8 Best Bubble Tea Shops in Hong Kong

Bubble tea – it’s quite possibly one of the most recognisable drinks in Asia. These 8 best bubble tea spots in Hong Kong each have their own twist.

Riding on the resurgence of Taiwan’s bubble tea, the unmissable, sugary concoction of tapioca balls and milk tea, a host of new bubble tea concepts have popped up across Hong Kong, catering to the city’s unquenchable thirst for a delicious and Instagramable cup. Since its invention in the 1980s, this hyped-up drink has taken on an unimaginable number of variations from cheese bubble tea to black sugar and fruit. Here’s our guide to some of Hong Kong’s best bubble tea places, delivering their own take on this bubble tea classic.

HEYTEA

Responsible for one of the most hyped bubble tea concepts in Asia, Heytea’s speciality is cheese tea – an aromatic tea brewed with Taiwan tea leaves and topped with frothy cream cheese. A headline phenomenon, it may sound strange, but its unique blend of sweet and savoury draws lines of thirsty customers daily – some that wait as much as 2 hours for their frothy cup. Head on down to see what all the fuss is about!

Insider Tip: If cheese tea still sounds like a bit of a stretch, try out their ‘Milk Tea Ice-Cream with Egg Waffle,’ cooked up exclusively for the Hong Kong market.

Address: Shop B216, B2, Times Square, Causeway Bay (Other branches available in Hysan Place, Shatin, Tsim Sha Tsui)
Open From: 10 am – 10 pm

The Alley

Nestled in buzzing TST where cutthroat bubble tea competition is at its fiercest, this gem has garnered a huge fan base thanks to its photo-worthy and delectable ombré drinks, particularly its Aurora series (fruit slushy drinks) and Brown Sugar Deerioca Milk, and its commitment to quality. Not only do they make their boba pearls from scratch to achieve the ideal chewiness, but The Alley also pick and boil their sugarcane daily, serving up fresh, warm syrup that will have you coming back for more.

Insider Tip: According to the staff, the best way to enjoy your ‘Brown Sugar Deerioca Milk’ is to jab your straw straight down to the bottom for your first sip, so you get a taste of those warm and sweet black sugar tapioca pearls before the flavour blends in with the ice-cold milk.

Address: Shop F, G/F, Alpha House, No. 27-33, Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Address: Shop No.3, G/F, Sun Kong House, 2J-2Q Sai Yeung Choi Street South, Mong Kok
Open From: 12 pm – 10 pm

Best Boba Tea Guide Hong Kong HeyTea The Alley

IG: @heyteahk
IG: @thealley.hk

Flamingo Bloom – TEMPORARILY CLOSED

For the healthy approach to a drink not famed for its calorie-light properties, Flamingo Bloom is devoted to offering a selection of health-focused drinks crafted with premium loose leaf tea sourced from high-altitude regions in China and Taiwan. Their all-natural tea leaves are boiled in double-filtered water, which claims to help extract nutritious antioxidants from raw ingredients. Most of their vitamin-packed goodies come with the option of adding matcha, boba pearls or fresh fruit, giving you plenty of feel-good options.

Insider Tip: Purchase any beverages between 4 pm – 8 pm at their Central shop to get 50% off your second drink.

Address: G/F, Shop B, World Trust Tower, 50 Stanley Street Central, Hong Kong (Other branches available in IFC and Stanley)
Open From: 11 am – 8 pm

Tiger Sugar

This Taiwan-based bubble tea brand takes pride in serving some of the city’s biggest black sugar bubble tea. Their tapioca balls are simmered in a pool of brown sugar syrup for hours to create a strong, distinct caramel flavour, as well as extra sweetness. Factor in their delicious-looking tiger stripes of caramel swirling around the insides of their cups and it’s easy to see why this spot features heavily on Insta and HK’s must-visit bubble tea list.

Insider Tip: Beware the saccharine sweetness of these drinks when placing your order – unlike other boba drinks, the sugar levels here can’t be customised.

Address: 36 Jardine’s Bazaar, Causeway Bay (Other branches available in Yuen Long, Kowloon Bay, Hang Hau, Tsuen Wan)
Open From: 11 am – 10 pm

Best Boba Tea Guide Hong Kong Flamingo Bloom Tiger Sugar

IG: @flamingobloomhk
IG: @tigersugarmsia

Cha Long

Looking for a guilt-free treat? Head to Cha Long. This homegrown tea brand boasts a diverse menu but specialises in fruit teas – and you can’t go wrong with their Jasmine Green Tea. A nitrogen tea brewed with the same method as beer, it’s cool, refreshing and lightly sweetened. Top yours off with a selection of eight fresh fruits for a finishing touch.

Insider Tip: Save HKD 2 if you bring your own bottle.

Address: 100qrc, Queen’s Road Central, Central (Other branches available in Wan Chai, Kowloon Bay, Ma On Shan, Prince Edward and Kwun Tong)
Open From: Mon – Thu: 8 am – 7 pm; Fri: 8 am – 8:30 pm; Sat – Sun: 11 am – 7 pm

TenRen

If you’re simply looking for some quality, wallet-friendly bubble tea, look no further than TenRen. With over 45 locations scattered across Hong Kong, it’s probably one of the most accessible bubble tea chains in the city. While TenRen may seem like the ‘McDonald’s’ of bubble tea, its quality lives up to its name as one of the world’s top tea retailers with all its varieties created with premium Taiwanese tea leaves without any artificial flavourings.

Insider Tip: Both the ‘913 King’s Oolong Milk Tea’ and ‘Matcha Latte’ come highly recommended.

Address: Eslite Causeway Bay, 10/F, Hysan Place, 500 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay (Other branches available in New Territories, Kowloon, and Hong Kong island)
Open From: 10 am – 11 pm

Best Boba Tea Guide Hong Kong Cha long TenRen

IG: @chalonghk
IG: @tenrenteatime

COMEBUYTEA

Known for its meticulous tea-making process, COMEBUYTEA makes sure its tea leaves are freshly ground, brewed five times in different water temperatures for varied brew time, and then shaken up by professional tea baristas before serving. And then, you can customise almost everything from the tea base to the types of tapioca balls (they serve crystal boba pearls!) to the sweetness and the amount of ice in your drink.

Insider Tip: COMEBUYTEA’s shops have a tea appreciation corner where you can sample their tea infusions.

Address: No. G03, 700 Nathan Road, Mong Kok. (Other branches available in Yuen Long, Kowloon Bay, Hang Hau, and Tsuen Wan)
Open From: Sun – Thu: 11 am – 11 pm; Fri – Sat: 11 am – 11:30 pm

Mizimamei

Dedicated to the fine art of fusing Japanese-style dessert and Taiwanese pearl milk tea, Mizimamei has reinvented bubble tea drinks by combining the more classic elements of the cultural phenomenon, like brown sugar and tapioca pearls, with Japanese flourishes like sesame and peanuts. With the option to cap it off with indulgent, frothy cream cheese, the result is not only super #Instagramworthy but uniquely delicious. Layered with textures and flavours that set it apart from the competition, Mizimamei is the new kid on the block that any true bubble tea connoisseur would hate to miss out on!

Insider Tip: As a grand opening special, all drinks are HKD 25, so it’s the perfect time to indulge in their Peanut & Sesame Boba Caramel Milk Sprinkle or their decadent Brown Sugar Boba Caramel Milk Sprinkle.

Address: G/F, 16A Aberdeen Street Central, Hong Kong
Open From: 11 am – 9 pm