Tea Time! These Are the Best Milk Tea’s in Sydney

Also known as ‘bubble tea’, milk tea is a Taiwanese trend that’s made its mark in Sydney.  The frothy, sweetly flavoured tea has a milky or fruity base, and often contains chewy tapioca balls, or ‘pearls’. It’s shaken to create bubbles (hence the name), and is usually served in a clear cup with a straw. While green and taro tea are crowd favourites, there are plenty to choose from. And that's the beauty of bubble tea: you can customise the toppings, flavours, and fruits to suit your tastebuds to a tee.

These are the milk tea shops shaking up the game in Sydney.

Ten Ren Tea

In the hustle and bustle of George Street, Ten Ren Tea is a go-to for bubble tea lovers. There’s a takeaway counter downstairs, and a dining room upstairs serving Taiwanese food, desserts and over 200 types of drinks. The team has mastered the milk tea, so go for the Lavender Green Milk Tea for a new flavour sensation, or the Black Milk Tea with QQ (pearls) for the chew factor.

696 George Street, Sydney

Chatime

Since landing on Australian shores in 2009, this franchise has taken off. Now, there are locations dotted all over Sydney. At Chatime, all of the tea is brewed on-site for more flavour and fragrance, and made right in front of you. The menu combines the classics with more creative combinations, such as roasted milk tea with herbal jelly, lychee black tea, and a matcha latte with pearls.

Sydney, Chippendale, Glebe, Bondi Junction, Chatswood, plus more. 

Gong Cha

If you’re the experimental type, head to Gong Cha, where you can not only customise the coldness of your tea (a lot, a little or no ice), but also its level of sweetness on a scale of 100 to zero. There’s also a huge range of extras, including milk foam, red beans and even basil seeds. To really go all out, opt for the three jelly topping, which includes pudding, pearls and grass jelly.

Sydney, Ashfield, Chatswood, plus more.

Comebuy Tea Shop

For a more virtuous take on bubble tea, try Comebuy. The shop aims to brew cleaner, healthier drinks with the use of only natural ingredients. They’re a little less colourful than other milk teas, but you can’t taste the difference otherwise. The menu features the usual suspects, like QQ Milk Tea, along with a delicious ‘Chocolate Drink’ and fruity teas like Peach Oolong and Triple Passion Blast.

392-394 Sussex Street, Sydney

Tea Shop Express

Are you a fan of matcha? Go to Tea Shop Express – they have a few flavours on offer. Popular with worker bees, the shop uses freshly-brewed tea for each order, and have regular two-for-one specials. Matcha aside, it has all the usual teas (such as oolong and jasmine), as well as fruity teas. Try the Barley Green or Kyoto Peach Tea, and grab a sesame crepe to go.

HSBC Centre, 580 George Street, Sydney

Sharetea

In Taiwan, the birthplace of bubble tea, Sharetea’s classic pearl tea has won a host of awards, so you know it’s good. The teas are all-natural, and made with freshly squeezed fruit juice and tea leaves brewed on-site. Sharetea offers soy milk, and like many milk tea shops, you can play around with extras, toppings and sweetness. There are two locations in the city, and one right by Chatswood Station.

Sydney and Chatswood

Holy Shake

Instead of the usual plastic cup, here bubble tea is served in none other than light bulbs. While novelty bottles are common across Asia, Holy Shake was the first to bring the trend Down Under, and the Instagram crowd is loving it. Some of the bulbs have actual lights at the bottom, and the innovation doesn’t stop there: the menu is creative, and the shop surprises customers with new bottles regularly.

710-722 George Street, Haymarket

Coco Fresh Tea & Juice

In the heart of Chinatown, Coco is known for its lighter take on milk tea. Rather than loading up on sugary extras, the teas get their flavour from high-quality tea leaves and tapioca pearls. There’s a flavour to tickle every tastebud, but we can’t go past the blueberry tea with coconut jelly, or the back-to-basics black tea latte.

732 George Street, Chinatown

Cha Li Boi

After closing the door on Misschu, Nahji Chu opened up this bustling yum cha bar in Bondi Junction. As you’re feasting on dumplings and bao, treat yourself to a cocktail on the ‘Bubble Trouble’ menu. The Hotel Cha Li Boi (gin, rose vermouth, orange blossom and strawberry pearls) is our pick, and the Pimm’s Pleasure Chest (gin, raspberry liquer, ginger ale, fresh fruit and passionfruit pearls) is a close second.

Level 1, 9 Bronte Road, Bondi Junction