Tucked into a small cobbled lane in the West End of Glasgow lies a small tea room with over 80 teas from around the world, a completely vegetarian menu, occasional live music and a selection of sisahs. The setting and decor is relaxed and surrounded my tress, and when me and my friend popped by on a warm July night recently we struggled to believe we were sitting in Glasgow.My friend had wanted to stop by here because she had heard they sold a tea she drank during a Nepal adventure a few years ago. She didn't find anything that hit the spot the same way that tea did but we both ended up reminiscing about some of our travels and remarked on how this place both reminded us of our trips. For her it was Nepal, for me the decor both inside and on the balcony was startlingly similar to a hostel I stayed in during my month in Peru back in 2007.
I've said before that I am a big tea snob and I am very particular about it. I went for the Rolling Clouds which was a very gentle tasting tea which was brewed from leaves mixed through boiling water, and was brought to me in a cute teapot with a small bowl to drink it out of. Food wise I went for a platter with hummus, vine leaves, olives, pitta bread and falafel (and what good falafel it was). It's a fully veggie menu, and all vegan options were marked out (there were also a few curries on the menu if you're after something substantial, but I wasn't after anything spicy). My friend went for the carrot cake, which she stated several times was delicious!
Tchai Ovna is not for everyone. Between a fully veggie menu, a decor that reminds me of hostelling in South America and the sishas (you'll notice one on the table, it was bubblegum) I can understand why some people wouldn't take to the place. But for me it was such a lovely place for a summer evening to drink some tea and have a natter with a pal. It was the correct level of busy (not creepishly empty but not so busy you can't move) so I'm not the only one who liked it - I spotted a few tourist (bear in mind we're in Commonwealth season right now) and even a pair that looked like they were on a first date.
Beautiful setting, beautiful tea. Easily one of my fav places in Glasgow so far.
Morag x