The Best 6 Places for Bubble Tea in Calgary

It’s always a good time for boba – summer or winter, as a morning pick-me-up or an evening snack, there’s a drink for every occasion. With so many new bubble tea shops opened up in Calgary now, the choices are endless! As a self-proclaimed boba addict and foodie, I made it my goal to try out each and every one to determine my top recommendations and go-to spots. 

Because there are so many different types of bubble tea and everyone has unique preferences, I tried to cover most of the major categories of drinks and factors you would be looking for in your favourite boba hangout!

Read on to discover your next delicious spot to take your boba-bae or bes-tea!

Best for Milk Tea

A Tie Between Kung Fu Tea and Gongcha!

Milk tea is a classic go-to for many people so it’s arguably the best way to judge the basic foundation of a boba shop. Even after having Gongcha’s milk tea probably a hundred times, it never fails to impress me and I don’t get tired of it! It was my absolute top choice in the city until Kung Fu Tea came around. Kung Fu has a very unique flavour to their milk tea – the tea flavour is much stronger than most others and has a more traditional taste to it. I’m a big fan!

Best for Fruit Tea

Koi Fresh Fruits & Tea

The name doesn’t lie, fresh fruit drinks are definitely their speciality! On hot summer days when you want something light and refreshing, Koi is the way to go! I like how a lot of the drinks here are a mix between a slush and a tea-based drink. It gives you the sweet satisfaction that you need while also adding in some calm herbal notes. When in doubt, I’ve found that you can’t go wrong with a seasonal special.

Best for Brown Sugar

Thé Moon

I’m very picky about brown sugar drinks and have really not found any in Calgary that I would order again until I tried the Flame Cloud from Thé Moon. Ever since then, the cravings are endless…the different ingredients in this drink just balance together really well in a way that doesn’t make it taste like plain milk with some added sugar. It’s also REFRESHING, which is an adjective that is incredibly hard for a brown sugar drink to achieve!

Best for Specialty Drinks

Don’t Yell At Me

This shop has some of the most unique drinks I’ve ever seen! The layering that they do is INSANE (perfect for that aesthetic insta shot). If you’re in the mood for something new and totally different than any of the other places in town, this is the spot to hit up. I always love trying new drinks from here and I’ve always been pleasantly surprised by the taste! One of my go-to’s is the Tiramisu Milk Tea with minimal sugar – a nice twist on the classic milk tea.

Best for Variety

Royaltea

Let me tell you that I have been coming here at least once a week for the past couple months and have yet to order all the drinks that I want to try. This is the spot to hit up when you have a big group with varying tastes and preferences. There’s sure to be something for everyone here, plus more! I found the huge menu to be a bit daunting my first few times here, so I would recommend starting with their top 10 list of most popular drinks. Fun fact: they have cup sizes up to 1 litre!

Which boba place are you planning to try out next?

All content and in-post photos are credited to Alice Liu.