Ionestea

Tea house · Chinatown

Ionestea

Tea house · Chinatown

2

173 Hester St, New York, NY 10013

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Highlights

Intimate cafe featuring specialty drinks, including bubble & fruit teas, coffees & juices.  

Featured in The Infatuation
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173 Hester St, New York, NY 10013 Get directions

clover.com

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173 Hester St, New York, NY 10013 Get directions

+1 929 366 6058
clover.com

$ · Menu

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Last updated

Jul 11, 2025

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@infatuation

"If cute packaging is high on your list of boba tea priorities, head to Honestea on Eldridge Street. Here, you can get your drink in a square perfume bottle with a cork stopper, an oversized Yakult container, or a clear pop-top can. The minimalist La Vie En Rose, an amber-colored tea with fresh rose petals, could easily pass for an expensive skincare product. And the Mango Yakult Crystal Bubble Tea is a solid backup choice. " - carina finn koeppicus

The Best Boba Shops in NYC
View Postcard for Ionestea
@infatuation

"If cute packaging is high on your list of boba tea priorities, head to Honestea on Eldridge Street, which looks more like a small boutique than a cafe. Here, you can get your drink in a square perfume bottle with a cork stopper, an oversized Yakult container, or a clear pop-top can. The minimalist La Vie En Rose, an amber-colored tea with fresh rose petals, could easily pass for an expensive skincare product. The Mango Yakult Crystal Bubble Tea is a solid backup choice." - Carina Finn

Honestea - Review - Chinatown - New York - The Infatuation
View Postcard for Ionestea

Daniela Alvarado

Google
Was so excited to try this cute trendy place! NY China town is known for great cheap foods! We ordered the brown sugar bubble tea and the mango fruit tea. We waiting like 15 minutes for our drinks to be made.. what?! .. and then when our drinks came out, the brown sugar bubble tea HAD NO TEA! Just milk .. and brown sugar.. and when I tasted it.. IT WAS BLAND! This was so disappointing.. the mango fruit tea was good and earned this place 3 starts but I can’t give it anymore.. it was all hype.. not much to back it up.. or maybe they were having an off day.. I don’t know but won’t be back

Juan Lima

Google
I came in after noticing the store front several times and fancied their fancy tea bottles. I ordered a couple and it tasted good, but I basically paid for the pretty glass bottles. The Lavender drink had some golden sparkle in it which I found pretty neat.

Jonathan Batista

Google
This place is absolutely fantastic. So good in fact that I went the next day to get the brown sugar boba again. The Brown Sugar boba here is very addicting and it looks gorgeous too. On the second day I got the large and a Oreo milk tea as well. The Oreo was good but nothing compares to the subtle sweetness of the brown sugar. Will be coming back often

Josh Levey

Google
Loved the bubble tea drinks we got from this place. Ordered a purple taro tea with oat milk and a coconut milk jelly drink. Both were super good, the drinks can be customized to your liking (milk type, sugar level, ice etc). The bubble tea expert behind the counter was friendly and helpful in guiding us bubble tea novices.

Ashley

Google
The place was pretty and clean although pricey their drinks are pretty good. I got the strawberry yakult and it's a pretty big bottle. With it had more yakult in it tho because it was almost like watered down strawberry yakult. And personal preference forgot to ask for no bubbles. The staff were nice and I went pretty early so there were no lines. Good music choice at the shop😂 only real problem was just price

Alisa

Google
Fantastic special drinks place! The drinks are really good and they package them in the most creative way possible. The drinks are some of the best I’ve had. These drinks are really popular now and this place in Chinatown stands above the rest!

Sally Cabrera

Google
The boba was delicious, the packaging of the bottles are unique, and the venue itself is so cute and colorful. For the bottled teas, there are currently only 5 options, but they have a large selection of teas and Boba. I got the Thai milk tea boba and the Mystery of the Blue tea, which came in its special glass bottle. I loved the aesthetic look of the bottle (it even came in a little, cute plastic bag!). The tea itself was very good and the boba tasted freshly made and not hard. I'll definitely be coming back when I'm in the area!

Irene

Google
I got the milk pudding with soy milk, but wasn't too impressed. It actually tasted like a powdery milk which was strange. I also ordered the brown sugar milk tea and it tasted better but not as good as other places I've tried. I will definitely order one of their favorites and recommend to see if I'll like those next time. Packaging and appearance is nice.

Sharon T.

Yelp
I'm probably in the minority, but I enjoy going to this place a lot. Yes, the cute bottles are gimmicky but if you don't care for them, you can find yourself actually enjoying the drinks themselves. I've taken many friends here (both from town and out of town) and this has proven to be a very solid choice for bubble tea/drinks. Not that it matters to me anyway, but I had no idea that this place went viral on TikTok which now explains the influx of boba influencers. I've had a few drinks and haven't really had a bad drink so far. The sparkling water drinks are probably my favorite, especially the Lychee Rose which is very light and refreshing. I also really like the Yakult drinks which come with fruit chunks, especially the pineapple on summer days. Prices are pretty on par with how much bubble tea costs these days but I do think they are worth paying the price tag over the same price for a regular milk bubble tea at other chains since they do put more time and effort into making the drinks.

Rina D.

Yelp
Came here after looking at the cute bottles and looking for bbt in the area on a Friday night (surprisingly a lot of places closed early). Sadly they don't do the bottles for another month or two... ): There were a variety of drink options and I thought they were pretty reasonably priced. I tried both milky and fruity options and they were very flavorful + refreshing! One downside is that the seats are a bit limited and they do not have a bathroom that customers can use ): The power also did go off for about 10 minutes while we were there as well.

Pa T.

Yelp
Very cute deco - definitely love the colors and aesthetics. Tried tea without sugar nor ice - decent. Pretty strong. The Jasmine green tea has a great jasmine fragrance I was looking for, the tea itself is a little bit too bitter though.

Carmen L.

Yelp
This place was once called Honest Tea. Just realized that the name got changed to Ionestea. Was craving for some regular bubble tea and stop by this cute exterior shop. Always wanted to give it a try. Got the Brown Sugar Bubble tea. The tea was pretty good and bubbles were fresh. Service was quick. I ordered on an App and my drinks was ready by the time I arrived.

Phuong D.

Yelp
Cute bubble tea place with lots of interesting menu options. I saw they have several different bottles available, both plastic and glass, in various shapes. I opted for purple taro bubble. There's taro jam on the bottom to add flavor and I definitely prefer this to powder taro mix. The boba is also just the right texture and sweetness. The only downside is there was only one person behind the counter so it took a while for my drink to come out because he was doing a large online order.

Elena Y.

Yelp
The branding is a little confusing. I think this store used to be called Honestea, but has since swapped out one letter to become Ionestea. The mango pomelo sago was super creamy and reminded me of a high quality Asian mango ice cream. Good intensity of mango flavor. I couldn't taste any pomelo in the drink itself, but there were a few sparse chunks of it in the pomelo. The sago was mostly tasteless, as it should be, but lent a chewy texture. The packaging was cute.

Monica L.

Yelp
I seriously loved the yakult i had! Flavour was passion fruit plus bubbles! Loved the packaging and the drink was actually pretty good, maybe a bit too sweet and pricey? But I would come back

Li W.

Yelp
Love the packaging! Such a cute can that really is a can and opens like a can. Haven't seen a bubble tea that uses this packaging before. Also love that the glass rectangular jars came with mini hats and scarves during winter - so cute and instagramable! Okay now on to the taste. I got a Chrysanthemum Puer Milk Tea with no sugar, light ice. It tasted like nothing... milk water at best. Legit couldn't taste the chrysanthemum or puer, which is a pretty bitter tea usually (I drink it at home) so my guess is that this spot doesn't really have an emphasis on quality tea. Sadness because I really wanted to like this place because of the cute presentation!

Alison W.

Yelp
My go-to is usually boba, but we decided to go for a more fruity drink this time around and it was definitely not a let down! I've passed by this place a few times and have seen other passer-bys carry the canned drinks and have always wanted to try. My family and I went after dinner and took awhile to finally order our drinks (struggles of being indecisive)! The watermelon passion fruit ($6.75) , I'd have to say is a perfect summer drink. It's the perfect slushed drink, however just like any other slushie, you have to drink it ASAP otherwise (as pictured below), it'll start to separate. The mango pomelo ($6.95) had the perfect touch with the sago. It was a thicker drink obviously but still recommend for mango lovers! Fun fact: they also have limited drinks in perfume bottles each day! Overall rating: 4/5 - I would definitely come here again only when I feel like I can treat myself. Tip: Pay in cash if you want a small discount!

Aya E.

Yelp
Ordered: La Vie En Rose (~$13) - Luxury Drink (limit 50 per day): sweetened tea with rose petals in a perfume-like bottle. Aya's take: is it worth the price? Absolutely not. Is it Instagrammable? Definitely. It tasted fine and was honestly one of the prettiest drinks I've ever had but ~$13 is steep. Skip it, trust me.

Jessica D.

Yelp
What we ordered | Mango Pomelo | Mango Yakult | Hawaiian Milk Tea Taste | The mango pomelo tasted the best. I think if it had less of the mango balls you could taste the drink more. The hawaiian milk tea wasn't to my liking and I thought it was bland. The mango yakult tastes like what it sounds! Service | the worker were nice and explained the various drinks. they also provided recommendations. Notes | there a specific drinks on their menu that come in a nice bottle. Most of their drinks will either be in a can with the soda can style top or just a regular boba cup. their yakult drinks come in a giant yakult bottle. Each drink was around $6 - $7.

Gabrielle V.

Yelp
Last night I was craving Boba and I absolutely LOVED getting delicious Bubble Tea here in Chinatown. They offer delicious Mango Yakut flavor - if you are familiar with the sweet Korean drinks from your local Asian market now sold at Walmart! Honestea has very friendly staff and have a lovely area to sit. This has one of the best and delicious Boba in Chinatown! Absolutely love the unique flavors and tapioca bubbles and other fruit you can add to your drink. Definitely check them out!

Victoria K.

Yelp
[NYC BOBA TOUR STOP #14] HELLO. CAN YOU HEAR ME? I KNOW IT MIGHT BE DIFFICULT TO HEAR ME OVER THE SOUND OF ALL THE COINS I DROPPED ON THIS BOBA. Because yeah, the Fresh Red Dragonfruit drink (with cheese foam) was a whopping $9.50. If my sister had added a topping, it would have been $10.50, and wow that number is so offensive that I almost feel like censoring it. Maybe it would have been slightly more justified if the drink had been one of the best fruit drinks we had ever had, but it wasn't. It had a pretty muted taste. I'm not sure if there was anything added to it, but it just tasted like blended dragonfruit. (My sister would like to add that she really wanted to love it because they literally took the time to measure out the dragonfruit, but it just didn't hit the spot) The Mango Yakult was really good, though! It was exactly as advertised: yakult with mango, but the real mango pieces they added were a nice touch, and the crystal boba that came with it went really well with the drink. They tasted like jelly in a spherical shape. But, again, the price. The drink came in a cute yakult-shaped cup, but the downfall of that cup was that we got less actual drink. I took a few sips and then realized I was already half done. The price, $7.00, is definitely for the cup and less for the drink. The store itself is either very nice or sticks out like a sore thumb (or both). The building is a bright turquoise color, very unmissable. Essentially, the storefront has the kind of confidence I wish I had. It's definitely an Instagram-worthy boba shop, with the fancy cups, cute store, and those insane drinks that they only make 50 of each day that are $12.50 each (...insane), but if you're looking for a good drink, there are probably better places in Chinatown. We got the Fresh Red Dragonfruit (2/5) and the Mango Yakult (4/5). Of the two drinks we got, we'd recommend the mango yakult! (Average drink rating is 3 stars, but we took one away because of the insane price) *Check out a full review of this shop and all the boba stores I went to here: https://victoriawritesstuff.wixsite.com/website/post/i-drank-20-cups-of-bubble-tea-for-the-people!

Sam S.

Yelp
I'm still confused if this place is called Honestea or Ionestea, but in either case I will say it was a bit overpriced, especially given the quality. I got the purple taro sago drink which overall was just a bit more bland than I expected. It was the first time I've ever received a boba in a can though so that was cool. I will say they have a cute aesthetic here, but the lack of AC in the shop on a muggy day isn't particularly a nice ambience.

Daniela A.

Yelp
Was so excited to try this cute trendy place! NY China town is known for great cheap foods! We ordered the brown sugar bubble tea and the mango fruit tea. We waiting like 15 minutes for our drinks to be made.. what?! .. and then when our drinks came out, the brown sugar bubble tea HAD NO TEA! Just milk .. and brown sugar.. and when I tasted it.. IT WAS BLAND! This was so disappointing.. the mango fruit tea was good and earned this place 3 starts but I can't give it anymore.. it was all hype.. not much to back it up.. or maybe they were having an off day.. I don't know but won't be back :/

Jacky C.

Yelp
Came here to try out this new tea shop, which appears to be already clumped together and categorized as another boba tea shop in NYC. This place is obviously trending because of social media marketing, specifically Instagram. My gf got the Luxury Limit Mystery Blue. They limit it to one per person and only sell 50 of them a day, I guess because they only one a box of 50 of those pretty glasses they use to fill the drinks up with. Definitely a marketing scheme, it's packaged in the said bottle and then in some fancy clear bag, almost looks like a mini purse. For $12.50, essentially paying for the glass bottle and bag. The drink is not worth the few pictures as it was not good. I got the Mango Pomelo. For $6.50, I actually enjoyed this drink. They use that yogurt drink (Yakult maybe?) blended with mango and whatever pomelo is. This would be a drink choice I'd get behind ordering again in the future.

Allen T.

Yelp
!!!! IF YOU PAY WITH CASH THERE IS NO 4% EXTRA SURCHAGE!!!!! If you want to wait 10 min for wrong drink, this is your place! Also it looks like they got Ceased and Desisted by Honest Tea (the CocaCola Company) and as such had to change their name to "IONESTEA". Don't know why there is all this hype with this place... While I think this place has been way overhyped due to Instagram (pretty colors, walls, drink containers etc) they need to do a better job on execution of actual orders and focus less on the aesthetics. They can't even get orders correct. I ordered a Hawaiian Bubble Milk Tea. Since the containers have all these pictures and colors etc on it, you can't see through the container to make sure your order contains bubbles. This is a detriment as I realized after a couple blocks that my milk tea did not contain bubbles. I have now requested a chargeback for the cost of the bubbles on my credit card for services not rendered since I was not given the bubbles.

Tian Q.

Yelp
The sad truth is, this place is over hyped and the quality of the drinks doesn't match the pretty pictures online. My friend and I waited 50 minutes in line and we were so excited to try this Instagram worthy shop. But unfortunately, I wanted to throw away my brown sugar bubble tea after the first few sips. Here's why. Brown sugar bubble tea- I ordered the milk tea version and the drink was very watered down. I didn't taste the brown sugar or the milk tea, it was just milk tea flavored water. $5.75 for a water downed drink is a big no no for me when Tiger Sugar is only a block away. Rose oolong milk tea- again, it was very watered down. I barely taste the rose. Fresh mango smoothie- the only drink that I was able to say it was good. It wasn't very sweet and my boyfriend liked it. Overall, I will not return because there are other good bubble tea spots within a few blocks from the shop. My message to the owner. I understand it's very busy and getting the drinks out in a timely fashion is super important. If the quality of the drinks are not there and it taste watered down, it doesn't matter if the drinks are flying out the store, customers will simply not return.

Matthew H.

Yelp
I've passed by Honestea a decent number of times - it has a distinct, modern aesthetic that stands out in the neighbourhood - and have been meaning to give it a try; and around 9pm on a Saturday, when almost everything nearby was closed, we were glad to see the relatively late closing time here. We ordered (pictured) brown sugar milk with bubbles (mine), a classic milk tea, a supreme fresh fruit tea, and a roasted creme brulee. The two milk (teas) were in these rather cute pull-tab cans which I appreciated. Overall, I thought my drink was quite good, albeit on the sweet side (even with ordering half sugar!). The boba in particular was extremely sweet, although other than that it was nicely cooked - very chewy and tasty. I think my biggest issue was just the price - each of our drinks was over $6.50 (incl tax/tip) and we ordered some of the plainest options available. At the extreme, I don't think I could justify ordering one of the, say, $12+ 'luxury limit' drinks (except, perhaps, for adorning my IG feed). That being said, I do think it's worth another visit to try something more 'exotic' - some fruit tea, slush, etc. that they seem to specialise in.

Gary L.

Yelp
TL;DR - honestly (or should i say ionestly?) go anywhere else. there are so many options in the area and any of them are a better choice than here. One of the worst bubble tea places in the city. I've been here on two other separate occasions just to give it another shot: each and every time here has been trash. Don't be fooled just because the packaging looked good on TikTok. This place invests too much in packaging and not enough in its ingredients. First off, this place is confusing because it used to be called Honestea the first two times I came here-- for some strange reason it's now branded as Ionestea? It just feels sketchy. Second, when I tried ordering, they were out of everything. I asked for a peach slush. They were out. Then strawberry. They were out. What is left? It was the middle of the day too-- not late in the day. Third, when you can actually find something to order, it tastes AWFUL. Previous visits have been some of the most flavorless boba and drinks I've ever ordered. You would feel more satisfied burning your money. The most recent time, I ordered some kind of mango yogurt drink. It comes in a cute square drink carton, but the entire drink tasted straight-up SOAPY. As if all the equipment the barista had used were in the process of being cleaned when I came in. Fourth, there are not enough workers. This place clearly gets online orders, and even though I was the only one in the store, it took forever to get my order. Then, other people came in, and it took them a while to get their orders. You know what's funny is that someone came in and ask if the place was hiring, and the lone worker behind the counter said no.

Angela Z.

Yelp
I really wish I could give this place a higher rating, but the drinks were honestly (honestea-ly? lol) not good at all :( The only redeeming part was of course the aesthetic bottles, but that was not enough to justify the quality of the drinks. I came on a Wednesday evening, there was no line as they weren't doing the $1 Brown Sugar Milk Tea promo anymore. I ordered the Rose Oolong Bubble Milk Tea with 75% sweetness and light ice. They ended up giving me no ice (I think they got confused with my friend's order after me), and the drink basically had no flavor at all. It tasted like extremely watered down milk tea with no sign of rose. The boba had decent texture but also no flavor. My friend ordered the Peach Oolong Bubble Milk Tea with full sweetness and no ice (but got a little ice). This one was slightly better, I think because of the additional sweetness. You could taste a very light peach flavor, but it was mostly just watered down milk tea too. I'd like to give them the benefit of the doubt that they're still working on drinks with the soft opening, so may try it one more time after the hype dies down since I did like the menu. But unfortunately as of now, 2 stars is even generous based on taste.

Monica L.

Yelp
Okay the drinks are cute, definitely good for the photos, but not worth the price point... For their opening, they currently have a promotion - $1 for the brown sugar bubble tea for the first 100 customers - but that isn't why the line is so long!! It takes a bit longer than usual to make the drinks and I waited about 25 minutes for the entire process on a weeknight around 6pm. Their menu is ridiculously large and overwhelming!! I ordered the brown sugar bubble tea and a rose oolong milk tea and both were disappointing.. Definitely not worth the ~$6 price and the wait. Both drinks were really nothing special, nothing out of the ordinary and I wouldn't recommend it for anything other than trying out the new spot. They also have the luxury drinks that I want just for the photo but its only 50 a day and one order per customer. It was also hard for me to open the can :( If you're looking forward to taking cute photos, just wait a little bit.

Anglin T.

Yelp
Not going to lie, I was SO excited to try this place. I literally made my fiancée drive us here during the week just so I could finally try their delicious drinks. Unfortunately I was kind of disappointed. My fiancée got the Hawaii boba milk tea, I got the supreme fresh fruit tea. The milk tea was sub par, but the boba was good!! The fruit tea was made with green tea, fresh grapefruit, oranges, blueberry, strawberry and other fruits. One thing is for sure - it definitely has fresh fruit! But it felt too much. There were too many conflicting fruits and a lot of bitterness and acidity in the fruit drink. The taste was good, only if you drank it immediately. If you wait like 20 minutes, it was VERY bitter. This place has such a cute vibe and bottles they give it in are adorable! I just wish they were reusable (especially for the $$$ you pay for 1 drink). I'd say go here to try it and for the aesthetic. Full disclosure: I did not try EVERY drink here so I can't speak for everyone else's experience. The staff were sweet!

Tiffany C.

Yelp
There weren't too many people when I went around 5 pm on a weekday. Unfortunately, the wait was super long still to make the drinks and the cashier almost gave my order to another customer. In terms of drinks, I ordered a fresh fruit tea and a mango sago. The fresh fruit tea was delicious but the mango sago unfortunately was goopy and super flavorless. Since they just opened, I may potentially give them another shot, but I would suggest their management to improve on customer wait experience and quality control of drinks on their menu. Overall, promising menu but need improvement on execution.

David M.

Yelp
Great, Instaworthy concept - the drinks are beautifully composed and the store reflects high design. You can tell they tried to differentiate their product from all the other boba places with the use of luxury teas, unique packaging and different ingredients. It's fun to partake in the experience. I enjoyed my boba - Oat Brown Sugar Bubbles - which was good but not worthy of 5-stars. The drink didn't mix well even after intense shaking and the bubbles were a little too syrupy. Insider's Tip: Only 50 luxury teas sold a day. Go early!

Crystale Y.

Yelp
Drinks were okay. We got the oreo milk tea and brown sugar milk tea. The brown sugar was super sweet but the barista was able to dilute it a little bit for me so that it was drinkable. The can it comes in is cute but not sure if I'd come back.

Michelle T.

Yelp
I was in the city and walking towards the Grand Street station when I noticed Ionestea/Honestea. I think they may have rebranded relatively recently? Anyways, I stopped in because I'm a sucker for boba. I had their Mango Yakult with crystal boba. It was pretty good and came in a really cute and reusable bottle. But for the price point of roughly $8 after taxes and tip, it was a bit steep. I don't I would get this again at that price point. I would be down to try other drinks in the future, but I wasn't wowed enough by the Mango Yakult to make it a go-to spot. I think I'll still head to KFT or Yaya's if I'm in the area.

Dixya G.

Yelp
After reading bad yelp reviews on that fancy glass bottle drink, i didn't get that drink. It looks pretty but i wouldn't get it just for pictures. I got oats brown sugar boba with soy milk. I loved their boba because it was sweet and chewy. The drink had perfect sweetness. Would i go back?? I would say no.

Jasmine S.

Yelp
We saw this on tik tok going viral and we just love the uniqueness of this place. We ordered sparkling water with lemon and cucumber and OMG this drink was so refreshing, especially in the summer. I am not a sparkling water type of person however, this tasted way better than the flavors of bottled sparkling water. The tartness of the lemon and the subtle sweetness of the cucumber create a bright and tangy taste while the cucumber adds a cooling, slightly sweet flavor. Overall, what a cute place and would love to go back and try all the other flavors.

Olivia W.

Yelp
Honestea looks so cute on the outside with their colorful bottle display! I've been wanting to try this place but never had time. There's three small tables if you did want to dine in. I ordered the lemon jasmine green tea and girl there's a whole lime in here. If you're a citrus girl, then this is the drink for you. I immediately woke up from a long day in the city. I felt like it helped with my digestion as well. Amazing get it people

Deepika M.

Yelp
Good. Enough boba to keep the kid satisfied. They have plenty of caffeine free options and also a lot of different jelly options to replace the boba.

Lisa L.

Yelp
I had the brown sugar boba milk tea ($5) and the rose luxury tea ($12). Both were good! I left the rose tea outside overnight and had it the next morning and it was still good. I'd go back to try the other drinks for sure. I'm not sure that I would go back and pay $12 for the rose tea again though bc while it was good, I think it's mainly bc of packaging. Pro tip: I just ordered online and went to pick it up once the order was ready (within 10 min).

Destiny V.

Yelp
Honestly what a flop. I had been planning my NYC trip for two months and had made it a point to stop here while in Chinatown, but wow am I disappointed. This place is not worth the hype, first off they had to change their name to Ionest tea but rather than changing the sign they literally just ripped the curve of the H off, super ratchet. On top of that they no longer had any of the cute cans, which was the main aesthetic reason why I wanted to go there and to be able to store it for another day. It took like 15 minutes to make 2 drinks. I asked for just a regular matcha with boba, they forgot the boba and the matcha tasted like it was MONTHS old. My gf got the peach tea and it was good, but sweetened so much that it made my gums hurt, we drank 1/4 of the drink just to toss it. Don't waste your time coming here, hopefully they get it together because I'm sad I came here instead of somewhere else where I might have enjoyed the beverage I paid for.

Eugenia Y.

Yelp
I thought Honestea had some pretty interesting drinks, and they definitely were pretty good, but way too expensive for the gimmick, in my opinion. We popped by because we saw some interesting looking drinks. We got the mango pomelo and the mango yakult drinks, and both were pretty good. I liked both combinations a fair bit. But like I said, the drinks were cute and gimmicky, but far too expensive. I don't think I'll be back.

Nora C.

Yelp
Honestea Ratings: 3.8/5 Food: 4/5 - I got the Peach Sago after a heavy brunch. The drink was super refreshing with a strong peach flavor to it. The sago in the drink was chewy and al dente, love the texture. It was very fun to drink those sago. The only downside was that I hope there were some peach chunks in it, more icy, and creamier, because it didn't taste like a slushy at all, otherwise it would be so much better. The Passion Fruit Yakult was average. It comes with clear boba that has a lychee jelly type of texture, not that chewy or bouncy, so I wasn't a big fan of it. It was a bit on the acidic side too. Both drinks were at 50% sugar level, less ice, and we thought the sweetness was just right. Ambiance: 3.75/5 - Honestea gives off a very cute vibe and atmosphere. There are limited interior seating with good music in the background along with a lot of wall décor too. We thought the containers were adorable, immediately caught our eyes. They were super aesthetic and unique, especially the Yakult container; I just hope that they were reusable. Price: 3.5/5 - Pricey compared to other boba tea shops with the portion given. We got the Passion Fruit Yakult and the Peach Sago for around $7 each, so the total came up to be around $15. I'd recommend bring cash, because if you pay with credit card, they charge an additional 3.99% on top of the price on the menu. Probably not worth another visit, since there are better boba places in Chinatown at similar prices. Service: 4/5 - The staffs were nice and welcoming. Provided some recommendations, and was able to accommodate with our drink requests. They definitely took their time to make our drinks carefully, because they were very pretty looking, but just took a while since it was pretty packed. BLUF: I'd say go for it and try it once for the aesthetic containers, LOL. Worth of a trip, but there's definitely better Sago drinks out there than Honestea. I am just here sharing some "honest tea." Please remember to bring cash.

Sophia C.

Yelp
Drawn to this store because... I mean the packaging are you kidding. Had to try. Of course the cups were super cute but I actually found the drinks to be subpar. I personally had a milk tea with the cheese foam and it was just okay. I tried my friends fruit tea and it was much better so if you are thinking of coming here I would go with one of the fruit drinks first!

Joyce K.

Yelp
Visiting Honestea was a bit confusing, because on Google maps and the front of the store, there were discrepancies in whether the name is ionestea or honestea. They had interesting drink container options and unique drink ideas. I got the mango yogurt drink and my friend chose the watermelon lychee! I was surprised to find bubbles in mine and my friend's drink met her expectations!

Shirley H.

Yelp
This review is just for the grape smoothie/Fresh Grape Pulp. I bought this drink here because my brother said his friends were raving about it. Got it without the cheese foam. Good thing the worker asked because I feel like it's kind of funky to mix fruit with cheese foam?? Taste-wise definitely stands up to what it should be and looks like: FRESH GREEN GRAPES SLUSH There actually were grape pulps despite how slushed it looks. I got it at 50% sugar level which I thought was plenty sweet enough. It has that nice can packaging but is this drink overall worth $6.80? Not really. Lesson learned: Don't trust my brother's friends

Jingwen Z.

Yelp
Fell for the hype with the packaging, which is very cute, but the drinks are okay at best. In an area with plenty of other bubble tea options, I haven't felt the urge to come back. I had the mango pomelo drink, and for the price ($7!!) it was not a large amount at all. It tasted decently good, but it was not worth the price, especially given that there are other places in the city that do it better (e.g. YiFang also in Chinatown, Jooy Tea Shoppe in Midtown).

Sharon L.

Yelp
My friend and I were looking for something to drink that was open late at night in the city where we could also sit down at chat--and we ended up here. There are a bunch of pictures and top rated drinks pictured on the wall which helped us in our decisions and expect what the drink to look like. The staff was really nice and preceptive to our orders and the drinks additionally came out super fast which was really nice. We ordered the Mango Yakult and Mango Pomelo, both which lived up to our expectations. We are also able to adjust the sugar level and ice level but both drinks only had a one size option. The bottle the drinks came in was super cute and definitely picture-worthy. The drinks were about $7 each, which seems to be the standard for most bubble tea places these days and while it is pretty expensive, the drink was flavorful and fresh. While it is more on the pricier side, you are somewhat paying for the experience as the bottle was super fun and a unique concept. Would definitely stop by again and try out another drink with some friends to sit down and chat! The place was also super pretty and decorated really nicely that complimented their brand.

Marina C.

Yelp
Quite good drinks! Im confused if this place is called Honestea or Ionestea. Regardless the drinks are good and they're made pretty quickly. We got a peach drink with cheese foam on top which is always yummy.

Angela X.

Yelp
Low quality matcha. Very powdery. creme brulee milk tea is decent. pretty store. there are better places for the price.

Alvin Z.

Yelp
The shop is cute and quaint with lovely pops of color. The bottles itself are even nicer since they look like transparent soda bottles! However, the drinks itself are not that great. It doesn't taste very sweet, nor much like team... Its also quite expensive, though I wouldn't say it's not worth the price since you're essentially paying for the bottle (which I don't think is reusable btw)

Amanda G.

Yelp
This place literally blew my mind. I was just expecting a normal boba shop, but it's so much more. They do freshly juiced drinks, slushies , and milk teas sooooo well. I've been LIVING for the mango pomelo, brown sugar, and fruit infused sparkling waters. I'm literally addicted to boba and have been to every boba shop in the city, so I was soooo glad that I fell in love with this shop. First of all -quality. This place hand makes every drink and some of them are kind of extravagant, so they put a lot of care into all of them. The wait time is comparable to any boba shop that cares on the same level. I love the quality of their packaging too -most of the drinks come in plastic sealed/tab topped bottles or ones with a screw top. The prices also seem comparable (if not slightly cheaper) to other hand-made/more complex boba shops like Machi Machi. I especially love how the sparkling drinks are made fresh and then are served to you sealed. When I was finally ready to drink my sparkling mojito drink, it had completely stayed fresh even a few hours after I ordered it thanks to the sealed tab top, plus it was packed with flavor. They also offer beautiful glass bottles for their "Luxury Limit" drinks, which they only sell 50 per day. These, in my opinion, are for loose leaf tea connoisseurs that are looking for that quality experience. With that being said, these teas don't tastes like the other concoctions on the menu -they're more simplistic in order to bring out the natural taste profile of the tea. My highlights: * Brown Sugar Bubble Tea: super flavorful, creamy, and the tapioca was so good. I could tell it was super fresh as the boba was soft and chewy and packed with taste. I was really surprised with this because I has topped my Brown Sugar pick in the city. * Mango Pomelo with Sago: ummmmmm this was insanely good. Like literally I dreamt about it that night good. It's a mango slush (or maybe smoothie? I'm not sure) that's sweet without being overly sweet, and has a lovely twist thanks to the pomelo. The sago is such an amazing touch too. I love how they offer a lot of toppings that you can't find elsewhere. * Mojito Refreshing Fruit Sparkling water: I don't know what it is about this drink, but I literally want it everyday. It's so light and refreshing yet again, so flavorful. I can't wait to try the other variations within this category! * Mango Yakult: my friend had this one and he was loving it. He said it tastes like Mango Calpico and was literally jumping from how good it was lol *honorary mention: the lavender luxury limit. Comes in the beautiful glass bottle and has swirling gold glitter in it. Super beautiful, sweet, lave Lastly, service: I found the staff members that I interacted with to be super nice and helpful. They have a pretty extensive menu, so they walked me through it, offered suggestions when I asked, and explained the flavor profiles of drinks so I could get a feel for what to expect. I felt pretty welcome here and overall I was a happy customer. #SupportAsianBusinesses

Cheng X.

Yelp
Love their packaging. The yakult drink I ordered was really refreshing on a hot summer day.

Sze Ting L.

Yelp
Got here on a hot summer day and their drinks were amazingly refreshing. We saw that they were known for their fruit drinks, so we got one Lychee Starry Night and one Peach Yogurt Tea. The lychee Starry night was one of the best drinks I've had all summer. I could taste the freshness of the fruit and it had actual lychee chunks on the bottom! The peach yogurt tasted like it had a bit of watermelon flavor, but it was still good overall. Would get the lychee again next time and try their 'top 10 drinks.' The bottles are also very cute and reusable!

Hai Y.

Yelp
Best service and tasty milk tea. Merry Christmas;) highly recommend this bubble tea store for everyone

Katherine M.

Yelp
I knew Honestea had their soft opening last week and I was in the area. They currently have the $1 brown sugar milk tea promotion. But this is only for the first 100 customers and you have to scan their code and follow them on one of their social media platforms. This promotion will end after 4/13. I was here this Saturday at noon. The entire process took about 50 minutes including waiting on line and for them to prepare our order. Upon entering, you will get a whiff of the best brown sugar milk tea aroma. The $1 milk tea is definitely worth it -- refreshing and had the perfect balance of brown sugar and black tea flavor. The boba was soft and chewy. It comes in a pop-tab can design. 10/10 I also got the snow pitaya (red dragon fruit milk tea) luxury drink for $13.60. The luxury drinks don't come with ice but I would have preferred it cold. I was disappointed because it was so expensive and it lacked red dragon fruit flavor. It comes in a cute glass flask which honestly was the best part.

Paul S.

Yelp
Ok .... The teas are pretty good, especially if you're going for the fruit ones. I can't speak for the boba tea because I haven't had it but it's generally liked. The other reviews of people bashing this place need to be real with themselves and how they set unrealistic expectations themselves. a lot of reviews are bashing it because people overhyped themselves coming here. Just because you see it on social media doesn't mean you need to overhype yourself and then bash the location because you're unrealistic in your expectations.