I don’t get to NYC as much as I used to these days. I try to take full advantage of the time that I am there. After attending the Pret-A-Matcha Kickstarter Launch Party and visiting Tea Dealers, I had one more place on my to-do list.
Floating Mountain first hit my radar when I started seeing posts about it on Instagram. From what I could gather on their website, this was definitely my kind of place.
Floating Mountain is a tea house and art gallery located in a rather anonymous building on the Upper West Side. You will need to ring the buzzer to get in. There is also a spa and yoga studio on the same floor. It’s a relaxation one stop shop!
It’s also very important to note that they ask guests to remove their shoes. I was not expecting that but hanging out barefoot on such a hot day wasn’t such a bad idea
The moment I crossed their threshold, I left the hectic city behind me and almost forgot where I was. Big, bright sunny windows and light colored wood added warmth to otherwise minimalistic space. There were several low tables with cushioned tatami mat seats that looked very cozy. I opted to sit at the tea bar since I had on a long dress.
They had a fairly large selection of pure Chinese teas, all directly sourced. You won’t find any Earl Grey here. The prices are somewhat steep but the tea is meant to be shared. If you are by yourself, I recommend opting for a single bowl of tea instead. I needed something cooling so I ordered Anji Bai Cha. The sweet, vegetal flavor was exactly what I needed after a hot day trekking through the city.
The tea was prepared perfectly with a glass gaiwan. This really showed off the gorgeous leaves. I was provided some bits of dark chocolate. I was grateful for this because green tea seems to really affect my blood sugar. While I sipped my tea we chatted about many things, all circling back to tea. Elina enthralled me with tales of the views of Wuyishan and other sourcing adventures.
If I didn’t have to be up early the next day I would have stayed longer. Elina, Anna, Roza, and Zoya were all wonderful hosts and I’m looking forward to visiting again soon. I worked just a few blocks away and it’s good for the tea budget that I no longer do. Otherwise, I would be here all of the time!
