The top mint tea in Toronto makes for a perfect way to relax and unwind, or to invigorate your appetite for prolonged feasts. Mint tea is a refreshment steeped in tradition, prized in Moroccan culture as a display of hospitality, and brewed, poured and refilled on repeat in a ceremonious fashion. It's a leisurely drink that can't be rushed, and really, that's the best thing about it.
Here are my picks for the top places to drink mint tea in Toronto.
Byblos
This new Mediterranean restaurant makes its Moroccan mint tea ($3.75) with hand-rolled organic green tea and fresh peppermint. Served in gilded glassware, it'll invigorate your appetite for the feast of mezze.
Tabule
Sweet, hot Moroccan mint tea ($3.95) is the drink of choice at this Middle Eastern restaurant. Get a gracefully-poured cup of the brew at Tabule's locations in midtown and on the east side.
Fat Pasha
Mint tea ($3) at this modern-Sephardic eatery on Dupont is made with sweetened gunpowder green tea poured over fresh mint leaves and served in coloured glass teacups.
Walima Cafe
This newly renovated Moroccan restaurant on Avenue Road serves Atai, the traditional green tea with fresh mint, for $6 a pot.
Sultan's Tent
Moroccan mint tea is served by the pot ($6) on a silver tray and poured from a theatrical height as a show of respect, and also to cool and simultaneously aerate the brew. It's steeped with green tea and mint, orange blossom water and generous spoonfuls of sugar per tradition.
Cafe Awtash
This hookah lounge on College offers aromatic brews like the Nahna ($4.50) steeped with freshly muddled mint leaves. On the side, add dates and saffron rock candies for complimenting sweetness.
S Lefkowitz
The hummusia on Dundas West steeps loose black tea with handfuls of fresh mint and whole liquorice roots. Stir in sugar yourself or pair it with a snack of organic medjool dates to sweeten your palette between sips.
Casablanca Cafe
This North African hookah lounge on the Danforth is a laid-back spot to watch soccer or enjoy a little shisha while sipping jasmine green tea loaded with fresh peppermint sprigs.
Marrakech Restaurant
This vibrant Moroccan restaurant on the Danforth offers a traditional Maghrebi mint tea mint tea service by the pot ($3.75/small, $5.75/medium, $7.75/large).
Pomegranate
The mint tea ($1.50) at this Persian restaurant on College Street is more mint than tea. Offered a teacup at a time, single servings of steep mint leaves come with sugar cubes supplied on the side.
What did I miss? Add your favourite mint tea to the comments below.
Thanks to Pure Leaf for sponsoring our coverage of iced tea day in Toronto (coming up on June 10th).
Photo from the mint tea at Pomegranate restaurant
by Liora Ipsum via blogTO
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