Montreal tea houses that are the best of the best? That question used to take seconds to answer, the briefest of shortlists it was just a decade ago, the kind you could count on one hand if only for the fact that so few afternoon teas or high tea sittings were offered in Montreal altogether.

Ming-Tao Xuan

Ming-Tao Xuan with a casual cozy atmosphere sell over 80 types of traditional Tea, like most famous Pu-erh tea, green tea, white tea, yellow
tea, White tea, Oolong tea, Black Tea, Yixing teapot and accessories are located:431 St Sulpice Street Montreal Quebec H2Y 2V8 Phone number : (514 )845-9448  

D’un Thé à l’Autre

D’un Thé À L’Autre has an extensive selection of teas from all around the world. The loose leaf tea can be purchased in bulk at your request. Our local business is known for the popularity of our Lathes particularly the all-natural Matcha Lathes. We also serve excellent refreshing cold teas. For instance, our ice teas, smoothies, and frappes made with fresh fruits. Address: 1155 Rue Metcalfe Local 57 Montreal, QC H3B 4J5

Japanese Tea Salon: Cha do Raku

Montreal’s Plateau neighborhood doesn’t do traditional high tea. What it does do is offer a unique experience in Montreal: Japanese tea time. 

And Cha Do Raku’s specialty? Japanese green tea.

Sample visually appealing mochi, green tea cake, and other savory and sweet goodies with a pot of sun-grown sencha, perhaps Japan’s best known green tea. Or try Gyokuro, a type of green tea shaded the last 7 weeks of its lifespan prior to harvest, a rarity outside of Japan. And of course, Cha Do Raku also features matcha, that powerhouse green tea powder that’s all the rage among healthy living pundits.

Cha do Raku also sells loose-leaf Japanese tea by weight.

 Gryphon d’Or

The most generous and comforting afternoon tea time in Montreal? The cozy Celtic tea house that is Gryphon d’Or, hands down. For $25 a person (plus taxes and tip), staff will fill up a tiered tray with so many goodies -scones, egg sandwiches, smoked salmon pikelets, crust-free cucumber sandwiches plus an assortment of lemon and butter pecan squares, cakes and shortbread- that you will need a doggie bag to finish it off. You just will.

They’ve even adapted their tea time formula for dinner, replacing finger sandwiches with meatloaf or veggie but-loaf sliders, green salad, traditional beef stew, chicken pot pie, rarebit macaroni and cheese and the like. It just costs $3 more.

As for the tea, it’s standard fare. Reservations required at least 24 hours in advance. And don’t worry about the dress code. Just dress clean and you’ll be fine. Gryphon d’Or is as down to earth as tea houses get.