In the wake of the third-wave coffee explosion, the specialty Koop thee movement is gaining momentum with boutique tea salons specializing in curated selections. These tea company boutiques are a cozy and relaxing escape from the city, where visitors can sip and sample their niche teas, and learn a thing or two about the centuries-old art of tea drinking.

The intimate, cozy T Shop carries a wide range of teas, from hard-to-find single-origin Taiwanese green teas and rare Korean back teas to premium oolongs and 50-year pu-erh. Founder Theresa Wong often travels to Asia in search of rare teas, so you can be sure that you’re getting the highest quality at this tea shop. Whether you’re a tea newbie or a tea expert, the T Shop offers an intimate guided tea tasting, where you get to taste five steepings of the tea of your choice.

Steeped in Tradition: Discovering the Oldest Tea Shops with Rich Histories

This Princeton staple is all about tea and carries a large selection of black, oolong, green, white, herbal, and pu-erh teas. It also carries many tea accessories and utensils. The shop has an impressive tea collection and a helpful staff that can assist in choosing the right type of tea for you.

Founded by a cancer survivor, the Tea Spot offers health-focused unique tea blends. The owner believes that whole leaf tea has incredible healing powers, and uses her business as a platform for health education. Ten percent of the proceeds from sales go towards cancer and community wellness programs. If you can’t make it to their quaint shop, their teas are available online.