So glad I was recommended to this wonderful little Tea shop. A small cozy spot with a downstairs entrance. Petya was a wonderful charming greeter and Tea assistant. I was told that the owner iLana has been there for 8 years or more. There is no public bathroom here, so be aware how much tea you drink. Choosing a tea to order, sit and sip there was not a simple choice as there are so many to pick from. There were such a variety of Teas, types and canisters on the wall. I went to the holiday special board and ordered the Chocolate Rose tea. I sat at the seat closest to the counter. Petya brought a tea pot with tea in a strainer and a unique sand fill timer for it to steep for up to 5 minutes along with a colorful teacup. I ordered the delicious Scottish Toffee shortbread. It was so good. When I had a bit of tea left, I asked for a cup and cover. I found it just too good to leave. I had her tape the small opening on the plastic cap so in my travels it would not spill. One young man sitting with his friend noted that he had chosen a cinnamon tea. As I was leaving I noted two lovebirds smiling and cuddling in the corner near the tree mural. The place and atmosphere were just delightful. read more

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We were killing time before meeting our bus, and we'd just finished a really great lunch at Hi-Collar not to far. I'm a tea fanatic, so we walked a couple blocks over and stopped by. The walls behind the counter are floor to ceiling in types of tea, for drinking there or to go. I had the rooibos chai and my husband the houjicha. I was hoping my chai would be slightly more intense tasting, but since rooibos is my favorite tea anyway, it still tasted good. I ended up not buying any to bring back home with me, because the ones they were recommended were ones that I had similar versions of in my cabinet back home. The only downside was that I didn't see a bathroom, and after all that tea, you really gotta go. read more

After discovering Physical GraffiTea, my whole perspective on tea has changed, and for the better. I had the privilege of meeting Ilana Malka, the owner of this hidden gem of a shop yesterday. Her genuine passion for every single tin on that shelf is admirable. As a naturally inquisitive person, I had a sincere desire to understand what I was buying, and she provided that and so much more. She walked me through a detailed step by step overview of the importance of temperature and measurements when it comes to making the perfect cup of tea. If you are looking for a coffee replacement, as I was, I would suggest purchasing online or in the store the 'Scottish Toffee Pu-Erh' as this is my new favorite purchase. If you do not live in New York, they ship their teas across the country, and I suggest you make your first purchase as you truly will never go back. read more

Hmmm....I think I am not enough of a hard-core tea lover to love this place. PROS: -Iced tea was pretty refreshing. -Super clean and tidy. CONS: -This place is too small. There's one nice table and then just a narrow bench with tiny tiny tables. -Bathroom not for customers -Counter lady wasn't particularly helpful. Menu is not very prominently displayed and she seemed not eager to help you select. read more

Physical GraffiTea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

The name of this tea shop is named after the Physical Graffiti album by Led Zeppelin and it is the same building that is show on the album cover . I appreciate its historical and musical significance. It is a pretty cool album cover. The vast selection of teas are quite extensive. I have been trying to get a hold of Matcha for quite some time. The owner explained to me how to prepare it. The staff know their products well and everything was well explained. The place is great, my only complaint is that there are so many rare choices of tea, it's hard to leave the store with only one type of tea. I ended up with four. I will come back to try the latte read more

Physical GraffiTea - Tea, Tea, Tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

Wow - totally blown away! The selection is huge and fresh. The staff is EXTREMELY helpful. She made great suggestions, was ok with my kids running round the store and made us a delicious cup of iced Macha Green Tea. She let us taste it a few different ways before we settled on adding honey to it. They let you smell all the teas you would like to purchase or are inquiring about. Great store, will definitely come back! read more

If there are three things I appreciate, they're Led Zeppelin, tea and puns. Physical GraffiTea is nestled at the bottom of the building on the namesake Led Zeppelin cover (albeit the spellings differ). Space is tight, and there are only a few tables and chairs inside the canister-lined shop. But if you get there early, you just might get a seat. And if you do, Physical GraffiTea becomes an intimate spot to catch up with tea-loving friends. The selection can be overwhelming, but answer a few questions about your likes and dislikes, smell a few types that may match your tastes, and you'll end up with the tea for you. Green is my go-to. I couldn't count how many varieties there were, but I landed on the Bancha, a traditional green that the shopkeeper described as "oceanic." It was bright and refreshing. Paired with two crisp dainty almond cookies, and it was the perfect start to the morning. read more

Physical GraffiTea - Outside Physical GraffiTea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

Tea was incredible but the lady working was absolutely awful. Very rude to our party. We ordered tea and sat to drink it only to be bombarded with rude comments. A coworker arrived shortly after only for her to immediately start complaining to him about us sitting to drink our tea. We left and will not be returning. 2 stars because tea was very good. read more

I took a day trip to NYC mainly for biking and secondly for food and drink. On the advice of a friend, I checked out this tea shop located in the Bowery. It's kinda cheesy that the store is named after the Led Zeppelin album since it is situated in the building which is prominent on the album art. Anyhow, you walk down the stairs and enter tea shop and it's really nice inside. This is an intimate location since there aren't too many table, but I found the other customers accommodating. I bought $50.00 bucks worth of tea, which my friend mentioned would last a long time. I'm not a big tea drinker per se, but let me tell you the tea here is amazing. I bought some first-wash white tea as well as rooibos. My friend is a tea drinker and gave the tea her blessings. read more

Housed in the building featured on the cover of Led Zepplin's 1975 Physical Graffiti album, Physical GraffiTea is an oasis of calm and comfort. Ilana, the owner, is super knowledgeable about how each tea can turn your health around. She likes to help. Heads up--you will want to buy every tea she shows you. They all smell so nice! She also has cold tea brewing, too. And her baked goods are homemade (by her) and taste super special. When I walked in here yesterday I was feeling bunchy and stressed from standard NYC stuff, but when I left I felt hopeful that everything was going to be okay. Not bad, right? GET IN THERE. read more

AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING i don't want to just say tea store. The experience is AMAZING, i have never been so educated on something i didn't think was more than just taste in regards to tea!! Each tea has its own benefits, tastes and aromas. And they educate you so greatly to understand, you can even taste it and get samples. When I tell you i will be a REGULAR REGULAR CUSTOMER, I mean it. Guys let's continue to support this amazing place of TeaGreatness !!! They also have herbs too with many medicinal properties, tea accessories, pots, bags, cups everything. Even homemade sweets !!!!!!! I bought like 12 different teas !!! read more

After making plans to catch up w my friend, she suggested we meet at a tea shop near her apartment. I'm ALWAYS up for a new tea place and made my way over. All my friends know about my tea obsession, with dozens of teas in my cabinet, and one of my favorite travel memories is having a formal tea ceremony in Shanghai. I walked in and was immediately transported to​ tea heaven. R hadn't arrived so I studied the menu while waiting for the people in line to finish their purchases. I settled on a Thai roobois to drink and a few others to purchase for home. I told her my order and explained that I'd also be purchasing loose teas and would hold on to the menu. I sat down at the small table and R walked in a few minutes later. She approached the woman behind the counter with money visibly in her hand and ordered her tea. The woman didn't take her money so R assumed payment was made after finishing, the same assumption I'd made. After about 45 minutes, two men walked in, ordered, and said ( to each other ) that they'd wanted to sit but it didn't look like there were any tables. The woman behind the counter overheard them and leaned over to us and loudly asked " Are you two almost finished?​ " I was astonished. Why had she asked us instead of anyone else in the place, and why so rudely? I took a breath and evenly and calmly said:​ " No, we're not finished ". We continued talking but I was so livid that I couldn't concentrate. Was it because I'm African-American and R is Indian? While paying I asked her, in a respectful tone that she hadn't given us, why she'd talked to us like that. Her answer" Oh well you two said you were getting tea to go​ and those tables are for guests drinking here." I hadn't noticed until then that our tea was in to go cups and everyone else in the shop had actual​ cups. But neither of us had been to the shop and although she then claimed to have asked us, she did not. I most definitely would have told her that we intended to sit. Also, it makes no logical sense why, if she'd had that imaginary conversation where we told her our tea was to go, she hadn't then taken our payment. Also, I'd told her that I intended to purchase loose tea after drinking my roobois. Did she think I was going to drink it on the sidewalk in the cold, then walk back inside to buy the tea? So I'm obviously not returning but more than anything I'm bummed that I don't get to try all those teas and that incidents like this still happen. Maybe some of you will have a wonderful, great experience at this tea place. That wasn't the case for me. read more

Huge led zeppelin fan and loved that their website hyped up their connection with the band. Nothing in the actual place harkened to the band (like themed drinks, memorabilia, history, even a picture of the band). Also, no hot tea is served. And no sitting/Cafe area. Only mixed tea, cold beverages and tea leaves are served to-go. 2oz minimum purchase for loose leaf tea, and starting at $6 an oz, is pretty steep. read more

Amazing tea house. They have a great selection and wide variety of tea. The place is small but worth a visit!

THIS spot is a true NYC hidden gem. The tea selection here is intense but you really can't go wrong whatever you choose. I ordered a hot cinnamon spice tea (but got it iced) and WOW. Probably the best tea I've ever had, not recently, but ever. If you're in the area, (tea lover or not) definitely give this place a visit. read more

Physical GraffiTea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

Hidden gem in the east village! So many varieties to choose from. Will return to explore more kinds of tea :) read more

Physical GraffiTea - Lovely! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

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This place was really great! They have an amazing tea selection and the owner is super passionate, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic about the different teas. A great and positive experience with tasty tea and more. Will definitely be back :) read more

Oh my, so impressive on every level. Really feels like a particular kind of English tea shop, not the kind where you have a meal but the kind that would be in Diagon Alley if there were such a place, exquisite and mysterious. Bins of delicious smelling teas, a helpful and knowledgable staff, a beautiful and clean clean clean store. I've only been once but already feel like an established customer. That's how warm the welcome was! read more

Loved loved loved this tea shop in the LES. My husband drug me here because of the Led Zeppelin connection but we are both tea fans and it absolutely did not disappoint there. The woman working the counter was super helpful in selecting teas and also gave us complimentary cookies to have with our pots. I had the ginger and peaches tea and my husband had the Russian Earl Grey. Both were delicious! Would heartily recommend this place and plan to come back again and again! read more

Physical GraffiTea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

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The selection of tea is not too bad, but they are severely lacking in a selection of raw pu-erh. The biggest detriments to GraffiTea are that they have no wifi or bathrooms on site. This makes the space inferior to others if you'd like to get work done or binge tea. I would only visit if you are really want to try Ayurvedic/medicinal style teas in person ASAP. read more

OMG what a gem in East Village! I was walking in the area for work and I stumbled upon this fantastic shop! Not super big but perfect for a mid-day break or a cozy catch up. Very intimate yet casual. Vast amounts of teas lined against the walls. Homemade goodies with purchasable tea pots. This place is perfect! Ilana was helpful and so kind. She had a fresh pot of tea which was simply delicious, required no sugar and perfectly brewed. I will be back over and over now I have been here. Oh! The beautiful artwork all around the shop, Priceless! read more

My home away from home. My best friend and I have a monthly tea meeting, and this is our go-to place. You could spend 20 minutes to a half hour alone just smelling different teas and trying to figure out which one you want to drink. Everyone who works there is very nice, even encouraging, so it doesn't feel awkward to spend so much time deciding. It is a small place and keep in mind that there's no bathroom, so prepare ahead of time. We like to go in the evenings where there's fewer people around. read more

GraffiTea has the freshest and nicest tea blends. The staff is great and very knowledgable.

Mind blown! Thats all I have to say. The service here is superb with very personable customer service. If you're going to have a matcha latte anywhere in NYC I would recommend getting it here. They add slight honey, matcha power, and a lot of other goodness. As you pick your tea they let you smell it and they will make recommendations based on smells + teas you normally like. Great location in East Village and a lot of good dinner places around! read more

Cozy & small tea house. A vast selection of teas! Overall great vibes! I had the Golden Milk Latte & it was absolutely delicious! I also had the Green Tea Matcha Tea & it was the ABSOLUTE BEST MATCHA I have ever had! read more

Physical GraffiTea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

Mean-spirited manager ruins the spectacular tea in this tea room. I won't go into details other than after a conversation with her, I felt as though the plum passion tea that had been entertaining my taste buds had gone sour. read more

I like this place and would give 4 stars however, several friends were to meet here at 9pm on a rainy Monday. It clearly show that their hours are "12:00 pm - 10:00 pm". We all turned up at 9pm to be told, "sorry we close at 9pm". The person didn't really care about this. Check in with them regarding hours. FAKE HOURS POSTED. read more

If I could give this place less than one star, I would. My friend and I were in the area after a show from Under St. Marks and we spotted Physical GraffiTea. Being tea lovers, we decided we had to check the place out because it looked so quaint and pleasing. We were impressed when we entered, too. However, I can't even talk about the quality of the tea itself because the woman behind the counter was so unbelievably rude to us. When simply asked, "How long has the place been here?" and "What are your hours?" She sighed at us, said she was there to answer questions about the tea, and that she was a human being, then walked away mumbling, "Jesus Christ", came back and chucked business cards at us, saying the hours were on the door. Then added to "not play stupid with her" and that if we came in to buy tea then buy tea. We said we WOULD'VE bought tea, but not anymore and walked out. From reading the other negative Yelp reviews, this woman seems to be the manager and is prone to being rude to customers. What kind of business does that? Shame. My friend and I have been known to spend lots of money at tea places, but NOT this one. read more

Such a cute little tea shop. Unfortunately, on the day my friend and I came, the owner/manager must have been in a sour mood. We were pleasantly being attended to by the lady behind the counter. Then the owner came in and started scolding her about all sorts of things like how she hadn't tried to sell us croissants (we didn't want any). We ordered tea and sat down to drink it and the owner/manager continued to scold her employee about various things in an unprofessional manner. Let alone the poor leadership, at least wait until we leave or take the convo out of earshot, so awkward. read more

So I feel like I'm missing something - I don't know why everyone keeps writing about this being a clothing store. As far as I could tell, this was exclusively a tea shop. I adore tea, and while I can tell the difference between a good tea and a great tea, I am not one to snub my nose and something decent, especially given that East Village is pretty much a tea desert. Of course, when you charge me $6 for a pot of tea, I get a bit tetchy about quality, and unfortunately Physical Graffiti didn't match prices with value. The teas smelled fantastic (hence three stars), but the very nice woman working the counter didn't put the water in while it was boiling, so steeping never really occurred. Moreover, the steeping sieves that they have in the teapots are quite shallow, so 1) there is not really enough tea given the amount of water and 2) the tea leaves are not really immersed in the water and thus not steeping; all you get is the flavor from the first wash of the water being poured through the tea (hope that made sense). I will probably give this place another chance in case the cashier/server just messed up, but I was not impressed on the first try. read more

After the Tompkins Park Halloween Dog Parade, my mom and I stopped by, so I could get a chai. The air has been getting colder, so other people had the same idea to grab something hot to drink. The shop was half full, and their sidewalk sign boasted of their spiced chai, and what looked like a legit tea shop gave me high expectations. The shop is extremely narrow with a few tables along the wall. Canisters labeled with a variety of teas line the shelves of the shop ranging from Chinese herbal teas to hangover cures to your usual Earl Grey or English Breakfast. I go to the back as there is no signage or cashier to order, but the two girls who were manning the shop were towards back. I waited for a few minutes without any eye contact or "I'll be right with you" from either of the staff. Finally, one girl asks what I'd like. The conversation goes like this: Me: May I have a chai latte? Physical GraffiTea Girl (PGG): Would you like regular, vanilla, or chocolate? Me: Regular I go to take my seat while I wait. Luckily, there is a small cushioned seat as there is no other space to stand and wait. 5 minutes pass. PGG: What kind of milk did you want? Me: What kinds do you have? PGG: Almond, Soy, 1%, Whole Me: I'll take 1% Another 5 minutes pass. Still no chai. PGG: Did you say you wanted whole milk, right? Me: No, 1% PGG: Oh okay. Sure, no problem. 10 minutes pass, and I finally get a mediocre chai latte. No spice, no flavor. $5.17 for a small cup of blah. I'm not sure what could possibly take so long to make a chai latte as there were other customers waiting for their orders, but both girls seemed frazzled. Slow service. Bad tea. High prices. Not worth it. read more

The tea is great but over priced. A lot of the time the owner will talk with customers for a really long time, which is great, but not when you're just trying to grab a cup of tea to go. One time I had to wait 10 minutes while she talked with a customer in front of me about random nonsense. Instead of asking me if I needed help (or at the very least acknowledging my existence) and making my tea while chatting, she just ignored me while I stood at the counter feeling like an idiot. Today I went back and she did the exact same thing. When she is not there, and one of her staff is working the counter, the experience is way more nice. And she IS generally helpful if you're the only customer in the vicinity. However, with such a wide selection of tea/coffee shops around the 2 villages (David's Tea, Sullivan Street Tea, McNulty's, Porto Rico Co...etc) with staff which are always happy to help, I won't be coming back to Physical Graffitea. read more

I would've missed this adorable tea shop if it weren't for a sign advertising "over 175 teas!" Clearly not a tea shop that serves Lipton or Tazo. I walk in and it's like walking into a tiny sanctuary. Big round tins labeled with names like Golden Monkey line the wall behind the counter. Loose leaf tea - nice! The girl was very friendly and helpful as she recommended some teas to me and described their various uses. I ended up choosing a kombucha tea, which is slightly fermented and tastes like a very light beer. Apparently it gives you a lot of energy and is great for digestion. Served in a beer jug and foaming over like real beer, it was absolutely delicious on a hot day. You can pick any tea you want and they will serve it to you hot or cold, or you can buy loose leaf tea to bring home. The room is slightly below ground level. Small tables with chairs line the wall, and one corner is painted with a forest background. Background jazz music. It's relaxing and stimulating at the same time - just like the essence of good tea. Physical Graffitea (cute name!) is such a great find, and although the tea doesn't come cheap, it is worth the indulgence when you're in the mood. read more

Awesome selection of tea. The people who work here are great and knowledgeable about all aspects of tea. Definitely worth the trip to get a variety of tea that you cannot find elsewhere. Love the chamomile blends. There is also a tea for sleep that is excellent. read more

Discovered this just this afternoon - charming and cozy shop! The woman working there (I assume owner) was VERY nice and helpful to me and answered all of my many questions. She was patient and offered her own personal suggestions (per my request) without being over bearing. The pomegranate oolong tea was WONDERFUL! I will be back!! (Please note the only reason I did not give five stars was that I felt certain teas were a bit pricy - but I can be a cheap bum sometimes so please keep that in mind)! read more

This place is great. I've been coming for years, basically since they've opened, and have never had anything other than a great experience. The staff is incredibly knowledgable, and will never point you in the wrong direction with your tea choice. Favorites are: Scottish Toffee Pu-erh, Bourbon St. Vanilla Rooibos (great iced), Holy Basil, and of course Matcha Latte read more

This place is reminiscent of Teavana, except that they sell also sell you freshly brewed, individual servings of tea of your choosing. I ordered the genmai matcha tea, and she promptly brewed water, steeped it, and set a timer so I knew when to remove my tea bag. She also gave me a tiny cup-container to keep my tea bag in, since I ordered a 'premium'/pricier tea, and was able to resteep it for a later time. I loved how expert the lady was, and my tea was perfect - not bitter at all, not too hot, and delicious. I'm looking forward to resteeping the tea bag to enjoy another (and another) hot cup of tea. read more

Physical GraffiTea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

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Cutest spot in New York? Cutest spot in New York. What's better than a hot cup of tea on one of those Elsa inspired frozen New York nights? Not much, other than cuddles and kittens. Shoot that'd be a good idea for a tea house. You get your tea, and you get either a kitten or a cuddle. Although if you got a kitten you could get both! But I'm getting off course here. Way off course. Physical GraffiTea was honestly one of my favorite places in New York. Like I just said, who doesn't love a cup of some great tea. And that's exactly what you'll get here for a price that won't kill your bank account. Presentation is probably the coolest part of it all though. They do such a good job showing you exactly what to do with your tea. They give you a timer too so you can monitor how long you want your tea to steep for, depending on if you want a light or a strong flavor. Love the overall environment of the place too. It just feels like pure calm in here. Definitely could see myself kicking back with a book and some tea here. Definitely a cool spot to check out in New York! Especially if you're a tea lover! read more

Their hot cinnamon spice is *delicious* ("naturally sweetened with three types of cinnamon!"), but I'm not sure if it's any better than Teavanna's super-cinnamony teas either. I would say that people who have a long, loving relationship with tea will love their selection and authenticity, and will find this place to be a real gem. For someone with less trained tastebuds, however, it's a cute small place as you walk down the street to visit, and treat to try to learn more about tea types while making your choice. read more

Neat little spot with a lot inside. I don't know a lot about tea so this place was a big surpise, I never never knew so many types existed - black, white, green, fruit, decaf and much more. On my visit I had the tumuric and pomegranate oolong. Both were good and hot. They didn't take too long to brew either, but as one would guess the 2nd time around it loses a lot of the flavor. The woman on staff was extremely knowledgeable about the selection. She talked all about it and answered questions. She let us smell the various teas to get an idea of their tastes. The only downside I saw here was that there is no bathroom, now she seemed to have a valid reason which is health inspection won't allow its proximity to the food or in this case drink. Ok, but how can you run a place where your product makes you have to use the bathroom and have no bathroom? Decent place otherwise and an absolute must visit it you're a 'tea drinker'. read more

Physical GraffiTea - Front of Physical GraffiTea at night - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

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