For a nice change-of-pace to visiting Beijing’s main tourist attractions, you can find it quite enjoyable to sit inside a Beijing's tea house, especially one residing in the old residential courtyards - "Hutongs" - scattered throughout the former Inner Beijing.

The Terrace Tea House situates in a typical Beijing Hutong, just outside the east gate of the Forbidden City. This parlor provides a resting and refreshing place for travelers coming afar to experience local Chinese lives and traditions.

Despite its moderate size, the Terrace Tea House is neat both in configuration and interior decoration. They serve a large variety of your favorite teas, along with local delicacies and deserts. Order a tin of their oolong teas (RMB110 and up), and the server will treat to a Chinese tea ceremony. Each “tin” of tea makes about four pots, each serving 3-4 people. If you cannot finish it, you can keep it in the restaurant for the next visit, or bring the rest home.

I sat on the 2nd floor terrace, in a peaceful environment, listening to relaxing music, enjoying a nice view, and had my tea served in traditional Chinese style. Refills are always free of charge as long as the cup is left open. And the assistants speak basic English, so you can enjoy your stay without any communication problem.

What I appreciate

Tea Ceremony

What customers appreciate

Various high-grade teas and Chinese Tea Ceremony

Located on the west part of CheGongZhuang Street, MingRen Teahouse is an ideal place for enjoying the Chinese art of tea. As one of MingRen’s seven locations in Beijing, the teahouse serves a variety of teas, including green, black, yellow, white, and Oolong tea.

The interior decoration is traditional elagant Chinese design, with big marble tables surrounded by comfortable sofas. There are four small private rooms which can serve 2 to 4 people each, and a Japanese style Tatami suite that fits 8. The shop owner recommended me a set of Oolong tea called “Taishan Oolong”, which is the finest and only served for government leaders in Taiwan. I can smell the fragrance even half a meter away from the tea cup. The price for a pot of “Taishan Oolong” is RMB 880.

The waitresses look very striking in traditional Chinese Qipao, and they can tell you all about the teas in English.

What I appreciate

Traditional Chinese decoration and finest teas

What customers appreciate

Traditional Chinese decoration, finest teas and good service

Yipingudao (Supreme Tea Life) Teahouse is located on the 4^th floor of Zhen Bei Mansion, 118 meters north of The Temple of Heaven’s north entrance.

The teahouse occupies more than 2,000 square meters, including a capacious tea hall and 24 private rooms. These are connected by two corridors decorated with green foliage and animal-shaped sculptures. While relaxing here, customers can enjoy the views of various plants, flowers and rockeries on the balcony, as well as old porcelain wares displayed on wooden shelf and Chinese calligraphic works and paintings hanging on walls.

In front of the tea hall, there is an area for a master of ceremonies, and a stone sculpture depicting an ancient man making tea on a campfire. Customers may enjoy wireless internet access for free. However, what truly separates Supreme Tea Life from other tea houses is the variety. Not only can you enjoy a cup of tea, but also snacks, cold drinks, and even a hot meal.

The minimum charge for one table with four chairs is RMB 88/hour. For a single guest, it is RMB 20/hour. Patrons staying here from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm on weekdays, however, can enjoy 40% off on their minimum spending limit. Tea prices are reasonable. A pot of Dark Oolong costs RMB 68~288. Set meals typically go for RMB 15~25, while stews and snacks like dumplings, beef noodles, steamed buns cost RMB 8~15. Prices for three dozens of homemade Hakka dishes, the southern China’s traditional cuisine with strong tastes, range from RMB 8 to RMB 168. Supreme Tea Life also serves many drinks, including cola, juice, beer and wine.

The tea house also features private rooms. There are 3 sizes, with prices ranging from RMB 95 per 3 hours to RMB 233 per 3 hours. These cover basic refreshments and tea for each patron. Every room has a glass ceiling, allowing for the sunlight to pass through. Customers can enjoy board games such as Chinese chess and Go while relaxing inside. Room service is just a call away.

The waitresses at Supreme Tea Life are very professional. While they get mostly Chinese customers, they do have experience with foreign customers. So lack of basic Chinese is not a problem. With such a relaxing atmosphere, a great selection, the courteous service, Supreme Tea Life offers a little something to everyone.

What I appreciated

Large teahouse, quality Chinese teas, many kinds of dishes, traditional Chinese furniture, graceful environment, wireless broad band internet access, reasonable prices.

What Customers appreciate

Incredible atmosphere, great selection.

Passerbys can be attracted to Candlelight Teahouse, for this tea house is housed in a traditional Chinese-style building, and has a very large, beautiful, and traditional courtyard. An island of beauty lost in modern surroundings.

The very spacious courtyard features a lawn, trees, sunflowers, a rockery and a pond, a stone-paved narrow path, even two lovely peacocks raised in a large cage. Except in winter, patrons can choose to sit under the porch, or in the courtyard and enjoy a fragrant Chinese tea.

The teahouse also offers nine private rooms to those of its customers who wish to taste their tea alone or with a small party. The price of a private room is RMB 30 per hour, and RMB 150 if you don’t want your time to be metered during business hours.

Candlelight Teahouse specially recommends specific varieties of teas: Xihu Longjing, Biluochun, Tie Guanyin, Dongding Oolong, and Dahongpao. Prices for a serving range from RMB 50 to RMB 500.

What customers appreciate

Excellent Chinese teas, beautiful and spacious courtyard, peacocks.

Taiyuanfang Teahouse is an expert in traditional Chinese tea art.

It is situated on the second floor of its building. The entrance door is guarded by two clay statues of ancient warriors. Classical furniture items line both sides of the corridor. On the left, there are small private rooms. Step ahead, and turn left: a line of traditional Chinese tables and chairs are set alongside the windows. Customers can sit there, and enjoy both a cup of Chinese tea and the outside scenery. Soft classical Chinese music is floating in the air.

On a shelf, many kinds of Yunnan Pu’er teas are on display: their cost ranges from RMB 80 to several thousand yuan. According to a waitress, the house offers over 50 kinds of teas including the famed Longjing, Tie Guanyin and jasmine tea, and a dozen of other refreshments.

If you want to enjoy your tea alone or with a small party, rent a private room RMB 20 for an hour, or RMB 80 if you want to keep it without time limits. Refreshments cost RMB 10 a serving. For a party of five or six customers, the cost per person will amount to RMB 30 to RMB 40 on average. A helping of melon seeds or pistachio nuts will be sent for free to customers.

The teahouse also shelters the Taiyuanfang Bridge Club.

What I appreciated

Elegant atmosphere, quality Chinese tea, classic Chinese furniture, appeasing classical Chinese music.

Located on the Huashi East Street, Royal Tea Garden is housed in a nice two-story building. Before the entrance gate, two imposing stone lions keep guard.

Getting into the teahouse, you cross a little bridge over a stream passing through the floor. Chinese wooden tables and chairs are set in an orderly manner on the first floor. And on the second floor, many books are stowed on shelves. Patrons who want to enjoy some privacy will rent a small (RMB 60/hour), medium-sized (RMB 120/hour), or a large (RMB 240/hour, 12 sofas) private room.

A wide variety of Chinese teas are available for your choosing. Biluochun or Longjing tea cost RMB 68 a portion, Huangshan Maofeng or Xinyang Maojian RMB 48, and Tie Guanyin RMB 160 ~ 680. The price of a snack of munchies (e.g. pistachio nuts) is RMB 25. This is a pleasant venue to enjoy Chinese tea with friends.

What I appreciated

A good assortment of Chinese teas, decoration feturing Chinese traditional elements, an agreeable environment.

Jingtan Teahouse is located on the Huashi East Street, Beijing.

It features all the characteristics of a Beijing teahouse: a rockery, traditional furniture, Chinese calligraphy, and landscape paintings decorating the walls. Patrons can play Chinese chess and the Go game here for free.

You can reserve a small (RMB 30/hour), large (RMB 50/hour), or deluxe (RMB 88/hour) private room if you want to hold a private party, or just like to sip your tea quietly. A glass of Xihu Longjing tea or Biluochun tea costs RMB 38. A pot of Tie Guanyin tea is priced at RMB 90 or RMB 180, and a pot of Pu’er tea is RMB 100 (no free refilling).

A portion of Xihu Longjing tea is RMB 110 or RMB 260, a portion of Huangshan Maofeng tea is RMB 60 or RMB 110, and a portion of Tie Guanyin tea costs RMB 90 ~ 680 (free hot water refill). The price for a snack of munchies (pistachio nuts, black and white melon seeds, popcorn) is RMB 10.

The tea shop is adjacent to the teahouse. Customers can buy many kinds of Chinese teas, such as Tie Guanyin (RMB 30 ~ 800/500g), Xihu Longjing (RMB 40 ~ 800/500g), green tea before Qingming (RMB 50 ~ 260/500g) and jasmine tea (RMB 15 ~ 500/500g).

If you need a tea set, a Yixing purple clay tea set will cost RMB 100 (5 pieces) or RMB 60 (7 pieces).

What I appreciated

A wide variety of Chinese teas, traditional Chinese-style decoration, a tea shop next to a teahouse.

Yunnan Teahouse specializes in Pu’er Tea. It is decorated in an ancient and unique style. The old wooden door, still in its original color, was brought to Beijing from Shanxi Province. The tables and chairs are old, and have never been lacquered. Actually they are folk antiques. In the center of the outer room there is a rockery, with a trickle of water. The teahouse is definitely out-of-character in its modern neighborhood.

On the wooden shelves, various Pu’er teas are displayed orderly. They come directly from Yunnan Province. Prices for fermented or unfermented brick-shaped teas (250g) range from RMB 95 to RMB 138. One case of cake-shaped tea (700g) costs RMB 360. A kind of unfermented cake-shaped tea made in 1999 costs RMB 980 per unit. Prices for unfermented bowl-shaped compressed teas are RMB 58 and RMB 95 (250g), and fermented bowl-shaped compressed tea costs RMB 156 (250g). Prices for fermented or unfermented cake-shaped tea (357g) range from RMB 148 to RMB 456. Fermented brick-shaped tea (1000g) costs RMB 762.

If you are looking for a special bottle to make tea easily, the tea house carries one for RMB 48.

What I appreciated

Original Pu’er teas from Yunnan Province, old-fashioned decoration and furniture.

Quan Shi Zhai Teahouse opened here 8 years ago. It offers tea only, mainly Wulong tea. One pot of tea (6-8 people can share one) ranges from RMB 60 to RMB 1000.

The teahouse has two storeys, both decorated in a very traditional manner. The rooms smell strongly of tea fragrance.

Though it is not big with a surface area of only 150 sq.m, the tea house is very tidy, and its design is almost scientific. Patrons feel comfortable in this environment. Most of the tea lovers who come here are repeat customers.

What I appreciated:

Elegant environment

Customers appreciate:

Great prices, elegant environment

Ming Ren Teahouse has so many teahouses in Beijing, it has become a brand.

It offers both tea service and tea sets. The shop in YuYou Hutong features 6 small tea rooms, in both Chinese and Japanese styles. Their main tea is Tanwan Wulong. When you ordered a pot, a beautiful tea lady performs tea art before your eyes, and infuses the tea for you.

The cost of a pot ranges from RMB 60 to RMB 880. A RMB 10 per person service charge is added to the tab. A performance of ancient Chinese music takes place from 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm.

What I appreciated:

Hospitable service, music performance.

Customers appreciate:

Fair prices, music performance