Restaurant Review: Granville Island Tea Company
GRANVILLE ISLAND TEA COMPANY
#117, 1689 Johnston Street ~ granvilletea.com Twitter: @teapeeps ~ Instagram: @granvilleteaco Co-Diner: Tim Golem
This excellent tea stand can be found in the Granville Island Public Market. They've been around since 1999 and they specialize in - you guessed it - tea! I read about them in National Geographic magazine's Canada's 50 Places of a Lifetime. They don't have stools that you can sit on anymore but they do have a tea bar that you can stroll up to. You'll know that you've found them when you see their giant wall of tea tins. They feature over a hundred types of loose tea from around the world that you can buy to take home with you. This market stall feels very merchant-like, with their recognizable logo and black and gold colour scheme. Looking for a cup of hot or iced tea? This is the place. They will happily brew up a cup of any loose tea from their selection. There are an array of cold teas on ice, ideal for the hot summer months. However, I was most interested in their Specialty Drinks. These range from tea lattes to other special blends. I had to try the beverage that they are most known for, Masala Chai ($3.55 for 16oz).
Our signature drink. A strong black tea blended with milk, sugar and spices.
I am always in the market for a great chai latte (I prefer it to coffee) and this one delivered. You can add fresh ginger or cayenne pepper to it, so I opted for the ginger. You can also substitute soy or almond milk, should you prefer. This was a very good chai. It was served piping hot and I noticed the zing from the fresh ginger right away. I loved that it didn't taste too fake and sweet, which is a common problem that I find with most coffee shop chains. This one was a beautiful blend of spices that allowed the bold flavours to shine. Likely one of the best chai lattes in the city, you should definitely try it! And if you really love it, they also have their chai mix available for purchase. This tea shop is a great place for a hot beverage while cruising around Granville Island. The market can be overwhelming with all of its vendors and crowds. Granville Island Tea Company is a nice and reliable safe haven.