The 8 Best Boba Shops in NYC, Ranked
New York runs on bubble tea. The Taiwanese drink, sweet tea, milk, and chewy tapioca pearls, is everywhere from Flushing to the East Village, which is both a blessing and a problem: with a boba shop on nearly every block, where do you actually go? We drank our way to an answer. Here are the eight best boba shops in NYC, ranked, from craft tea rooms to the brown-sugar icons, spread across the neighborhoods where the scene is strongest.
| # | Shop | Neighborhood | Order this | The vibe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Alley | East Village | Deerioca brown sugar milk | Craft tea, cult following |
| 2 | Tiger Sugar | Chinatown & Koreatown | Brown sugar boba milk, cream mousse | Tiger-stripe theater |
| 3 | Xing Fu Tang | Flushing & St. Marks | Brown sugar boba milk | Pearls stir-fried to order |
| 4 | Boba Guys | Nolita, LES, Soho | Strawberry matcha latte | Premium and sustainable |
| 5 | Ten Ren’s Tea Time | Flushing & Chinatown | Oolong or jasmine milk tea | Tea-forward, less sweet |
| 6 | Uluh / Uluhuluh | East Village | Specialty oolong | Upscale teahouse |
| 7 | Yaya Tea | Chinatown | Build-your-own fruit tea | Customizable, fruit-forward |
| 8 | M Tea | Flushing | Ube taro milk tea | Pastel and photogenic |
The best boba shops in NYC, ranked
1. The Alley
The connoisseur’s pick. This Taiwanese chain’s Cooper Square flagship makes its own tapioca daily, the chewy “deerioca,” and ages its tea leaves at length before they ever reach a cup. The brown sugar deerioca milk is the order, and the deer-logo interiors have a cult following. There is a Flushing location too.
2. Tiger Sugar
The brand that put brown sugar boba on the global map. Tiger Sugar is credited with popularizing the brown-sugar-and-cream-mousse style, poured so the dark syrup streaks the cup in its signature tiger stripes. Order the Brown Sugar Boba Milk with cream mousse. You will find it on Canal Street, in Koreatown, and in Flushing; order ahead at peak hours or make peace with the line.
3. Xing Fu Tang
The Infatuation’s top pick for brown sugar boba, and it earns it. This Taiwanese chain, which opened its first US shop in Flushing in 2020, stir-fries its handmade pearls in brown sugar to order, so you can watch them caramelize at the counter. The brown sugar boba milk is the signature. Locations in Flushing and on St. Marks Place.
4. Boba Guys
The premium, mission-driven option, founded in San Francisco in 2011 by Andrew Chau and Bin Chen and known for high-quality, transparently sourced ingredients. The strawberry matcha latte, with house strawberry puree and good matcha, is the one to get. The spaces are bright and modern, with locations in Nolita, the Lower East Side, and Soho.
5. Ten Ren’s Tea Time
For drinkers who want the tea to lead. Ten Ren has been a Taiwanese tea house since 1953, and its New York shops pour stronger, less-sweet milk teas, oolong and jasmine especially, from quality leaves. It is the tea-forward counterpoint to all the dessert drinks, with locations in Flushing and Chinatown.
6. Uluh / Uluhuluh
The grown-up pick. Uluh is an Eater-recognized modern Chinese restaurant and tea house in the East Village, and its Uluhuluh window pours some of the most carefully made specialty teas in the city. Come here when you want a more refined take on boba than a to-go chain delivers.
7. Yaya Tea
Fruit-tea headquarters. Yaya’s Chinatown shop leans into fresh fruit teas and a highly customizable menu: pick a tea base, then stack up to a few flavors and toppings. It is the move for the less-sweet, fruit-forward crowd, and a good spot to build exactly the drink you want.
8. M Tea
The photogenic Flushing gem. M Tea is known for its pastel ube-and-taro milk teas, swirled purple and white, served in a pretty, chandelier-lit space. It is as fun to look at as it is to drink, and a reminder that some of the best boba in the city sits well outside Manhattan.
A quick boba glossary
- Boba / bubble tea: the same thing, tea (often with milk) plus chewy toppings.
- Tapioca pearls: the classic chewy black boba, made from cassava starch.
- Brown sugar boba: pearls cooked in brown sugar syrup that streaks the cup; rich and caramelly.
- Cream mousse: a lightly salted whipped-cream cap on top of the drink.
- Popping boba: juice-filled spheres that burst, a fruity alternative to tapioca.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best boba in NYC?
For craft tea and house-made pearls, The Alley is our top pick. For the brown-sugar style, Tiger Sugar and Xing Fu Tang lead. For premium, less-sweet drinks, Boba Guys and Ten Ren.
Where is the best boba in Flushing?
Flushing is the city’s boba capital. Xing Fu Tang, Ten Ren’s Tea Time, and M Tea are all standouts, and most of the big names have a Flushing outpost.
What should I order on my first boba run?
Start with a classic milk tea with tapioca at regular sweetness, or a brown sugar boba milk if you want the crowd favorite. Adjust sweetness and ice to taste from there.
Is boba the same as bubble tea?
Yes. The names are used interchangeably; both refer to the tea drink with chewy pearls or other toppings.
Hungry after all that tea? See our guides to the best spicy instant ramen and the best Taiwanese frozen dumplings.
On the West Coast? Here is our guide to the best boba in Los Angeles.
