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The best places for tea in KL

Where to go for a cup of tea

Written by
Time Out KL editors
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Nothing a hot cup of tea can't cure; from traditional Tieguanyin oolong with a bowl of tea eggs to modern tea the likes of chocolate chai, we show you the teahouses in KL for you to spend your afternoons in.

  • Restaurants
  • Contemporary Asian
  • Petaling Street
According to architect and owner Shin Chang, ‘chocha’ means ‘to sit down and drink’ in the Hakka dialect, or it may also mean ‘the first brew of tea’ in Mandarin, or even a reference to the Malaysian yumcha culture – which clues us in to what Chocha’s all about.

When at Chocha, have some tea. While the tea menu will be constantly updated (teas are mostly from HOJO, as well as the owners’ personal collection), we like the collection so far – lapsang souchang (a smoky black tea from Fujian), autumnal Darjeeling, aged shui hsien, raw pu-erh and more.

Teas are served with a tiny platter of roasted chestnuts. When the weather gets too hot, opt for one of their cold brew teas (dong ding oolong, gold rush blended tea or sencha).
Purple Cane Tea Restaurant
  • Restaurants
  • Tea rooms
  • Bukit Bintang
  • price 2 of 4
This homegrown tea brand is headquartered at Shaw Parade, with a tea restaurant that’s accessible from the road, and a tea art centre located within the mall.

The spacious tea centre includes a large section dedicated to tea-related equipage (ceramic ware, bamboo trays, teapot cleaning brushes, tea knives, and more), while several varieties of tea (aged white peony, rare puer, silver needle white tea and more) are displayed along the walls.

There’s also a mini library with books on tea. For the tea enthusiast, make an appointment for a tea tasting session, or sign up for tea appreciation classes.
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The Tea Republic
  • Restaurants
  • Tea rooms
  • Bangsar
  • price 2 of 4
This modern teahouse is perched in a corner of Bangsar Shopping Centre’s second floor, and provides a temporary breather for when you don’t want to be seen in a mall. Teas are sourced by owner Sumita and playfully infused with unconventional ingredients; think caramel, mango and hibiscus in classic teas such as rooibos.
Cream
  • Restaurants
  • Coffeeshops
  • Petaling Jaya
Cream may primarily be a specialty coffee roaster (it's an evolution of The Roast Things) but they serve a good cup of tea too. The menu includes premium loose-leaf tea from Yunnan such as wu yi shan (oolong tea), wu liang shan (raw pu-erh) and sun-dried buds (wild pu-erh). Pair your tea with a slice of cake or two from Cream's selection.
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  • Shopping
  • Specialist food and drink
  • Mid Valley City

Japanese boutique tea shop HOJO Tea at The Gardens Mall stocks a wide range of teas (from Japan, China, India and Taiwan) and various tea-related paraphernalia – all of them imported. Make an appointment with the staff who will give you better insights into the art of tea brewing and tasting; beginners are welcome too. Depending on the price of tea leaves, the tasting sessions start from RM10 and goes up to RM20 per person.

Go for afternoon tea

  • Restaurants
  • Tea rooms

Fancy a spot of tea? From charming neighbourhood teahouses to upscale hotel tearooms, here are some of the best places in town to sit down for afternoon tea with English-style scones, biscuits, petit fours and more.

Have cold brew tea instead

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