If your conception of tea involves pallid liquid slushing around in a Styrofoam cup, or some antiquated ritual involving a twelve-hour steeping process in your great-grandmother’s teakettle, then be prepared to have your mind blown at Presstea, which is decidedly the opposite of both.
Presstea, located in the heart of the West Village of Manhattan, serves tea, baked goods (these deserve their own review), and savory treats (including a ramenrrito, the first of its kind). The space has a calming and inviting atmosphere; the walls are lined with smooth cream and cornflower blue toile wallpaper, and the tables and chairs are sleek wood, with an armchair or two hiding in the back for book-reading. A warm yellow light emanates from a central chandelier, and you immediately feel at home in your living room as opposed to a teashop.
As for the tea served at Presstea, I can only say that it has completely elevated my tea-drinking experience to an unforeseen level. The story behind Presstea begins with George Kuan, an entrepreneur from New York. Previously, George worked as an investment banker, until he realized that chasing money was not the key to happiness. He promptly left his job and drove a black car around New York for a year, discovering all the hidden nooks and crannies of the city. George then decided to return to his passion for cuisine, and recaptured his love for food that was initially sparked while taking cooking classes for two years before college.
Fast-forward to Presstea, which in itself is an experience and not just a pit-stop. In fact, drinking the tea at Presstea for the first time is a little bit like eating Hershey’s Chocolate bars your whole life and then biting into a Scharffen Berger chocolate bar for the first time. Once you have pressed your lips to a cup of Presstea, you will never look back, and it will make your tea-drinking experience at any other establishment a frustrating one. You might unwittingly become a tea connoisseur and find yourself grimacing over a different cup of tea: “And you call this tea!!” You might say to yourself, as you begrudgingly sip another cup of Orange Zesty Comet tea, or Calm-Your-Tummy-Chamomile.
Presstea Chocolate Chip Cookie
So what should tea taste like? Presstea has given you the answer. Tea should have a rounded taste. It should be bold, strong, full of flavor and robust. It should be smoky, floral, perhaps finishing with an umami flavor (a fifth taste categorized by savory notes).
The rich, unparalleled flavor of Presstea is in large part due to the technique owner George Kuan and his team have created, which compresses tea leaves into espresso-like shots using a slightly tweaked espresso machine. Compared to a brewed or steeped cup of tea, the teas that follow are packed with more antioxidants, more flavor, and in some cases much more caffeine (for those teas that are caffeinated).
Rose Black Teapuccino
The other half of the equation is of course the tea leaves, which George sources from Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, and South Africa, countries in which the soils are nutrient-rich, and devoid of chemical fertilizers (the teas served at Presstea are organic). The Presstea tea selection includes Black tea, Green tea, Rooibos tea, and Chai tea, all of which contain a blend of four to five different teas from these countries.
The first tea that I sampled was the Rose Black Teapuccino, a shot of black tea, topped with a layer of steamed milk and finished with a drizzle of rose syrup. This beverage was my favorite, as it reminded me of my usual Earl Grey tea with milk and honey, except the tea was smokier and more robust, the milk more delicately frothed, and the rose syrup more exciting than the slick of honey sitting at the bottom of my tea cup. The caffeine content also packed a punch, and I definitely felt as buzzed from it as I would any shot of espresso.
Caramel Cape Town Latte
I then sampled the Caramel Cape Town Latte, which is caffeine free, and contains Rooibos tea, frothy milk, and a healthy drizzle of caramel. If you have not yet tried Rooibos tea, or have had the misfortune of trying it elsewhere, then this must be the first beverage you sample at Presstea. The latte tastes like butterscotch, vanilla, and caramel heaven, with delicate notes of tobacco and licorice.
The third beverage I sampled was the Mont Blanc Formosa, which is a beauty; it is the Guinness of iced teas, and has a thick cream top to match. The Mont Blanc, so-called because its cream top resembles the viewpoint of a mountain, is made with iced green tea, topped with a rich sweet and salty cream, and is lightly sprinkled with homemade matcha powder. It is this beverage that was the most complex and satisfying; the sweetness and acidity of the green tea, coupled with the saltiness of the matcha powder created an umami flavor that I had never before experienced in a tea. When stirred, the Mont Blanc also takes on an entirely different flavor profile.
Mont Blanc Formosa
As for the baked goods at Presstea, which are baked in-house by George’s sister, these were in a league of their own, and it was a real pleasure to have such high-quality baked goods go hand in hand with such high-quality teas (as is not often the case). I can say without hesitation that I sampled one of the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve had (this one was dense and molten in the center, with white & milk chocolate chips, and a healthy dose of matcha powder, photo above).
The pain au chocolat was also one of the flakiest and most delicate I’ve tried in New York, and according to George, native Parisians seem to agree. Although I had not previously tried a gluten free brownie, Presstea sets the bar quite high. Scones include white chocolate apricot, cream craisin, and parmesan chive for the savory folk. George and his team have also been experimenting with Paleo baked goods, so if you’re after more wholesome alternatives, stay tuned.
Presstea Baked Goods
Overall, Presstea serves some of the best beverages, if not the best tea I’ve ever had. As a rule, I prefer chocolate over tea, but if you handed me a Mont Blanc Formosa and a huge milk chocolate bar, I might just choose the Mont Blanc, and that is saying A LOT. Overall, if you want to crack open a good book, catch up with an old friend, or study on your own, all while drinking and eating some of the most exquisite teas and baked goods New York has to offer, Presstea is your destination.
Presstea
167 Seventh Avenue South
Btwn. Waverly Place & Charles St.
(212) 888-6666
Photos by Caroline Solomon
The writer dined as a guest of the restaurant