Oxford is a perfect place to find a good bubble tea (also known as boba tea or pearl milk tea), as there are several excellent options. In this article, I’ll go through all of them, including how to find the places and what boba to order if you want a great surprise. So, let’s get started!
Bubble Tea, Boba, Pearl Milk: What Are They?
Bubble tea, also known as boba tea or pearl milk tea, is a Taiwanese drink typically consisting of a sweetened tea base, milk or non-dairy creamer, and chewy tapioca balls (or “pearls”) that are similar in texture to gummy bears.
Bubble tea can be served hot or cold, and is often shaken or blended to create a frothy, creamy texture.
In addition to tapioca pearls, bubble tea may also include other add-ins such as fruit jelly, fruit slices, or flavored syrups. Boba has become a popular beverage in many parts of the world, and is often available at bubble tea shops or cafes. And Oxford is no exception!
Recommended Bubble Tea Places in Oxford
Oxford is a pretty international town, so it’s easy to fid a variety of cuisines and drinks. Luckily, if you’re visiting Oxford or you live here, you’ll be happy to learn there are many boba tea places you can try. Here are my favourites and why.
Coba Bubble Tea
Coba Bubble Tea is just a four-minute walk from the Radcliffe Camera. Open from 10 am to 6:30 pm, here you will find super-friendly staff and great food and drinks. This is my personal n.1 pick for boba in Oxford, as it has a great atmosphere and delicious drinks.
One of the best things about Coba is that you can ask to try flavors before committing to a drink. You can also write post-it notes and stick them to the outside of the store. Plus, the bubble tea is cheaper than in other Oxford locales.
Bottomline: The drinks here are really good and there’s a great variety of jellies available, as well as a plethora of yummy snacks.
Service options: Dine-in – Takeaway
Address: Golden Cross Walk, 9 Cornmarket St, Oxford OX1 3EU
Mooboo Oxford
Mooboo Oxford offers a great variety of flavours of milk & fruit bubble teas with toppings and smoothies. This compact setting’s menu is quite impressive, with delightfully flavourful drinks.
If there’s one thing I want to highlight about Mooboo, it’s that you can actually the concentration of sugar and ice you want for your boba tea. All the drinks are also served in a super-nice and clean interior by ultra-friendly staff. lastly, the service is very fast.
Bottomline: Mooboo has an excellent selection of peal milk tea, and there are also student discounts.
Service options: Dine-in – Takeaway – Delivery
Address: 13 Turl St, Oxford OX1 3DQ
Website >
Yifang Fuit Tea Oxford
Yifang Fruit Tea Oxford is a cult Taiwanese tea shop that, of course, serves fruit teas and bubble teas with tapioca balls.
They only use seasonal fresh fruits and no concentrated juices or artificial flavourings, and you can always see how the boba tea is prepared right in front of you. This place also offers Mudflip tea, which is a brown sugar pearl latte. Keep in mind, though, that this is available only in certain seasons (you’ll be able to tell when because you’ll see the queues outside!).
Bottomline: You can choose the sugar quantity of your boba tea, there are many good options, but you might have to wait a long time to be served.
Service options: Dine-in – Takeaway – Delivery
Address: 6 Queen St, Oxford OX1 1EJ
Website >
Chatime 日出茶太
Chatime offers milk bubble and Asian pop tea. This small and casual venue on Gloucester Street has a chill and cosy atmosphere.
This place’s best feature is its customer service, as they are always willing to adjust your bubble tea. The staff also offers suggestions if you’re unsure about what tea to order. One important consideration: Their default is quite sugary. Make sure to specify you want low sugar content if you prefer it that way.
Bottomline: Chatime doesn’t have as many good reviews as other bubble tea paces in Oxford, but many people still swear by its Rainbow Jelly boba.
Service options: Dine-in – Takeaway – Delivery
Address: 6 Gloucester St, Oxford OX1 2BN
Website >
Bubbleology Oxford
Bubbleology is a leading bubble tea brand that crafts made to order beverages with freshly cooked tapioca. Their Oxford locale offers a wide variety of flavours, brewing their bases with organic jasmine and assam tea.
Bubbleology has a good range of milk alternatives to choose from, as well as light versions for all their drinks. The staff is friendly and welcoming, and the boba pearls perfectly chewy.
Bottomline: Bubbleology is conveniently located on High Street and has an excellent selection of shakes and snacks. However, you might have to wait in line for a bit.
Service options: Dine-in – Takeaway
Address: 126 High St, Oxford OX1 4DG
Website >
Formosan Tea Bar
Formosan is a modern bubble tea shop that offers a curated range of hot and cold versions, including a variety of flavours plus on-tap kombucha. This boba shop is just minutes from Christ Church College and closes at 7 pm.
Formosan was established in 2012 and uses carefully sourced tea leaves and a unique brewing process. They use all-natural ingredients, including honey, lemon juice, and fresh organic milk.
Bottomline:Unlike the other options on this list, which tend to offer a large variety of combinations, Formosan focuses on just a few options made to perfection.
Service options: Dine-in – Takeaway – Delivery
Address: 128A High St, Wheatsheaf Yard, Oxford OX1 4DF
Website >
Shufu Bubble Tea
Shufu Bubble Tea is a mobile bubble tea shop you can usually find in Oxford outdoor markets. They also cater to various events.
The brand was first launched in 2021 and, since then, has used premium tea leaves (Ceylon Black tea and Oolong Green tea) and whole British milk. Of course, their boba teas include chewy tapioca balls and popping bubbles.
Unlike the other bubble tea ships I covered in this article, Shufu Bubble Tea does catering for markets, events, and weddings.
Bottomline: You can choose the sugar level, and there are several vegan options – all on the go!
Service options: Kerbside pickup
Address: Oxford OX1 2BU
Website >
Conclusion: Best Boba Tea in Oxford
Bubble tea is a yummy drink that comes from Taiwan. It has sweet tea, milk or creamer, and chewy balls made of tapioca. People can drink it hot or cold, and sometimes other things like fruit jelly or syrup are added.
We’ve covered a few good options to get the best boba tea in Oxford. What’s your favourite?
