I discovered this little gem quite by accident, next door is a garage and I took my car in for some service. Unfortunately the garage was quite busy. I joined the queue but was soon very bored of sitting in the car surrounded by greasy men and petrol fumes. I decided to look around for a restaurant where I could sit down and read my book while perhaps sipping a decent cup of tea. When I asked one of the garage attendants if there was one such place he looked at me like I was the silliest woman he had ever seen. He very brusquely pointed out that the next building was actually called Chai House and the restaurant called T-Spot.
How could I have missed that? Kenya Tea Development Agency has its headquarters in that building and in their mission to develop tea in Kenya they set up a tea restaurant. T-spot is a project of this agency. Who else knows more about tea?
I expected a poky restaurant with no style. I was pleasantly surprised. The first words that came to my mind “airy”, “simple” and “fragrant”. The décor is relaxed and inviting. I hate cluttered restaurants. At T-spot you own the area around you and one can relax stretch out…feels like home. The seats are comfortable this could be the reason why people tend to stay for hours and hours. The staff is really friendly and there is always someone ready to advice on what the different types of tea have to offer. They have seating outside where you can watch the city move while you sip your tea cocooned in your own paradise. Or upstairs where you can sit in silence and muse over life and love and whatever else.
Many are the times that I have been disappointed by a cup of tea but not this time. The menu offers so many types of tea; many I had never heard of. I admit to being a coward and ordering a cup of Masala tea and not trying the ones that I did not know.
This is the problem that I have with Masala tea in other restaurants; they use store bought powder masala. I can always tell the difference. The Masala tea at T-Spot did not have that old spice taste…the ginger was sharp and so was the cardamom…and the spicy fragrance that wafted from my cup…sigh…I literally spent five minutes just holding the cup to my nose and breathing in deeply. That was an awesome cup of Masala tea.
I was hooked on T-Spot. I am a regular now; I am still working my way through their delightful menu of unique teas.
They offer green teas for days when you feel like you need to detox. They have flavored teas; Cardamom Tea, Lemon Grass Tea, Ginger Tea, Cinnamon Tea, Clove Tea, Masala Tea, Vanilla Tea and Hazelnut Tea. Iced Teas, White tea, and a special blend of tea called Oolong Tea ( Which I am yet to sample).
Whenever I leave T-spot I feel rejuvenated and cannot wait to be back. So if you ever find yourself on Koinange Street and smell tea…follow your nose you will not regret…I promise!
