Adagio Teas Chile

The Chilean operation dates its start to 2013, when the Marinetti family, Carlos Marinetti and his four children, set out to build their own tea brand; the company behind the shops is Tea Group Spa. There are thirteen shops across the Región Metropolitana, from Costanera Center and Parque Arauco to Vivo Imperio downtown, Plaza Egaña and Plaza Norte, with four more in Viña del Mar, Concepción, Temuco and Antofagasta. All of them open seven days a week.

The catalogue is built in two tiers. The everyday one is a flat CLP 7.990, mostly in 85 g bags, and covers English Breakfast, Earl Grey Bravo, Verde Jazmín, Masala Chai, Verde Chai, Lapsang Souchong, Kukicha, Menta Piperita, Bai Mu Dan and both rooibos. Above it sits a short premium line in smaller bags: Pu Erh Pearls at 57 g, Ti Kuan Yin at 57 g, Milk Oolong at 57 g and Silver Needle at 43 g. Pure matcha, in 35 g, is the most expensive thing on the list.

The shops sell more than leaf: teapots, tins, mugs, travel bottles and tumblers, matcha whisks and bowls, plus gift sets, chocolate and honey, and a tea of the month. Teabags run alongside the loose-leaf bags for the same blends. Online orders can be picked up free at any shop, shipping is free over CLP 39.990, and purchases over CLP 30.000 can be split into three interest-free instalments. Mall hours mean most of these counters are open until 20:30 or 21:00.