There’s no doubt Gotcha Fresh Tea takes its commitment to quality seriously — all of its base tea products are exclusively farmed and hand-picked on the brand’s own Gotcha plantation in its home country Taiwan. 

Making its drinks in a nod to Chinese tradition, Xing Fu Tang is a go-to for an authentic bubble tea fix. The Taiwanese brand is already earning a reputation for its quality liquid fusions showcasing the brown sugar boba pearls that are handcrafted in-store daily.

One of Taiwan’s most celebrated bubble tea chains, Milksha (or Milkshop to international fans) surpassed amateur status long ago. And now, its debut Aussie store has brought the tea party right here to Melbourne. 

This isn’t your traditional bubble tea offering, but it’s certainly Melbourne’s homegrown version of one. In 2017, Fitzroy cafe institution Industry Beans jumped on board the bubble tea bandwagon for a new cult Melbourne coffee: the IB Bubble Cup. 

A Taiwan-born tea store with over 50 global outposts under its belt, The Alley LuJiaoXiang has made a name for both its slurpable drinks and those all-important ‘beverage aesthetics’. 

By now a familiar face to Aussie bubble tea aficionados, Taiwan-founded chain Chatime boasts over 120 local venues. And these guys aren’t mucking around when it comes to options, either. 

With a sprawling menu of options on offer, Top Tea has you spoilt for choice. You’ll spy fruity concoctions built on fresh ingredients, tea drinks spiked with ice cream or Yakult, and a series of brûlée-topped, milk tea-based creations.

CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice is a global bubble tea player that now has a bunch of stores all across Melbourne. The menu is broad, with options to suit bubble tea veterans and novices alike, and new seasonal offerings being rolled out all the time.

With a swag of Aussie outposts under its belt, Gong Cha is something of a bubble tea veteran. This one’s named after an ancient Chinese phrase describing the act of offering tea to the Emperor.