The Random Tea Room & Curiosity Shop

This space is either cute and cozy, or dark and claustrophobia-​inducing. It depends on your take, really. Tea list is decent, but by no means lengthy or particularly unique.
For what it is, it’s pricey, and therein lies my two stars (and $$$$): $ 4.50 for 12oz of to-​go tea is, no pun intended, steep. I’d be less put off about this if the tea leaves had been served in their own to-​go pouch (so I could get a second or third steep out of my Oolong when I arrived at my destination — which, as a tea house, they should know that’s where the good stuff can come out), instead, I watched the barista make me a single serve cup and toss the leaves. I may have (again, no pun intended,) blanched.

A good warming place for a cup of tea with friend. Usually I don’t like the Chai, taste too strong and fake all the time. BUT here I found the really nice blended Chia Tea ~ natural taste ~ creamy, spicy, just perfect!
Will definitely recommend! Must come here again~;)

This stellar city favorite is nestled just down the street from Honey’s and La Maude. This makes RTR the perfect place to visit while you wait for your table. Not sure what you want? Clearly the employees of this establishment have PhD’s in all things tea. So fear not! Guidance is but a breath away.
Recommend: you should let your «Soul Glo»…it feels oh so silky smooth. Just let it shine through you the rest of the day. Just let your soul go.
(Reference to movie my fav tea is named after)

Just OK. Not a big fan. I have tasted better chais before.

I love this place. If you are a tea-​lover, you must check it out. The décor is trippy and fun. The presentation is awesome. The tea is high quality. The prices are fair. Really great place to hang out in for a few hours.

Stopped by this adorable little gem yesterday and loved it! Such a cute vibe and delicious tea options. The owner was very nice and explained the large menus fully. I also have discovered filtered straw there which changed my life.
We tried the elixer tea for stomach problems as one of us had a bit of a virus and it really helped. The taste was delicious. I also got to finally try Reshi Mushroom tea which was VERY good and I would highly suggest. The owner said that she would steep the tea with ginger to help out with the bitterness. I ended up asking her if they sold it and bought some to take home. This is a great place to sit and hang out. Super cozy, and inviting vibe. Will be back!

By far my favorite tea place in Philly. Great cozy little place with a fantastic tea selection. The music in the background was perfect. The seats are super comfortable and the entire place is very cute. They also have a great selection of organic and gluten free snacks and sweets. I had a delicious whoopie pie. I only wish the place was easier to get to.

Absolutely one of my favorite places in Philadelphia. The best teas by far. It’s so comforting to come here and be still, drink a pot or two of Sol Glo, or their delicious roasted mate and quiet the mind. I also love coming here so much that a few of my friends and I started going 1−2x a month as a tea gathering — a place to meet new friends and savor the old. The owner, Rebecca is so kind, knowledgable and cares so much about tea/​herbs/​making people happy. Everyone that works there is excellent and I always look forward to the next time.
(The backyard area is super cute when weather permits, and the moment you walk into the shop itself you realize you want the smell of their home-​brewed chai with you wherever you go.)

People who work here are so nice but was unimpressed by the tea and overall just disappointed by my experience. Glad to say I tried it but wouldn’t come back.

The Random Tea Room is a hidden treasure, the kind of place that puts you in mind of being a little girl who enters an odd but charming shop, drinks tea, and falls into fairyland for grand adventures.
I did not get dropped into fairyland, but this is a perfect place to come read or knit and drink tea, alone or with a friend. The tea menu is expansive without being overwhelming and the teas are well-​chosen, tending more toward unadulterated tea but with a few good blends. The menu is descriptive without being overwhelming for people who are not (yet) tea nerds. Staff are friendly. The space is charming and cozy and just big enough that patrons are not all cramped together. There is outdoor seating for when the weather is cooperative. Overall I cannot recommend this place highly enough, it’s quite charming and the tea is great.

The place is cute. It has a cozy, relaxed vibe. There’s a front room with lots of outlets, seating in a back garden area, plus a massage room.
I came here specifically for the chai…
Chai is made fresh daily and ladled up from a large pot sitting on a hot plate behind the counter. You can smell it when you enter. It’s spicy with lots of ginger and licorice flavor, but lacks the richness of a traditional chai spice blend, so comes off a bit thin.
At $ 5.75 a cup, I’ve had better.

Tried the Brazilian Yerba Mate and an iced chai. Both were delicious! Will definitely be back. I want to try everything!

I have been coming here for years, Random Tea Room is one of my favorite places in Philly. The Chai is phenomenal, the Mate’s; are earthy and delicately delicious, and the Moroccan Mint is a staple in my home. The atmosphere is like no other, it’s tranquil, funky, with the ever changing art on the walls, antiques, and jewelry.
I moved outside the city and recently found my self in the area, when I came in Becky welcomed me, it was such a great feeling.
So if you are in Northern Liberties, Random Tea Room should be on your list of places to go to.

If I could of imagined the most perfect little tea room– this would be it. I adore this place! Not only is the atmosphere completely mesmerizing and beautiful but the teas…
I can go on for days about the tea alone! The chai –which they are known for– is the most delicious chai I have ever tasted and I have been an avid «tea person» for quite some time. All of their teas are the best I’ve ever tasted, actually.
On top of all THAT– the staff is so nice. So knowledgable and welcoming. Alyssa is great and can whip up a cup of tea that will change your world.
The teas don’t even require milk or sugar — they are all perfect standing alone because of the phenomenal quality and expertise blending.
Seriously-​try the Tea Room– I can guarantee it will be the first trip of many!

If you’re looking for a place to hang out to add to your hipster cred, look no further. I walked in to girls in doc Martins on their Mac Book and an enlightened white guy who looked like he was starting to grow dreads. The tea selection is standard, nothing to rave about, but it is well brewed. The décor is a hodge podge of randomness, most of which looks to be for sale. I will say all the seating is very comfortable, and you should check out the outside seating in the back if you want some more quite.

I love this place. It’s meant a lot to me over the years. In fact, it was where I proposed to my wife (and was also the site of our engagement pictures). Becca, the propieter, is helpful, informative, and not snobby. I appreciate her humility and patience with my incessant questioning. I told her exactly what I liked in my tea and she prepared a perfect cup of Chinese green tea. Excellent. I love coming here, just to sit; it’s warm, quirky, and interesting. Not necessarily the best place for a private conversation, but that’s OK.

I love the tea room. The tea room is fantastic. Look at the other reviews. Everyone agrees. Cozy environment, friendly staff, wide selection of rare and delicious tea. A secret treasure. You should definitely absolutely go there. Just don’t take your awkward date.
I’ve been here plenty of times and far too often, two people show up for a long, audible, visible, terrible date.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great spot for a loving couple who want to take a stroll in the afternoon, have a cup of tea, read a book, then head over to a NoLibs restaurant for dinner. You’ll have a great time. Highly recommended. But not if it’s going to be awkward. You know who you are.
If you’ve got a pubestache and somehow managed to work up the courage to ask out that girl in your psychology elective: don’t bring your date here.
If you’ve got a Chinese symbol tattoo and she’s got a thick Jersey accent with make-​up to match: don’t bring your date here.
If you met on OKCupid or Match or Tinder: don’t bring your date here.
If you’re going to talk about yourself and try to sound deep about death or how smoking is cool, or if you’re going to talk about weather and tea because hey, you’ve got a cup of tea in front of you, but you don’t actually know anything about tea or even like it that much: DON’T. BRING. YOUR. DATE. HERE.
This is partially selfish, but mostly it’s just good advice. The shop is small and very quiet. Anyone else that is there will hear and see everything you say, even if they don’t want to. First dates benefit from a lot of stimulus, but this place is incredibly chill. You will inevitably try to carry the weight with the most interesting (see: vain and indulgent) parts of your personality.
Do everyone a favor and get dinner, go to a movie, do some outdoor activity, even go to a coffee shop. Don’t bring your awkward date here. It’s better for everyone that way.

I want to like this place bc it looks so interesting and I LOVEEEE tea. But, there was no place to sit, and the atmosphere was almost, idk cold? A group of about 5 – 7 people were sitting together discussing capitalism, one person was on her laptop, one was reading, two people were playing chess. Then a big guy came in and 2 other people who knew the cashier walked in, cut me in line and just stated chatting to her while I was cramped trying to figure out what I wanted and whether or not I could ask about specific teas and whatnot.
It was my first time here, and didn’t feel very welcome. It looks very cool on the inside, but it’s just such an intimate space, that it can’t seat more than 12 people. And if you’re new and are a tea fanatic like I am, you’d want to feel comfortable talking to the clerk, no?
I may or may not come back. I’ll just drink my own tea in the luxury of my home.

This tiny establishment is so cute inside that I’m glad I stopped by. As I opened the door, I was greeted by the aroma of spices. Inside, there are mugs hanging on one wall, and across the room there are tea-​related things such as teapots, strainers, and culinary tea books on display. My favorite is this placard that says «MAKE TEA NOT WAR.» The shop lives up to its name; it is indeed curious to say the least.
Despite the quirky interior, I had a great experience. The lady behind the counter was friendly and patient to my lack of tea knowledge. I ordered a small mug of chai masala because she said it’s the most popular drink there and it’s made fresh every morning. It tasted different from the chai tea I get when I go to Sitar (an Indian buffet in University City) – the spices are a lot stronger, and I think it’s the aroma from the spices in the chai that filled the room. Because I just ate at Honey’s when I went here, I couldn’t down my chai right then and there. I asked the lady if I could take the chai to go, and she kindly poured it into a coffee cup. It was a good choice to take the chai to-​go because it warmed me in my journey back home. Even though it’s out of the way for me to go here, I would certainly visit the Random Tea Room again to try another tea.

I am totally remiss in not writing a review of this place sooner !
I have one word: CHAI.
This is it.
There is no reason to attempt to get this beverage anywhere else.
I crave this on a regular basis. Like NO other.
What are you waiting for? Get over here and get a Chai !!!
Oh, BTW: homemade granola bars are awesome. As well as the grape leaves.