BAO TEA HOUSE: A Greenwich Village Gem for Steamed Buns and Tea

BAO TEA HOUSE - Greenwich village Introduce

In the bustling and creative neighborhood of Greenwich Village, BAO TEA HOUSE offers a delightful and distinct culinary experience that feels like a hidden gem. As its name suggests, this unique spot specializes in two things: a variety of flavorful steamed buns and a wide selection of teas. It's a place that blends the comfort of a casual eatery with the artistry of traditional Chinese steamed buns, or "bao." While its space is intimate, the flavors it delivers are anything but small, providing a perfect spot for a quick snack, a light meal, or a cozy afternoon retreat with friends.

BAO TEA HOUSE is more than just a place to eat; it's a welcoming space for everyone in the community. It proudly identifies as an LGBTQ+ friendly and transgender safe space, fostering an inclusive and comfortable environment for all its patrons. The friendly staff and warm atmosphere contribute to a relaxed dining experience, making it an ideal spot to sit down, enjoy a freshly steamed bun, and sip on a cup of carefully prepared tea. The combination of its culinary focus and its dedication to creating a safe and welcoming environment makes BAO TEA HOUSE a standout destination in a city full of diverse dining options.

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Location and Accessibility

BAO TEA HOUSE is located at 140 W 4th St, New York, NY 10012, right in the heart of Greenwich Village. This central location makes it highly accessible to students from nearby New York University, as well as locals and tourists exploring the iconic West Village and Washington Square Park area. The neighborhood is known for its pedestrian-friendly streets and vibrant energy, and the tea house is conveniently situated to be a perfect stop during a day of exploration or a late-afternoon study session.

While the venue is noted for its small, intimate size, its location is well-connected to public transportation, with several subway stations within a short walking distance. This makes it an easy destination to reach from any part of the city. The space is particularly well-suited for smaller groups, as customer reviews mention it can comfortably accommodate four to five parties of two people, creating a cozy and personal atmosphere.

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Services Offered

BAO TEA HOUSE provides several convenient services to ensure you can enjoy their food and drinks no matter your schedule or preference.

No-contact delivery: For those who prefer the utmost safety and convenience, this option allows for a completely contactless delivery of your order.
Delivery: Get your favorite bao and teas delivered directly to your home or office through various delivery platforms.
Takeout: If you're on the go, you can place an order for takeout and pick it up to enjoy elsewhere.
Dine-in: The small and cozy dining area is available for those who want to relax and enjoy their food and drinks on-site.

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Features and Highlights

BAO TEA HOUSE stands out for a few key reasons that make it a local favorite and a unique spot in New York City's culinary landscape.

Specialty in Bao: The restaurant's primary focus on steamed buns sets it apart. They offer a variety of bao, from classic savory options like pork and chicken to unique sweet creations.
Inclusive Environment: As a stated LGBTQ+ friendly and transgender safe space, it fosters a welcoming and respectful environment for all members of the community.
Variety of Flavors: The menu, while focused, offers a surprising range of flavors and textures in their bao, including both savory and sweet fillings. This allows for a great deal of exploration and tasting.
Cozy Atmosphere: The dine-in area is described as "pretty small," but this contributes to a relaxed and intimate ambiance, perfect for a chill afternoon or a quiet conversation.
Friendly Staff: Customers consistently mention the nice and friendly service, which enhances the overall positive experience.

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What Is Worth Choosing?

With a menu focused on bao, it can be a delightful journey to find your favorite. While customer reviews offer a mixed bag of opinions on specific flavors, some stand out as highly recommended. The "Egg Yolk Bao" is a definite favorite for its "lava-like" flowing sauce and rich flavor, though a reviewer notes it's best to share due to its sweetness. Another solid choice is the "Taro Bao," which is praised for its strong taro flavor, making it a good option for fans of this classic Asian ingredient. The "Classic Bao" is also well-regarded, offering a familiar and comforting taste similar to a traditional Cantonese barbecued pork bun.

For those looking for a different texture, the "Choco Milk Bao" offers a more bread-like consistency with a chocolate and coconut custard filling. The "chicken bao" is also a tasty choice, with one customer describing it as having a "flavorful filling and a nice, flaky exterior." While some sweet bao might be "too sweet" for certain palates or have a flavor that doesn't quite match its description, the variety itself is worth exploring for an adventurous eater.

The tea selection is a perfect accompaniment to the bao. While specific teas are not detailed, the name "Tea House" implies a dedicated selection. Pairing a savory bao with a refreshing tea can create a balanced and satisfying meal. Given the small seating area, it's an excellent choice for a quick solo meal or a relaxed catch-up with a friend, where the focus is on the unique food and the cozy atmosphere.

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Contact Information

To learn more about BAO TEA HOUSE or to place an order, you can contact them using the details below:

Address: BAO TEA HOUSE, 140 W 4th St, New York, NY 10012, USA

Phone: (646) 351-6759

BAO TEA HOUSE - Greenwich village Details

Service options
No-contact delivery
Delivery
Takeout
Dine-in

Crowd
LGBTQ+ friendly
Transgender safespace

Payments
Debit cards
NFC mobile payments
Credit cards

BAO TEA HOUSE - Greenwich village Photos

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BAO TEA HOUSE - Greenwich village Location

BAO TEA HOUSE - Greenwich village

New York New York County New York W 4th Street

BAO TEA HOUSE, 140 W 4th St, New York, NY 10012, USA

BAO TEA HOUSE - Greenwich village Reviews

An average rating of ★4.6 from 320 user reviews.

bunsfillingfried chickenporkthe veganlava bunsavoryboxsesameonigiri

★ 5★ 4★ 3★ 2★ 1

I put too much expectation on their Bao, which disappointed me more when I tried most of the flavor.Egg Yolk Bao is my favorites. The Egg yolk sauce is flowing, which like a extremely Lava Bao. Every bite on the Bao, the egg yolk overflow. But the egg yolk is kind of too sweet, so it’s better to share with friends instead of finish the whole Bao by yourself.Rate: 5.0/5.0🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟Taro Bao is my second recommendation. Since I taste the rest and they are not really good, I lower my expectation on this Taro one. But actually it’s not really bad. Taro flavor is pretty strong though, and sweet. However, it just little bit taste like taro extract with sugar.Rate: 4.0/5.0🌟🌟🌟🌟.The Classic Bao is okay too. Even though it’s same as the regular Barbecued Pork Bun in Cantonese DIMSUM. But overall, it’s taste good, especially when I just got it and the Bao is still warmRate: 4.0/5.0🌟🌟🌟🌟.Choco Milk Bao is not the same texture as the others, it’s more like the bread on other bakery. The top is chocolate sauce and coconut custard as stuffing. But it doesn’t surprise me.Rate: 3.0/5.0🌟🌟🌟.Valentines Bao, which is a rose custard Bao. However, I couldn’t taste rose at all. It has nothing to do with rose, except the color. This is just taste okay.Rate: 3.0/5.0🌟🌟🌟.Lava Bao ❌ looks the fanciest but disappointed me the most as well. It’s just an regular egg custard bun, taste same with the frozen one selling in Chinese supermarket. I won’t recommend it. And the menu said the black layer is made of black sesame, but I couldn’t tell there is sesame flavor at all.Rate: 3.0/5.0🌟🌟🌟.Matcha Bao is the wrooooost.❌ DO NOT ORDER except you love sweet soooo much. And it has nothing to do with Matcha, since the red bean custard is tooo sweet and cover all other taste.Rate: 1.0/5.0🌟Overall, this place is worthy 3.0/5.0 for me. I won’t recommend my friends to come, and also won’t buy again. By the way, the service is good though, staff is nice. But the restaurant are pretty small, can afford 4-5 party(with 2 people) sitting together and have a chill afternoon.
January 09 · yingxin ye
Really good food. Super friendly service. The dine in area was super small! The meal was good, but the bread came out soggy as if the bottom was left in water. The top bread was great though. Really cool presentation with the Kraft boxes. The chicken bao was tasty! Gonna try the pork belly next time!
March 09 · Dwight Kenneth
Got expectations too high given all the good reviews but I don't think the bao tastes better than other places (especially the ones I had in dim sum).Iced chocolate: filling tastes like a combination of cream and egg custardBuffalo chicken: just regular buffalo chicken flavor with added sweetness. Nothing noticeable in particular.Lava: too sweet. Not recommend at all.The stuffing isn't too much, wrap is too thick and the dough is a little chewy (not fluffy or crispy). didn't really like the texture and I think it's overpriced given its size.
July 27 · C C
Got matcha and egg buns. Both were so crispy and wholesome. For matcha, i did not taste any matcha, instead it filled with red bean. For egg bun, the salted egg filling was great. Will try something else soon!
August 20 · Ticha Ungboriboonpisal
I liked it but not too special. I got the matcha baos didn't seem so green and I couldn't taste matcha at all. It was still tasty though. The place and design is so cute but the table was very high. Recommend more for takeout!
October 15 · Hyunser Park