The Best Tea Experience in Amsterdam - Walk or Bike to Moychay Tea House

I'm American. My wife is Dutch. And getting to know this country, its people, and honestly its food and drink culture has been one of the great joys of my life. From hagelslag to hezellig, endless cups of tee and coffee... Dutch culture has become romantic to me! 

I love writing about tea and travel. Today, come with me for the best tea in Amsterdam!

If you have a few free hours in Amsterdam, with a long layover through the train station or a few days... one of the best ways you could possibly spend that free time is at Moychay.

How did I get there from the train sation? By bike (on the handlebars actually). My local friend told me it would be fine. I was terrified. But we got there. 

She knew I loved tea, and knew just where to go!

Moychay: Tea in Amsterdam at a Whole Other Level

Moychay is a full on tea-house. They're tucked into a beautiful spot on Rozengracht 92H in Amsterdam, and from the moment you walk in, it is a completely different world.

They carry more than 250 teas from 13 countries. And along with the teas, they have over a thousand unique pieces of teaware, all handmade, all authentic. Cups, teapots, gaiwans, tea pets. It is a lot to take in. If you don't know much about tea, this will be your perfect intro. 

But here's what makes it special and BLEW ME AWAY!

Upstairs, there are three beautifully designed tea ceremony rooms: one Japanese, one Chinese, one Taiwanese. Each one has its own feel, its own ambiance.

You can reserve a room and experience a full Gong Fu Cha ceremony.

If you don't know what that is, read up here before you go. I'll explain how it works. 

The staff were incredibly kind when I went. Genuinely knowledgeable and not snobby about it at all. They meet you where you are. Whether you've been drinking loose-leaf tea for years or you just walked in off the canal with no idea what you're doing, they will take care of you.

Even if you're looking for free things to do in Amsterdam, a visit to this place will be highlight. The smells are for free. And with how friendly the staff are, I'm sure you could score some samples. Good luck not buying some then haha!

What to Order

If you're not sure where to start, here's my honest recommendation.

Ask for an oolong. It's a great entry point if you're newer to loose-leaf tea, and Moychay has a serious selection. Approachable, good for tea ceremonies/multiple steepings. 

But if you're ready to go deeper, ask for a pu-erh. And especially try the ripe pu-erh, also called shu pu-erh. It's dark, earthy, rich, and genuinely exciting in a way that's hard to describe until you've tried it. Some people say it tastes like dirt. I think that's about right... but just really good dirt. 

Just give it a try. 

Used to just using teabags? Nothing wrong with that. But get excited. 

Here's the thing about the Dutch. They actually have a deep history with tea. The Dutch were among the first to bring tea to Europe and the Western world at all. They love cups of tea, all day long. 

Tea is everywhere here. But if you want the extreme end of the spectrum, if you want something that will completely reframe what a cup of tea even is, Moychay is your answer. It will romance you. 

Amsterdam is such a perfect place for something like this. It's a city that has always been a crossroads of cultures and ideas from around the world. A place where a Chinese tea ceremony room sits inside a Dutch canal house just feels right. It fits. It's a vibe. 

If you have a day off, or even just a few free hours, give it a go.

Even if you are looking for things to do in Amsterdam for free, I'd recommend making a walk/bike ride and seeing/smelling it all. You will learn a ton.