Pekoe Tea Lounge Edit

I thought this was a neat take on a tea house. It really reminds me more of a contemporary coffee house, but with tea instead of coffee. It was a little dark in there but also cozy, I went to read a book with a cup of tea so I had to strain my eyes a bit. They were playing jazzy type music and there were a variety of couches, chairs, and tables to sit in/at. They has numerous teas to choose from, there were small canisters you could smell from before ordering tea. There was a good selection of flavoured and straight teas and tisanes. There was also a small variety of pies, pastries, sandwiches and wraps. To stay in, you can order tea in a small or large French press, or vice versa order a small, medium or large to go cup. If staying in, you could choose your own tea cup, traditional or contemporary style tea cups with matching saucer and spoon. The staff that helped me were really nice and attentive but not pushy. I found they were not too knowledgeable though. While I was drinking my tea and “people watching” one customer asked the sales person “do you only put milk in black tea?”, the response was “ummmm, I’m not sure”. The same customer asked “is gunpowder tea really made of gunpowder?”. And the response was “ummm, I think so”.
I thought the tea was a bit expensive but it may be on par for the area it is in. You could also buy loose leaf tea on its own.

Formerly Steeps Tea Lounge, they carry Steeps tea (from Calgary)

Not my favourite place, but not terrible. I like the “choose your tea cup” approach. I love sitting with a pot of tea and some nibbles, but everything they offer is so large. I would go back here, but not regularly. There are definite changes they could make to bring their products and services to a better standard.

Passing this tearoom several times on the 99 b-line, it always looked enticing to jump off at the Cambie stop and sample what teas they have available to serve.

Finally I did.

From the first step into the shop to finishing my “jar of tea”, I felt strongly like I was in a STARBUCKS. WTF?

To most, that statement will come across as an insult. But not To Pekoe Tea Lounge. That would ring in their ears as a compliment because underneath all this terracotta floor tiling, dark wood furniture, fake wall paintings, complimenting terracotta-colored walls, and genuinely uninspired decor, a look to be EXACTLY LIKE STARBUCKS is precisely the intention of Pekoe Tea Lounge.

That sucks.

The tea sucked.

I suck for even ordering there.