Bubble tea near Bastille: artisanal MAISON LE TE, 15 min on foot

Bastille and the neighborhood's bubble tea offering

The Bastille neighborhood (11th/12th) counts several bubble tea shops, mostly international chains. Quality is variable, often industrial. For an artisanal Taiwanese bubble tea lover, the option that changes everything is MAISON LE TE, at 136 rue Saint-Maur in the 11th. 15 minutes on foot from Bastille up boulevard Voltaire, the reference address for craft bubble tea in the area.

The walk from Bastille

Bastille (lines 1, 5, 8) → boulevard Voltaire north → rue Saint-Maur (turn left). 15 flat minutes through a commercial zone. Faster by bike (Velib station Bastille → Voltaire/Saint-Maur in 7 min). By metro: line 8 to Saint-Sebastien Froissart then 12 min on foot.

Difference from industrial chains

Three differences. First: pearls. Industrial = pre-cooked bags, held in water bath. Artisanal = boiled fresh 30 min that morning, steeped in brown sugar. Second: the tea. Industrial = diluted all day in a tank. Artisanal = brewed to order, exact quantity, right temperature. Third: milk. Industrial = reconstituted powder. Artisanal = fresh milk or fresh plant milk. More on tapioca.

The bubble tea menu

Taiwanese oolong milk tea (signature), matcha latte boba, taro boba, strawberry boba (seasonal), mango boba (seasonal), hojicha latte boba (winter). Sugar to taste from 0 to 100 percent. Plant milk available with no surcharge. See the full menu.

See also

Craft bubble tea, Marais bubble tea, Paris 11 bubble tea, Bastille tea house.

Hours

MAISON LE TE: 136 rue Saint-Maur, 75011 Paris. Open daily 11am-10:30pm. Bubble tea available all day.