Inside the new O5 Tea Bar at West 4th Ave. and Yew

Photo credit: Facebook.com/O5Tea/

I have always been a tea drinker and end pretty much every evening with a cup of tea, so naturally I was pleased that a new tea bar has just opened up around the corner from my house at West 4th and Yew (conveniently located just a few doors down from  David’s Tea). Except as I learned today, O5 isn’t really the place you go to grab a quick cup of tea while balancing a child on one hip and a bag of groceries on the other.

O5 is very reminiscent of a trendy wine bar; just substitute tea for wine. This is the type of place people can’t walk by without peering in. A trip to O5 is as much about the tea as it is the experience. The new tea bar serves rare teas from around the world (mostly Asia). The staff is knowledgeable and clearly committed to the origin and purity of the teas they offer. The flavors are more like green from China, white from Korea and black from the Himalaya’s, as opposed to the Forever Nuts, Read My Lips and Banana Nut Bread options at David’s.

I think O5 offers Kitsilano what 49th Parallel does for coffee – a pure, high quality product. As someone who isn’t exactly opposed to a pump of syrup or dash of whip cream in my “coffee,” I don’t expect to become a tea puritan either. Nonetheless, I really love the concept of O5 and can’t wait to nab some solo time to actually appreciate both the tea and the experience.

With rare and micro-farmed teas only $3 each, and a small variety of tapas at $3-$5, a night at the O5 Tea Bar is going to be much cheaper than any other bar in the ‘hood. Open until 10pm (9:30 on the weekend), O5 is an ideal place for a date, to catch up with a friend, or simply to enjoy some time on your own. In my opinion, they are one of the most innovative additions to the neighbourhood in a while.

O5 Tea Bar, 2208 West 4th, 604-558-0500, O5tea.com

 

Last modified: September 11, 2012