Review O'ways Teacafe - Cape Town Central

This Teacafe is an absolute gem. I received the warmest greeting and the owner actually remembered me even though I had only been in once before, many weeks prior. Their tea selection is simple awe inspiring and extremely well priced. I had the omelette which was delicious and its tea pairing. My girlfriend has insisted that I bring her along on my next visit, which will hopefully be very soon. Customer service at its absolute best!!

The perfect emotional uplifting venue to find, unexpectedly too. Enjoyed tea whilst journaling and bought some of their products. Wished I had more time for another visit. Those mochi desserts are my fave now.

Authentic tea experience hosted by some of the most friendliest owners. Amazing atmosphere & mind-blowing tea flavours 🫖💯

Had the most wonderful experience thanks to Ming Wei and his team. I shall never look at tea the same way. Beautiful place, people,food,tea and atmosphere. To the guy playing piano in the back...made it so much more .. absolutely loved it.

Massive selection of teas! 600+! The food is great and staff are very friendly and welcoming. They also hold different classes at the teacafe, such as Mandarin Caligraphy and Chinese Watercolour painting. A tea master was at the Cafe who made us a selection of teas, all amazing! The Cafe also has its own shop where you can buy authentic imported products, such as Taiwanese wafers and mochi. Great place, highly recommend and definitely a place you need to visit if you love tea.

I have always enjoyed my teas. I discovered the world of "proper" tea from the tea merchant until they closed and I was heartbroken because my tea haven was gone. That is until I was taken to Nigiro Tea. This place is so incredible, from the ambiance, to the decor to the IMMENSELY delicious and satisfying tea. Lisa and her husband "The Tea Sangoma" are incredible hosts and they went FAR out of their way to give us an amazing first time in her shop. I was able to try one the best cheesecakes I have ever had and it was paired SO perfectly with the tea served. They have gotten a customer for life.

Always such a pleasure visiting Nigiro tea. They have the best teas around. I love their meals too, always fresh and delicious. This is one of my favourite spots. If you are vegetarian, this is the spot! Please try their cheesecakes.

This is a lovely little hidden gem. Loved spending time looking at all the teas in the shop and was helped by very helpful staff to choose something delicious off the menu to go well with the equally delicious meal.

What an awesome experience for a place that neither serves any meat nor alcohol. You get positive vibes as soons as you enter, it feels like home away from home. I came here alone but did nit felt a wee bit wierd about it unlike some other places I've dined alone. This is a tea lovers paradise, the variety of teas that you can taste and buy here is mind boggling considering that CapeTown is primarily known for its coffee scene. The whole tea tasting experience is ceremonial and therapeutic. The food is vegetarian with egg as the only form of poultry on the menu. I tried the dim sum starter and it was fantastic. The japanese dew of pearl tea was also terrific. Had a lengthy chat with Lisa and Miengwe who took time to explain the place, its origin and tea in general. They take great care in maintaing the place and the family vibe in it. Thank you to both of them. Having travelled 23 Km to try this place out was worth the travel in this heat. I will definitely recommend to all tea lovers and/or vegetarians outh there. "I will be back" with a bigger entourage next time.

A true oasis of calm and delight, the best tea range available and delicious menu. Don't skip the cakes! And if you've never done a tea ceremony, you're in for a special treat. Fully vegan, multiple gluten-free options, an amazing selection of teas and tea goodies for sale, and a full Asian ingredients deli too. Always something new to try and be delighted by!

Tea selection and ambience is amazing. I had the veg burger, which was a bit under-spiced for me, but my friend had the soup of the day, which was AMAZING. Service is fast, and the waitrons are kind and helpful. Would definitely come again.

This is a hidden gem in Cape Town. The food is amazing, service so personal and great and of course the teeea!! There are games for a rainy day, a small outside area for a sunny day and hot or iced teas to match. If you are lucky, someone might even play the piano. I always recommend this restaurant and will be back to try the new Friday night dinner menu!

Second time that I have been to O'ways - really lovely selection of teas. Service is great. Definitely a fave in Claremont :).<br/><br/>The teas are delicious and well priced. Will definitely be returning to purchase more tea.

So I booked a tea tasting experience about 90 minutes before we were booked at the spa. I figured a quick tea tasting and lunch would be perfect for date day.<br/><br/>Little did I realise how detailed and thorough this tasting experience would be. Lisa does an amazing job of talking you through all the teas and helping you choose them as well as giving you some background into tea making.<br/><br/>In the end we didn't have time to order lunch, but I will definitely be coming back to taste and buy some more tea.<br/><br/>If you intend on doing the tea tasting experience, set aside a few hours as you can sit and sip in tea for quite a while.<br/><br/>Awesome experience... Beyond my expectations. Thank you.

If you really like your tea, I highly recommend O’ways! But that’s not all they do well; today I had a delicious vegan breakfast and yummy soy cappuccino there. Scrambled tofu, kimchi and sautéed kale. I was super impressed and look forward to going back to try more on their menu. Thanks for the vegan love guys!

A feast for the tastebuds, even though the food is limited it is well paired with teas. Relaxing place to enjoy company with a delicious pot of tea, with over 80 to choose from! Very friendly service, will definitely be back!

What a great start to my morning, I chose to have a selection of three teas and I obviously kept it safe with teas that are in line with my favorites, (i don't remember their exact names) but jasmine, cranberry black tea and the honey bush & rooibos blend which obviously never disappoints. <br/><br/>Their knowledge on teas is what will keep me coming back here for as long as I live in Cape Town!<br/><br/>I'm yet to try their food but have heard nothing but good things about it.<br/><br/>A treat of a place indeed! I'm excited for the next tea tastings they have to offer. ❤️

I have only been here for tea (and a game of chess). It was awesome. Their tea selection was huge, but what impressed me the most was the lady who works there who advised me on what tea I should pick. Usually when I'm presented with too many options, I freeze and don't know what to do, which doesn't make the experience that great. But this lady advised me so well. She recommended THE MOST DELICIOUS tea. I will forever have this tea as my favourite ( I suspect ;p... strongly). <br/><br/>The interior here is also well considered. It is awesome that they have board games around for clients to play.<br/><br/>We have not eaten here, so will keep this review unfinished until then.

Met up with a friend for lunch this past weekend. Since it was a Saturday afternoon, the place was busy but we managed to get a table right at the back and were quickly helped. The tea menu is extensive and is actually longer than the lunch menu. The lunch menu has a variety of Asian dishes such as har gau, ramen noodle soup and dim sum to vegetarian friendly soy meat meatballs and burgers. So basically the array of choices means that you'll likely find something to suit your taste.<br/><br/>We were quickly helped by the servers who were super friendly and very informative about the teas on offer. We received complimentary spicy tomato soup with vegan friendly bread which was delicious and had a nice kick to it. To eat, I ordered the har gau dumplings with stir fried vegetables and the recommended milky oolong tea. My friend had the soy meatballs and polenta chips with the recommended Malawian tea. Apart from the polenta chips, we both agreed that the food was delicious, flavorful and well presented. I was skeptical at first because I thought I would miss the meat but I really didn't because the food is so tasty! The teapots and the timers they come with are such a quirky touch and add to the tea cafe aesthetic. <br/><br/>The ambience of the cafe is casual, cosy and family friendly. The visit was a really lovely experience and I'm hoping to go back and try more dishes!

Lovely staff and ambiance. It is beautifully decorated and the board games on the tables add a little extra. <br/>I had the mango infused tea, which didn't really have any mango flavor. It was more of a berry and cardamom almost like a Christmas tea - I enjoyed it nonetheless! <br/>The ramen is AMAZING the flavor of nori and dashi come through brilliantly and egg noodles add a much needed richness. <br/><br/>They also serve complementary bread with a special nut sauce as all the food is health - based and vegetarian. <br/>Definitely a unique experience and a must-try for all!

What a fantastic little find! As the name suggests, this is predominantly a tea cafe, with a menu listing about 10 or so pages of different teas. The food menu is more limited with delightful oriental vegetarian fare and dim sum platters. The staff are friendly and attentive, the decor is quaint, and the overall feel is simply very pleasant. I could easily spend the day there reading and drinking tea. <br/><br/>It also looked like a popular meeting space with a few people engaged in business meetings over their teapots and coffee mugs. <br/><br/>I ordered a jasmine tea which went down well with my Japanese Teriyaki brinjals and rice. A delicious and filling meal. Unfortunately so, since I had no space to try out their baked cheesecake special 😔 <br/>The complimentary pre-meal soup and breads was a cherry on top. Do yourself a favour and stop in for a tea and snack at O'ways Teacafe.

A very quaint and central spot to have a cup of coffee or tea. They have a breakfast and lunch menu that is health based. Their tea selection is huge and served in beautiful glass tea pots. Even though they specialize in tea, their coffee does not disappoint.

I love tea, but mostly just stick to Five Roses or the occasional Vanilla Chai so I was quite hesitant to try O'ways. We did a tea tasting with five different teas - two green teas, two oolongs and a hibiscus tea. As soon as I tried the first green tea I was in love! The flavour was so much smoother and more subtle than traditional green tea you get at cafes. Another favourite was the hibiscus tea.<br/><br/>Our tea guide steeped all the teas perfectly and gave us such an extensive background on each of their history. It was such a great experience. Unfortunately I didn't try any of the food but I'll definitely be back soon for some tea and cake!

Why isn't this restaurant more popular and well known? It's one of my favourite hidden gems! I love that it's completely vegetarian, has an expansive tea menu and the service is both so laid back and yet so chic. The first time I had the butternut ravioli and my partner had the veg burger, the second time I had a croissant with jam and cheese. I love their tea menus. I love the service. I like that there's litlle board games on the table while you wait for your food :)

As it was still too early for lunch, I popped into O Ways with a friend, and both opted for Matcha lattes. Quiet, pleasant atmosphere which would make it a great 'mobile office' during the week. The service was friendly and efficient, and the matcha latte's with almond milk were lovely. Will definitely be back to try out some of their food. It seems to have fostered a very simple, unpretentious minimalist approach in its overall style which really works!

Have been seeing a few reviews recently so decided to try them out for myself. <br/><br/>Set apart from Cavendish in a quiet building, the restaurant is decorated with hundreds of teapots and all sorts of tea paraphanali and accessories. And just a little but of coffee too! No music plays and the patrons and staff talk in hush whispers. Very Zen.<br/><br/>A had a subtle white ginger tea that was both fragrant and refreshing. A pot of tea for one averages at R30. Loose ya averages at R120 for 100g and they have an extensive selection to choose from. <br/><br/>The dim sum are cooked from ftozen so I opted for the gnocchi because Sharese Hunt and Glen Hunt love it everywhere they go! It came in a creamy mushroom and tomato sauce which didn't bowl me over.

I work across the road and haven't noticed them before! My mom and I shared a pot of berry tea and just as our friendly waiter descriped, very fresh baked cheesecake. Later the week I popped in to grab a cappucino to go which is in a very pretty cup.

I love O'ways for a cup of afternoon tea with friends. The range of teas are incredible, my favourites being lovers garden and the cranberry. You can choose to have your tea iced which is perfect for a hot summers day. The menu changes everyday and the lunch option is usually flavourful and delicious. The service is always good. I would really like to see a fuller lunch menu with a few more options from them.

A must try if you are the ultimate tea lover! I have visited this teacafe a few times and have always tried different teas. I hear their hot chocolate is delicious as well. The Restuarant is completely vegan, which I love and serves the best cheesecake I've ever had. Their teas are well priced and explained and can be served as. Hot tea or as an iced tea. On this occasion I had The Rasberry tea and my friend ordered the Oolong tea. The Restuarant has great decor, great service and lovely teas. A must try for an unique experience.

Very cute tea cafe, only one I've really enjoyed in Cape Town. The cafe is situated in the very busy Claremont but once you step inside, it feels completely Zen. The service is exceptional and the staff have a good knowledge of all the products and teas. The place is not like the other commercial tea places. Completely authentic. Sip on some nice tea and enjoy some good company.🍃🍃🍃

O'ways is a cute little spot hidden away in the southern suburbs. Only realized it existed after my boyfriend took me there for some tea and a meet free lunch. <br/>We had the strawberry and lemon tea as well as the vanilla. I'm a sucker for vanilla and strawberry so even though their menu is so extensive with so many different types of tea I settled for the usual ones which I loved🙂<br/>For lunch we both had an oyster mushroom that was crumbed with veggies - so delicious. But I see that it's off the menu now. I have also tried their chocolate cake which is also really good. <br/>The service is good, very pleasant. Looking forward to my next visit, and hopefully il steer away from the strawberry and vanilla😉

It's cute, flexible, they have better oolong here than anybody else but ALSO they sound like they're maybe an Irish franchise at first blush, which is, you know, endearing.

Amazing breakfast experience at O'Ways Teacafe. I had a Traditional Dan Bing (Omelette with a savoury pancake) with exotic mushrooms and greens and a Mocha Latte and a complementary shot of Bran Lassi from the chef. Food is freshly made so it tastes even better. The staff was friendly and polite. Food was so yummy and flavourful. Atmosphere is so chilled that we sat there for 4 hours chatting away. I would highly recommend this adorable cafe. They cater vegetarian and vegan.

O'ways is such a hidden treasure of Claremont and so easy to walk past. As a vegetarian, this place is a treat because all the food is vegetarian but not the standard but rather a good mix of flavours and food. The ravioli for lunch is usually my favourite meal when they do have it. <br/><br/>The highlight of going here is obviously the tea. It can be overwhelming to choose from such an extensive menu but the staff are happy to help guide you. This place is definitely worth a try for the food and the tea.

Disappointing service. Ordered a tempura platter to share with a friend - and after being assured it was vegan, it arrived with eggs and dairy included. Too much food, and pretty stodgy.

I love the concept behind this place. It was so nice to get my own little pot of tea which can be chosen from a wide variety. The restaurant has a really nice ambiance. The service was slow though, pretty non existent actually to be honest. So while I think the place is great the service could be improved

I went to O'ways Teacafe with two of my friends for tea, lunch and a catch up. The experience of drinking tea was phenomenal. However, I think the food here is a bit overrated and overpriced. Very small portions. Despite this, I am very grateful for the abundance of vegan and vegetarian options.

Why have I never been here?!<br/>Great ambience. Amazing tea. And free WI-Fi. The three little things I love it one sentence. Bliss. I had the Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearls, China Scented Oolong.<br/>Oeuf long name I know.. It's basically a beautiful (top quality) jasmine tea. It smells hella amazing and tastes even better! I used to love tea but thanks to O'ways now I loooove tea.. They are tea specialists in my books.<br/>Oh the delights of enjoying a cup of tea. Thank you guys!<br/><br/>It was a totes amazing experience ! Can't wait to come back!

We always have a great time at O'ways. The service and food is consistently good. Besides the wide selection of amazing teas, they also serve delicious coffee. The daily specials board means there's always something new to try. The menu changes seasonally. Great vegetarian food that never leaves you thinking "If only it had bacon."

Ducked into O'ways Teacafe on Thursday afternoon as it was a rainy day. Nothing lifts your mood like a nice pot of tea in the cold! I really love how they make tea and let it infuse in front of you. Definitely one of my favourite tea spots! I tried the Honeybush tea- Rooibos tea infused with honey and a woody scent... Delicious!!

Really blown away by this cafe. The service was excellent, as a first timer the waitress was extremely patient and answers my 100 questions 👍🏼 you are really spoilt by choice of over 80 different teas. Everything on the menu looked delicious. After a recommendation from the waitress I went for the Har Gau. It was delicious. Can't wait to go back and try out the other dishes.

This is a beautiful authentic tea cafe with more than 100 teas. If that wasn't enough, they have the most fantastic delusion cushion food. They don't advertise it as a vegetarian restaurant but every dish is so amazing that everybody loves it. Added to their wealth of experience Ming-Wei, Lisa and the staff are just the best around:)

Gone are the days when drinking tea meant that you were old. The folks over at O'ways Teacafe could possibly turn the biggest coffee lover into a tea conneisuer, and very quickly at that.<br/><br/>I'm so happy to have stumbled upon this #HiddenGem in a side street in Claremont. Well, it wasn't all by chance - a friend had hinted that he wanted a very specific teapot for his birthday and spoke of this Always (what I heard at the time) Teacafe. I did some research, located it and off I went. What was a teacafe doing selling teapots, I questioned. To my surprise they sold teapots, a host of other things and a range of very delicious smelling loose tealeaves. I was in heaven. I chose a teapot and the lovely waitress wrapped it beautifully and I vowed to be back to have my first O'ways experience. Needless to say, I've never looked back.<br/><br/>The range of teas are astounding, you're gaurenteed to take a considerable amount of time just deciding. Alas, there's a flavour for every pallet. The staff are all clued up and will help you make informed and tasty decisions. The joy of it all is brewing your own tea at your table, to your desired strength. It seems all too complicated at first - what with a waste bowl, tealeaves & a timer but one demo from your waiter and you're doing it like a pro in no time.<br/><br/>The menu is limited and changes daily (all produce is fresh!) but the food is very tasty. The setting is quaint, cute and very homely. There are even fun games to play like Checkers. They also have an outside seating area for the warmer days.<br/><br/>The service is brilliant and the experience, is well just that, an experience!

O'ways Teacafe is dreamy, and I will say right upfront that I will most definitely be back soon!<br/><br/>Gorgeous decor - wooden tables, comfy chairs, and games such as Chinese chequers... there's even a piano in the back of the cafe. We didn't have anything to eat (and the menu is pretty limited), but we weren't there for the food.<br/><br/>The choice of teas is really jaw-dropping; the names are fascinating (e.g. Gunpowder Temple of Heaven, Lover's Green and Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearls) it took ages to decide what to go for. <br/><br/>My mom finally decided on Masala Chai, a spicy black tea with flavours of peppercorn, ginger, cardamon, cloves and cinnamon, and I went with Herbal Immensely Beautiful, a delicate pink tea infused with hibiscus, rosehip, blackberry leaves, lemongrass and peppermint. It was nothing short of divine, and the whole process of steeping and pouring the tea is incredibly therapeutic. <br/><br/>Just wonderful!!

I've been dying to visit O'ways for a long time now as I really love Nigiro tea and struggle to buy the specific flavour I like. <br/><br/>We chose a cosy little table outside to make the best of the sunshine and I asked the waitress to suggest a tea based on some of my favourites and she suggested a wonderful mango fruit infusion, which I loved (and ended up buying!).<br/><br/>I can't wait to go back and sit inside too, it's a lovely and really cute little cafe!

This past Saturday Luke and I were lucky enough to experience the uniqueness that is O'Ways Teacafe. Situated in a little side street in Claremont, I would never have found it unless recommended by a colleague. On arriving, we knew it had a little "Asian influence" but when we saw the breakfast menu, we were half tempted to just try the tea and find somewhere a little more mainstream for breakfast. I'm so glad we didn't!<br/><br/>We spoke to the owner (Mr O'Ways) after our meal, and he explained the history behind the concept and name of the restaurant. Having been involved in Origin coffee in Cape Town, he wanted a place to combine great food, great coffee and delicious food.<br/><br/>The name comes from his wife Lisa, who liked the sound of "O" in the mouth - Lisa has a strong musical background, which explains the baby grand piano in the restaurant! The "O" also represents a holistic cycle of completion - where everything comes together - tea, coffee, food...he also explained how he wanted the food in the restaurant to be as good as what they have at home (wow, I want to live with them!). He jokingly explained that with cafe standards being so low, it's also not hard to impress people. Very modest of him - I'm sure even if your expectations were high, you would not fail to be impressed here!<br/>We started with a pot of Sakura (Green sencha tea flavoured with Japanese cherry and decorated with rose blossoms), which was absolutely amazing - so sweet and fragrant. It was brought to us by Lisa (Mrs O'Ways - her and her husband own the restaurant, and she manages it). <br/><br/>The tea is served in a beautiful clear tea pot, on a stand with a tea-light to keep it warm (we only made the connection between tea, and a tea-light then!). Lisa explained how the water should be between 75 and 80 degrees Celsius, so the tea doesn't burn. Ideal brewing time is 3 minutes - you are given a little wooden hour glass to keep track of this.<br/><br/>We also ordered a latte and Americano - O'ways is not only a masterful tea house (stocking over 64 varieties of Nigiro teas) but they also serve and sell Origin Coffee! The coffee was, great, as expected, but it was the tea that stole the show. Before your meal is brought to you, you are brought complimentary rolls (everything is made on the premises) and a variety of jams and preserves - we had mango and kiwi relish. They also bring you warm hand towels, in a separate bamboo steamer. Luke ordered a Taiwanese Dan Bing Pancake Omelette with homemade chilli dip (have you noticed everything here is homemade?) It came with a little sprout salad on the side. He was a bit hesitant a first, as he's not normally an omelette fan (normally finding them too "eggy") but this went down really well - especially with the sauce on the side - finding out they add apple to their chilli sauce! Makes sense when you find out that the chef worked at Aubergine Restaurant for the past 8 years.<br/><br/>I had the goat's cheese yoghurt with fresh fruit. I'm a fan of goat's cheese, but have never had it in yoghurt form before - it was delicious, slightly tart, and very thick, served with fresh litchi, strawberry and apple, a mango relish, and an oat sprinkle. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but after ingesting so much liquid in the form of tea and coffee, I struggled to finish it.<br/><br/>So, the verdict? Fantastic. I'm already planning on going back this weekend to try their lunch menu and another one of their endless varieties of tea...