BEST OF OTTAWA 2021: Bubble tea and juices

After over 20-years writing about life in Ottawa, we think we have a pretty good idea of the best of what this city has to offer. In this weekly series, we share our picks with you — our top spots for takeout, live music venues, local brews, bands and more. Check, share and discuss #OLMBest every week!

The Alley

513 Sussex Drive

The Alley, located on Sussex, serves up delish bubble tea and fresh juices that will perfectly quench your taste on a hot day. We recommend anything in their “Snow Velvet” series — fresh blends of juice and tea with a yummy, cool froth on top. The perfect summer treat!
Photo: Kat Walcott

Meow Tea

279 Elgin Street

Love bubble tea? Love cats? Meow Tea is the place for you. This adorable shop on Elgin is cat-themed and merges Eastern tea culture with Western coffee shop culture offering not only bubble tea, but also hot tea, coffee and baked goods. Their fresh fruit teas are especially yummy!
Photo: Meow Tea

Wang’s Noodle House 

55 ByWard Market Square

Wang’s is known for their delicious noodles, but did you know they also serve bubble tea? They offer a variety of flavours and also offer it in a slushie form which is great for those especially scorching hot Ottawa summer days!
Photo: Jasmine N. via Yelp

Prestotea

Multiple locations

If you want variety, Presotea is the place for you. Known for their selection of over 50 different drinks, ranging from bubble tea to fresh juice, you’ll keep going back so you can try every flavour! Our summer fave is the Mango Green Tea with Mango Jelly Boba.
Photo: Presotea

Sip Tea

1541 Merivale Road & 203 Bank Street

This Ottawa-owned spot is known for being the first bubble tea shop in the city to specialize in cheese foam. It may sound strange, but a sweet juice or tea topped with a creamy, slightly salty cheese foam is actually really delicious! Think of a cheesecake in a cup. We recommend the peach oolong with tapioca pearls and cheese mousse.
Photo: Sip Tea via Uber Eats

Hangout

839 Somerset Street W.

When you and your friends are fully vaccinated and things start to go back to normal, spend a couple of hours at Hangout! Located in Chinatown, this spot brings together two things we love – bubble tea and board games. They also offer bubble iced coffee, a unique western spin on the classic Tawainese bubble tea.
Photo: Hangout

Chatime

Multiple locations

Chatime is an international chain, but we had to include it because their presence in the city is very special — their newest Ottawa location, located at the Emerald Plaza in Nepean, is the largest location in all of Canada! Drop by to enjoy endless flavours of bubble tea, fresh juices, hot drinks and even little treats like cakes and macaroons!
Photo: Kat Walcott

CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice

Multiple locations

We love CoCo for their unique flavours like yakult (a Japanese yogurt-like drink), red bean, and taro. Our fave is the “3 Guys” flavour — classic milk tea topped with grass jelly, pudding and tapioca pearls. With five locations across the city, CoCo is always nearby!
Photo: Coco Fresh Tea & Juice

Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea

399 Dalhousie Street

High quality, authentic tea is Yi Fang’s specialty. They offer both fruit teas and milk-based teas — our fave is their take on the trendy brown sugar tea which they make with rich, flavourful oolong.
Photo: Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea via Ubereats

Kung Fu Tea

1167 Bank Street

This Taiwanese franchise is new to Ottawa and oh do we love it! Kung Fu prides themselves on being authentic in both technique and philosophy, focusing on being “simple but with care.” Their teas are all fresh and high quality, our fave being the Taro Milk Tea.
Photo: Jennifer P. via Yelp