Zen Zoo Tea Cafe

WHY?! WHY, GOD, WHY?! WHY! WHY? This place was awesome! I went here very frequently and the rabbit zenfusion (strawberry green tea with boba!) is still my favorite drink, even though this place has been closed for a while. What happened? Does anyone know why they went out of business? It was a great place to take friends for tea, inexpensive and delicious, with a peaceful atmosphere. If Zen Zoo is still open somewhere, anywhere in Los Angeles, please let me know! I would kill for a rabbit zenfusion and some edamame right now. Oh, and the staff was always really friendly and remembered my name and order when I went back! This place needs to find a way to come back to Hollywood. I know that I’m not the only one who misses Zen Zoo! Free wi-​fi!!!

After discovering my beloved zen zoo tea went out of business, after spending the past 4 years coming here, after 100+ drinks, I still can’t believe this place is gone. I read the reviews and agree with you all. Some days I had the best freaking mint boba drink ever. Other days I wish I didn’t get the Horse. Staff changed a lot and the boys back in the day knew me by name and sent smiles my way. Other times I’d think «who the eff hired you?!?». All in all. This place was great. I had a few friends fall in love with it. We had people from Finland and Holland visit it. I’m sad I didn’t get to take my boyfriend here. It had it’s ups and downs, but you had to truly know zen zoo more than for the teas or just stopping by. I read one review who said boba doesn’t belong here! Psh, why not? It’s not a tea specialty place so don’t judge so harshly. Couches outside, seating upstairs. Cute creative drinks. It’s awesomely cute and that’s why it puts a bit of zen in the zoo of life. Rip zen zoo tea,
Your loyal customer since 2006

I know, I know, I rarely if ever give a negative review, but I really like the modern vibe and how tucked away this place is from the insanity that is the rest of Hollywood, especially for being stuck near a major intersection of Sunset & Vine.
The food and drinks seem to come out lightning fast, even during the prime lunch hour during weekdays. If I’m ever stuck dealing with the Verizon store nearby (ugh, they are awful), then I come here for lunch.
So far, I’ve tried the Chicken Curry w/​Brown Rice and I’ve also tried the Citrus Chicken w/​Brown Rice. While I much prefer the Chicken Curry due to the flavor, the Citrus Chicken was also great w/​the fresh veggies they throw in w/​some tangy Terryaki-​ish sauce.
One thing to note here, the portions are easily enough to feed 2 people with 1 entrée and typically run about $ 10 total. I always have leftovers if I’m flying solo and I can eat a LOT.
My favorite drink here is the Iced Passion Fruit Green Tea w/​Boba, especially when it’s a nice sunny day (like those are rare in so cal, right?) The back patio is tucked away behind some foliage on the side of the building, so you’re rarely bothered by the crazies walking the streets. One of my favorite parts of the restaurant is that their outdoor patio is non smoking and they are very strict about it.
Highly recommended!

Just ate here for lunch and was pretty disappointed. I ordered the turkey sandwich, which sounded good on the menu, but it ended up coming with the type of packaged sliced turkey you’d find in the lunch meat section of a market, and was topped with processed cheese a la Kraft Singles. I ended up eating most of the accompanying salad, but I left the second half of my sandwich on the plate.
The iced green tea was good, though.

This is a rating for the drink itself only.
I came here when they first started promoting their location, they had an image of their green tea latte drink that caught my eyes. Their website menu has been under construction since forever so I couldn’t decide ahead what I want, so when I went there I was very indecisive, so therefore it took me more than 10 min. to chose on a drink. But I decided to go with the green tea boba latte. I brought one of my friend with me to try this place who also loves green tea drinks, but we ended up being disappointed because we kind of expected this drink to be totally awesome. Usually Asian tea houses always beats any major chain tea drinks in taste. In comparable to the usual starbuck green tea latte, this is very very, I mean very lite in taste. Honestly I didn’t realize at time I was drinking a green tea latte. Just something milky that was lightly sweetened.
But I will go back to try their other drinks… what I like about this place is their atmosphere. They have an upstairs with tables and seats to lounge around or you can sit outside in their mini patio. We came on a weekday, so there wasn’t too many people, and we were about the only people upstairs. They’ve got a cute little set up from entrance to all the way upstairs. Not your usual Orange County tea places basically. I’d give them a 5 for their menu selections and creativity…
And another thing, you know in LA, there is no such thing as free parking. So if you’re planning to stay awhile, you should pay $ 5 at a charged parking lot, if you’re just going to run in and grab and go, find a parking parking meter. I hate these locations because parking sucks.

A great café to hang out at if you’re in the neighborhood and want to see the Walk of Fame.
The chai tea was a refreshing break from the typical coffee chain franchises. The atmosphere is relaxing, and I do recommend chillin’ in the outdoor patio. A must-​visit in the future, after any show at the Palladium or the Palace (if open)

I went here with a friend for lunch. I had the chicken curry with rice which had a nice thick gravy with chunks of white meat chicken, potatoes, carrots, and celery. The spice factor was good, not too hot and not too mild. I also ordered a green tea with mango boba tea. It was pretty good although I’m not the biggest tea or boba fan.
They menu also includes soup, sandwiches, and some dumplings/​dim sum items. My friend said her soup was pretty average, but she liked her shrimp dumplings.
The restaurant is located in the Sunset and Vine complex next to Borders. The place is cute and wasn’t very crowded. We ate outside and it was very pleasant in the little courtyard.

Zen Zoo tea is good if you want casual Asian mixed lunch but not so good if you want good quality dim sum or tea.
Service is… so-​so if you are lucky.
I guess its better then Starbucks.
If you want really Zen feel and relaxing atmosphere and free internet,
go to Tea Station in Gardena. (I know its far… but trust me its worth it)
Best tea and boba ever!

I think I really liked Zen Zoo Tea Café. I thought about it afterwards randomly as I was driving and my sister and I agreed that it was a great meal (good bargain). We were intending to go to Palm Thai in Hollywood, but we had issues finding it. Instead we parked near Space 15 twenty because I needed to find a gift for my friend’s birthday (and I love the Urban Outfitters there!). We were starving by the time we got there so we wandered over to the area where they had Bed, Bath and Beyond and Zen Zoo Tea Café.
They had an advertisement outside Zen Zoo for a lunch special– Turkey/​Garden burger with a salad and Iced Tea, all for $ 7.50. My sister and I contemplated and finally agreed to try it out, since we didn’t want to eat anything too heavy.
The interior was nice– very clean and modern looking. They had a nice tea bar by the entrance and small side tables towards the front of the restaurant, facing the street. The bathroom was ok, I think the toilet was overflowing and it was irritating to keep asking for the tokens (I just wanted to wash my hands before eating!), but I suppose I can see why they have that.
The tea came first, I chose the green tea and it was delicious and fresh. The turkey burgers were really good– it didn’t even come with cheese, but the meat was flavored nicely and it came with a special sauce. The side salad was delicious too, because it came with wasabi dressing, yum!
Overall I would definitely go back if I’m in that area. Perhaps I will try another entrée on their menu, even though their special was great!

I have an hour long lunch break, but I run on LA time. Which means I always, always underestimate the power of traffic in this city. I thought, hey, I work in WeHo, so it should only take me, what, 10 minutes, 15 tops? Wrong! It took me almost 25 minutes to reach this place.
But, I was hungry and I really, really wanted some good char sui bao. Yeah, I should be going over to SGV, but damn it, I was craving this stuff bad. So I headed over to ZZT. Chin Chin can f*ck off.
I ordered two orders, equaling six small buns of love (so I presumed). And black tea with honey and creamer, essentially a honey milk tea boba. The tea was awesome. Sweet, refreshing and light. Absolutely loved it. But the bao. They were really tiny. And the dough was heavy, not fluffy by any means. And the meat was awfully dry. It didn’t taste bad, but the texture was not the fluffy, juicy yumminess I’ve come to expect. And this cost me damn near $ 13. Hmm… I think I’ll be dropping by for some iced tea now and then, but I’ll leave my cravings to suffer until I get to SGV for some proper buns. My mistake.

I like the modern vibe, wooden chairs, tables and cool hanging light fixtures. It was a nice stop to make after walking around in the heat for a short while – damn you LA heat, damn you! I especially like the rooms upstairs, where there’s some privacy, but the outside patio is pretty sweet, too. There are a few tables and a couch, so you can just chill in the shade and drink your teas and coffees. By the way, they’re serving Lamill Coffee (
) now so props to them!
The iced teas are pretty good, but slightly more expensive than I’d like. Maybe I’m just too cheap. Two iced teas with boba were $ 7.90… so am I? Okay, I am. Anyway, my friend got the boba with mint tea, I can’t remember the exact name. I got the green tea and mango with boba. It was refreshing. The guy at the counter also brought it for us, which was nice of him, since we were expecting someone to yell that the drinks were ready. They also have a pretty extensive food menu, which I didn’t know until the guy pointed the menu out by the tip jar on the counter.
Since people seem to be complaining about the parking (and rightfully so), if you’re driving up on Sunset, I suggest making a right turn at Cahuenga Blvd. My friend and I were headed to Space 15 Twenty, which is located there, but we had some time to kill. Instead of street parking, we found a $ 4 flat rate parking garage that is on Cahuenga right next to Hotel Café, which is on Cahuenga & Hollywood Blvd. $ 4 flat is a pretty good deal if you plan on staying in the area for more than a few hours.
So, park your car, venture and walk around Cahuenga which has a lot of neat shops, bars and eateries, or make your way back down to Sunset, head to Amoeba then cool down at Zen Zoo. There is a structure closer, but it seems more expensive based on past Unilocal reviews.

Been here twice already. It’s pretty chill and laidback, with a very ‘zen’ vibe. The outdoor seating is a nice touch, as you sip tea and ‘people watch’. It’s at a great location near Hollywood & Vine, although parking on the street is a pain and the structure charges $ 8 for unlimited parking (1^st hr free with validation, $ 2 thereafter for every 20 mins, max is $ 8).
Unfortunately, as far as tea goes, it’s not very good. The ones I’ve tried lack flavor and ‘body’ (I don’t know what that means… I just wanted to say body). Anyways, the drinks generally don’t impress, but it’s coming from someone who drinks boba almost everyday in asianville. On the upside, I thought their brownies were okay, and their cupcakes look yummy.
I’d probably stop by if it was convenient since it offers a nice lounging atmosphere, but I wouldn’t trek here for tea. Zen Zoo may be nicely packaged, but that can’t compensate for their underwhelming drinks.

Hidden in the depths of the area known as Hollywood and Vine, this is a great little tea place. Meeting a friend for a caffeinated beverage, I walked in and was immediately at peace with the Zen-​like surroundings. The whole ambiance is very calming, yet chic. They have wooden tables and chairs, reminiscent of a Buddhist Temple. The chairs look uncomfortable, but are surprisingly not.
They have a wide selection of tea drinks, ranging from loose leaf, to ice-​blended, to lattes. I ordered the Chai Tea Latte. It was the BEST Chai Tea Latte I’ve had to date; not too heavy, and just enough sweetness. They have a really nice patio area that is excellent during the warmer months, and a hip lounge area upstairs. I did not sample any of their food, but the menu looked appealing. The staff was friendly, and the place wasn’t overly crowded. It’s also not far from Borders, Amoeba and The Arclight. Given the neighborhood, parking can be tricky, but its well worth it! Maybe I’ll go again today…

Zen Zoo is designed to be a casual tea + food establishment with simple yet healthy grub and specialize in tasty tea blends.
Pros: across the street from Archlight and next to Borders. Inexpensive and healthy food
Cons: usually understaffed which equates to slow service (never on food just on clearing dirty dishes)
I actually really enjoy coming here because my shrimp har gow, steamed vegetables and tea selections are always good– never disappointing.
The upstairs lounge room– if empty is comfy with «my own private Idaho» feel to it…
Outside seating is nice on a warm day… plus free wi-​fi if you need to get out of your home office :)

Why hello, Chinese horoscope mixed tea drinks! And nice to meet you, tuna salad sandwich with balsamic vinaigrette deliciousness! Ah, personal little booth room… how do you DO.
Nicely, I hear.

Zen Zoo is like a tea bar for the Starbucks set.
Meaning they have a menu above the counter with many varied tea offering, from iced to latted, to straight up tea. With Boba without.
The food is asian fusiony… but its all healthy… so no fried or fatty anything… Steamed fish with brown rice is a favorite of my friends, the chicken wrap is simple but tasty.
The outside has nice people watching can comfy teak tables.
All in all a nice place to chill after a movie at arclight.

I have been to the website, read the reviews, but before today, not the place itself. I will not be returning. The name «Zen Zoo» gave me a different picture than what it is in reality. I thought, oh Zen, as in Buddhist, there must be a lot of healthy/​veggie options. there are not a lot of veggie options and I ended up with a grilled cheese which appeared to have been made out of cheese food, so much for healthy. I also expected a wide variety of tea, and there is, but no herbal tea. The staff was short. All of the tables were dirty, The food was very overpriced and not appealing. Not to mention that there was no peaceful zen atmosphere, just loud music, oddly styled and uncomfortable chairs and unbalanced tables.

«A bit of Zen in the Zoo of Life.»
After visiting their website and reading some reviews, I had a certain picture of what it would be like — quiet, peaceful, a good place to study, a retreat from the hustle and bustle of Sunset/​Vine.
It wasn’t.
Not quiet and not particularly peaceful. The music, while great, was loud. Not exactly made for studying unless you have headphones on and can endure the somewhat uncomfortable chairs. It’s definitely more of a place to gather with friends to hang out. There are a few bigger tables upstairs, one in a private area and the other with comfy-​looking seating.
Their drinks [$ 3+/$ 5+ for regular and large] and food are okay. They came out with a new food menu in mid-​May. Lots to choose from. They used to use soy creamer. Not anymore. If you are eating in, they’ll bring your food to you. That was especially nice since I was sitting upstairs. If I had to carry the food up the stairs myself, I’d certainly trip and fall down, propelling the mediocre matcha pancakes I’d ordered at another patron’s face.
Free wireless for two hours with purchase of food and drink. Not sure how they track the hours because I didn’t stick around for too long. The apartment I’m staying in is right upstairs, is relatively quiet, and has wireless — I’ll only be back to Zen Zoo for another overpriced drink and perhaps a celebrity sighting; we’re in Hollywood, after all. Parking is free in the lot downstairs for one hour with validation.
+3 overall [food, service, space, etc]
+1 free wireless [fast, not crappy], free parking [for those who need it]
–1 star for blocking Darin I’s profile [
.com]!
Um, I was studying, I swear.

I’ve been here twice for the «horse»… I don’t even know what it is, I just ordered it because a friend of mine said it had a lot of caffeine. Ha!
Nice atmosphere, super friendly people work there.
Have yet to try any food or buy any of the… stuff they sell that is NOT tea, but it’s a pretty decent caffeine-​dispensing alternative to Starbucks and/​or Borders (which is around the corner)… but if you wanna hoof it just a bit more, I suggest groundworks.

First discovered this awesome little place for meetings or friend hangs or even tea worthy dates in Brentwood and loved it. Then rumor had it, one was opening at the big Sunset and Vine complex and yay, it has finally arrived!
Zen Zoo Tea is an Asian-​style tea café with a delicious assortment of specialty teas and tea type (non-​alkee) cocktails. They are best known for their trademarked Zodiac ZenFusions (bubble tea), which are shaken and poured martini-​style. They can also add Black Pearls (a.k.a. Boba or Tapioca Balls) if you ask for them.
Then there are the premium, whole leaf hot teas, as well as food that is really good like the dim sum (Chinese dumplings), salads and rice bowls. This location also has a nifty little loft area you can sit in upstairs and it’s all very modern and coolio.
You’ll find this little place right next to Border’s so why not grab a tea, and go stroll the bookstore afterwards… or…you can always go trolling for babes at the bookstore and sound all kinds of civilized and cultured when you suggest going for tea.
Works like a charm, boys ;)
Park in the structure, because they will validate and parking tickets are a real popular item in that area.