The coffee and tea shop craze has finally made its way to Shenzhen. Now, locals looking for a nice place to hang out with friends, get some work done, or just relax can all be found in different coffee and tea shops scattered across the city. But with so much variety, which ones should you visit? Not to worry, I’ve compiled this list of the 5 top coffee and tea shops in Shenzhen.
1. 花间茶
This tea spot boasts delightfully modern design. In the main area, the tables are marble, perfect for photos, and funky geometric chairs. Meanwhile, full ceiling-to-floor windows open the space up, allowing you to enjoy tea in the comfort of coolness while still feeling like you’re still outside. Their selection of teas is wide and varied – they have different types of bubble tea as well as fruit tea. Supposedly the bubbles in their bubble tea are smaller than average, but they’re still just as delicious!
2. My Coffee
The first thing you notice about My Coffee is the cool vintage decor and unique aesthetic. And the aesthetic doesn’t just stop at the decor, when you order a drink you can choose to have it served in a number of beautifully designed cups. While you sip your drink or enjoy one of their baked goods, you can browse their collection of art and photography books. Their restaurant counterpart, My Noodle, also serves absolutely delicious noodles.
3. Art Tea (悠耐)
This colorful tea shop specializes in delicious fruit teas but also offers milk teas and regular teas too. The main draw to Art Tea, however, are the bright colors. The signs outside are a bright mustard yellow while the walls inside are a pastel pink, both of which are perfect as picture backdrops. The spiral staircase inside is also a fantastic place for photos.
4. Akimbo
If there’s one word to describe Akimbo, it’s quirky. This coffee shop’s mascot is a human in a bunny suit with only one eye. Moreover, every single part of Akimbo is photogenic but also unique. You can choose to sit on a set of steps under a neon sign, or at the white tiled counters, or at the cute marble tables, or on the picturesque balcony – no matter where you choose, it’s going to be super pretty. The decor is insanely cool, there are neon signs everywhere, and even the plates are decorated with cute illustrations. I decided to get a little strawberry dessert that was made to look exactly like a strawberry, and it was absolutely delicious.
5. Hey Tea (喜茶)
You thought Starbucks was popular? You haven’t seen Hey Tea. Customers often queue for up to 3 hours at locations all around the city just for a sip of their specialty – Cheese Tea. Yes, you read that right. No, it’s not cheese as you usually imagine it, it’s a frothy creamy liquidy cheese that, when mixed with the tea, tastes just like milk tea, but slightly creamier. On my visit, I ordered a tea called Brulee Bobo Tea, which was bubble tea with their signature cheese on top, then a sprinkling of sugar that was then blowtorched like a crème brûlée. The result? Utter deliciousness. Luckily, you don’t always have to wait if you go to less popular branches or order online.
Each one of these places makes for a great drink with an equally good environment, so it's just up to you which one you want to quench your thirst at in Shenzhen!