Dobra Tea

I am a tea snob, this place is one of my favorite places in the world, there needs to be more!!! My boyfriend first introduced me to Dobra, where we come from Boston every other week for work purposes. Our first stop back is Dobra. I often times choose a random page and let my intuition do the work for picking tea. Their speciality blends are to die for, my absolute favorite is Sweet Smells of Jerusalem.
When it comes down to their quality, passionate workers, ambiance, and positive energy, it is priced extremely well. Many complain about their prices, but don’t realize the craftsmanship of the tea sourcing, tea making intricacy to their utmost detail, the atmosphere that is curated for the relaxing or laptop working patron and their wonderful staff who is always helpful to explain the 80 page menu of tea inventory. One time my order was incorrectly taken and was attended to very well. I am honored to be a regular patron and only hope for more people who love tea will give Dobra a try!

Love Dobra tea house. So unique, completely a surprise in the middle of western Massachusetts. Nice ambiance, free WiFi, cute seating, good tea and nibbles. My faves are their Morrocan mint tea (refreshing and sweet) and chai chai chai. Their babaganoush and alfajores are delicious. The only downside is the size of their tables (tiny!) And the price is kinda higher than expected. But it’s way more fun than studying in your typical Starbucks, so I keep going back.

I must admit I am not a huge tea drinker, and am totally a coffee guy, but I have met people here a few times and I have never left disappointed. The selection of tea is enormous and they basically give you a book to choose from. They offer you all the advice on your selection that you could ask for and the servers seem very nice and knowledgable. If you want to get educated on teas — this is a perfect place to go. They have a variety of food options and most, if not all, are vegetarian friendly. The ambiance is Hippy meets Eastern Asia meets Tea/​Coffee House — a place like this is sooooooo perfect for Northampton. It smells great in here, just like a tea house should. I have read that the prices are a little high. I don’t go to many tea houses so I would not know. They seemed OK to me. I do know you can hang out here for a long time, many people do just that and work or surf using the free WiFi. You can ask for as much hot water as you want so you can get the most out of the tea you order. One pretty cool thing is that give you this little bell to ring for when you want service. I have never had that before! I am not sure what would make it a 5 for me… as it is not totally my thing. I will say that I think this place is well run and I would say the ownership is good. It’s an independently run business. It deserves local support and customers. Get a tea here versus Starbucks 8 days a week. If you want to visit a hippy tea place — well this is the perfect spot. It’s groovy. Peace out.

I So many teas, so little time! I love the menu… it’s a small binder packed with awesome info about the teas. I love the tea, I love the light fare, the atmosphere & the vegan deserts. Good luck finding a table… great for date night. The tea Can get pricey.

First thing I think of whenever I go to a business.
«Is this a business for the consumer? Or is this a business for the owner.»
What I mean by that is. Is this establishment here for me and my enjoyment or is it just another cash grab?“
Well Its hard to say after leaving this place, really good vibes and the design is nice. Prices are borderline robbery but not quite. What I found interesting is that a lemon bar bought next door for 2.75 was sold for 3.50. It’s a business one would say. I would say as a business owner myself to always remember what your business is about.
The people. Don’t get saturated by greed because people notice. I did, I can’t be that unique can I?
Are the employees trained here? If they are that means they deliberately put a miniscule amount of leaves in the pot yieling a weak and faint taste. More water than anything, this is not tea. I know tea.
So how is this relevant? Once again, it comes down to the owners business plan and he or she surely knows how to maximize his profit. As he or she/​implemented this guideline on how to prepare this watered down tea.
However, I found myself enjoying the atmosphere the seating seemed almost traditional as well as the music. I enjoyed the vibes in this place and almost got lost in a false comfort zone until I tasted the tea.
Also, the honey is fake.

Dobra Tea is super expensive. But there is wifi and you can plug in your computer and stay there for as long as you want. The tea is special but honestly, as someone who has 100+ kinds of tea in her room (both loose leaf & teabags), it seems counterproductive to go here & pay $ 8 for a pot of tea you probably already have some variation of.
I go for the sweet rice. Sure, it’s like $ 8 a bowl, but totally and completely worth it. Go here to spend a lot of time at, read a book, get to know yourself or your friends better.

Dobra Tea is a Czech tea shop that delivers on several different levels. First there’s the magnificently huge tea menu. Then there are delightful tidbits like apple cinnamon cous cous that go a little beyond the expected cakes and cookies. Then there’s the ambiance, which is old world, with the little tea things and steaming pots of esoteric brews. Then there’s the attitude about performing the ancient ritual of having tea to enhance and solidify your friendships and your family relationships. It’s an excellent place to meet and talk things over while checking out one’s fellow imbibers. Go, hang out, figure out how nice it is to slow down and take it all in. They sell not only prepared teas but also the leaves/​herbs etc. for preparation at home, and they sell pots, cups and accoutrements for making and serving tea.

This has the vibe of a really cool tea house. The tea is always good and served in cool teapots. My only complaint is I wish the seating was a little more comfy. I’m not a fan of wicker furniture. Service can be slow if it’s packed but everyone who works here is nice and knowledgeable.

Come for the ambiance, the charming decorations, and the service… the tea is lovely, but I wouldn’t consider it the highlight of my visit. Dobra Tea is a dimly lit and quaintly decorated spot, with plenty of Northampton character.
There are many, many, MANY varieties of teas you can choose from– a binder full of them, in fact. A friend and I opted for the jasmine green tea and the masala chai, which were both tasty and beautifully presented. There did seem to be more focus on the presentation rather than the tea itself: our chai was served in tiny cups with tiny spoons and a tiny bowl of honey.
We were generously provided with multiple pots of hot water to revive the green tea leaves, and were given to go cups when we left.
All in all, a cozy spot to visit during a harsh winter in New England.

I am so sad that this place does not exist everywhere. Literally so cool. There’s the option of Japanese style seating for one, a v thick menu book with what seems like all the teas from all of Asia, snacks and boba and flowering tea and mate and literally anything one may desire in a tea house. And the waitress gives you a bell to ring for ordering, bc they know that you would take forever choosing. Also, they rang a gong to get the attention of the entire tea house when they were closing. Not really a connoisseur of teas, but here goes.
Lychee tea: fruity note is subtler, more authentic seeming.
Flowering jasmine tea: again, subtler floral note
Black soy milk bubble tea: perfect amount of sweetness, boba is boba
Mochi: rougher (?), because the skins of the adzuki bean paste hadn’t been processed away, and the rice flour coating was denser and chewier– again, seems more authentic somehow than the supermarket brands.
Vegan matcha «cheese“cake: eyed this menu item in several Japanese restaurants and have been trying to try it for a while. Definitely not the same thing as cheesecake, made of tofu and some kind of bean? V grainy, nice to chew, as a sort of lingering taste that is neither pleasant nor unpleasant.
Absolutely lovely for reading, working, talking… One of those places that you aspire to be a regular at.

This place is one of my favorite places. The staff are great, friendly and polite. The teas are fantastic, They have seating in the middle on the floor which is a very cool. Word of warning, it is a favorite hang out for Smith students as well as the general public, so the place can be packed at times. Also, we went once and someone had a toddler and a baby. To me, this place doesn’t seem somewhere to take small children. The dining areas are very small and the atmosphere is quiet for the most part. I was very happy with the selection of vegetarian options on their menu beside the enormous selection of teas. The mochi is fantastic. Best I’ve had in the area.

I couldn’t even sit down to have a tea. The place smells so badly of FEET. That’s right. True story. Half the teahouse is non-​shoed seating. That combined with a steamy tea bar is disastrous. Just gross! Don’t come here unless you can’t smell.

I have been here a few times and love the atmosphere (you could lose a whole day here, it is very relaxing); the selection (one word — incredible) and the prices. Will definitely return!

I had good experiences here. The teas are excellent and truly hand-​crafted (which is why it sometimes takes forever to get a single drink). That being said, be prepared that teas are quite expensive and there have been two times now where my drink was «forgotten» or given to another table. Just a bit more coordination on their side would help. Still, great drinks. I’ve never had the food, but a really nice spot to stop by a friend.

This comfy place is a perfect place to go with your friends. You seat your self and they bring you a menu the size of a bible! They have literally every kind of tea plus way more! They serve foods (I suggest the hummus plate) but they have way more. Like feta and pita dish. And some sweets from other local businesses. (Like tarte) they have other drinks like bubble tea. They do not do take out on food but they do take out for drinks. I suggest you stay though! They have these comfortable cushions you can sit on. Or if you prefer they have chairs. You ring your bell when you’re ready to order and you get your food fast! I have no complaints:)))

Dobra. I love you. Pages and pages of hand picked varieties of tea. Sweet rice that is to die for. And servers that talk in kind, gentle voices that make you feel like you’re at a yoga retreat about to embark on your spiritual journal via the tea leaf.
HOWEVER
Get some real chairs. I know the whicker baskets posing as seats are cute and all, but years from now, when I’m in the operating room about to undergo back surgery, I will utter one word before the anesthesia takes me under:
«Dobra.»

Dobra Tea is a Bohemian-​style, local, family owned tearoom in Northampton, MA. Here I enjoyed their relaxing and calm atmosphere while sipping on Gyocuro Nagatani green tea from the mystical tea lands in Uji, which is a Certified Organic tea that is hand processed in small batches during the spring and summer months. Highly recommend it for a solo visit or with friends. Yum!

My sister brought me here while I was visiting out of state since she knows how much I love tea. The inside of the shop is very eclectic and smells like an indian restaurant in some ways. I loved it. They have tables with chairs around them, raised platforms where you can sip your tea on cushions or you can do what we did and sit in the very back in a private-​ish room on cushioned booths. The menu is huge but luckily also easy to navigate with the index.
I got the Tei Guan Yen Super Tea Meal and opted for the Miso and Daifuku Mochi. I am partial to Tieguanyin and theirs was pretty decent. I have a Breville Tea Maker at home so I have never made my tea in a gaiwan though I have always wanted to try it out. They showed me how to do it very effectively and not at all pretentious. The Miso was savory and super delicious and hot. My mochi was soft as a pillow and the bean paste inside was slightly sweet which was a nice contrast to the earthiness of the tieguanyin. My sister got a Rooibos with raspberry purée and the sweetened rice. I tried her Rooibos/​Raspberry cold tea and it was very mellow. Not extremely sweet like I thought it would be. The tea was allowed to shine. She also loved her sweetened rice. In all I pad $ 23 before tip. Very reasonably priced especially since I steeped about 5 cups of tea with the leaves I was given.
The servers there are awesome as well. Very nice and attentive. I only wish I had a tea house like this at home.

Last weekend while in Northampton, we decided to grab a tea before heading home. Since we had never tried Dobra Tea in the past, we decided this was the best time to give it a shot.
When we entered the store we loved the ambiance and the staff. The cashier was incredibly polite and helped us select the perfect iced tea for the road. We ordered Chilled Jasmine and Chilled Green Tea which we have to say were both delicious.
In the end the only critique I had was that they didn’t sell bigger sizes! The price was a bit high for iced tea, but the quality is totally worth the cost. The other minor personal frustration was that I didn’t have any Spenda (totally my issue, not theirs!) That being said, I can see us stopping in again in the future.

I’m not sure what else I can offer that you haven’t seen here before. Great tea, great food, great staff, great people watching, love the low tables. The aesthetic has been described to me as «Hipster Vaguely Asian.»
It’s always nice to meet a friend out here for a plate of something tasty and some great tea. I love how they always say «Chai Chai Chai!» when you order that.
I will, oh yes, I will, be back.