Zensation Tea House

Handpicked tea, vinyl records, calligraphy prints — had I walked into a Haruki Murakami novel? That’s what an enchanting afternoon feels like at Zensation Tea House. A friend insisted I visit this place on a whirlwind weekend to Sydney with a few ‘tea sprees’ throw in. He was right… bing! Up went Zensation Tea House to the top of my Unilocal tea lover’s list.
I walked in a little confused, from the outside it looks like an antique store. But once you venture a little further and notice the wall-​to-​wall tea and seating nooks enjoying tea service — you realise you are in the right place. My exciTEAment went into overdrive when I read the Zensation Tea House menu! Where to begin? A plethora of curated tea from all around the world — white tea, green tea, pu-​erh vintage tea, black tea, and herbal and fruit infusions — beckoned me. I knew I had to order carefully because: tea envy, it’s a thing.
Having to choose a tea was like the proverbial ‘who is your favourite child?’ question. But like all parents (who won’t admit it), I do have a favouritism towards jasmine tea and ordered the Bouquet Blossom Tea — a hand-​sewn tea ball of green tea needles, lily petals and red amaranth blossom which flowers in front of your eyes in a glass teapot. It was delicate, aromatic and tasted like a green tea jasmine infusion. My partner-​in-​tea decided to flip the ordering process, she ordered a selection of yum cha and then asked for a food pairing. The friendly tea server chose the famed pu-​erh vintage tea from Yunnan in China with an earthy, woody and rich taste that perfectly cut through the saltiness/​greasiness of the food.
The afternoon felt unrushed and flew by, but one visit to Zensation is not enough — so I’ll be back to for a complete tea immersion including a Chinese tea ceremony, tea appreciation workshops, brush calligraphy demonstrations, and food and tea pairing classes. Zensation is really one a kind in Australia and reminds me of my beloved tea house discoveries in America.
«Memories warm you up from the inside. But they also TEAr you apart.» ~ Haruki Murakami

Out of the nine days I was in Sydney, I went there five times. I fell in love with it the first day and brought my sister back the second day for a tea tasting. We did the extended appreciation menu which was 6 different teas each paired with different food. We spent three hours there! It’s so worth it. I went back several times after and got to know one of the owners Christina. She’s very knowledgable of tea, it’s history, the different kinds in the shop. I walked away with a few different teas and a purple clay pot for oolong. GO HERE you won’t be disappointed:)

A recommendation from a friend led me here. Went in and wandered around looking at the vast collection of amazing tea wears. I ordered a tea which was served traditionally, something i love. The tea was great, as was the service.
I was constantly spotting interesting things around the shop even after an hour of sitting there.
When i asked about the puerh tea, the daughter asked the owner, her father, to come down and guide me through the vast collection. We narrowed it down and then tried one which i was really happy with.
I admire the heart behind the business, and the family. I had such an amazing time and will defiantly be coming back.

Very cool little tea house that serves yummy dumplings/​yum chao and has a large variety of delicious teas.
The workers are friendly and very knowledgeable about tea. The vibe/​atmosphere is very cool, got that Asian Zen style.
Overall a very cool place to hang out and get away from reality.

I think it’s a good think to take a break from coffee every once and a while. Tea really is a healthier alternative to getting your caffeine fix from coffee beans. Zensation is the perfect introduction to the world of Chinese teas. I couldn’t have been happier to stumble into this little store at the cusp of Surry Hills and Redfern. It’s is a wonderful teashop that has an emphasis on Chinese teas, but also carries varieties from other places like Taiwan. It’s a bit cluttered inside, but that’s because they sell so many things! Not only can you find a huge selection of teas, but also, there are stunning porcelain tea sets and Chinese handy crafts, among other things that make really great gifts.
The passionate owner of this place is from China and is extremely knowledgeable when it comes to tea. I actually met his daughter, Christina, who was working at the time. I had a quick tasting session where I tried two different teas. One was a cold and slightly sweetened pink hibiscus tea that was unbelievably refreshing and light. The other tea was an oolong, which had a strong green flavor. Christina explained how the oolong is properly served, as she flipped a shot glass of tea over into a bowl, and swished around to get the flavors going. I learned so much from just one visit at Zensation, like for example, the different roasting techniques or what classifies a tea as ‘green.’ It was a great experience overall, and I highly recommend it for those who want to learn more about tea, or even Chinese culture as a whole.