Best of Austin®

Best Kid-Friendly Place to Sneak in a Li’l Parental R&R

West China Tea House

click to enlarge Best Kid-Friendly Place to Sneak in a Li’l Parental R&R
photo by John Anderson

Being a parent is hard. Treat yourself to a soothing break – and avoid the headache of finding a sitter first – at the criminally underrecognized West China Tea House off I-35. Sample a wide variety of teas served in the gong fu cha style of Chinese tea ceremony while your young’uns enjoy lounging on floor pillows and spying the occasional pet snake. Second Saturdays bring the monthly CommuniTEA, a donation-based event where “spontaneous music, dance, and collaborative expression are standard occurrences”; Sundays, meanwhile, are all about education, with gong fu cha classes offered for every level of expertise. But no matter when you go, West China Tea promises you’ll leave with newfound knowledge of the rich culture and ceremony of Chinese tea.