tea adventures at travelling samovar

Last Saturday Emma and I took Puppeh for a walk down Rathdowne Street to Travelling Samovar, a tea house we've both been meaning to visit for about a year, since it first opened.

Travelling Samovar has a wide range of teas and tea sampling. The staff are super helpful, and knowledgeable, and are happy to provide hot water to give a second (or, in my case, with my pu-er, fifth and sixth) brew.

I was intrigued to learn that not many people know what pu-er is! But Travelling Samovar has an extensive pu-er range, so I totally went for a loose leaf that comes packed in a dried tangerine skin. It smelt amazing, like jaffas, and although I'm not sure the tangerine skin impacted the flavour of the tea it did enhance the overall experience, so I'm into it. I did the full gong fu with my pu-er, until I was tingling from being tea drunk.

Emma went the tea sample option (called a tea-ser), picking darjeeling because she loves it. This came in three pots: a Gielle 1st flush; an Oaks 2nd flush; and a Risheehat 2nd flush. This was a great way of knowing what one likes and trying it until the perfect one is found, which I appreciate.

Emma's tray of teas included timers, clear pots, and extra hot water. Combined with my gong fu, this was an excellent experience because I appreciate being given responsibility over my tea. There are other tea houses in Melbourne which are fun, but the thing I love the most about my tea (especially my Chinese tea) is the ability to experiment with it, to control the steeping and the pouring and also the drinking of it as I want.

This was a fun morning. Although at first I was offput by the cost - $10 for my pu-er - the fact that I could basically drink it until I was tea drunk means it was a price I was in the end content with.

Travelling Samovar
412 Rathdowne Street
Carlton North

storm in a teacup [collingwood]

Paused for a cup of tea and a slice of cake at Storm in a Teacup this afternoon. Another place that has opened since I left Melbourne, I was delighted to find they had some vegan cake and a variety of Chinese green tea I've never had before, listed as maojian but which I'm assuming is actually 信阳毛尖, which was lovely.

Storm in a Teacup is a tea cafe, with a wall of teas available (though you'll have to take my word for it as the photo failed to work out). It has a lovely atmosphere, light and airy and chilled, which is a stark difference to its previous life as Trippy Taco before it moved around the corner. The walls are decorated with clouds, which suggest some cocktails (I mean that literally - there is a tea cocktail menu inside the clouds).

It also has some cakes! Today's vegan cake was carrot and walnut with blood orange icing, and it was lovely! Moist and a little fruity, combined with my tea and the delightful company of my friend A, and the lovely service, it was a wonderful hour late in the afternoon.


Other reviews: Hot or Not; Milkbar Mag

Storm in a Teacup
48A Smith Street
Collingwood

Step to enter, not much seating, bright in the day (unsure at night).