Ottawa's bubble tea scene has filled in fast over the last few years, spreading from Chinatown and the ByWard Market out to Old Ottawa South, Alta Vista and the Merivale strip. This list was put together from Yelp listings, Google Business profiles, official shop sites and local write-ups, looking for shops that are currently open and have a real online footprint. Here are ten worth trying.
1. Xing Fu Tang
Area: Old Ottawa East (Main Street)
Xing Fu Tang is the Ottawa outpost of the Taiwanese chain built around brown sugar boba, where the tapioca pearls are cooked fresh in-house and the classic drink is poured tableside so the caramelized sugar streaks down the inside of the cup. Local write-ups describe the Main Street shop as clean and cozy with both indoor and outdoor seating. It suits anyone who wants the chain's signature drink made properly rather than from a syrup bottle.
2. Meow Tea
Area: Elgin Street, Golden Triangle · Since: 2019
Meow Tea leans into a cat theme with white walls and wooden accents, and it merges milk tea and fruit tea with a bakery case of pastries. Reviewers point to the taro milk tea for its creamy sweetness and to the cheese tea options as an affordable way to try the topping. It's a good pick for a sit-down visit rather than a quick grab, given the cafe-style seating.
3. Chatime
Area: Somerset Street West, Chinatown
Chatime is one of the larger global bubble tea chains, and the Somerset Street location sits in the middle of Ottawa's Chinatown strip. The menu runs long, with the pearl milk tea as the standout order according to local coverage of the shop. A second Chatime location that operated on Merivale Road has since closed, so the Somerset shop is currently the chain's Ottawa outpost.
4. Sip Tea
Area: Merivale Road and Bank Street
Sip Tea was Ottawa's first shop built around cheese foam, a savory-sweet mousse topping that sits on the drink like the top of a cheesecake. The crème brûlée milk tea and the chocolate drink with cheese mousse come up repeatedly as the ones to order. It's the shop to pick if the usual pearl-and-milk-tea combination has gotten predictable.
5. PopulariTea
Area: Alta Vista Drive
PopulariTea operates out of the Alta Bank Shopping Plaza and doesn't run a standalone website, working instead through Instagram and delivery platforms. Local reviews call out the creme brulee topping and describe the drinks as good value. It's a solid neighborhood option for Alta Vista residents who don't want to head downtown for boba.
6. Pomelo Hat
Area: Bank Street, Old Ottawa South
Pomelo Hat is an Ottawa-founded shop that built its menu around vegan and plant-based options, alongside acai bowls, smoothies and coffee in addition to bubble tea. That plant-based focus sets it apart from most of the chains on this list, and it's the shop to know if a dairy-free milk tea is the goal. It also serves breakfast and brunch items, so it works as more than a drinks-only stop.
7. Kung Fu Tea
Area: Bank Street
Kung Fu Tea is an international Taiwanese bubble tea chain with a Bank Street location that offers free parking, takeout, delivery and contactless payment. It's a straightforward, reliable order for anyone who already knows the chain from other cities. Hours run late on weekends, making it a workable stop after a night out.
8. The Alley
Area: Sussex Drive, ByWard Market
The Alley is a higher-end Taiwanese chain, and its Sussex Drive shop was covered locally as a notable debut for the brand in Ottawa. The drinks are built on roasted tea bases rather than powders, with handcrafted tapioca pearls and house-made organic sugar cane syrup. It suits anyone in the Market looking for a more considered take on the format rather than a quick powder-mix drink.
9. Presotea
Area: Rideau Street
Presotea, known in Taiwan as 鮮茶道, operates a Rideau Street location near the ByWard Market after an earlier Slater Street shop closed. The chain is built around fresh-brewed tea rather than powdered mixes, shaken to order in front of the customer. It's a convenient stop for anyone already downtown near the market or the university.
10. Bliss Tea
Area: Merivale Road and Besserer Street
Bliss Tea runs two Ottawa locations, one on Merivale Road and one on Besserer Street near the University of Ottawa, and it markets itself on using real fruit rather than syrups or powders in its drinks. That fresh-fruit approach makes it a reasonable choice for fruit tea over straight milk tea. The Besserer Street shop in particular is well placed for students in the area.
How We Built This List
This list was compiled from public web sources, including Yelp listings, Google Business profiles, official shop websites and local Ottawa media coverage, current as of August 2026. It is not a paid placement, and ottown has not tested or visited any of the businesses listed. Star ratings and review counts were left out where they could not be independently confirmed at the time of writing. Hours, menus and locations change, so confirm details directly with each shop before visiting.
Source: Yelp - Bubble Tea in Ottawa, ON
