The Ultimate Guide To The Best Bubble Tea In London

Thirsty? Here’s our guide to the best bubble tea in London

Bubble tea. Just thinking about it makes me want to head to Chinatown and pick one up. A good bubble (or boba) tea is so satisfying. From the squidgy bubbles to the thirst-quenching tea, it’s hella delicious. So if you’re as addicted to it as I am, here’s my guide to the best bubble tea in London.

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What is bubble tea?

Before we get into finding the best bubble tea in London, let’s chat about what it is. The original bubble tea recipe comes from Taiwan. It’s most usually made with Assam or Jasmine tea, with tapioca bubbles (also known as boba).

And from that original bubble tea recipe a thousand other combinations have sprung up. You can choose from any tea in the world, or coffee or juice for that matter.

And as well as the tapioca boba you can also add wobbly custards, coconut or grass jellies, fruity boba that pop, chia seeds that burst, and so much more. Or everything at the same time. Now that’s a thought!

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Map of the best bubble tea in London

From Chinatown to the City, here are the places you can find the best bubble tea in London:

1. Tsujiru, Chinatown
2. T4, Westfield
3. Woo Tea, Chinatown
4. Xing Fu Tang, Soho
5. Bubble Majik, Ealing Broadway
6. The Alley, Holborn
7. Yifang Fruit Tea, Chinatown
8. Taiyakiya, Chinatown
9. Min Tea, Chinatown

1. Tsujiru, Chinatown

For the best hojicha bubble tea in London

Tsujiru is a Japanese dessert shop in Chinatown, known for its plethora of delicious goodies including matcha soft serve ice cream, cakes and tea. They also do great version of a hojicha bubble tea.

Overall the Tsujiru hojicha bubble tea has floral tea notes and a delicate flavour, and the sweetened version is not too sweet. But, because Taiyakia is a dessert cafe first, not a bubble tea one, the toppings are limited. If you like your drink simple, then this is one of the best bubble tea shops in London.

See more bubble tea from Tsujiru

2. T4, Westfield

For the best Assam milk bubble tea in London

T4 is a boba store that comes straight from Taiwan. They pride themselves on using whole tea leaves that they grow themselves, not tea bags or powders. And that attention to detail shows up in the bubble tea at T4.

I’ve had a bunch of boba milks and teas from T4, but I keep going back to their Assam milk tea with tapioca boba. The classic tea does *all* the talking, and the chewy boba are delicious too. Just be aware though that the sweetness level at T4 is a little higher than average – so I’d ask for half sugar.

See more bubble tea from T4

3. Woo Tea, Chinatown

For the best roasted Oolong bubble tea in London

Woo tea’s roasted Oolong tea has the loveliest flavour. It’s nutty with a buttery texture, and an almost smoky tone. Add this to their fresh tapioca boba and boom! It’s got to be one of the best bubble tea in London.

See more bubble tea from Woo Tea

4. Xing Fu Tang, Soho

For the best brown sugar bubble tea in London

Xing Fu Tang has to be one of the most popular bubble tea shops in London. There’s always a long queue of people waiting outside the shop at opening time, and throughout the day. And for good reason. Xing Fu Tang has the best brown sugar bubble tea in the city.

It’s delicious! And you get to see exactly how they make the brown sugar boba, first shaping the balls then swirling them in hot brown sugar. And in terms of taste, this bubble tea has a lovely malty flavour, full of toffee and caramel notes. Happily, its also surprisingly not too sweet, having been balanced with full fat milk foam.

See more bubble tea from Xing Fu Tang

5. Bubble Majik, Ealing Broadway

For the original Assam bubble tea in London

If you’re in West London then head to Bubble Majik. This Ealing Broadway boba tea store does a delicious variety of teas and toppings.

But there’s something about their original Assam milk boba tea that keeps me coming back for more. I love the malty tea, rich like a biscuit, and the squidgy boba add a sweetness that makes this a very comforting bubble tea indeed.

See more bubble tea from Bubble Majik

6. The Alley, Holborn

For the bubble tea made with natural cane sugars

The Alley is one of the handful of boba cafes in London with a cult following. They’re known for their handmade boba, which they playfully call ‘deerioca’ in reference to their deer icon.

The sellout bubble tea at The Alley uses natural cane sugars which boiled to make syrup. The geniuses at The Alley then caramelize the sugar, giving it a deep colour and intense flavor.

I’ve written separately about the bubble tea menu at The Alley, and my favourite drink is their brown sugar deerioca cream brulee. It’s got this gorgeous complexity of taste from the browned sugar, cushioned in creamy foamed milk. Yum.

See more bubble tea from The Alley

7. Yifang Fruit Tea, Chinatown

 

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For the best fruity bubble tea in London

Yifang Fruit Tea is another bubble tea shop that started life in Taiwan. Their London boba shop is located in Chinatown, and churns out the most delicious fruity teas.

If you’re around the area then I’d recommend the creamy peach Oolong slushie bubble tea with peach jelly, which is a thirst quenching concoction. Hands down, Yifang Fruit Tea do some of the best boba teas in London.

See more bubble tea from Yifang Fruit Tea

8. Taiyakiya, Chinatown

For the best matcha bubble tea in Chinatown

Matcha is my go-to tea for a mid-day energy boost, and if I’m in Chinatown there’s only one place I go for it. And that’s Taiyakiya. They do a gorgeous malty matcha bubble tea with an excellent amount of froth and foam.

And I also pick up one of their mermaid tail icecreams, so that’s a double win.

See more bubble tea from Taiyakiya

9. Min Tea, Chinatown

 

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For the cheesiest bubble tea in London

Min Tea is one of the few cafes in Chinatown that offer bubble tea with a cheese foam. Cheesy bubble tea is popular across Asia, and I can see why.

If you’re wondering how cheese and bubble tea work together, it’s like the cheesecake version of boba tea. It’s sweet and gently tangy, and goes beautifully with a fruity tea. Min Tea offer a range of fruit teas with the cheese foam, including strawberry and passionfruit.

Overall thoughts on the best bubble tea in London

I’ve had a lot of fun putting this list together, mostly because I’ve been able to drink a lot of bubble tea in a short time. Yum.

My overall favourite place to drink boba is Xing Fu Tang, which I love for its soft sweetness and toasted toffee flavour profile.

But there are loads of places to get great boba milk tea and I hope this list of the best bubble tea in London is a useful guide for you. Go out and drink those delicious pearl teas!

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Have you tried any of the best bubble tea in London? Let us know :)