Bubble-tea and iced-tea shops we checked, and how to cold-brew loose-leaf tea at home. For hot tea, tea rooms and loose-leaf shops, see the Providence tea guide.
On Thayer Street by Brown University, Ten One Tea House and Vivi Bubble Tea are a few doors apart. Downtown, Charuma Tea Bar brews six Taiwanese teas, including smoky oolong and Formosa Beauty, and mixes them into floral 'teatails'. In Fox Point, Rong Tea on Wickenden Street tops mango and jasmine teas with salted cheese foam. On Federal Hill, MoCha serves brown sugar boba next to poke burritos.
7 Providence shops, checked as open on 2026-10-01. Listed in no particular order; this is not a ranking.
| Tea | Leaf per Water | Example Batch | Steep and Serve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green or white tea | 8.5–10.6 g per litre | 9 g leaf : 1 L cold water | Fridge 6–8 hours, strain, drink as is (Rishi) |
| Black tea or oolong | 8.5–10.6 g per litre | 9 g leaf : 1 L cold water | Fridge 8–10 hours, strain, drink as is (Rishi) |
| Taiwanese oolong, lighter batch | 7 g per litre | 7 g leaf : 1 L cold water | 2–3 hours at room temperature or overnight in the fridge (Eco-Cha) |
| Herbal blends and rooibos | 8.5–10.6 g per litre | 10 g : 1 L cold water | Fridge 10–12 hours for herbal (Rishi), at least 12 hours for rooibos (Rooibos.Africa) |
| Sencha, quick concentrate | 10 g per 210 ml | 10 g leaf : 210 ml chilled water | 15 minutes undisturbed, small glasses (Ippodo) |
| Where It Steeps | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator, 40 °F (4 °C) or colder | 6–12 hours by tea type | Green and white shortest, herbal and rooibos longest. The FDA puts a safe fridge at 40 °F or below. |
| Room temperature | 2–3 hours (Taiwanese oolong only) | Eco-Cha’s short counter steep; strain and refrigerate the tea once it is done. |
| Chilled water, quick | 15 minutes (sencha) | Ippodo’s method gives a small, concentrated cup rather than a pitcher. |
Sources: Rishi Tea & Botanicals, How to Make Iced Tea; Eco-Cha, How to Brew Oolong Tea; Ippodo Tea, Cold Brew Sencha; Rooibos.Africa, Brewing; FDA, Refrigerator Thermometers: Cold Facts about Food Safety.
Every tea type, with leaf weight and fridge time: Cold-Brew Tea Ratio Chart.
We checked 7 Providence bubble-tea and iced-tea shops as open on 2026-10-01: Charuma Tea Bar (Downcity), Ten One Tea House (Thayer St) (College Hill (Thayer St)), Vivi Bubble Tea (Thayer St) (College Hill (Thayer St)), Rong Tea (Fox Point (Wickenden St)), MoCha (Federal Hill (Atwells Ave)), Hometown Poke & Bubble Tea (Mount Hope (Camp St)) and Bubble Tea House (West End (Westminster St)).
Ten One Tea House (Thayer St), MoCha list brown sugar boba on their own menus or listings.
Charuma Tea Bar, Ten One Tea House (Thayer St), Vivi Bubble Tea (Thayer St), MoCha, Bubble Tea House make fruit teas, according to their menus or listings.
Use about 9 g of leaf per litre of cold water and steep it in the fridge: 6–8 hours for green or white tea, 8–10 hours for black or oolong, 10–12 hours for herbal blends (Rishi’s guidance). Strain, then keep it refrigerated at 40 °F or colder.