City: Tampa Bay, FL

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (813) 977-8266

Address: 1441 E. Fletcher Ave.

Description: Steeped in serenity, the Kaleisia Tea Lounge is about more than just drinking tea. Students from USF come here to sink into a sofa and rest their weary brains over a cup of tea or a chai latte. Business people stop in to recharge with a fruit smoothie or Vietnamese coffee. Neighbors drop by to play chess or to listen to local artists play anything from soft rock to harp music. A knitting circle and a book club meet here. Owners Kim Pham and Lan Ha, cousins, might say that’s the power of tea. Tea is definitely the focus at Kaleisia. The Wall of Tea holds a hundred different types—white, black, green, oolong—that customers can see, smell, and feel. Kaleisia staff will teach you about how tea is grown and processed and how to make a perfect cup of tea. In fact, Kaleisia offers private tea workshops, tea tastings, and Japanese, Chinese, and Korean tea ceremonies performed for large groups or small parties.Kaleisia also serves vegan food including Vegan Spring Rolls, Cranberry-Walnut Salad, Pumpkin Coconut Soup, and a non-vegan item or two including Fruity Curry Chicken Salad. Kaleisia is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. Kaleisia offers a free tea tasting the last Saturday of each month from 1 to 5 p.m.