Cancel

Open app

Search

The Chai Spot

4.0 (438 reviews)
Open 12:00 pm - 10:00 PM
Updated 3 months ago

Order The Chai Spot Takeout or Delivery

The Chai Spot Photos

Business Info

THE CHAI SPOT ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating
Good for working
Good for kids

You might also consider

Recommended Reviews - The Chai Spot

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Menu
Saahil S.

Tasty sweet chai, with strong cardamom flavor in the traditional option. Samosas and parle-g also available and great to pair with the chai. Service was quick, as chai is pre-made (fyi no option to customize sugar). Indoor cushion/couch seating options, require removing your shoes. Generally quiet vibe but normal conversation is fine.

You would never believe this place exists in the middle of Chinatown! It's such a fabulous spot to relax and take a break from the hubbub of Soho and the Village! The huge, back room is set up with huge cushions, pillows and Turkish rugs where you can just hang. When we were there on a Sunday, NYU students were meeting to study, there were two different book groups discussing their book selection, and random other people just chatting and hanging. It was so comfortable, that my husband actually took a 10 minute nap! The chai tea was good, but honestly it was the laid back atmosphere within NYC that will bring me back!

Drinks
Erica T.

This place was an excellent choice for unwinding and taking a break from the business of New York. It wasn't crowded when we went which made it perfect to find a spot to sit and drink. I had a Thai Iced Tea that I really enjoyed. The low lights and rugs gave the seating area very calming.

Chai tea lounge
Lalliet V.

Found this gem while visiting NYC! They have a great selection of different style coffees and teas. The best part is the lounge area; it's super cozy and has such a cool aesthetic. Definitely a great place to take a break, especially after a lot of walking in the city.

Penny J.

Really cute love the ambiance, everyone just hangs out & chills. The rose coconut chai was so delicious like omg. NY prices so I can't be that mad I guess. Also someone gave me a cookie & it was good but rlly dry

Traditional Cardamon Chai
Nikita K.

This is a cute chai spot and is bigger than expected inside. The decor is nice as well. Most people were ordering the traditional chai but I don't like cardamom so I got the double tea instead. It was really good and also sweet. The samosas were also super fresh and yummy and went well with the chai. It comes with chutneys too. There are also lots of snacks available to buy. I would definitely come back here

seating area
Ro R.

Cute interior with a lot of seating. The employee was nice and brought our drinks and food to us. I had higher hopes for this place but my cinnamon oat milk chai tasted like 90% hot water and a dash of the cinnamon and chai. My boyfriend got the regular chai and that one tasted better. Both were served REALLY hot so be careful. The samosas were really good though!

Julia L.

A friend recommended The Chai Spot because another friend had recommended it to her and I am so glad we went. This place is extremely cozy and welcoming, with a large space in the back with string lights, super comfortable couches, rugs, and pillows, and a peaceful ambiance where people are chatting quietly, playing games like chess, and working on projects (there are select outlets here). I absolutely loved that 30% of their proceeds go to projects supporting women and children in Pakistan and that there were touches of Pakistani culture all over the cafe from the decor to the menu selection. My friend and I both ordered tradition cardamom chai which is extremely tasty and richly flavorful ($6.50). After tax and tip, I do feel that it's a little expensive, but if I justify the additional benefit of the ambiance and relaxation I felt spending time here it was more than worth it. The staff members were nice and my friend and I took our shoes off and lounged for 2 hours (which is the maximum allotted time for the space when busy). Laptops are allowed and I'd highly recommend working here. It feels like you're sharing a living room with a bunch of new friends! Such a NYC gem. I almost want to gatekeep it :)

Hunter S.

I had read about this place or saw it on a TikTok and filed it away at the back of my mind. But wonderfully, a friend wanted to visit chinatown and at the same time wanted tea. We passed a giant sign that screamed "CHAI!" so we went inside and I put two and two together. Simple menu of eight or so teas, both hot and cold, with and without milk. Reasonable prices for sure. And then you realize that one, a significant amount of profits (30%) go to women and children in Pakistan. And then you see there is a HUGE backroom space in the back for working, resting, relaxing, connecting, conversing, covered in rugs and pillows and colorful fabrics. The staff are prompt, attentive, and very laid back. Don't forget to take your shoes off before heading into the back! Another place I cannot wait to visit again. Someone said "opium den vibes" and I can see that. Another New York gem.

Drinks and samosas
Jen S.

Came back this time and quite enjoyed the Double Tea (Dhoodh Patti). Samosas are as good as usual. The chai was a miss.

The space - beautifully decorated
Mona I.

I stopped in for the first time tonight and I immediately fell in love. Stepping into The Chai Spot from the streets of NYC, you feel transported to another country. A country that takes their Chai seriously. Their tea is flavorful, unique, and perhaps the most authentic Chai in the city, outside of what I make at home. The vibe is so peaceful and cool. The tea is so smooth and perfectly balanced. The relaxing music, the decorations, the people sitting in the back with their shoes off, it all added to make it the best spot tonight. Oh and to top it off, we got to talk with D, who is such a sweetheart, makes everything from scratch, and has such aura. Yeah, we look forward to going back here.

Alan N.

I like this place a lot. Real opium den vibes. Like place to lay down and read. Ambient lighting. Tea was delicious. Would love to try out different teas on the menu. Bathroom on site. No shoes in the seating area

Angela P.

Ever want to go to a place to lounge around and sip some chai? Then this is the spot for you. With the colorful carpets and cushions, I feel like I'm hanging out in my own living room. I can be here all day sipping some chai and a good book. Also, this is a great spot to hang out with friends. Although , I was a little disappointed that the drinks weren't served in paper cups tho.

See all

4 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

21 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Food L.
0
249
158

1 month ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

30 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

3 months ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Penny J.
9
174
275

3 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Ro R.
0
65
206

3 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

8 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

9 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

3 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Alan N.
395
1011
8854

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 months ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 2
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 1

6 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 1

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 months ago

Nice place to hang out with fam and friends! I went their to get a nice cup of tea to lighten up my mood.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Love this chai! The space in the back reminded me of Berkeley in 1968, a lot of community happening here

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Page 1 of 11

The Chai Spot Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - The Chai Spot

Can you walk in or do you need a reservation?

it struck me more as a place you would just walk in to, they had seating in the back and a few tables out front and outside. it's a very casual place

Is there currently any seating (indoor/outdoor)?

No indoor. Only outdoor so far with tons of seating. Check the photos to see how they decorated the outdoor seating

Can we bring in food from outside?

I think they allow warm food. I've seen people bringing stuff in.

Will i be able to find parking around 4-5pm?

Not sure it's pretty close to Times Square so I'm guessing you want to take public transit or research a garage. I would call them and see what the best option is since that dead center in rush hour.

Do they serve Hookah?

No they do not.

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

You might also consider

Prince Tea House

Prince Tea House

4.2(228 reviews)
2.0 miKoreatown, Midtown West
$$

I am a frequent Prince Tea House goer, but I've never been to the KTown location which has always…read morebeen on my bucket list because of the nice wall decors! And I commonly see the upstairs for private events like baby showers, bridal showers, or birthday parties on social media. After dinner with my friends, I was looking for dessert and I was glad to see this location closes relatively late on a weekday night at 11 pm. Upon walking in, I was greeted by a waiter who led us to one of the purple velvet chair booths that was perfect for two people and another waiter brought us a pitcher of water almost immediately. The menu is on a QR code already on the table and we were given ample of time to decide. My friend and I both already knew what we wanted to order. I got the purple Yam Souffle which takes 25 minutes to make and my friend got the fried squid tails. We also got a signature Rose Green Milk Tea to share. The waitress who took our order has great memory and recalled all of our items without writing it down. She also reminded me that I could adjust the ice and sugar levels of my drink which I had completely forgotten and would have got annoyed if my drink came out 100% sweetness. Another thing is that my drink order frequently comes out wrong at other locations so I was glad she got it right! Green tea instead of black tea and with milk instead of without milk. The purple Yam Souffle is just like the other locations. Hot, soft cakey texture balanced with an ice cold red bean Ice-Cream. So delicious! The squid tails on the other hand was not what we expected. It came out burnt and hard. The outer batter was not crispy either. We informed one of the waiters and he brought it back to inform the kitchen staff. We received a new batch that was not as burnt and had more flavoring this time around. However, the squid was still hard and not like the ones we get from other locations with smaller crispier pieces. Overall, it was still a good experience and I love the decorations at this location! This might be my second favorite location after the Flushing one. Would love to come back for brunch or hi-tea. Or regular food options when I have not already eaten dinner. My usual go-tos are the twister fries, Santa Fe chicken rolls, fried salted crispy chicken, and the trio dessert combo. However, this location has a lot more variety! FYI - there are two unisex restrooms in the rear for customers to use with really cute wallpapers too.

This is always my favorite spot to go for desserts and hangout. The interior decor is very modern,…read moresophisticated and stylish. We ordered potted rose milk tea to share, Dubai affogato and Brown Sugar Boba Mille Crêpes Cake. We came on a Friday around 4pm. Originally I wanted to try the strawberry matchamisu, however, was told that it sold out. What a bummer. The rose milk tea came with a themed pot and cups which is really cute. The rose fragrant smelled so good and the milk tea also tasted good and has a hint of rose taste. The cake was good, the boba was well cooked, chewy and flavorful! This time there was an unpleasant experience. At first when the Dubai affogato was served, we did not realize that the amount of the coffee was little until we saw another customer's dish that the volume of their coffee looked significantly more than ours. My friend brought it to the waitress attention but the waitress brushed it off and did not acknowledge our concern. When we finished and were about to leave, the same waitress came over and showed us that the container of the coffee was different and hence the volume of the coffee looked different. At this point, we did not care for it anymore. We would have been fine if the staff acknowledged our concern. We thought that maybe using standardized containers for the coffee would avoid this problem. Other than that, the food and drinks were good.

Photos
Prince Tea House - Inside

Inside

Prince Tea House - Mango Mille Crpes Cake

Mango Mille Crpes Cake

Prince Tea House - Too

See all

Too

Nana’s Green Tea - Matcha Warabimochi Parfait

Nana’s Green Tea

4.2(391 reviews)
2.0 miKoreatown, Midtown West
$$

I stopped by Nana's Green Tea in search of a quality matcha latte before heading to the NYPL to…read morestudy. The cafe is right on the front corner of Korea Way, making it easy to add to my route. The interior is a very modern and a little cold, so it doesn't seem like the sort of place that beckons you in and asks you to stay a while. However, the cafe is incredibly spacious and had ample seating around mid-day. There are three kiosks to order from at the front of the shop where you can easily browse the menu and edit your order. I opted for an iced, unsweetened matcha latte. After placing your order, you receive a number and wait for it to pick it up at the counter. After a few minutes, my order was ready. The latte was great without any sweetener, really letting the flavor of the matcha shine through. Although I'm no expert, the flavor, color, and consistency of the matcha all indicated to me that it was made with a good quality powder. It seems Nana's specializes in green tea, so I'd totally stop here for a more authentic experience than getting matcha from places that focus on coffee or are simply trendy matcha spots. Aside from lattes, there are many parfait and soft serve options with a matcha or hojicha bases, so hopefully I'll have the opportunity to come back and try their other offerings!

This place reminds me of the green tea parfait I love in Kyoto. However it is very big. Located…read morein the corner building on Broadway but the entrance is on 32nd Street deep. Almost like going inside a building. You order from any of the 3 kiosks and choose your order and pay. Get your ticket and your order will be announced. Most places go sit is communal with some tables around for 2. I ordered the Matcha Warabimochi Parfait and it was delicious like being in Kyoto. It had the green tea jelly which I enjoyed in Japan and all the other items. They also offered green tea drinks. The parfait is layers of jelly, soft serve ice cream, mochi, green tea syrup whipped cream with green tea syrup on top and also green tea ice cream. Next best thing to treat yourself close to being in Japan

Photos
Nana’s Green Tea - Black sesame mochi parfait

Black sesame mochi parfait

Nana’s Green Tea - Matcha mochi parfait, matcha cheese cake

Matcha mochi parfait, matcha cheese cake

Nana’s Green Tea - Hojicha Mochi Parfait

See all

Hojicha Mochi Parfait

JIN YUN FU Tea Shop

JIN YUN FU Tea Shop

4.7(43 reviews)
1.9 miFlatiron
$

I am a huge tea drinker and this is one of the best quality teas I have had. Hands down the…read morebest!!!! This place gives you the calmness the moment you walk in will full of aroma from the various teas. The experience of tasting slowly brew tea and listening to the deep history of the Chinese tea was so incredible. The owner was so kind and explained the process so well. Definitely worth the price.

My husband and I stopped by Jin Yun Fu Tea Stop for a tea tasting experience this past weekend. The…read moretea shop was founded in Fuzhou, China, in 1995, but they opened a NYC location in 2026. The shop is beautiful - minimalist and peaceful - and full of products for sale - tea and teaware. They also offer a range of experiences: Traditional Gong Fu Cha Tea Tasting; Horizontal Flight; Private Collection Tea Tasting; Song Dynasty Whisked Tea; and private events. We reserved a Ming Dynasty Tea Tasting/Cultural Experience through airbnb (I don't see the exact same experience listed on their website), which included five rounds of tea brewing from one type of tea. The tea was delicious and the experience - so traditional - was beautiful and special. The experiences and the teas and teaware sold at the shop are a bit pricey (for example, one tea canister I saw was $135, and one teapot over $500), but it's a special experience. The service was great; we felt we learned so much. For anyone who loves Chinese tea or who wants to learn more, Jin Yun Fu is worth a stop!

Photos
JIN YUN FU Tea Shop
JIN YUN FU Tea Shop - It was our pleasure to have Luka Doncic visit our shop!

It was our pleasure to have Luka Doncic visit our shop!

JIN YUN FU Tea Shop

See all

The Chai Spot - coffee - Updated May 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...