12 Bubble Tea Shops in Auckland you need to try (2023)
Calling all bubble tea enthusiasts! It’s time for an updated roundup of the best bubble tea shops in Auckland for the year 2023. We’ve scoured the city to bring you a list of the most enticing and satisfying bubble tea experiences available. Whether you’re a seasoned bubble tea connoisseur or new to the delightful world of boba, these 12 establishments are sure to impress with their unique specialties and tantalizing beverage offerings.
Machi Machi (Corinthian Drive, Albany)
Specialty: Indulge in the art of handcrafted Cheese Foam Tea, where a layer of creamy cheese foam is delicately added to the top of your favourite tea. It creates a unique and luxurious taste sensation.
Must-Try Drink: Milk Tea with Cheese Foam – a velvety smooth milk tea topped with their signature cheese foam for a delightful blend of sweet and savory, also try their Fresh Strawberry Latte with Panna Cotta, the milky panna cotta with strawberry latte is a match made in heaven.
Grain Tea (Corinthian Drive, Albany)
Specialty: Elevate your bubble tea experience with their Premium Beverages, which incorporate healthy grains into their delicious concoctions. It’s a wholesome and nourishing choice.
Must-Try Drink: The Peach Yakult Sparkling with White Pearl and Coconut Jelly was a unique and interesting drink. This drink is made with peach yakult, sparkling water, white pearls, and coconut jelly. The peach flavour was sweet and refreshing, and the sparkling water added a nice touch. The Soft Serve with Taro Ball is also a nice try, although it’s not a drink but more of a soft serve, this unique creation was a delicious and refreshing treat. Made with soft serve ice cream, taro balls, and a sweet syrup.
Comma Tea (Rosedale, Auckland)
Specialty: Prepare to be amazed by their Innovative Tea Creations that blend unique flavours and unexpected ingredients. Each sip is a delightful surprise for your taste buds.
Must-Try Drink: Taro Grand Slam this loaded taro-flavoured milk tea is served with a variety of sweet and chewy toppings, including fresh taro, brown sugar pearls, milk pudding, and taro balls. Also try the Mango Fresh Milk Grand Slam, mango-flavoured fresh milk beverage topped with an assortment of sweet and chewy toppings, such as herbal jelly, milk pudding, pearls, and coconut jelly. Reminiscent of Earl Grey 3J’s but even better.
Tea Talk (Various Locations)
Specialty: Experience the authentic taste of Taiwanese Bubble Tea with Tea Talk’s traditional recipes and high-quality ingredients. They stay true to the roots of bubble tea.
Must-Try Drink: Taro Jasmine Milk Tea made with Taro, Taro Ball, Highland Barley, Oat and Sago, we grabbed it warm and to be honest this one feels like a good breakfast item, filled with different grains and jelly. And off course the Brown Sugar Milk Tea with Mochi, yes there is mochi on it clipped it inside hanging downwards soaked in the milk tea, totally unique and the brown sugar taste was one of the best brown sugar milk teas out there.
Own Tea (Pinehill, Auckland)
Specialty: Enjoy the natural flavours of Fresh Fruit Tea Blends, made with real fruits, and expertly blended with tea. It’s a refreshing and healthy option.
Must-Try Drink: Watermelon Fruit Tea with Coconut Jelly – a hydrating and revitalizing beverage that combines the sweetness of watermelon with the soothing texture of coconut jelly. Give Mango and Cream also a try with its tangy and creamy taste, the flavours were simply perfect.
Teaser (Various Locations)
Specialty: Teaser stands out with their Unique Flavoured Fruit Teas that feature unexpected combinations and bursts of fruity goodness.
Must-Try Drink: Purple rice and red bean fresh milk with peach gum, definitely a unique drink that we haven’t tried elsewhere, the toppings are just out of the ordinary coupled with a nice fresh milk infused with strong flavoured tea, not too sweet, good for real tea lovers.
CHA+ (Dominion Road, Albany)
Specialty: Experience the indulgence of their Brown Sugar Series, where rich brown sugar is artfully incorporated into their boba drinks for a decadent treat.
Must-Try Drink: Brown Sugar Pearls Fresh Milk – a creamy and caramel-infused milk tea with chewy brown sugar boba that adds a delightful sweetness to every sip. Also give their Nata Slushy a go, good for summer’s hot and humid weather specially that Lychee Nata Slushy.
Hey I am Yogost (Various Locations)
Specialty: Delight in their Yogurt Smoothies, which offer a tangy twist to the traditional bubble tea experience. It’s a creamy and refreshing option.
Must-Try Drink: Everything basically! That yoghurt makes a significant difference, making it tangy creamy and everything nice. If you’re looking for a specific recommendation then Straw and Berries, Lychee Go and Mango Romance was our favourite, anything fruity with yoghurt is simply good.
Coconut Factory (Corinthian Drive, Albany)
Specialty: Experience the taste of tropical paradise with the drinks on offer, made with extracted coconut milk and/or coconut water. It’s a creamy and refreshing treat.
Must-Try Drink: Coconut Meet Mango, a coconut milk drink with fresh mango, come with coconut milk jelly and white pearls, it reminded me of the Philippine snack called Tambo Tambo made with similar ingredients. Another item to try, not a drink but more of a dessert, it’s the Supreme Coconut Ice Cream, served on a coconut shell with meat on. It consisted of two scoops of coconut ice cream, topped with a variety of dried coconuts, such as coconut cubes, shaved coconut, and even toasted coconut flakes. This is a what coconut lovers dreams are made of.
Meet Fresh (Various Locations)
Specialty: Enjoy a taste of traditional Taiwanese desserts and drinks at Meet Fresh, where authentic flavours and high-quality ingredients shine.
Must-Try Drink: Everything here is like a surprise waiting to happen, of all the establishments on this list, this is our most visited place, and everything was nice specially anything with Herbal Jellies and Snowflake Ice Series like Meet Fresh Signature Herbal Jelly and Boba Shaved Ice.
Gong Cha (Various Locations)
Specialty: With an extensive menu and customization options, Gong Cha offers a personalized bubble tea experience tailored to your preferences.
Must-Try Drink: Everything in their top 10, we had tried them all and we were never disappointed, it is on their top 10 list for a reason and if you have not tried all of them, you are missing out big time.
Zha Zha Tea (Rosedale, Auckland)
Specialty: Zha Zha Tea stands out with their Premium Fruit Teas that showcase the natural flavours of fresh fruits in their delightful concoctions.
Must-Try Drink: Several unique items stand out like the Red Bean & Pudding Charcoal Grilled Milk Tea, Brown Sugar Pearl with Fresh Milk (corn and purple potato) and Sparkling Blueberry & Yakult Jasmine Tea. Each special in their own right and had never seen this combination somewhere else, something for the adventurous foodies out there to give it a shot.
With this updated roundup of 12 must-visit bubble tea shops in Auckland for 2023, you can embark on a delightful journey through the diverse and ever-evolving bubble tea scene. From unique cheese foam teas to premium grain beverages, authentic Taiwanese bubble tea, and innovative creations, these establishments offer a wide range of flavours and experiences. Indulge in the creamy and refreshing Coconut Milk Tea at Coconut Factory or savour the aromatic Floral Earl Grey Milk Tea at Comma Tea. Experience the tangy twist of Yogurt Smoothies at Hey I am Yogost or opt for the indulgent Brown Sugar Bubble Milk at CHA+. Whether you’re seeking classic favourites or adventurous blends, these bubble tea shops have something for everyone. So, gather your friends, explore the city, and sip your way through the best bubble tea Auckland has to offer in 2023. Get ready for a delightful and refreshing experience that will leave you craving more.
