Lin Mao Sen Tea Co.

Our second time here and one of the best tea shops in Taipei. The staff are super helpful and understanding. For beginner tea drinkers, if you ask the staff they will take you through all the different teas. Our favourite is the Jasmine, we found it very aromatic and relaxing. It can get quite expensive, we usually go for the middle range teas which are just as good. We get 600 grams of jasmine tea for about 50 AID dollars. They can go up to 150 AUD for 600 grams. They close at 9pm so go in the evening, as the night markets are just 10 mins and they serve authentic Taiwanese dishes.

Huge tea store with variety of tea and friendly staff. They sale in packs of 150g, 300g, 600g

Highly discourage shopping here. Staff tried to be helpful but it seems the direction of the boss is to prioritize customers that appear to be more affluent. They were reluctant to let me try the teas before buying. When pressed, they stated customers were allowed to try 1 tea. My impression is they do not see you as a customer if you don’t outwardly exhibit wealth.

During a recent visit to a local tea shop, I encountered a disappointing experience that left a sour impression. From the moment I stepped in, the shop assistant displayed a noticeably dismissive attitude—barely making eye contact, offering curt responses, and behaving as though my presence was an inconvenience. Rather than welcoming me or allowing time to browse, they seemed intent on rushing me out, creating an atmosphere that felt uninviting and pressured. The lack of basic courtesy and warmth made the shopping experience uncomfortable and far from the relaxing moment I had hoped for.

This is the place to go to get Gaoshan Oolong (High Mountain Oolong) and tea sets. There is one employee who speaks decent English and very good Japanese. You can ask to try one flavor of tea. The smallest increment of purchase is 150g. Then it goes up by 150g up to 600g. The prices listed on the barrels are for 600g. They can vacuum seal the tea for you in house and package them with bubble wrap for easy packing into luggage without worry of damage.

Tea: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Ambience: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Service: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Value: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Actually a very nice teashop, with all the tea stored in metal barrels with the prices on top. It might look expensive but each price is per 600g, with the minimum purchase of 150g of any tea. They allow you to only try (a small amount) of one tea. The staff seem to speak a variety of languages. They have some teas they claim that other places don't have, like real Tieguanyin. I'm not tea expert so can't vouch for the validity of these statements! Tea comes in plastic bags, so if you're looking for tea as a gift, you might want to purchase from elsewhere (although they do sell presentation tins here).

The older gentlemen who served us were more polite and just explained flavor profiles of tea. When we asked if we could try out a dong ding oolong tea, the younger gentleman said you can only taste one tea. It didn't feel welcoming and how can you smell 回甘when we are limited to sampling. We reluctantly bought 2 small bags of tea and I'm glad I didn't buy in bulk here. Saw a japanese lady come in to buy in bulk and they seemed more welcoming her than other tourists. Not gonna come back.

The tea selection was excellent and the prices incredibly reasonable. The staff couldn't have been more helpful... Very knowledgeable and kind.