin’ like getting a rootbeer elixir made of all the spices and flavorings NATURALLY that make up rootbeer. Okay, so I still picked one that shadowed a regular beverage, but, still, you won’t be disappointed no matter what you choose!

Feng Shui+tarot card reader on staff+ outstanding use of CA weather/atmosphere+super friendly staff=good afternoon.
I went for the Ginseng Sling and it increased my libido fourfold.
fourfold.
If you’ve never been to Japan and experienced this style café, then this is a must.
2 things though, whomever is selling the art with the Chinese character for «HOUSE» written on it, needs to clean up their calligraphy. Too expensive for a sloppy «HOUSE»
&
I think they could go for a different soundtrack. Something more asian/​more ambient. Perhaps I’ll write and propose a soundtrack for this place. …or just try again on a different day and hope for something different.
okbye

Sometimes a girl needs her depth recharged.
It’s a bit out of the way for me, but sometimes the urge to visit this little oasis is too overwhelming. Walking into the place, I immediately feel a sense of calm. After a little bit of browsing their adorable things, I order my elixir. This is where the real relaxation begins. Sipping my drink out in the beautiful garden, I almost forget I’m in the middle of L.A.
Oh, and their «morning after» elixir has saved my hungover butt on more than a few occasions…

Mmmmm. Quiet, gorgeous, peaceful, with very decent herbal tonics and a few small snacks. An ideal place to meet a friend in the afternoon for a serious conversation, a business meeting, or just a hang. Cute store inside with lots of I-​live-​in West-​Hollywood-​but-​am-​really-​a-​Buddhist tchotchkes.

Banished to the confines of the scorching desert, I made a brief foray back to my home state to hang with my friends over a long weekend in February. One of my friends, an avid tea enthusiast, called and asked where I wanted to meet her: Urth or Elixir?
How about I’m not from LA and don’t really know the difference?
«But Elixir has a Zen garden and tiki torches!»
Oh, okay then, Elixir it is. I drive all the way down there and realize that Urth & Elixir are right by each other. Who knew? Ok, not me. Anyway, parking in West Hollywood sucks. Of course, I lived in San Francisco for 7 years so complaints of parking anywhere else is laughable, but I now live in Phoenix where half the city is a parking lot. Anyway, I digress.
I enter and notice jars of tea, $ 30 teapots and all sorts of other yogafied riffraff. I go to the counter and for the longest time I only see the «tonic» menu. WTF? I didn’t feel like a «tonic», and almost felt like that was my only choice before the tearista told me the regular teas were at the wall behind me.
«Oh.»
So I picked the rooibos chai (caffeine free and interesting sounding) and the guy gave me a thing of soy milk at no extra charge (big bonus point for any place that doesn’t charge for me being lactose intolerant). My friend, though, got there before me and she had one of the tonics, which she said was «interesting.»
We sat on a bench in the back yard. Sure enough, tiki torches were alight. Seating was spaced out enough, I thought, for everyone to converse comfortably. Random tracks from «Buddha Bar version whatever «wafted through the soundsystem.
I thought it was a cool joint, for what it was. The roobois chai was actually excellent and I’d definitely get it again. The place reminded me of the Samovar teahouse back in San Francisco, if Samovar had a backyard, that is. Apparently they do massages in the back here, which continues on this whole holistic theme.
I didn’t think the crowd as hippy dippy or anything different than the norm of folks enjoying tea. Best thing is it didn’t seem like some lame plastic scene, which is always my expectation whenever I go anywhere in the west side of LA.
So good on you, Elixir. And good on you, friend. 4 Stars.

Ginseng sling me baby! Hot or cold!
I love Elixir and the calming atmosphere. It’s so relaxing to just sit out in the garden with a sketch book and get out your thoughts and designs that have been buried under all the stress of living.
The service staff is very friendly and welcoming. Great oasis in the middle of WeHo!
Note: If going close to dinner time and you don’t want to hear the music from Coco de mer… sit on the left side of the garden.

Modern zen oasis done LA style. Stone buddhas? Check. Tranquil water fountain? Check. Towering bamboo? Check. Fire torches? Check. All this comprises the store’s zen garden in the back. Very nice layout with wicker chairs, gravel pathways, and little nooks surrounded by bamboo made for a table and 4 seats. The ambience is romantic, laid back, and a great place to just relax. Plus is that they’re open till 10pm, even on sundays.
The store itself is basically an herbal apothecary with their tonics, loose leaf teas, wellness books, teapots, aroma diffusers, etc. They even have an herbalist on staff. A counter takes your order of whatever tea you want, hot or sparkling cold. Their health enhancing herbal tonics are all natural, with no preservatives, no added sugar, and low in carbs.
I tried the depth recharger tonic sparkling cold, which apparently is an energy replenisher that replenishes Jing, tonifies the liver and kidneys, and clears heat. My friend tried the Liquid yoga tonic hot, which apparently calms the spirit, relaxes the senses, and nourishes the heart. Interestingly, she said it tasted like melted cherry gummy bears, which sounded unpleasant to me, but she liked it.
Yeah, so it is a bit on the pricey side (around $ 5 a drink) but they’re using all those crazy herbs here. Since I’m Asian I know how expensive those herbs with medicinal qualities can get, i.e. deer horn juice… uhh. no thanks mom. But remember cheap things aren’t great and great things aren’t cheap ya’ll.
Well apparently the tonics did their job b/​c halfway through our drinks, we felt relaxed, blissful, and strangely almost giggly, like we were on drugs. Whatever it was, it felt good. We shall be going back for our fix once again.

I personally love this place. The tea tastes great and the garden in the back is my little escape from LA.
The only reason I am giving it 4 stars is because of the price. I personally don’t mind it, because I feel it is worth every penny but my friends refuse to «Pay $ 5 for water and hang out in a hippy place.»
As you can tell Elixir is not for everyone, but if you are into tea in a nice atmosphere then you will love this place. Not too sure if their tea works as described, but they have a wide selection of teas for any ailment/​mood you have.

Update ²⁄₀₈ — This review is for ELIXIR which is sadly now closed, NOT for Dr. Tea which it’s somehow been misposted as. Just because it’s a tea place in the same location, it does not make it the same. Dr. Tea can kiss my lily white … teapot.
…
If you’re looking for a little zen on the westside, than this is the place to be.
They’ve got more tea than you could shake a stick at (well, I guess you could shake a stick at it, but I can’t imagine why you’d want to), and a beautiful little garden to sit outside and enjoy it in, by day and (torch lit) by night.
They offer a slew of «elixir» tonics — Virtual Buddha, Liquid Yoga, Chi Devil and Morning After are a few of my pics — which can be had hot, or, cold and sparkling, (they seem sweet, but fear not, no added sugar) though for me, the real draw is their amazing variety of tea which can be enjoyed by the pot. Try the Gen Mai Cha or the Bengal Chai with milk and honey — they won’t disappoint.
In the market for a little splurge or to take something home? They have an amazing selection of tea and teapots for sale, though unless money is no issue, you’re probably better off looking for quality ceramics in J-​Town. Sage, incense and all sorts of earthy goodies are also readily available, and at far more reasonable prices than their teapots.
You’ll notice they’re also a complete herbal apothecary with a full line of herbal tinctures and tonics for all that ails ya, and if you’re lucky the herbalist will be in to help you navigate the myriad bottles of this and that.
As others have mentioned, it’s worth checking out their calendar for events and goings on. Some evenings, there’s live music out on the patio facing the garden or the card readers will be out doing their thing.
Tip: The Bodhi Tree bookstore is right across the way, so it’s worth checking both places out if you have time.

I chose not to take any pictures of the garden, because no photo could have captured its beauty. You must go there, preferably at nighttime, and experience it yourself. Sitting with a fresh pot of oolong, I enjoyed the peaceful candlelight setting surrounded with bamboo shoots, listening to the faint, serene music in the background. What a great way to wind down after a long day in the world outside.
Pick up the monthly event calendar when you have a chance. They offer a variety of events, i.e., meditation classes, poetry reading, music nights, spa facials, film festivals, etc.

Nice, tranquil place to just simply «be.» The teas and tonics are wonderful but not sure if they really do much or are just placebos… I mean really, I go there when I have a sore throat or can’t breathe and I could just SWEAR that the «Yin From the Cold» is curing me faster… i’m sure chamomile at home would do the same thing (just not AS tasty!).
LOVE the Black Vanilla Rose tea… buy it loose and purchase the little tea bags to stuff yourself at home. Heat up hot water, stick the tea bag with the BCR tea in it in the mug, add a bit of milk and a bit of GOOD maple syrup and stir! You will thank me… it’s like crack!
Also…IF they have them in stock when you’re in the store… DO NOT bypass, I repeat… DO NOT BYPASS the chocolate dipped macaroon cookies… oh Lordy.

I love the outdoor garden. It’s the ideal setting for you & a friend to spend quality time over a pot of tea & some goodies. When I walked in, my initial reaction was, «Oh my gosh, this is soooo LA.» But, put whatever judgment aside and you have a beautiful gem in the chaotic frenzy that is «LA.» It’s a hidden treasure & decorated in such a zen-​like, calm, serene, tranquil setting, you may just forget that you’re in Lala-​land.
I didn’t buy the elixirs, but my friend’s boyfriend tried one & SWORE BY the hangover one. He said after a night of drinking, he didn’t have a hang-​over. Good enough for me, especially since he’s a drinker.
If I’m in the area & want a place to relax, I will definetely be back. Maybe after I purchase a book from The Bodhi Tree, which is conveniently located across the street.

I like this place – for the garden and ambiance. Slightly gimmicky with the tonics, but a nice place to relax and chillout with a friend or two in the afternoon.
Herbalist on staff. Merchandise is pricey. Sometimes they have a card reader for hire in the garden.