Located at 1044 Chapel Street in Sherman's Alley, this tea shop boasts over 70 varieties of tea, which line the walls in individual glass bottles, baked goods and sandwiches. Few tea shops are... More

Located at 1044 Chapel Street in Sherman's Alley, this tea shop boasts over 70 varieties of tea, which line the walls in individual glass bottles, baked goods and sandwiches. Few tea shops are available in Connecticut, much less in the Urban environment of New Haven Yale area. The few other tea shops I know of, while quant, have limited selection and is sort of more "little old ladies" go to tea. The tea selections here offer a much wider choice for the less traditional palate. Sit for a specially-prepared pot of tea with a friend, or grab a delicious smoothie or bubble tea. I would love to find some others, but I know of no other place in CT for bubble tea. If you have not had bubble tea, it is green tea (but tastier than your typical 'acquired taste" type green) with tapicoa "bubble" balls - sort of the marshmellows in hot cocoa concept, but the tea infuses the balls and they have a sweet juicy quality in a drink that is very yummy but rather good for you.
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I have now visited Oolongs and was impressed with their wide selection of exotic loose teas. I didn't order anything to eat/drink while I was there, but I walked away with 3 different new teas that... More

I have now visited Oolongs and was impressed with their wide selection of exotic loose teas. I didn't order anything to eat/drink while I was there, but I walked away with 3 different new teas that I had never heard of before: Golden Monkey, Amber Dragon, and Lapacho. They have dozens of little jars on the wall available for you to sniff to pick out which ones you want. I sniffed them all. Fun!
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Oolongs is a great alternative to the many coffee shops of New Haven. Since many of us think of tea as twinings, lipton, or celestial seasonings, it's a fun treat to go to a shop with a prodigious... More

Oolongs is a great alternative to the many coffee shops of New Haven. Since many of us think of tea as twinings, lipton, or celestial seasonings, it's a fun treat to go to a shop with a prodigious menu that's almost exclusively tea! Ranging from affordable to extravagant, I've enjoyed every cup of tea that I've had at Oolongs. More importantly, though, the owners have paid great attention to details designed to make your tea time a special experience - there are quirks, like the tea timer that buzzes when your tea has hit its ideal steeping duration, and the rock crystals of sugar they hand you for sweetener, and then there are the solid business practices - like friendly and charming waitstaff that let you linger over your tea and make you feel at home, and a high level of aesthetic sensibility from teapots to decor. I recommend slipping in to warm up and relax with a pot of lychee red or lapsang souchong in the winter, or grabbing a bubble tea and sitting at one of their outdoor tables during the summer.
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