Pluses: One of the most famous spice shops/cafés in the city. The ambience is lovely. A calm relaxed atmosphere you seldom will find elsewhere, typical of a spot with such an illustrious history (look this up). Many varieties of tea/coffee that are sure to thrill the tea/coffee fans. You can pick your faves and take some to enjoy at home, as well as any/all spices you've ever heard of, some snacks in the form of diverse dried and candied fruits (a bit pricey for what they are though), and random tea/coffee-related paraphernalia. The tea is served in a pot, so you can fully enjoy two cups of it - keeping that in mind, you get a good bang for your buck there. The staff is friendly and patient with the tea neophytes.
The location is ideal - busy, but in less crowded days you can wind down after walking around the city or perusing the many nearby libraries and music shops, or stop by for a quick purchase to enjoy at home.
Minuses: We ordered a passion fruit cheesecake dessert that was good, but not great. The drinks are terrific but the food selection I feel is a bit basic, which makes sense if you consider the food is there more as an accessory to the fantastic drink selection. We also had a rose hibiscus tea (meh) and a dulce de leche tea (incredible -- we almost took some home with us).
I think if you happen to find yourself in the area often and you like tea or cooking with spices, you'll have the time of your life trying out new stuff. Recommended for tea and coffee fiends. read more