T's TeaBar & Loose Leaf is at Jan Evertsenstraat 89h, in De Baarsjes, and it is open every day of the week from ten to six, with changes on public holidays. It is two things in one room: a bar where tea is brewed to drink, and a shop where it is sold by weight. The shop says its blends draw on tea cultures from around the world, on food trends and on mixology, and that it likes to take old tea rituals and give them a modern twist.
The house blends are what give the shop its voice: Popcorn Time, Very Berry Mojito, Minty Marrakech and Lychee Lady on a green base, Mango Madness and Lovely Lady Earl Grey on black, Chocolate Oolong and Wild Orange Oolong, and a run of chais. Behind them sits a plainer single-origin list: Assam whole leaf, Ceylon, Yunnan, a Tanzanian black, Lapsang Souchong, Dragonwell, gunpowder, chunmee, Jasmine Pearls, a Nepalese white, Snow Buds and a vintage pu-erh. Loose leaf comes in 50 and 100 g.
Two corners stand out from the rest. Matcha and hojicha powder are sold in 25 and 50 g, in ceremonial, premium and culinary grades, next to matcha latte and chai latte mixes. And mate has a section of its own: smoked and unsmoked yerba, a red fruit and an orange version among them, all in 250 g bags. Around the tea there are rooibos and honeybush blends, teapots, kettles, infusers, cups and travel flasks, and the shop also takes enquiries from restaurants and hotels.