infini-T Café and Spice Souk

Truly unfortunate that what was once such a lovely spot to go and read, work, or just relax and chat with some tea has now become a place where management is downright rude to customers. I will not be returning here, the manager literally kicked me out for using my laptop (when I asked upon entering if I could use it). She came over and told me and other customers to shut our laptops even though we asked upon entering and were sitting in the designated laptop tables. I had already ordered. I have never felt so disrespected in what should be a customer friendly establishment. I strongly recommend taking your business elsewhere in Princeton.

As I mentioned in previous posts, I usually check out a place to make sure I like it. That’s why all the five stars! This place was definitely my sister and I’s style. They offer coffee, cappuccino, and most importantly tea. The tea comes by the cup or pot and we got the pot for us both. This place is vegan (I believe) and my sister and I are not. We loved it. I got the sweet potato and black bean burger. Great ingredients, not to mention healthy since sometimes vegetarian food can lean on the fatty or carb side. This meal was great. My sister got the French toast. She can be picky with her food. I am convinced she has IBS. It was great and her stomach was fine. Overall, I would definitely say go! Another plus is the friendly and constantly present staff. Can’t beat that. Atmosphere is great too. One of the reasons I picked the place.

First time I went to this place, it was great! It was a normal café where you placed your drink order at the counter and if you wanted to stay inside, you picked a table and they brought your drink to you.
Last time I visited I expected the same experience but things had changed considerably. They seemed to have become more restaurant-​style where they seat you upon arrival and you order food/​drink through a waiter/​waitress. I don’t know if it’s just me but I feel like the dining area is way too small to successfully provide this kind of service. My friend and I were seated at a very tiny table in the corner where we had to shuffle around other 2-​person tables to get to the chairs. We ordered the hummus, two soups, and two coconut chai lattes. Unfortunately, the table we got was way too small to fit all the plates and bowls. After some strategic maneuvering, we were able to find a rather awkward way to get everything to fit, but then we realized that our drinks never came out. We notified the waitress, who said they would be out shortly but gave off a slight vibe that she forgot about them. The delay ended up working out for us space-​wise because by the time they got to the table, we had finished the hummus and were able to clear some room to fit the mugs.
Overall, it was a fairly disappointing experience. The food was decent but not worth the hassle. If I ever end up returning, I’ll be getting my order to go.

I wish I discovered this place earlier, but it’s now my go-​to place instead of small world when me and my two best friends hang out. They have great vegetarian snacks and sandwiches, and their tea selection is fabulous. Everything in this place is unique. None of the chairs, or even the tables are the same. It’s very comfortable, and the type of place you can go to just hang out and talk for hours. If the owner likes you she may give you some extra sweets around closing time!

This is still a lovely place, but things have changed a bit so I thought I’d adjust the review accordingly… There’s now quite a different seating arrangement and new staff– Don’t get me wrong the tea is still spectacular and the food is reasonable, but the service is much slower. I’d still come here to do work, but it’s just too bad that there’s a new rule of no-​laptop after 5pm.

Best place in town. The French toast and apple cake are the best. Friendly staff. It’s my favorite spot in town

What’s with the multiple negative reviews? Seriously?
I LOVE coming here. I call it my happy place!
The food is great. Only «complaint» I have is pleeeaaase make the tomato pepper soup a permanent part of the menu! It’s SO GOOD and I haven’t been in when it’s been available recently.
The tea is perfect. They make it to order. They offer it by cup, small pot, or large pot. I love the selection of teas available, and also the opportunity to purchase the loose leaf to go as well.
The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Reservations and table service are a recent addition. You used to order at the front and then it was brought to you. Nice change as they can get busy and you have to worry about parking before you get in there.
I have never had bad service or encountered a single rude employee, ever. So I’m surprised to see some of these reviews on here. This place is busy and popular — you will wait sometimes. You’re in Princeton — of course it’s slightly more expensive than you’d expect. Because you’re in PRINCETON. Just saying.
Go here. Become a regular. Drink all the tea you want!
Favorite tea — Moroccan Mint
Favorite sandwich — Tomato Mozzarella Panini
Favorite brunch item — French Toast
Happy Customer!

They brought the wrong tea. Then they brought me an omelette with mushrooms when I asked for spinach. Then the cook came out and told me no substitutions after they already made the food not how I wanted it and they gave me a sarcastic attitude.

Went to this café today with a friend in hopes of a quiet space to relax and work on our computer/​read. After receiving the WIFI passcode, sipping on our drinks, and sitting quietly for nearly 20 minutes, we asked for water from the owner who was waiting on neighboring tables. She immediately neglected our inquiry about water and began to insist that we were unwelcome to use a laptop at our table. In front of a number of other customers, we were told that if we would like to stay we would have to turn off our computer or find a new place to sit. We felt embarrassed by this display and still feel that the situation was handled very poorly. Sadly, I don’t plan on returning here.

The Pani puri is my favorite this is a must have! I always have this with the Moroccan mint tea yum.

I see several negative reviews, but my experience with a few visits over the last year– a pot of rooibos tea for myself while reading, a quick takeout of a Turkish coffee, and purchasing loose tea with a Unilocal offer — were all positive. Haven’t had the food, so I can’t comment on that. Service wasn’t speedy, but it was polite. Will come back again.

Infini-​T is one of those places you go and feel right at home. When you’re in the mood for some Mediterranean for lunch, or you are into different teas (I personally am a big fan of their delicious Turkish Coffee), it’s an awesome and cozy place with a nice menu and great teas and coffee!

The vegan desserts are pretty good although the customer service could be better. After placing our order of dessert and drinks, our dessert came out fairly quick but we didn’t receive the drinks until at least 20 minutes later. Everything is fairly pricey as well.

We checked in for brunch on a Sunday — me, my wife and our son (toddler). We were attended to right away. Very friendly staff. The ambiance is great, and the place is decorated by great artwork collection from various local artists (some of which are available for purchase). The place smells awesome with all the spices from the souk section. We ordered the Masala Egg Scramble, Granola with Milk and the Sweet Potato & Black Bean Burger. Great flavor, decent portion size. Unlike some other vegan burgers we have had in the past, this is not something you would choke on. Nice texture and flavor combinations. They also have a great hot beverages menu to choose from. I ordered the London Fog Chai Latte, which was good. Apart from the great food on offer, the ambiance and service is what makes this place standout. The owner is a great person. She came to our table and we chit-​chatted for some time. She shared her travel experiences, and how she draws inspiration for this place. She even brought toys for our son and spent some time playing with him. Great experience overall.

I have been coming this place for the last two years. it was a nice place to read papers but recently they ruined all the nice things about this place to stay in business!
It was my birthday yesterday. After having a dinner in another restaurant, my girlfriend took me here for a pot of tea and playing board games. We ordered a pot and started playing a board game. After few min, my best friends show up with a surprise birthday cake ! However, the owner told us to LEAVE THE CAFÉ since no outside food is allowed. She did this by saying «YOU CAN’T JUST ORDER A POT FOR 10 BUCKS AND BRING A CAKE. I AM TRYING TO RUN A BUSINESS HERE AND I CAN’T AFFORD IT, IF YOU BRING AN OUTSIDE FOOD. YOU CAN GO TO A DINNER PLACE AND HAVE YOUR CAKE!». She did this among other customers in a really loud way to make sure everyone can hear her! By the way, half of the café was empty, so there was no line, no waiting customers. She still charged us for the pot which she bring it a minute ago.
I totally accept this not bringing outside food policy but asking us to leave and making this in public is not acceptable! She could just ask one of us to go there and ask in a polite way. She also said they have cupcakes, we could order them instead of bringing outside food. I dont think a cupcake can replace a birthday cake.
Another issue:
She started to NOT ALLOW LAPTOPS on most of the tables. Although most of the tables are empty, they will force you to use your laptop on small and uncomfortable tables. If you are planning to write a code or finish a paper don’t go there. She will take your order first and she will tell you to move your stuff to a very uncomfortable table.

We went for an early dinner and were actually quite unimpressed, and even disappointed, considering the mostly favorable reviews on here. The dining room was only about half full, but we didn’t receive our drinks until 15 minutes after we ordered a water and a basic black tea. Secondly, 30 minutes after we put in our order (while the table next to us which came in later already finished their food), our waitress comes over to explain they have run out of tofu meaning that I would need to choose a new entrée. This was after 30 minutes of waiting for food, and 15 minutes just waiting for a glass of water in a half full restaurant. Once the food came out, we realized the portions were ridiculously small given the dinner prices. We couldn’t complain about the taste, but the very slow service, missing menu items, and overpriced food mean we likely will not return.
Perhaps lunch time is better, and I think just going for the tea and a conversation would give one a much better experience than we had for dinner.

the check-​in deal for a cup of tea/​coffee is so great!!! (altho the lovely girl behind the counter does not seem to know anything about it) a nice hot cup of tea is really all i want from here but now that i get a free drink i have an excuse to buy myself a snack…
the vegan + gluten-​free peanut butter cookie is amazing. need recipe.

5 stars for the ambience, 3 stars for tea. The store seems to advertise authentic international teas but that is not the case. Herbal teas are made to be fruity to satisfy the American palate. As a Japanese I had to order a Japanese tea to see how authentic they are and it is not even close. Sencha is a sad excuse for sencha. Matcha latte was too dark, clumpy, and not well made. Every tea I have ordered is steeped too weak and luke warm when served. It may be a good place for college students to get in the zone to write a paper or to catch up with a friend but no tea connoisseur would say that this store is authentic.

This place is sort of a hidden gem. Everyone here is very relaxed and the atmosphere is halcyon. Everyone is peering over books, lightly chatting or on their computer when you walk in. Everyone has tea, and some customers are enjoying the healthy «home-​made» looking grub. They offer some nifty Indian snacks I’ve never heard of before. An example is dried beans. They looked good!
I had the bold matcha green tea to-​go. It was awesome and made my day. The people who work here are very friendly and nice. I want to come back here with a friend, eat and have an intensely philosophical conversation while sitting pretzel-​style in my chair. For real though!!!

Wow, this place is really great! Great teas and food from all over the world, and the décor is also unique as it is inspired by many cultures, including Turkey, India, China, etc. It is this cute little underground place, but once you walk in, you’ll most likely be impressed with the relaxing, hipster, and multicultural atmosphere. The price is also decent, especially with the Unilocal deals: I used the «$ 12 for $ 20» deal with a friend.
I was looking for a more affordable and unique café to chill with a girlfriend, but didn’t want to go to the typical Starbucks, Panera, or Small World Coffee in Princeton, so I am so glad to have come upon this place!
So we asked our waitress to recommend a few teas to us, and both ended up getting traditional Indian teas (The menu splits the teas for you – green tea, black tea, herbal tea – and also is organized by the country that it is native too). We ordered a mint-​chutney sandwich, which, despite being spicier than I expected, was such a new and enjoyable taste to my mouth (a nice refreshing blend of spices, mint chutney, and tomatoes. The soup was also pretty good. Served with a side of wild rice, it pretty much tasted more like a curry than a soup, but was filling and also a unique taste.
TLDR: I highly recommend if you feel like taking your tastebuds on a trip around the world lol.

I was really wanting to give infini-​t 5 stars. really really. but despite the tea being fantastic, I just can’t justify more than 3. basically…
5 stars for the concept. and the tea.
I love that theres a fun, hipster-​filled, vegan-​friendly, tucked away little cave in my favorite town of Princeton, where there are plenty of board games and the vibe is just chillll. it’s nice to have a relaxed atmosphere that serves non-​alcoholic beverages– sometimes I need a break from the bar scene. people-​watchin is pretty top-​notch, too.
the tea options are like a mile long– no matter what your preference, you’ll find it here. order by the pot or by the mug, depending on how long you plan to stay. the tea pots are all different, as are many of the mugs– it’s cute.
the Moroccan mint tea is the best thing ever, and they have some seriously yummy pink earl grey too. one of these days i’ll try something different too.
lactose-​free milks are available, too– almond, soy, etc… but they come at a pretty steep price of $ 1 extra. I think that’s a lot for a splash of almond milk, but whatevs– it’s Princeton.
they sell decently-​priced loose tea here, too. so, that’s fun. lots of variety– I’d buy here before teavana any day. I think they sell spices, too… but I go around the corner to the spice store for that.
3 stars for mehhhh staff and service.
one of the guys who works here is super friendly and has recommended great teas based on taste. he’s typically busy playing barista, but will come out from behind the counter to chat once in a while. insert warm fuzzies.
other staff should learn some customer service skills too. most recently (aka right now), I came in and tried to order… was abruptly scolded by a female employee and told that she needs to seat me. what?! that’s new. I was just here 2 weeks ago, and last week (around the same time of day) and it was a totally different experience. she told me the seating and waitress-​serving system has been in place for over a month. NOPE. I heard other parties coming in after me who had similar reactions. anyway, she wasn’t nice to any of us.
oh, and she left me sitting at a table, ready to order, for about 20 minutes– almost caused me to miss the kitchen hours. (I mean, it may have been better off that way)…
2 stars for the food.
I’ve heard it a million times, and i’ve read it on Unilocal,but I haaad to try for myself… I can now confirm that the food here is incredibly overpriced (yes, even for princeton) and nothing to write home about. I ordered a brie, apple, and honey Panini for $ 8.25, I got toast with sliced apples and barely-​visible smear of what might’ve been brie. I think there may have been a drizzle of honey in there too. served with a handful of tortilla chips, a handful of arugula, and a cucumber slice– it was pathetic looking. see my pics for reference. I feel like an idiot paying over $ 8 for toast with apple slices. (nope, this isn’t an april fool’s joke. it actually happened. I feel punk’d).
basically, come here for tea time. only tea time.
eat elsewhere, or go broke eating something you could’ve made in a dorm room.

Mumbai original chai tea latte was very impressive. House-​brewed, so no cartons or syrups here. And their soy milk is organic. Takes a while when they only have 1 Stagg person working zest it was worth it.
Only thing I’d change is if I could get it unsweetened so I can add my own more natural sweeteners. They use regular white sugar to sweeten the chai.
Ambiance is cool though. And they have board games!