Tres Arteastiq

Nestled at the back of MARXX, a furniture and decor store at Mandarin Gallery is a beautiful tea haven named arteastiq. If you are not put off by the "pretentious" name and actually wander inside to check it out, a pleasant surprise awaits you. I have heard of this place but it never occurred to me to check it out until a couple of days ago. I took my visiting friend from Hong Kong to artestiq and she absolutely loved it, saying why there aren't such places in Hong Kong. All I can say is "the grass is always greener on the other side".

I think this is a great place to have a cuppa while catching up with friends. The big windows allow natural light to brighten up the entire cafe to create a cheerful ambience and the rainbow palette for the interior decor is a pretty sight to behold. Even if you are alone, it is a nice place to rest your wary feet from too much shopping or simply to chill out and read a book.

Once seated, you will be able to admire the window view of lush foliage with Ngee Ann city as the backdrop. The view is really unique and I have not seen a cafe with such a nice green view.

Check the the quaint wallpaper and the bird cages on display.

The tea selection here is quite interesting as well, with offerings such as pear tea (served with pieces of pear), lychee tea (with real lychees) and white chrysanthemum tea. My favourite is the pear tea served hot. You gotta be patient once you have ordered as it takes about 10-15 minutes before they serve you the tea. There's a little tent card on the table to prep you about the waiting time.

This is my favourite teahouse for now and you will probably find me there once or twice a week. Do come by and say hi to me if you see me there!

P.S. Photos taken using my Blackberry Bold. Ain't too bad right? And no, I am not sponsored by Blackberry :)