- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
Chatime
Categories: Food Coffee & Tea Food Tea Rooms Restaurants Chinese Coffee & Tea, Tea Rooms, Chinese [Edit]
132 Dundas St WToronto, ON M5G 1C3
Neighbourhoods: Discovery District, Downtown Core
(647) 340-8406
- Hours:
Mon-Wed 11 am - 11 pm
Thu-Sun 11 am - 12 am
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dessert, Late Night
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
28 reviews for Chatime
Review Highlights
-
"Ordered: MATCHA RED BEAN SMOOTHIE: My mom orders this..." In 1 review -
"...and excited they had grass jelly milk tea~~ I ordered one..." In 4 reviews -
"...flavours, great option for ice/sugar levels, chewy tapioca..." In 4 reviews
Loading...
28 reviews in English
-
Review from Johnny W.
North York, ON
2/15/2012
I am definitely a fan of the place because their authentic taste to bubble tea.
I had their taro and it was amazing. I love the fact it has taro bits in it and they always ask me about my ice and sugar level (I feel so taken care of~)
I only wish they had small tapioca like bubble tea republic, but then it would be too perfect! -
Review from Payam Z.
5/24/2012 2 Check-ins Here
3.5*
ok, I'll admit it, I have some sort of a weird soft spot for bubble tea!
I even go to teashops to play board or card games now and then. Maybe it's the product of growing up in North Toronto or maybe... actually it's definitely the product of growing up in North TO! Either way, Chatime is one of the few BBtea spots I've been to south of Eglinton and it's different in a lot of ways.
On the bright side you can customize your drink almost more than anywhere else I've been to, you can even suggest the % of sugar or ice you'd like to add. The staff are very nice and patient with the customization meaning the combinations are nearly endless. It's also a relief that you are definitely getting tea at Chatime when you order it as opposed to mystery powder based drinks you may be served at some uptown locations.
That being said, there are times that the bubble tea doesn't taste the greatest, and I don't even think it's because of my wild customizations!
Also the space is very bland and small and this definitely isn't one where you can sit for a catchup sesh or a game of gin rummy. -
Review from Asuka N.
4/9/2012
We came here for bubble tea after having dinner further down Dundas Street. Even though it was relatively late (10 PM on a Friday night), this joint was packed, although to be fair it looked like most of the kids in there were of high school age (or younger?). Service was a bit on the disappointing side; they definitely did not have enough people working behind the counter, and we probably waited around 15 minutes to move up 4 spots in line. In Chinatown in NYC, we would've probably finished our tea by then...
As for the drinks themselves, they were pretty good. The flavors were interesting and different, and I really liked the one I got (hazelnut milk tea). It had a strong but not overpowering hazelnut flavor, and without any added sugar (the option I accidentally ordered), you got a very nice flavor that didn't come off as artificial. My girlfriend had the brown rice green milk tea, which probably could have used a little more sugar (she had the 2nd-lowest option) but had a nice hint of rice undertones. The tapioca was too chewy in my opinion, which, combined with the slightly higher-than-average prices, earns it a star off on my rating. All in all, though, the bubble tea here is pretty solid, and for a spot that's basically right in downtown Toronto, it's not a bad stop at all if you don't want to head to Chinatown for your bubble tea fix. -
Review from Denise S.
4/6/2012 4 Check-ins Here
I don't think I will ever go to Tea Shop 168 again!
Chatime has stepped it up a notch with interesting flavours and the flexibility to customize your bubble tea! I like!! I got the caramel milk tea (which was 'recommended' on the menu). So delicious! Not artificial/oversweet tasting at all. Drinks are expensive, but not more so than most bubble tea places. You can get a loyalty card which gets you a free drink for every 10.
The space is clean and white with some magazines and random quotes about tea written on the back wall. It's a fun place to hang out with friends, and if you get hungry or want some sake, Don Don Izakaya is just upstairs! -
Review from Edwin A.
I hadn't been back to Chatime since it's grand opening.
It's better now, now that they have furniture. haha
Grabbed our seats and ordered a couple of different items from the menu.
Brown rice, green tea with milk - specified cold, 30% sugar, and no ice.
Genmaicha tea, which is green tea with an aroma of roasted brown rice - specified hot, 50% sugar.
Favorite is the Genmachia. It's fab, it smells like popcorn but tastes like green tea.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
9/11/2011
From what I gathered reading literature on the windows of the shop it's an international franchise.… Read more »
-
-
Review from Olivia O.
Toronto, ON
4/23/2012
Very popular bubble tea shop due to awesome drinks and convenience of location.
It can get very crowded at times, so grab a seat while you can! -
Review from Gary Y.
Toronto, ON
4/7/2012
As good as it gets here in toronto!
-
Review from Lynn C.
12/7/2011
So it's been a while since I've been in Toronto so when I was walking along Dundas street and came upon this new Taiwanese looking joint, I was pleasantly surprised.
Admittedly, I stood outside of this place looking it up and down and trying to figure out if this was a real taiwanese bbt shop place that just opened up, or was it another immigrant wanting in on the (no longer) lucrative bubble tea business. After looking at their menu and seeing real tea items on there and some very typical Taiwanese drinks (grass jelly with milk) and very taiwanese style of naming the drinks, I decided that even though I was just walking by, i should try their tea anyway.
I ordered their grass jelly in roasted milk tea for (4.75+tax). Expensive.
The lady who helped me is Taiwanese and explained to me what roasted milk tea (more flavour) in Mandarin, which made me feel like home.
Another authenticity proof is the ability to have less sugar and less ice...they have that at ever bbtea stand in taiwan, but this is one of the few times i've seen it here.
Will definitely go back to explore the other options. -
Review from Susan C.
Toronto, ON
1/21/2012
Made my first visit here after a movie with some of my coworkers and was not amazed with my first experience. This place is extremely busy, so it took a while before we were able to take an order. We were very confused with the system of how the drinks are ordered, which we came out with drinks that we were not too impressed with. The woman taking our order wasn't clear when she was asking about how we wanted our drink to be made. DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE YOU GO, THE WORKERS THERE DOES NOT EXPLAIN THE CONCEPT OF THIS BUBBLE TEA PLACE.
Our orders included:
Fairy Vanilla Bubble Tea, little ice, no tapioca (I was so confused why my drink didn't have any tapioca)
Taro Smoothie, with no sugar, tapioca (which my friend didn't even know the lady behind the counter even asked)
Pearl Milk Tea, with no ice, tapioca
All these drinks were far from what we wanted. Now that we finally discovered how the concept of ordering is supposedly run, we are planning to give chatime another chance. I will be back with an update once we do get a chance to go again! -
Review from Gary S.
1/7/2012
The BBT here is one of the best I've had in allllll of GTA including Rhill, etc.
Looks like they actually make their BBT with fresh ingredients instead of just powder, I believe their logo speaks of this too.
There's a fair amount of seating towards the back so that's pretty good for a DT place.
My only gripe is there are only 3 workers and they are constantly busy making the lines a little long however they do the best they can, I suggest they hire at least 2-3 more workers.
It is pricey, you're looking at Starbuck latte prices but it's worth every so often!Listed in: My go to places in DT T.O
-
Review from Grayce Y.
Calgary, AB
3/9/2012
Chatime is sooooo good. My favorite is the Brown Rice Green Milk Tea with Grass Jelly (regular sugar). It has a really distinct and unique taste that I seem to always crave now. They also accommodate for people that don't like as sugary drinks or too much ice so you can order your drinks with 50% sugar or 0 sugar added. The taste is really authentic. It typically costs about $4 - $6 for a drink which is pretty normal for bubbletea. I've also had the Passion Fruit QQ (I think it had lychee jelly and tapioca in it) which I think would be great for the summer because it's really fruity and also the Matcha Red Bean one, which was also really good!
It also has Wifi and is open pretty late (I believe until midnight). -
Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
Fresh Milk Grass Jelly Drink regular size ($4.75) at Chatime! Was it good? Totally, but it is on the pricey side.
In between meals and looking for somewhere to chill and wifi a little. Chatime is a great alternative near the Bay and Dundas area.
Since Chatime is new, everything is sparkling clean... super clean washrooms!!
I think I will come back to try out other tea based drinks, as Chatime, means Tea Time!Listed in: Yelp 30 Day Challenge October…
-
Review from Rachael T.
Toronto, ON
10/13/2011
I'm really all about fresh fruit bubble teas but was really intrigued about reading the brewing and the training and all the good stuff that came with CHA TIME.
I walked in around lunch and was surprised to see that it was empty but it was drizzling outside. The staff was super patient with trying to help me pick something I would like, explaining to me the different teas, and the endless combinations you could put together.
In the end -I went with two very different drinks, in the hopes that one would be something "he" would fancy:
- Yogurt Green Tea with Coffee Jelly (there's a first!)
- Passion Fruit Tea with QQ (half pearls, half coconut jelly)
They were both very tasty, very different and it has to be your thing or else you may not like it. A few conclusions I did come to find:
1. The Yogurt is more like YODULY. If you like Yoduly (the small little plastic containers with the red tin foil that seals the top and has a beige coloured opague milk drink in it - then you will LOVE this.
2. The coffee jelly is very flavourful - so even though I could taste the yogurt green tea, it tasted the like the whole drink was coffee flavoured (again, this will be based on personal preference).
3. The passion fruit was your standard. Nice to have a bit of both types of add-ins at no extra charge.
sooooo excited to try the red bean the next time I'm there. LOVE LOVE LOVE red bean. loved all of this too!
P.S. Get your stamp card
P.P.S change your sweetness and eliminate ice if necessaryListed in: Bubble Tea Shops and other…
-
Review from Justine H.
Toronto, ON
Restaurant: Chatime Bubble Tea
Cuisine: Coffee/Tea/Dessert
Location: Downtown Toronto
Address: 132 Dundas St. W
Price Range: ~$10
1: Poor
2: OK
3: Good
4: Very Good
5: Excellent
Food: 4
Service: 4
Ambiance: 3
Overall: 3.5
Extra information:
*Wifi Avail
*500 Stores WorldWide
*Taxes included in the Price
*Choose Ice and Sugar Option
I've been drinking bbtea for at least last 12 years of my life, and that is A LOT of bbtea and pearls. Without a doubt, I know my bbtea and how it's suppose to be done. I have long list of different flavors that I've enjoyed in the past that includes taro smoothie, green milktea, coconut milk tea, honey green tea, lychee smoothie.
When I moved to TO, I wasn't even expecting to find good bbtea here because I was already aware of the fact that it's not very popular in eastcoast. Plus I tried green milk tea at Ten Ren (Chinatown) prior to and it was so horrible that I've fallen into bbtea funk.
However, seeing that Chatime has finally opened- I couldn't pass by without trying and I am glad that I dropped by. It's just like typical bbtea joints, drink station at the front and tables at the back. Because they only opened a day or two before I dropped by, the seating area was pretty much empty. There were 4-5 people working at the store, still busy setting up their kitchen.
There are many options you can choose from: Milktea, Freshtea, QQ Jelly, Poptea, Coffee, Smoothie and Healthy Series.
Ordered: ICED MILK TEA WITH PEARLS: You think that milktea is something so simple they can't mess it up? You are wrong. I've been to so many bbtea places where they screw this up. But at Chatime, it was PERFECT. It was made just the way it's suppose to be with the right amount of sweetness. Make sure to ask for half pearl if you don't want too much of it in your drink. When they make milktea right, you know other drinks will taste just fine.
Ordered: MATCHA RED BEAN SMOOTHIE: My mom orders this everytime we go for bbtea. If you love matcha and if you love red bean, you will love this drink. It's basically a ice cream smoothie and you can't really go wrong with this order. She found it to be a little too sweet but you can choose the sweetness of drinks so make sure to ask before they make it.
I am just wondering if they have stamp cards so you can purchase certain # of drinks and get a drink for free?
For the opening special, they are giving out free upgrade to large size even when you order a regular size (cold drinks only) so make sure to drop by before the offer ends.
Summary: ChaTime reminds me of those bbtea joints back in Vancouver. I will def be back later to try my next fav bbtea flavor, iced honey green tea!! -
Review from Jane M.
9/11/2011 17 Check-ins Here
Chatime just opened a few days ago so we nipped in to take advantage of their by one/get one free offer. I'm ashamed to say we actually went twice in one afternoon!
We were pleasantly surprised. Being frequent patrons of Tea Shop 168 (I know, I know, it's the Mickey D's of bbt), the quality was much higher than what we're used to. The first time around I tried the passion fruit green tea and it was great. I didn't get the tapioca (I was still working on some egg waffles from Dragon City) but I can attest to the flavour, which was fruity without losing that really strong BAM taste of a great tea. They also threw in a slice of orange, which was a cute touch.
My boyfriend had the classic milk tea with pearls. The best thing about this place is that you can adjust the amount of ice and sugar. He had full sugar, no ice. It was good, but got a little bit too sweet torwards the end. On the way home I got the classic with pearls and knocked the sugar down to just 80%. Definitely an improvement, but I think I could go to 50% easily. Below that, it might be a wee bit too bland. Other than that, it was pretty good. My classic definitely tasted a little bit grainy, so be sure to shake it up really well before you poke the seal with the straw.
The only thing that stops this being a five-star place for bubble tea is the pricing. Depending on what size you order (regular or large) and what kind of drink you want, you're looking at between $4 and $5 per drink. So definitely more in line with Ten Ren when it comes to quality and pricing. Ten Ren does one-up Chatime when it comes to tea-alternatives. While Ten Ren and Tea Shop do a lot of shushies and smoothies, your options for this kind of fare at Chatime are more limited. They still do it, but not to the extent some other places do. -
Review from Joanne W.
Small little bubble tea place that just recently opened here on Dundas! They don't have any menus blown up for you to look at yet, but they have pretty good offerings here. Prices are decent considering the location. You can also choose the amount of ice and sugar you want in your drink!
May possibly come back to try out their wifi here when I start my studies. -
Review from jil s.
North York, ON
9/8/2011 20 photos
Cha means TEA
so ChaTime means
TeaTime
Try the smoothies
and
Honey Lemon Aloe
Honey Pomelo (citrus fruit)
Taiwanese Ice Plum Tea
Chatime Roasted Milk Tea
Longan & Red Date tea
TieGuanyin Tea Latte
Green tea latte
Taro milk tea
Pearl milk tea is milk with tea and chewy tapioca balls
Red bean milk tea is milk with tea (same as above drink), tapioca balls and red beans
Brown rice green milk tea is green tea with brown rice and milk
Tapioca balls or pearls are chewy, starchy balls which have no taste
and possibly a little kid could choke on these tapioca balls
If you drink a milk drink,
do not drink a citrus fruit drink before or after the milk drink.
milk and citrus (lemon, pomelo, orange, etc) do not go together
and will give you a BAD stomach ache
- -
Review from Vivien L.
11/3/2011
Chatime is a very nice addition to the downtown core. They have a very wide range of flavours and I appreciate how they give you the option of reducing the amounts of sugar/ice in your drink.
It's a decent size store and there are a couple of tables for seating. The back wall is also filled with quotes from various people regarding tea... I do question if the quotes are real because some of them are pretty funny. Not a bad place to stop by and grab a drink!
Only thing that was "bad" was that last night when I went.. it smelled really really bad.... like dirty towels sort of bad. It also didn't help that it was very stuffy inside the store. That one time encounter won't deter me from coming back... unless it is constantly like that. -
Review from Michael L.
Richmond Hill, ON
10/17/2011
Saw this place open up a few weeks ago and have been pining to hit it up!
My order: Grass Jelly Roasted Green Milk Tea, Less Ice, 30% sugar.
I am a huge fan of their customization, they have a great system going for their personalization and compared to other places I have been to it definitely has them sticking out as a place to return too. The price point is average at $4.75 after tax.
Will definitely be coming here again!Listed in: Morning Brews =D, Bubble Tea!
-
Review from Nao C.
North York, ON
12/3/2011
I first went to Chatime late summer/early fall when it was brand new and not fully set up yet. It was a sweltering day and unbearably warm inside. Frankly, it didn't look all that impressive.
The bubble tea definitely changed my mind though! I love their selection of flavours--good old classics along with more interesting varieties we don't normally get in Toronto tea shops. (I'm tired of endless lists of fruity bubble teas where you really don't taste the tea!) I like that you can really customise your drink; I often opt for less sugar and less ice. I've since been back several times, and their finished interior is quite nice as well. You would never know it was once in the unfinished state I saw it in. This is definitely one of the best bubble tea places downtown, in my opinion.Listed in: Best Toronto Bubble Tea
-
Review from David B.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 4/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
Tried it again and this time got the lychee tea. It is AMAZING. Well worth the premium over other places. I'm a fan now.
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
-
2/25/2012
Pretty good drinks here, but overpriced still. Not worth the extra $1 or so over other places. I… Read more »
-
-
Review from Shiori M.
Ariss, ON
11/6/2011
Passed by this place on the way home during their grand opening and been back a few times since. By far the best tasting bbt I've had in the area. Has good tea flavour and even their matcha drinks actually taste like it (pet peeve when I order "green tea matcha" anything and tastes nothing like matcha).
I have tried the matcha milk tea, reg. milk tea and the green tea yoghurt. All of which was delicious. Only con is the price compared to other shops (avg. $5)
I usually get 30% sugar with no ice. Found 100% much too sweet for my liking. Friendly staff and always fast service. -
Review from Evelyn T.
North York, ON
2/21/2012
I began working in the Bay and Dundas area in January. I've already filled up half a stamp card (10 stamps + a free one)! I always get the same thing - grass jelly roasted milk tea, less ice. There's a slight difference between the roasted milk tea and the normal one (they say that the roasted milk tea has a stronger tea flavour). A good milk tea is hard to find, so I was very happy when I discovered this place. They always ask about how much ice and sugar you want, so if you're looking to cut down your sugar levels, this is the place to go to.
My only complaint is the price - a large grass jelly roasted milk tea works out to $5.32 after tax. There are more expensive places, but this is by no means the cheapest. Also, a word of advise to those new to bubble tea: their menu isn't very complete, so you might want to look up some information about it online before you go. -
Review from Mimi C.
Toronto, ON
- neat flavours
- average prices
- open til 12 near dundas square
- strong tea taste
- yummy!
- nice interior design
- don't have many or any fruit flavours for their milk tea -
Review from Robin D.
10/3/2011
Walked in here with a coworker who was pleasantly surprised and excited they had grass jelly milk tea~~ I ordered one too and it was nice~~ Not to mention the staff were friendly... made for a great day!!
-
Review from Jay Y.
North York, ON
12/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Pretty tasty bubble tea place. It didn't get 5 stars because the ambiance is not as nice as the huge places in Markham. But for taste it's really good. I had the QQ Taiwan mango juice 80 % sweet
-
Review from Ziyi C.
Toronto, ON
10/1/2011
Finally. The only place in downtown Toronto that makes it right. Great bubble tea/taiwanese beverages varieties, strong tea flavours, great option for ice/sugar levels, chewy tapioca, grass jelly + milk, quality.
-
Review from Brendan T.
Uxbridge, ON
10/10/2011
I'm mostly used to getting bubble tea of the green tea and fruit-flavoured powder variety found in places like Tea Shop 168, Go For Tea, E Tea and the like. Chatime offers a pleasant departure from the typical offerings of the other establishments in the area, although I didn't venture too far off the map with my order - a vanilla-flavoured milk tea. I found it to be more natural tasting and it had a more strong taste of tea than usual. If you're looking for something a little bit different in the Chinatown/Dundas Square area then Chatime is worth a shot.
