My first exposure to Short and Stout Tea Lounge was via their outlet in the CrossGates Mall. I made up my mind to visit their lounge as I had really enjoyed their jasmine tea. The parking can occasionally be a bit busy. The interiors are quaint and the place is cozy and welcoming. The team is very knowledgeable and helpful. We tried jasmine tea (hot) and matcha latte tea with milk (hot). They were both great though I did feel that I should have gone either for the cold version or substitute milk with soy milk - anyway, this is a matter of personal choice/preference and not a reflection on the establishment. The service is reasonably paced. The offerings are reasonably priced. Recommended!

Absolutely love and recommend this place to all. I have tried their sample teas and they are awesome. However, my fiance and I love their bubble teas with and without the bobas. We have had a lot of bubble tea and these are our favorite. We love coming here because the set up is so welcoming and calming. It is a nice place to grab your laptop and relax, hang with a pack of friends, or just come in and grab yourself something to eat or drink. Highly recommend!!! Try it you won't regret it!

Visited Short and Stout (adorable name) for the first time yesterday with my sister. Along with our tea selections, we thoroughly enjoyed their warm spring rolls with dipping sauce and these yummy fudge-filled cookies for dessert. The atmosphere was clean, bright and cheery with comfortable seating. The wait staff was friendly and helpful. Anyone would need a lifetime to try all their teas. It's like tea heaven.

Incredible!!! The atmosphere was calm and friendly, the service was amazing, and the food was some of the best I've had. Me and my girlfriend went here and we both loved it. We got the taro butter mochi bar and a few different drinks to try and they were all amazing!!! The mochi was really soft and the flavor was rich and lingered softly. Highly recommend!!!!

Been coming here for a month now. Honestly a very comfortable and inviting atmosphere with friendly staff. There is no shortage of tea selection and food is phenomenal. Recommend the lychee rose latte. It’s my favorite. The staff went out of their way to perfect my drink as much as possible and even paid for my tapioca when they forgot it in my order. Great place to hang and eat.

This is one of the spots I go to when I am looking for a well-deserved treat. The shop overall is a great place whether you're stopping in for a quick drink to go, or you're looking for a place to settle in with a cup of tea and read. I have also seen a few people studying as this is a pretty low-noise environment. The tea selection is amazing and like everyone else, I go for the bubble tea. The food selection is also premium and if you're hungry, I would opt for one of their flaky and savory treats. Overall, this authentic tea shop is a great fixture in the community and they just opened up a beautiful tea shop at crossgates mall.

The bubble tea was delicious. Even more important, the gentleman who took our order also took the time to ask my daughter about her necklace and chat with her for a couple minutes. Very impressed with their employees!!

Friendly staff, delicious treats (loved the Macarons), and yummy tea. What more do you need? I love tea, and I am glad I found this little shop. Unique craft tea beverages, including bubble tea, are offered here. I had a Tropical Ginger Refresher, which was very good. They also have a store area where you can buy supplies and loose tea. Overall, a nice find!

What a nice place to relax with a friend and have top quality tea on a cold brisk day … or iced on a warm day. Great employees … patient and helpful. They were busy and we asked the difference between the matcha they offer and she explained each one with enthusiasm and didn’t seem frustrated at all by the question during a busy time. Love that!! Thanks, we will be back

Such a cute place. Macaroons and tea are amazing. So glad we found this place as we will definitely be back

This was our first time visiting, and we're really glad we went! We orered the Taro milk tea and the Banana milk tea, both with oat milk and regular boba, and also four macarons: Pistachio, Earl Gray, vanilla, and Tres Leche. You Everything was really delicious. Seating was plentiful, even though it was busy. They offer a plethora of adorable tea-related merchandise for purchase. Over all, we had a pleasant experience and will be returning again, very soon!

Love short and stout. I come every Sunday now since being introduced to bubble tea by my friend. They have the best bubble teas ever! I will not go anywhere else. The brookies are to die for! And my fiance loves the gluten free blueberry scones! Even though he does not normally eat gluten free he still says they're great!

I love going to Short and Stout! Their tea selection overall is fantastic, though I always tend toward my favorite - regular milk bubble tea, warmed. The atmosphere is perfect for going out with friends or to do your homework. They also have the cutest selection of tea accessories. If you love tea, check out this place!

The owner of this company is top notch! I have never actually been to this store. However, I had their Chai at another coffee house in New Hampshire. It was sooo good. I asked them for the label so I could buy it to have at home. They ended up having to put it back on their website for me. When I got the tea (which came relatively quickly). I could not get it to taste like I remembered. I contacted them and the owner called me and explained to me their process (simmer for at least 45 minutes) so I could do it at home. The outcome is amazing chai! I had no idea chai needed to simmer for so long to bring out the flavor or the spices. If I am ever in the area I will definitely make sure I stop in here. Judging by the other reviews I've read their treats are good too :)

Tea and other pastries served by wonderful staff who are knowledgeable and very friendly. They have a wide variety of different tees for many occasions that will please any palette. A little expensive but well worth the price! Love going here for a small get together with my poetry group.

I visited from Boston today in the evening. I initially was drawn to Short and Stout because I saw a post on Instagram about their Thai tea cream puff. Upon walking in, I was warmly greeted by all the workers despite them being busy. I noticed the walls were lined with tins filled with all sorts of teas and S&S even has a small area with prepackaged smaller dried teas and other tea paraphernalia. There was a case by the register with a ton of goodies in them, offering both sweet and savory. I was a bit disappointed to learn they didn't have any Thai tea cream puffs since they were "seasonal" to last month (I was a bit confused about this information since I didn't see anything on their Instagram about having a monthly special. I'll just have to try my hand at making my own TT cream puff). The attending worker apologized for the absence of the cream puffs, and I opted for 6 macarons: two pistachio, one lychee-rose, one lavender, one creme brulee, and one passionfruit. All were excellent (especially the pistachio!), but my least favorite was the lavender. I normally love lavender goodies, but this specific macaron was like biting into a bath bomb. They may want to go back to the drawing board and lower the level of lavender flavouring. I also ordered two veggie spring rolls warmed and to-go (delish) and a jasmine milk tea. The cup the boba comes in is very cute. The only part of the milk tea I didn't like was the sweetener used in it. It tasted very artificial, like Splenda or Stevia. Overall, I would come again if I'm back in the Albany area.

Quiet and cute tea store with plenty of different loose leaf tea for purchase! Staff was super friendly and had great service. The ambiance here is incredible. Soft peaceful music mixed with the friendly chatter of other patrons. And did I mention the food and drinks? I haven’t had a lot from here but everything I have ordered has been absolutely delicious!

I LOVE THIS PLACE!!! I worked in the tea industry for 6 years and both places I worked moved back to canada. Its hard to find quality tea places. This was a happenstance stop on a trip and Im so glad we stopped. Ended up buying a ton of mate teas. They have such a varied selection. They also have russian caravan and lapsang two very different teas which are hard to find in CT where im from. If you like tea, try it. The place is adorable, the staff are really sweet and the selection is amazing.

Their milk tea is SO AMAZING. Better than anywhere else and I've tried a lot all around the country. The staff is always so nice and the owners are also. I needed a gift card for my mom and they were so accommodating to do one over the phone and mail it to her. So sad I moved away from them but always come back when I am visiting the area! Beyond 5 stars.

We went to Short and Stout to get some loose leaf tea as a Christmas gift. They have a really great selection and very knowledgeable staff, ready and willing to help and answer questions. The cafe looked cute and cozy. They are also taking COVID precautions. They initiate contact through an ordering window and if you want to go inside you need to be let in and complete contact tracing information. It only took a minute or two and wasn't an inconvenience.

My daughter bought me a Mother’s Day basket with some of the tea from Short and Stout Tea Lounge in it. I had gone to the shop several times to purchase hot tea and loose tea. I really loved the Midnight Rose tea from the basket. It’s a black tea with rose petals that gives the tea a nice fresh floral flavor. It’s a nice pick me up for the afternoon.

A lovely little spot. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and helpful. I enjoyed one of the daily samples, the fig and berry blend (green tea and fruit - wonderful, you should try it!). My friends from India were excited about the bubble tea choices and I was happy to find that they had a few lunch-type nibbles, including sandwiches on rolls. The potato soup was really good and all the pastries we tried were tasty. Neat tea paraphernalia, too. My favorite was the hedgehog tea cozy.

So glad I found this place! I got the milk tea with cappuccino flavor and heath bits and it was amazing. Definitely will be coming back. They also have oat milk so you can make the drinks dairy free!

Love all the loose-leaf tea flavors that Short & Stout sells! They have shelves full that you can smell before you purchase. We always spend about an hour smelling all the smells and then leave with a basket full of tea! The staff is courteous and the environment is inviting. Of all the different tea places we have tried, the products from Short & Stout stand out for their quality and flavor. I highly recommend them!

One of my favorite places in Albany! This flagship store has the full selection of teas available for the cup or in packages. The seating is cozy and theres always a rotating art display. Service is friendly and quick (although theres always a wait while the tea steeps). The food here is also super yummy. If you haven't tried it, have a cup of the earl grey cream!

I can't believe i didn't know about this place, I love tea and theirs is the best by a lot. Incredible selection of all different kinds of teas.

This is one of the best place for bubble tea I have ever had! Ever since I came back from China, I didn't like any of the bubble teas here because they all tasted watered down. But this place is different! This place puts more flavor towards your bubble tea. I can't say that the bubble tea is good as the ones in China, but they are definitely one of the best in New York State.

My favorite place for tea in the Capital Region. Wonderful selection and unique blends of loose leaf, as well as delightful array of tea drinks to try. A place for my family and friends to gather, play games, chat, and enjoy the best tea!

I've been to this establishment a few times now and I really enjoy it here. They have the best quality Matcha in the area. I've gotten Matcha for home, a Matcha strainer, and a Matcha bowl. The service has been top-notch every time! Today I decided to get a "Kyoto Matcha Iced Latte" with Oat Milk, Honey, and Cinnamon... it is LUSH! They load it up with really excellent quality and yummy Matcha! No where else around compares and the atmosphere is so comfortable here. Definitely come and support this business.

They have some great teas, in particular bubble tea. It's not just tea though. Short and Stout has incredible food too. I personally prefer the chicken pastry puff and the brookie. Keep in mind that sometimes it is quite busy if you come during busy hours so expect a wait.

Hidden Gem for Tea lovers... nice, clean place with clam touch. Lot's of tea types and flavors

+3

One of my favorite tea spots. They have a wide selection of loose teas and other tea related items to purchase. They're lattes are really amazing and are wonderful in the fall and winter months. If you're a tea person, definitely give this place a try.

They have a great selection of interesting flavored loose leaf tea, and delightful craft drinks. I always get the rootbeer rooibos craftea drink. They brew an old school rootbeer, add simple syrup, and seltzer. So refreshing! They have delightful tea snacks and really good scones. They have a variety of boba milk tea options and you can get basically any of their loose leaf brewed for you. Always delicious and great staff, I love this place so much!!

Their tea selection is deliciously vibrant, and their macarons selection is impressive!! Definitely worth the trip up 87.

Coziest tea cafe i ever visited. Lychee bubble tea was so delicious. Try popping boba and thank me later.

Albany’s Hidden Gem for Tea Lovers Finding good quality tea is very hard to find, but to also find a friendly environment that supports the community and gives back, is even harder. Short & Stout has a beautiful, clean and relaxing environment where you can grab some delicious high quality tea, some snacks and cuddle up with a book or chat with friends. It’s a great meetup spot, place to kick back and get away from the hustle of life and find your Zen. It’s truly a blessing to have quality here in Albany, and we as a community should support that quality when it arrives. Support local and feel the love of community.

This is such a cute tea shop. It's so cozy inside with a fireplace with nice seats to spend the day reading with probably the best matcha I've tasted. They really know how to make tea and it's such a unique spot in the area. I love it here!

the cutest place to get bubble tea! my favorite is the lavender boba <3 trying out more flavors soon!

Short and Stout has adapted marvelously to social distancing, and there's a beautiful place to wait for delicious drinks like this amazing Thai tea slushy!

This is my favorite tea shop in the Albany area! I have been coming here whenever I can for about four years. (And if I can't reach it physically, I order my loose leaf tea online.) I love the atmosphere of this lounge. The menu variety is fantastic. The main two things I come for are their bubble teas--so delicious!--and their loose leaf. The staff there are always attentive and helpful with their tea suggestions. I always come here when I am in the area. You should too!

My daughter and I went for tea. I had a cranberry walnut square, which was delicious. Really enjoyed my tea. She also enjoyed and said she would be asking me to come back again. Beautiful decor and items tastefully displayed for sale. Excellent service. Recommend 10/10.

Genuinely exceptional. I have missed this place since moving to Boston, and am about to place an order. They have a massive variety of excellent teas, including herbal and decaf. Their bubble tea menu is delightful, and they will make it exactly to your request (1/4 sugar no ice for me; they actually strain the ice!). You can also order ahead for quick pick up and trust it'll all be right. They never once disappointed me in all my visits. Highly recommended.

My go to place for delicious tea and a tasty snack. Warning: it's addictive!! Great, friendly staff can help you find just the right drink. My grandsons enjoy coming here when visiting, and we all learned a lot at the tea class we took with Matt.

Went today for the first time ordered a green apple tea w Strawberry boba ...delicious the shop is super cute inviting customer service was excellent too will be back again

I was in search of several teas for my birthday party and the person who helped me managed to find them all within an instant! I was so impressed by the variety of options, the helpful and friendly staff, and the overall ambience. Definitely recommend!

A hidden local gem! I frequent this place and have never had a less than perfect experience. The staff is so kind and the atmosphere itself is super relaxed and inviting. It is nostalgic of tea shops back home which are special to me with the wide range of teas and products they offer. Their dumplings are exceptionally tasty, tea is always refreshing. Simply can’t recommend a visit to Short & Stout enough.

Terrific place to eat, the staff were amazing, so friendly and accommodating! So clean and neat, food and tea delicious, and absolute must go to place!! We will surely be back. Thank you staff and owners for providing a great place to eat, drink, and gather!!!

Incredible spot that I'm so glad to have found! Cozy, inviting, and delightful. There's a fireplace and a lovely seating area, all sorts of tea and tea accessories, and friendly staff that are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about their craft!

So glad I found this place! Been searching for good bubble teas since I moved out of NYC. I had the mango passion fruit tea and it was delicious and not overly sweet. Wished I had gotten the large size instead! The staff was super friendly too. Good vibes overall! Will definitely visit again the next time I’m in Albany area. Can’t wait!! 🧋🧋🧋

My experience at short and stout tea lounge was nothing but delightful. As I stepped up to order the atmosphere was was welcoming and down to earth. After receiving my boba I pleasantly surprised by a scrumptious milk tea. Unlike many I have had this tea did not taste “artificial” nor overly sweet. It was well balanced and had a subtle floral ”notes” which left me feeling refreshed. Overall I would highly recommend checking this gem in Albany.

Love this place! Tea is always fresh brewed, yes that means that you need to wait a few minutes, but get over it because they are wonderful. The pastries are terrific. They also have loose tea, in fact I mentioned a tea that I loved (Kukicha), and that I could never find it in bulk. And a couple weeks later, they had it on the shelves... So wonderful!

The best boba around. I keep coming back because it's so consistently good. And I was pleasantly surprised to find the app easy to navigate and fully functional. It even lists a bunch of drink options I don't have time to think about in-store so I get the perfect drink every time. On top of that, their loose tea selection is stellar, their tea accessories (teapots, cups, spoons etc) are super cute, and the employees are always fast and pleasant. I seriously wish I had tried it as soon as I saw the sign the first time. Who knows how many times I had driven by without stopping to get some delicious drinks in hand...don't regret the way I do. Go in and try it.

Plenty of flavors to choose from, for both regular and milk tea. You can buy tea and tea accessories here, as well. I really like their macarons; their pistachio one is 🥰🥰

Absolutely loved this place! I really enjoyed the earl grey passion fruit iced tea. Almost forgot to take a photo of it before it was gone. The passion fruit and earl grey macarons were marvelous and went with the tea perfectly. The pear green tea was good as well; it was very smooth. The curry chicken puffs were yummy. I liked that they heated it up for us. We definitely will come back! Highly recomend.

Great place to get some work done depending on what time. I luv fruity green teas and they deliver every time. The staff seems to rotate regularly but they are really nice and efficient. The teas for sale are well displayed and unkept. This is a well thought out establishment.

Indoor seating as of March 2021. Distanced seating inside. Just have to ask at the window for available seating inside. Such a wide variety of tea and drinks. Can even buy tea things inside and other tea merch Got the ginger spritzer, mango passion fruit, the savory pastries and the macaroons. Everything was great and tasty. Ginger spritzer was very refreshing and tasted very ginger. Mango passion fruit was sweet and can taste the mango and passion fruit. Tapioca was cooked perfectly and very chewy Savory pastries was a good snack and very tasty as well

I love the concept of a tea lounge! The front sells a lot of loose leaf tea to take home and I got the cherry blossom tea. The cafe space has a lot of options from bubble tea to snacks. We got the genmaicha matcha latte (which I’ve never seen before), caramel puerh latte (also have never seen), and a mocha waffle. Our drinks were delicious! And maybe I’d skip the waffle. You could also do a traditional matcha ceremony if you wish, which sounds fun. The vibes were great, and it’s fun to come relax with friends!

The tea was amazing! The atmosphere and ambience were off the charts, and the customer service was so delightful! God if I ever move to Albany, this is the one place I would come to buy boba every single time. P.S. You should try the Mango Milk Tea with Kiwi Popping Boba.. 😭💕

Came in on a rainy day and got the salted caramel caramel pu-erh latte. The latte was AMAZING and the shop was quaint and well decorated. While I was drinking my latte, I also watched the women at the front desk help a man pick out a tea for a relative with chemo. They were knowledgeable and kind and had the perfect tea recommendation for him. Consider me impressed!

Very nice shop I don't have much experience with a wide variety of tea. They were able to help me select a tea I liked and also recommended a tea I might like better to try on my next trip. I also had a delicious brookiee. It's a chocolate chip cookie baked on top of a brownie.

My girlfriend and I were going to go shopping at Stuyvesant Plaza. We thought that Peaches Cafe would be very crowded on Valentine's Day, so we went to Short and Stout instead. If you're a tea drinker, this place is awesome!!! So much to choose from, all kinds of teas and now they also have things to eat as well. Pastries, macrons, even croissants...too much to mention. I had a ham and cheese croissant. It was Wonderful!!! My girlfriend had a spring roll and a "brookie". Our teas were a Chai Latte for me and a Decaf Earl Grey for her. I'm more of an Oregon Chai person, but the Chai Latte here was very pleasant...with a bit of extra honey. It was a nice, light lunch. We will definitely be going back again soon.

I had a wonderful time when I visited here last year. We got matcha lattes, best I’ve ever had. Plus the vibes were so cozy and warm inside. A lovely spot all together.

Makayla H

We love this place! I frequent it whenever I’m in the area and stock up on tea refills to bring back home. Also their berries & cream milk tea is amazing! The staff are always super friendly and working hard behind the counter. When I was there today, I witnessed an extremely rude customer who was just not understanding what the staff were trying to tell her- on top of that, they were accommodating her ask for an exception to their 1 lb discount. The multiple staff members involved in the encounter handled this rude customer SO WELL. If you read these reviews- remember that all the great reviews should show how one or two bad ones are probably the reviewer having a bad day, and not an accurate reflection of the everyday service at this great shop. We will continue to support this amazing small business!

Tiffany

Best strawberry matcha I’ve ever had

Nikole Zorn

Super cute place with incredibly friendly staff! On top of the wonderful customer service, the drinks and food are delicious! I love coming here!

Violet

Definitely one of my favorite places to go! Wishing they had healthy breakfast sandwiches like egg and cheese as I'm trying to support more locally and it seems a lot of local coffee shops don't have those right now, at least the ones I've been visiting. But their macaroons make up for it 😍 definitely if you stop by get one of those too! I reccomend the espresso or lavender ones

dulce v

best matcha in Albany!! The color is super vibrant and I LOVE THE STRAWBERRY JAM

Tanyathorn

Lovely tea shop with various snacks and good quality , staffs are very friendly and great customer service, owner is very sweet

Sonam Willow

Beautiful Vibes Continue @ShortandStoutTea! Had fun iced tea and bubble teas! Last week we enjoyed large pot of traditional hot tea served in a beautiful teapot! Deliciois sweets and some savory options. Fabulous GF options!

Kelly Dautrich

This is the best place for tea that I have found! Great selection of high quality tea! Great menu with seasonal specials! When I dine in, I usually get a pot for 2 of something seasonal and a selection of macarons. If I’m taking to go, I’ll grab a tea latte. If you dine in, the downstairs rooms feel very European inspired with nods to England, where in the upstairs rooms feel more Japanese inspired. Make sure to go explore and sit where you feel most at home. When I take teas home I consistently get the raspberry tart green tea, the kicking earl grey, the earl grey supreme, the strawberry festival, and the coconut chai. My seasonal favorites include New England maple, pumpkin spice, and mango green tea (which I will mix with the coconut chai sometimes). The staff are incredible here! One time I was purchasing matcha, and the lady who helped me was so kind and patient with me as I asked question after question. In fact she seemed excited to share everything she knew about the subject and made suggestions on what Matcha to buy based on what I was doing with it.

Richard R.

A lovely alternative place to sit and read and enjoy a hot beverage. I am so used to the Starbucks over the world that I had forgotten about this place. There are many places to sit with both tables and isolated groupings of comfortable chairs. They have a huge variety of loose teas for consuming on site and taking home. They have a lot of tea paraphernalia. They have macarons (not sure if they are made here) and other light snacks and pastries. You order at the counter and they bring it to you on a real plate which is wonderful. Nothing is handed to you in a paper bag. It is peaceful there is music playing in the background and it’s a great place to enjoy just chilling and reading.

Shubhi Gautam

My friends took me to Short and Stout recently, and I was blown away by how adorable the tea house is. It’s much larger inside than I expected, and it’s clear that so much thought has gone into every detail—from the paintings on the wall to the history of tea displays, and even the cute items and teas available in the shop. There’s a cozy tea lounge and plenty of seating upstairs, where I noticed many people working as well. What really caught my eye were the fun, creative flavors they offer! They have sundae bubble teas like pumpkin pie, banana split, cookies 'n' cream, and even fruity pebbles. I was so impressed and excited to try them. I had the coffee bubble tea, which was delicious, and the taro sundae was equally amazing. Besides their 150 different kinds of tea (crazy, right?!), they also serve light snacks. I tried the macarons, mochi waffle, and mochi—all of which tasted great. They also have savory snacks like dumplings, which I didn’t try but looked tempting. The staff was incredibly sweet and helpful! If you’re really into tea, they even offer workshops, which I thought was a nice touch. This is probably my favorite bubble tea spot—it’s so cute and the variety is unbeatable!

Mrs Borden

In the Albany, New York area, Short and stout tea stands out as a captivating spot that is highly recommended to all. Its enchanting shop atmosphere provides an ideal setting for relaxation and socialization with friends, making it a memorable experience that warrants a repeat visit, thanks to its welcoming staff and ambiance.

+12

Hatice Dayan

I love boutique local cafes. This place is perfect for me. It's a very cute and warm place. I don't know why I didn't discover it before. The chai latte was amazing. Five stars.❤️✌️🌸

+2

Jennifer Suri

I had an absolute blast with my friend this past weekend. The fresh Macaroons are mouth watering delicious 😋 all their food is fantastic and their drinks- fantastic tea products!

Cori P

FAVORITE CAFE!!! I come here soooo much with my brother and mom and we always enjoy. They have so much different options and they're all delicious. I recommend to get cherry rose bubble tea 😋, spring rolls, Samosas, and macarons. But everything there is good so get whatever not gonna lie.

Jeanine Drayton

A gem in Guilderland. Our new favorite café (lounge) Upstate. Their menu items are all so fresh and delectable. From the dumplings, spring rolls, croissants and samosas to the banana iced tea and almond tiramisu latte! The macarons are the best you'll ever try. Trust me. On top of all of this greatness, their servers are the kindest. Very efficient service. Great experience every time. Go here.

Marion NYC

Fantastic bubble tea place in the area. A little out of the way from the main Albany convention center but worth the trip. Plenty of parking. The bubble tea options were great. I especially like Taro! You can’t go wrong. I recommend this place!!

+2

Robert Culibrk

Honestly, one of the best milk tea drinks I've ever been served. They've got a wide selection of Japanese brewing equipment and loose leaf teas. Plenty of seating for those seeking a relaxing lounge.

The tea was great and so was my mocha latte concoction. The pastries are also very delicious BUT for the price and size, you really can't fill up on those. Still, this is definitely a fun place to get drinks and snacks with friends. I'll be coming back for sure.

Jan 2023 update: this place has been usurped! For the Albany area, a few other contenders have popped up that offer better bubble tea and equally cute ambiance (Tai Chi bubble tea in Latham, for one). We find that the bubble tea here is often mixed with too much powder, resulting in a chalky thickness that doesn't quite taste right. The mochi waffles, albeit tiny, are still delightful. The wait can be super long, so go when you have time to spare! Old review: This place is a gem! The staff here is always friendly, and the ambiance is a perfect mix of trendy and comfortable. The food and tea itself is pretty standard for bigger cities than Albany... nothing to write home about, but a pretty exciting addition to the local food and drink scene!

Nice little spot for tea, great selection of choice for tea.

+6

This is a cost place to sit and read a book with a nice pot of tea, although their pastry selection is thin and more expensive than my normal fair. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff

Z. N

First time trying this place out. The interior is nice and cozy. Drinks are good but I think a bit pricy.

Linda McLoon

It is great to have a place for tea. They have a huge assortment of teas for a pot of hot tea as well as dry teas to take home. They offer the usual array of milk teas with boba or jellies. We all like our milk tea. I particularly like my taro milk tea with boba, and my daughter liked her regular milk tea also. Their regular size is a bit on the small side. They offer smalls if you are there with young children. They offer a large selection of macarons. They were quite nice. However, I thought they were a bit pricey. Six were $20. They have a lot of comfortable seating, so it is nice to sit and relax over a pot of tea. We saw numerous couples there enjoying hot tea and a sweet. I thought all the items were of high quality, and they have a huge menu. It makes for a nice respite from a busy day

+1

Naomi

My husband and I stopped by today and picked up 2 bubble teas. Was a nice treat for a Sunday afternoon. Will mention they are pretty pricey. For our 2 drinks it was over $14.00. It was good though. Reagrding safety measures they had a good system of a pay here window and a pick up window. Nice to see how they were able to adapt and stay open. Was a nice way to do it. There is also a picnic table to sit at if it is nice weather out.

So let me start out with saying it's a good place with a nice, calming environment. The tea and drinks are delicious and they seem to really care about what you get so you'll be happy with your purchase. However, their prices are quite high. My experience ended with me being a bit annoyed at the lack of customer attention that the employee gave to my party. She was only one employee at the time, but she also was calmly walking around, helping one customer at a time, and I saw no want nor need for hurry from them. Good place, but the staff don't really seem to notice that there are customers that wish for a delicious and fast purchase.

First time here. And I'm so irritated by the iPad/tipping for just grabbing some loose leaf tea. Why. It's one thing if I'm a customer on the "cafe" side. But in this case, not so — it's akin to tipping at the grocery store (utterly ridiculous if it ever came to pass!). The distinction between what's "service" and what’s just a transaction gets blurred when things like this happen. I know that I can simply choose "No Tip." But the swiveling iPad creates an expectation/pressure on no ground at all. In what is just a transaction (i.e., there's no personal service or any extra effort on the business's part to warrant it), it feels slightly exploitative of people's goodwill. I get that running a small business is tough — so charge me what you need to make a profit (bake it into prices if you must). This isn't a complaint about prices as much as an unsavory practice. Good Lord. ETA: Ha. Love the response. And it warrants a correction. I did a quick Google search — and FAQs from common retail POS systems, like Toast and Square, show that you can control/enable tipping on/off by device. So what you say about not having control doesn't seem to be true. Additionally, you state that "Though not expected, a lot of our retail customers tip our staff for the service anyway." How do you know that these customers aren't doing so because they are faced with the tipping screen? Because an expectation is created? That tipping has gotten out of control is not an unpopular opinion, and I'd bet that "a lot" of the retail customers do not necessarily want to, but do so out of exhaustion/pressure. Again, a quick Google search shows a litany of complaints, especially in retail settings... Anyway, you're a private business and can set out terms as you like... and customers are, of course, free to take their business elsewhere. So this works out nicely. And lastly, best of luck through the next few years...

My friend and I were in today. We did not receive the beverages we ordered. The staff gave us a hard time about correcting the mistake. They said they would make an allowance that one time and exchange the drinks for what we wanted but it is against their policy. I have never experienced such poor customer service. I won’t be back.

I will never recommend or come back to this place ever again I have never been so disrespected and ask with disrespect “you standing there like you didn’t pay for that” by an employee on two items that number one we wanted to donate to animals in need that my husband wanted to get me as a present because he knows I love animals and two there were not even 15 dollars that my husband was going to pay for at the cash register with our drinks together but instead of talking us with respect and just let us know was just a cash donation you were extremely rude and talk to us like we were thieves. Never coming back again or recommending this place.