Top 15 Best Bubble Tea Shops in All of New York!

Bubble tea did not just invade Asia, but basically the whole world! Hailing from Taiwan, the creation of the tapioca pearls-filled milk tea took over the hearts of people one country at a time, and finally did the people of New York give in to this delicious invention in a cup.

A childhood memory for some and a new-found love and obsession for others, the bubble tea has evolved tremendously over the years, starting out with the classic milk tea to, now, offering various options of toppings, tea, tapioca and so much more.Not a stranger to most menus beyond the Asian communities, here’s a round-up of New York’s finest and tastiest bubble tea shops, from large, never-disappointing chains to niche and emerging local ones.

1. Panda Bubble Tea

Conveniently located at the underground market in the subway station, pick a cup of refreshing bubble tea at Panda Bubble Tea. Generous with their toppings and bubbles, you’re in for a treat. Try their unique and fun toppings like mango stars and popping bubbles to add a little extra something in your cup for the day.

Offering options like non-dairy milk tea, there’s a flavour for everyone! Some of their recommended drinks are the oreo milk tea and almond milk tea, which brings back those regular customers who can’t have enough of them!

2. Bar Pa Tea

Perfect treat for all ice cream lovers, and even those who are not, Bar Pa Tea fuses boba and soft swerve for the ultimate treat! Founded by Taiwanese mastermind, Patrick Yeh, this cosy Nolita shop not only churns out delicious, tasty boba drinks but also provides instagrammable-worthy aesthetics for the social media-enthusiasts.

Their best-seller and highly-recommended drink is the oolong and black tea ice cream swirl with mini bubbles. If that doesn’t win you over, maybe the consistent ombre looks of each and every cup will.

3. Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea

Originated from Taiwan, based on the founder’s great grandma’s recipe on their pineapple farm, Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea began with only a cup of warm pineapple fruit tea, and later expanding to include more fruit selections and choices, as well as bubble tea.

The brand is hard on the idea of only using Taiwanese products and ingredients as a show of support to the local Taiwanese people, offering safe and extremely authentic drinks to their customers.

Their signature drink, the Yi Fang Fruit Tea, contains fresh apples, oranges, passionfruit and pineapple. Drop by their store from 1PM onwards and snag yourself a cup with their limited batch of brown sugar tapioca pearls that runs out pretty quickly during the day. Having both customisable and non-customisable drinks, you’re spoilt for choices here!

4. Moge Tee Astoria

Known for their rich, smooth cheese cream, Moge Tee offers drinks containing exclusive formula that are free of trans fats, so don’t worry about feeling guilty when sipping on your cheesy goodness boba drink. Not only do they offer bubble tea on their menu, they also have cheese tea selections and parfaits.

On every cup of freshly brewed tea, and even fruit slushies, rest cheese cream that tastes very much like caramel. Flavours of fruit include grapefruit, orange, avocado, mango and dragonfruit. Try their exciting range of toppings and tapioca pearls, like the chewier amber-coloured boba, oreo foams and creme brulee foams. Mix and match to get an interesting, unique drink each time!

5. Boba Guys

Located on the Lower East Side, this San Franciscan company has pushed aside powders and artificial flavouring to provide authentic and natural taste to their drinks. Using tea leaves, organic milk, in-house made syrup and next-level ingredients, Boba Guys are always reinventing their menu selections with ever-evolving projects and constant changes.

Their new, highly-coveted drinks like the Korean Banana-Flavoured Bubble Tea are exclusive to the bigger stores.

Offering fun, unique and extremely original flavours like black sesame and matcha (which is a matcha and horchata blend), you’ll be anticipating what the Boba Guys will come up next. Don’t miss out on trying their exclusive ingredients like Battenkill Valley Creamery milk, Oatly Oat milk, fruit puree, and loads more!

6. Macao Imperial Tea

With a few other outlets all around New York, Macao Imperial Tea’s fresh fruit teas are the classic, go-to drinks that the regulars come back for. Part of their expansive menu includes the cheese foam teas and milk teas.

Sourcing tea leaves only from Macao, this brand offers and exclusive and unique taste to their drinks. Best-seller drinks include the Cheese Foam Avocado and the Strawberry Green Tea. Get your Macao bubble tea fix today, right here at Macao Imperial Tea!

7. If Cha

From the original mainland Taiwan itself, If Cha has expanded to New York, bringing its authenticity and delicious bubble tea to the great city. Get a whiff of the Loaded Fruit Tea, and just as the name suggests, it’s a blend of all the healthy sweet fruits you can get, like kiwi, watermelon, strawberry and grape.

From their large, extensive menu and options, you’ll be spending hours just picking and deciding your choices. Offering 23 different types of tea which includes kumquat lemon and rose oolong, 14 toppings like popping mango and strawberry jelly, and juice-filled bubbles, what’s holding you back from taking a trip down to If Cha and grabbing a bubble tea?

8. Hello Always Tea

Opened by two fresh graduates just recently in 2019, artisanship is probably the main focus of Hello Always Tea. Compared to other shops, they don’t offer the most extensive menu but sometimes, and especially when it comes to Hello Always Tea, quality far defeats quantity.

With 11 types of tea and one topping option offered on their menu, they provide to everyone by including lactose-intolerant option, milk foam tea, milk tea, flavoured fruit teas and fresh fruit teas. The recommended drink that everyone should try at least once is the Grapefruit Green Tea, which uses freshly squeezed grapefruit juice!

9. Tsaocaa Tea

With two locations in New York alone, Tsaocaa Tea offers different food menus for each outlet. The one in Lower East Side offers baos while the one in Brooklyn offers Korean BBQ, both of which are perfect blends with a good ol’ cup of bubble tea.

Offering 12 loose leaf teas that are brewed to order, which options like cheese foam, matcha foam and fruit teas to match, you’re ought to find a mix that will suit your taste buds while you dine. The grapefruit fruit tea and slushie are the bomb here, so try that first if you haven’t, and then go for a passionfruit and lime green tea.

10. Kung Fu Tea

With multiple stores found throughout Midtown, Downtown area of Manhattan, Upper East Side, Brooklyn and Queens, Kung Fu Tea is no stranger to the New York locals. Arguably the most staple and classic bubble tea chain for the boba enthusiasts, Kung Fu Tea was founded in the heart of the city by three friends who call New York home and more.

Offering classic menu drinks like milk tea using ingredients and bubbles cooked every two hours, to less ubiquitous ones like purple taro, sweet red bean slush and yogurt-based drinks made with tart Japanese Yakult drink, there is no way anyone can say no to the all-rounder, all-inclusive Kung Fu Tea that has not only succeeded in the bubble tea business in the USA, but also the rest of the world!

11. ViVi Bubble Tea

With ingredients directly imported from Taiwan, ViVi Bubble Tea is strict on authenticity and quality of their drinks. As their popularity rises, so do their number of outlets, now with dozens of stores throughout Manhattan alone, and a couple more in Brooklyn and Queens. Offering classic milk tea, and expansive range of tea types as well as fruity picks that include honeydew, lychee and kumquat, don’t miss out on their milky range that offers flavours like chocolate, coconut and taro.

12. CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice

Arguably a pioneer in the bubble tea business, CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice began over 20 years ago in the original land, Taiwan. As its fame grows, they’ve expanded to dozens of other Asian countries, Europe and now finally, the USA.

With outlets even in Oyster Bay, CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice mixes things up on the stateside to suit the palettes of the American customers by introducing drinks and teas exclusively for them, but not abandoning their tapioca bubbles as their optimal taste throughout the globe.

13. Tea & Milk

Not only is Tea & Milk a bubble tea shop, the store vamps up their interior to include board games and comfortable dining for their customers to hang out and chill. Offering a range of interesting flavours and combinations, their ingredients used are fresh that produces quality and authentic tastes to the drinks.

Loved by neighbourhood regulars and even those from afar that drives by to get their cup of Tea & Milk, this cosy little bubble tea shop is a perfect hangout spot with your friends, bonding over delicious cups of bubble tea!

14. The Teapsy

Known for their extremely friendly staff and high quality menu, The Teapsy prides themselves in customisation. From hot to iced, sweetened or not, dairy or non-dairy, they will go out of their way to make you the perfect cup to suit your taste buds. With cards rewards program, you’re in for a reward treat after a certain number of visits and drinks, so that’s a mega bonus!

Try the combination of Lavender Rose Milk Tea with Boba that will blow your mind away, or other recommended drinks like the Rooibos Milk Tea and the Peach Hibiscus Tea. Otherwise, enquire with the friendly staff to recommend you a personal drink!

15. Shiny Tea New York

You’re in for a classic treat, or for some it might even be a unique one. Shiny Tea is a no-frills bubble tea shop that focuses on the balance of tea flavour and milk in each cup of bubble tea. A best-seller drink is the Date and Longan Tea, which for some locals might be nostalgic as it’s a take of a childhood flavour. An alternative would be the Apple Vinegar Green Tea with Kumquat, and is highly recommended as Shiny Tea is one of the few places that offer vinegar-based drinks!

It’s no secret that bubble tea is no stranger to the people of New York, and originality and creativity to make the classic bubble tea drinks into something more unique and tailored to the New York taste palettes can impress anyone.

With countless of bubble tea shops opened and others opening, it’s without a doubt that each one of them are offering something out of the box and different from each other. So why not take down these top bubble tea shops to get your bubble tea ball rolling?

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