Kaleisia Tea Lounge

Kalesia tea is a staple to the USF community. A great place for students to go and try different teas, study, relax and even play board games. They have events throughout the month including knitting, free boba days, fundraisers, and an upcoming learn about Matcha night. Now I have not tried the food, though I have heard good things.
I love studying in their quiet room. You take your shoes off and sit on the Ottoman like seats. This room can be good for studying or meditation. However, if the restaurant is busy, the sound carries into this room too.
I am not a big tea drinker but haven’t had a tea I didn’t like at Kalesia. My favorite is the Thai tea with boba. They also have delicious smoothies you can also add boba to.

This is a gem of a find in an unsuspecting location. Located at the corner of a questionable strip Plaza, in a somewhat questionable area of town, you will find Khaleesi tea.
As soon as you walk in you will realize that you made a good decision. The restaurant is set up in an appealing way it is clean Well it, Well organized, and generally appealing. A nice touch is the fence they built outside the window facing the Main Street, which helps maintain the peaceful and tranquil feel of the restaurant without being interrupted by the heavy traffic on the main road.
I’ve tried a few things on the menu here now, and both times I have gotten one of the «boxes» which are several items pre-​selected in a tray for $ 12. The food is light, tasty, and seemingly healthy. Those three adjectives usually do not go together very well, but this restaurant proves it’s possible. If you go here you absolutely need to have one of the vegan cupcakes, I particularly like the green tea cupcake (that may sound gross but its not, take the leap and try it, youll be happy you did).
This is «tea» joint, so when in Rome… it is important that you try one of their teas with your meal. I don’t know a lot about tea, so if you’re like me, you may want to brush up before you go in using your smartphone, or enlist the help of the person working the register.
Whether you are vegan or not, I highly recommend you give this place a try.

Today was my first time trying this tea lounge, and I absolutely loved it. I ordered the fresh spring rolls, pumpkin soup, mango smoothie with boba, and a matcha cupcake. Every item I ordered was great, I loved it all. The service was fast, and great. For someone who has difficulties with social anxiety, I didn’t feel judge at all here. The atmosphere is very relaxing, and open. I rightly recommend this placed!

I love this place I really do! I took off a star for price. Their teatantic size with almond milk and the jellies costs me almost $ 11+, which is rather pricey for a smoothie. I always get the coconut and lately I have been combining it with matcha green tea. The result is an amazingly refreshing treat with just the minor jolt of caffeine I need to get me through the day. The jellies have great flavor. Their desserts are okay. I like their macaroons but they are really small. Their chocolate matcha green tea cupcake (also pictured) is okay but nothing special. Regardless I will keep coming back for tea!

When visiting the town, this tea lounge is my go to study spot, with an extensive boba menu with specialty teas, gluten-​free and light vegan eats in a peaceful and studious atmosphere.
Found here is a good quality selection of well-​priced teas. Prices are discounted when purchasing large drinks. Vegan menu includes Asian noodles, avocado wrap, cranberry walnut salad, edamame, hummus and chips, pumpkin coconut soup, and vegan spring rolls. Vegan cupcakes are also an option and definitely a must try. Menu of pastries tend to change on a weekly basis, sometimes daily.
Simply put, I love this refreshing locality with excellent food and service, let alone — tea.

The spiced chai tea late with almond milk and boba was devine! It was quite possibly the best chai tea I’ve ever had– and I’m a chai tea addict. I also had the house spring rolls & Naan For You entrée. Both were bursting with flavor and were very fresh. I ordered carry out as I was in a hurry and the service was warm, friendly, and very fast. I can’t wait to come back on a day where I can stay and relax with a book and sip more delicious tea!

I must say that since I have become VEGAN, this place really gives me the motivationto continue. The friendly and zen environment will make youwant to explore all options of this restaurant. Ieven brought two people from my job that are meat eaters to this place and they fell in love. One of them even wanted to go back the next day.
So if you are looking to try great food, a serene environment and great customer service make sure you try this place… and tell them the ARMY GIRL sent you ;)

I have to say I may be a little biased because there’s another tea lounge I’m a faithful Stan to. However they’re tea is pretty decent-​I usually come here for the tea without boba (not a huge fan of theirs) But I do like the add ins they have such as chia seeds, and if you order in the mason jars they have are pretty cute.
However the varieties of tea they offer in house are fantastic. I also like the fact that you can smell them before you order so you can get an idea of what you like beforehand. They have everything from Oolong, Jasmine, and even Thai Tea which they can make with various types of milk to your liking.
They also often host a variety of events each month, from live music to the Twilight Market where you can buy goods from local vendors. I’ve seen everything there from cookies, organic meats, to raw milk.
I may not be a huge fan of the boba there but the events will keep me interested and returning.

Boba is a rarity in some places. In the city of Tampa, boba is like trying to find a diamond… in an underwater cave… covered in poison seaweed… and surrounded by a thousand sharks. No joke, finding decent or good boba in Tampa was a complete dream.
Until I walked into Kaleisia.
Kaleisia is heaven. I’m not sure how else to describe it. They have a great selection of different teas to satisfy your boba cravings and they’re all at pretty affordable prices. I’ve tried to the Vietnamese Coffee and the Thai Ice Tea so far and have yet to be disappointed. I would go there on the daily if I lived closer. Unfortunately, I haven’t tried their food. Looking through these Unilocal pictures already makes my mouth water so I know it must be pretty good.
The service is really quick too. If you’re looking for a place to grab a quick drink and go, this might be your substitute for that Starbucks. Both times I’ve come, the drinks have been made in less than 5 minutes. Pretty quick if you ask me.
For all you USF students, this looks like a pretty chill place to get some work done. They have plenty of table seating, and a really cool area in the back where you can get some prime study time in.
tl;dr — If you like boba, come to Kaleisia. If you don’t like boba, come to Kaleisia. Seriously, this place will change your life and your tastebuds on an affordable budget.

I stopped in here one cold & rainy night. I had the pumpkin soup which was delicious. I also had the iced milk tea. I really like the ordering process. You go up to the counter, order everything you want, and then it gets served to your table (by a number they give you).
The food came out pretty quickly. There was also someone walking around cleaning up constantly. The place was packed. It looked like a lot of individual and group studying, and a few random people just out for a quick bite.
I highly recommend, especially for people who want to venture out and do something different.

Honestly impressed with my revisit to Kaleisha tea. Their curry sandwich was pretty good as well as their spring rolls. I have to concede that they may have the best food menu of all the other coffee shops ever since felicitous had dumbed down their food menu.
The spiced chai is still awesome as I had remembered it. The only contentions I have is lack of comfortable seating and their boba is noticeably inferior to nearby competitors.
If you are big on just tea, I would highly recommend this particular café over the rest.

So maybe not my kind of
Place to stay and hang out but I usually grab a blended chai tea that’s kinda like a tea smoothie that’s very flavorful and just something different to drink on occasion. They seem to have an endless variety of teas to try here. They also sell tea accessories for serving and preparing tea. This serves as a dessert for me sometimes after dinner as an alternative to ice creams and other assorted desserts.

This is a nice tea lounge set in a not so nice minimall. I think I would have loved it as a student. It’s just a cool place to hang out and study with friends.
The teas are numerous and of good quality. I usually stick to the basics, so I just had the jasmine milk tea, which was good and not overly steeped. I had it with the chia seeds, which were very healthful, but I think I like basil seeds better.
They serve food, but nothing was appealing to me.

Green and grey to drink
studious minds take caffeine
eight days a week
I’m trying to think what could really make this place better, and I can’t come up with much. It’s very niche in a way. It’s for tea drinkers. It’s for specialty tea drinkers. It’s for people who want to work. It’s for people who want a quiet loungey atmosphere.
When I’ve been there during the day, it’s so studious I worry about clickity click of my typing. I guess that’s why they have a «quiet room» devoted to, wait for it, quiet.
During the night there are groups working and it’s a bit more welcoming to some moderate chatter.
They have a few options for food, but I’m not sure I would go out of my way for it. This place is about drinking tea, chilling, and working.
The tea is good. I drink it plain. But it’s just tea… I can make it at home the same. So if you want jellies or boba or some crazy mixed drink from your tea-​rista, the options are endless here.

A secret paradise hidden in an unassuming strip mall spot. Walk in and browse teas on the wall or grab a menu, but be aware that there are separate menus for tea and food. Order at the counter, then take your number and find a seat. There’s a quiet shoe-​free tatami space for people who want to work or read and plenty of space out in the main area to chat. Décor is pleasant and features, unsurprisingly, a lot of tea paraphernalia. Who doesn’t like tea paraphernalia? Probably not anyone who frequents tea rooms.
The tea menu is extensive and has some good blends, including the almond biscotti. Tea is steeped with appropriate temperature water and a timer, and mine was perfect — I had the almond biscotti, and then a Chinese rose black iced tea with boba. Since they steep tea for boba rather than using a mix, you can adjust the sweetness level.
The food menu marks for vegan and gluten-​free items, and staff are great with questions. All in all, I had a wonderful experience and regret only that I couldn’t try more teas here.

Matcha tea is my latest passion. Since all drinks are made fresh, you get to customize exactly how you like. Got mine cold with almond milk and honey. They normally use sugar to sweeten but yay for customize options! You can add boba for a small upcharge.
I also got a matcha cookie and a vegan cupcake. The matcha cookie was good but premade and I’m sure sugar added. The vegan cupcake was fantastic, sweet and very moist with a small dollop of whipped matcha on top.
The ambiance is a chill and inviting vibe. Took mine to go but will definitely be back to hang out. Outdoor seating as well as indoor and a separate room.
Didn’t try any lunch items but they have great vegetarian options. Veggie panini, avocado wrap. Sounds like I need to come back often!

THE BEST tea place in Tampa! The. Best. Ever.
I really just want to end my review there. It’s just that good. But I won’t, because I feel like I have to convince you all. This place deserves all the love. ALL OF IT!
They are great. The atmosphere is great. The tea is perfect and housemade. They have boba. They have snacks and light meals. They have a quiet area for study or reading. They are WONDERFUL IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE.

This was one of favorite my study spots when was in the USF area. I love the décor, the spacious study area, and most of all their boba smoothies. I’m pretty sure I’ve tried almost all of them during the past 3 years that I’ve been there. Their boba itself isn’t spectacular because they are a little «harder» than I typically prefer. The service is great and the employees are very kind and helpful when picking out a tea or boba if you are new to the place. Sometime the wifi can be spotty… just a heads up for that.
Ive also tried some of the food dishes. A bit pricy in my opinion but taste delicious so its unlikely that you will be disappointed. I recommend the curried chicken sandwich (FYI it is a cold sandwich… did not know that when I ordered it. lol) their house spring rolls are pretty tasty as well. I really enjoy the flavorful dipping sauce. I have not partaken in any of the desserts they bake but I will in the near future. :)

Kaleisia’s atmosphere is a bit off putting to me. I’m picky about my ambiance and when I see people study here, I wonder how they can. I do like the wall of tea, but I’m overwhelmed and frankly, I’m a coffee person.
They have delicious food though. I’ve eaten everything vegan on the menu and it all rocks. I heard they have baked goods that are amazing and I tried to go buy some once, but they were randomly closed for a private event during regular business hours, LAME.
I will be back, especially because I can convince work people to head this way and they always enjoy it.

Really cool spot we found when I was visiting USF. Clean, comfortable and chic, unless you prefer pre-​fab and plastic interiors, you will be thrilled.
We came for smoothies, but were dubious of the menu so we scouted a few spots in the same strip center for plan B. We shouldn’t have, the food is fabulous.
My favorite was the panini with turkey, goat cheese and micro greens. I made the mistake of bragging about how good it was and my daughter ended eating the other half. Well, good food is meant to be shared. Her curried chicken salad was good, but paled in comparison to the panini.
For smoothies I had mango with lychee jellies and my daughter had green tea with tapioca boba. Both were tremendous and worth the trip alone.
There is also a cool «quiet room», board games set out to play and an assortment of bulk tea and bobas to buy.