L'Amyx Tea Bar

4179 Piedmont Ave., Oakland, CA - (510) 594-8322

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Posted By Michael Stern on January 19, 2008 10:28 AM

The motto of L'Amyx is, "It's not just tea. It's a lifestyle." That's easy to believe when you spend some time in this sunny storefront, where the ambience is completely different than that of the Bay area's coffee bars. Although most tea indeed is caffeinated -- some of L'Amyx's brews extremely so -- there is none of the high-energy buzz of Peet's, Starbuck's, or the independent coffee places that are so common all along the northern Pacific coast. The mood is mellow, the room tone quiet, the staff soft-spoken, the whole process of ordering and sipping conducive to meditation or intimate conversation.

The modus operandi is familiar. Peruse the posted menu and a case full of pastries, order and pay at the counter, and carry your food to a table. Hot tea is delivered steeping in lovely cast iron pots (available for sale) along with a ceramic mug in which to pour it.

The selection of teas is flabbergasting: several dozen varieties, from familiar Earl Grey and Formosa Oolong to such exotica as Imperial Silver Needles with Jasmine and Gold-Flecked Green. I savored my Tribute Pu-Er, which is as strong as espresso with a flavor that only a horse-lover can fully appreciate. In addition to brewed hot teas and a large selection of herbals, L'Amyx offers several kinds of iced tea, hot and cold bubble tea, chai, and tea smoothies. The menu also includes coffee drinks.

The L'Amyx website, by the way, has a plethora of tips about how to brew tea and how to pair tea with food, as well as a bibliography of tea books.

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