News and Review: Joffrey’s Tea Traders Cafe at Disney Springs

Disney4me · July 7, 2015

We have a tour and review for you today of a brand new spot that’s just opened at Downtown Disney (soon to be Disney Springs) — Joffrey’s Tea Traders Cafe!

Tea Traders Cafe Sign

The retail shop and tea counter is the brainchild of Joffrey’s, a name that you’re most likely familiar with if you enjoy coffee and tea while out and about at Walt Disney World. Joffrey’s is the official coffee of Disney World and Disneyland, and operates many kiosks and stands throughout Disney parks and resorts.

Let’s take a look around!

Atmosphere

Tea Traders Cafe is located in The Landing area of Disney Springs. If you’re trying to get your bearings, it’s the ground that was once known as Pleasure Island.

You’ll find the expansive shop right beside the newly-opened Vivoli Gelateria, across from The Boathouse and what will be Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar.

Exterior

Entrance

The cafe is bright and airy with large windows that allow for plenty of natural light to enter the space. The inside of the cafe is larger than you might expect, and offers a bit of bar seating for tastings.

Inside Tea Traders Cafe

Inside — Another View

There’s no doubt here what the specialty of the house is. Jars of tea leaves line the walls, as do teapots, which are displayed as decor and in use in various brew methods. There are teapots for purchase as well.

Display of Tea Canisters

To the left as you enter, you can order a drink or a pastry from the cast members manning the counter. In this way, the shop feels very much like your neighborhood coffee bar. Come in, order, grab your drink and eats, and you can be on your way.

Pastry Case

Frozen Tea Drinks and Displays

But if you have the time, there are also lots of opportunities to learn more about tea.

The Tea Bar

At the tea bar, we found an assortment of loose teas, plus plenty of condiments to customize our brew.

Loose Teas to Choose From at the Tea Bar

Condiments at the Tea Bar

I was definitely intrigued by the Flavored Sugars that were available!

Minted Sugar

Rose and Mint Sugar

At the tea bar, you can watch how teas are blended and see demonstrations of different tea preparations by the tea master or one of his teasmiths. (I didn’t even know there was such a thing as a teasmith.)

Blending Tea

You can even check out a Gong Fu Cha demonstration, a traditional Chinese ritual tea ceremony.

Gong Fu Cha Demonstration

The cast members are knowledgable, and available to walk you through the world of tea. They’ll offer samples and suggestions depending on your tastes, and maybe even lift the veil of mystery a bit when it comes to tea and tea brewing.

Discussing and Tasting Tea

Open and Smell Me! :-)

Beyond the pastry counter and tea bar, there is also a Retail Component to the shop where you can purchase a variety of loose-leaf tea, teapots, and other accessories for preparing your own cuppa at home.

Teas for Purchase

Oolong Loose Leaf Tea

Black Teas

Eats (and Drinks)

Even though we spent the majority of our time at the Tea Bar, I still want to give you a look around at what the shop has to offer. The Menu Board overhead gives you a glimpse. You can enjoy Iced or Frozen tea; Loose-Leaf Brewed, or a Tea Latte.

Menu Board — Click to Enlarge

There are also some really fun “Spirited” — or Adult — Tea Beverages, in both hot and cold varieties.

But before we jump into drinks, let’s take a look at that pastry case.

Pastry Display

Two different Mini Tarts caught my eye. The Matcha Berry Mini Tart is colorful and tempting.

Matcha Berry Mini Tart

And tea lovers with traditional tastes are sure to be intrigued by the Earl Grey Apricot Mini Tart.

Earl Grey Apricot Mini Tart

We saw Chai baked into a couple of different options — a rich-looking Brownie as well as a traditional Marble Bundt Poundcake, available by the slice.

Chai Brownie

Chai Spice Marble Cake

Tea Bag Shortbread Cookies were also on display.

Tea Bag Shortbread

But for this first visit, we were more interested in tasting our way through the tea offerings. We began our tasting with a steaming cup of Oolong Tea. With a mellow, soothing flavor and slightly floral notes on the finish, it was a nice, gentle entry into the world of tea.

Oolong Tea

Next, we’re for something with a hint of citrus. Chris, the Tea Master, introduced us to a blend he called Citrus Sorbet. We watched as he crafted the brew with loose tea leaves right in front of us and explained the whole process as he worked.

Preparing the Citrus Sorbet

The tea was equal parts fruity and floral. I identified the subtle scent of orange blossom in addition to the more familiar citrus notes. The taste is just as the name suggests — all the same traits of the Oolong tea we tasted first, but with the addition of fresh orange flavor.

Citrus Sorbet Tea

Next on our list, a set of customer favorite iced teas to try! Currently, Iced Teas on offer include Classic Unsweet, Luscious Peach, Green Blackberry Jasmine, Tropical Mango, and Red Raspberry.

Iced Teas

First up was the Blackberry Jasmine Green Tea. The smell of this one was amazing, with deep berry flavors and ending notes of jasmine.

Iced Blackberry Jasmine Green Tea

Tropical Mango was next with a strong mango flavor and a subtle blend of peach, red raspberry, passion fruit and papaya blended in.

Next, we tried the Luscious Peach. This one is definitely for peach lovers, as the flavor came through very strong.

Iced Teas — Up Close

After our plunge into iced tea, we got to sample two different Frozen Teas.

First was Matcha Frozen Tea. While this wasn’t my favorite, the grassy flavors and natural sweetness have a big fan following; Matcha is a serious trend in tea circles right now.

Matcha Frozen Tea

But I couldn’t pass up the beloved Disney Frozen Chai. Everyone loves this. Maybe not everyone, but almost everyone. It’s the same addictive treat that you can enjoy in Disney’s Animal Kingdom at the Royal Anandapur Tea Company.

Frozen Chai

In fact, I liked the Frozen Chai tea so much that the cast members made me a Chai Latte to sample. This was one of the best Chais I’ve ever tasted. The spices — cinnamon, cardamom, clove, and others — were well balanced.

Chai Latte

In addition to the menu items, cast members will do their best to try and recreate any custom blends or drinks you’re looking for.

Overall

This place will definitely be a haven for tea-lovers, and may even be a draw for non-tea-drinkers due to the pastry counter and interactive experiences. I’d love to hear what you guys think.

Will you be visiting Joffrey’s Tea Traders Cafe? Leave a comment and let us know what looks good to you at this new spot!

Thanks to Joffrey’s for inviting us to explore their shop on its opening day. We were not obligated to write about Tea Traders Cafe. Read more in our disclosure policy.

Disney Food Blog Fans, be sure to check out our DFB Disney World Dining Guide e-Books! Find great deals at DFBStore.com!Also, come on over and:

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News and Review: Joffrey’s Tea Traders Cafe at Disney Springs

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