Terroir Tea Salon

So peaceful. Very nice, clean, modern design but still feels warm and inviting. The proprietor was sweet and knowledgeable when making a recommendation. She was also very enthusiastic about the awesome local art displayed for sale. Thank you! I am excited for the tea and chocolate tasting!

This tea shop is the best tea shop in Victoria. This of course is simply my opinion, but I hope the rest of this review will convince you as well. The owners are very friendly and can be found in the store whenever the shop is open. That is simply a prerequisite for a good tea shop though (a prerequisite which, however, is not satisfied by a certain other highly prominent tea shop in the city). What truly matters is that the leaves they sell are high/premium grade and that the owners are knowledgeable and can impart their knowledge to improve your own appreciation for tea. Terroir has both of these traits. They take care to visit the growers from whom they buy and carefully select the leaves that they would like to sell in the shop. I’ve bought several different oolongs (easily their specialty) and green teas and in each case have enjoyed them and noticed striking differences in their flavor. You will receive honest instructions for how to brew the tea, and I have had oolongs from Terroir whose leaves I could steep 7+ times (gongfu style) while still having a tea liquor with rich flavor even on the last steeping. To the outsider, some of their prices may at first seem high, but I believe this is an honest reflection of the very high grade of the leaves and the demand in the market for such premium product. Beyond the leaves themselves, the shop is well equipped with, well, the equipment that you would want for expertly brewing tea. They have precise tea scales and gaiwans. Not only that, but Terroir often hosts tea tastings (typically complimentary on Saturdays, from my observation), sometimes with pairings. I have only begun to learn about tea in the last couple of years, but Terroir really is expanding my knowledge. I recommend giving this place a visit, and try ordering a tea at the bar to have it prepared by the experts. You might even smell some wet leaves and like what you smell :-]

Wonderful hidden backyard patio area, lavender and tomato plants, busy bees quietly minding their own business and pollinating, shade from the sun, nice breeze, WiFi, healthy whole leaf teas rich with EGCGs, and more!

Great tasting experience. Highly recommended. Try some fabulous tea!

My new favorite tea place! Check it out!!!