Move aside, iced coffee. Boba tea in Orlando is the latest beverage obsession.

Traditional boba tea, also known as bubble tea, is a milk tea-based drink with chewy tapioca pearls at the bottom. The boba tea trend originated in Taiwan in the 1980s and sparked popularity in the U.S. in the late 1990s. The craze for this Asian-inspired refreshment has definitely saturated the greater Orlando area and continues to boom in Central Florida.  

Where to get the best Boba Tea in Orlando

Here are five local spots with unique flavors, toppings, and restaurant themes to get boba tea in Orlando. 

Love At First Sip

Love At First Sip is an eclectic hole-in-the-wall in Winter Garden, Florida. In fact, you are likely to drive right past this covert tea shop while coasting down West Colonial Drive. Despite being small and hidden from street view, the shop is full of personality and vibrancy. 

When you enter Love At First Sip, you are greeted with an Instagram-worthy seating area and flower-covered walls. The bright pink florals are accompanied by jeweled chandeliers, hanging beads, and gold-trimmed decor pieces. The atmosphere is definitely romantic and eccentric.

This shop offers traditional milk tea, fruit tea, matcha, and a variety of other fresh-brewed teas. Their toppings include classic tapioca boba, popping boba pearls, cheese mousse, and fruit jellies. If you are a boba tea novice, the staff is friendly and willing to explain their menu options.

Quickly Boba

If you are on the southwest side of Orlando, you have to stop by Quickly Boba on Universal Boulevard.

Quickly Boba has an extensive menu and diverse range of boba tea flavors that is unmatched. To be specific, this spot has 60 milk tea flavors and 11 flavors of boba pearls. They also offer drink inclusions such as fruit jellies, egg pudding, taro pudding, and cheese foam. My go-to order is a Cinnamon Bun milk tea with tapioca boba. 

I love this cafe because they provide lots of comfortable dine-in seating with a great view of their cute, animated murals painted on the walls.  

Shen Tea

Shen Tea on Aloma Avenue in Winter Park fully embraces Kawaii culture and aesthetics. This charming tea shop is decked out in neon pink decor and adorable plushies.

This spot offers traditional milk tea flavors and handcrafted boba that is made in-house daily. They also serve unique drinks such as mixed fruit tea, strawberry matcha lattes, and Dalgona coffee (Korean whipped coffee). In addition, Shen Tea makes Korean corn dogs that can be coated in Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, cinnamon sugar, potato, or Ramen noodles–a trendy Korean delicacy that can be tough to find in Orlando.

Krave Tea

If you are searching for a more relaxing, minimalistic environment to sip your boba tea, Krave Tea will do it for you. This shop has muted, modern decor and a cozy coffee shop feel. This would be a great location to grab a tea, sit down and get some work done on your laptop. 

Their menu includes classic milk tea, Taro tea, Butterfly milk tea, and other fresh-brewed fruit and herbal teas. You can add tapioca boba, popping boba, aloe vera, chia seeds, fruit jellies, egg pudding, or cheese cream to any of your drinks. I ordered a Butterfly milk tea with boba — a popular menu item due to its creamy blue color. Krave Tea is also women-owned and operated. 

ViVi Bubble Tea

ViVi Bubble Tea is another quirky, eccentric cafe on East Colonial Drive in the Mills 50 District. This bubble tea contender offers a variety of milk teas, fruit teas and tea slushies, and is known for its distinctive signature drinks, such as the Blue Galaxy, Signature Fruit Tea, and Dragon Fruit Cream Float. I ordered the Blue Galaxy during my last visit, which is a colorful and gradient fruit tea slush with popping boba pearls.

ViVi Bubble Tea has a vibrant, inviting atmosphere. The shop is decorated with pink accents, a cherry blossom tree, and cute wall murals. 

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