Need some caffeinated drinks to get you through the rest of the semester? New York City is the home of a myriad of boba places, both chains and locally-owned companies. We’ve compiled a list of the best places to check out as the weather gets warmer and finals quickly approach.
While I ranked them by my favorites, be sure to stop by and check them all out for yourself.
- Boba Guys
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Boba Guys is located on West Houston and Greene right behind the new NYU Paulson Center. They have all kinds of options including some great caffeine-free and dairy-free options. I don’t normally drink milk, but the Classic Black Milk Tea with boba has the perfect ratio of milk to tea, and it’s not too sweet. Plus, their mascot is a super cute aardvark!
- Lazy Sundaes
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Lazy Sundaes is located on Waverly Place — about as close to campus as you can get. I recommend the Strawberry Matcha Latte with boba since it’s so colorful and I love the combination of matcha and strawberry. It’s perfect for spring. Lazy Sundaes also has Bingsoo sundaes — Korean shaved ice desserts — if you are looking for a refreshing snack. If you get the Snackpass app, you can earn rewards that eventually get you a free drink!
- FIFTYLAN
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FIFTYLAN is located at Union Square, slightly further from campus, but worth the walk to try their unique Golden Bubble Milk Tea. Their boba is gold — hence the name — rather than the typical black or brown sugar boba. It’s infused with honey rather than brown sugar, giving the boba a beautiful golden color. Golden boba is smaller and softer than the usual brown sugar boba and is worth the walk to try. You won’t miss the door because there is a huge boba tea statue in the window!
- Debutea
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Debutea is a short walk south of Washington Square Park behind Bobst and Kimmel. If you prefer fruity, sugary drinks then this is the place for you. Debutea has all kinds of fruit flavors — even some that come in jars, making for a perfect souvenir. The drinks are all beautiful spring colors, a great addition to your foodies IG account — especially the drink Le Guava because of its pink and green ombre!
- Kung Fu Tea
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Kung Fu Tea has multiple locations all over Manhattan, but the most convenient location is on Waverly Place. Kung Fu Tea has all kinds of options from black teas, to fruit teas, to lemonades. And if you don’t want caffeine, Kung Fu Tea has lots of caffeine-free options like their Passionfruit Green Tea which I highly recommend. Kung Fu Tea also has refreshing fruit slushes. Of the fruit slushes, my favorite is white grape, which is their new spring flavor. If you are looking to spice up your boba order, Kung Fu Tea has lots of toppings including mango popping bubbles, strawberry jelly and caramel coffee jelly.
- Whistle and Fizz
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Whistle and Fizz is a coffee shop located right on campus, however, they have delicious boba. Whistle and Fizz have a series of sparkling lemonades and juices called “Fizzes” like lemonade and grapefruit. Add boba or lychee jelly to these and it becomes the perfect refreshing drink for a hot day. They also have a 10% discount for NYU Students!
I hope this article inspires you to treat yourself to some boba this week. You deserve it!