The 11th arrondissement has its bars, its pizzerias, its coffee shops. What it was missing was a proper tea house. MAISON LE TE, at 136 rue Saint-Maur, has filled that gap since opening. Not a classic English-style tea room with scones and doilies: a place where Taiwanese tea is at the center of everything, from the drinks menu to the signature tea-infused cocktails.
MAISON LE TE's tea menu looks nothing like what you find in the Oberkampf neighborhood. The teas come directly from Taiwanese producers selected by founder Hsuan-Hsuan Chang. High mountain Oolong with floral notes, Sun Moon Lake black tea, jasmine and osmanthus teas: these are terroir teas, not generic teabags. Each variety is brewed on-site at the right temperature and steeping time.
Bubble tea at MAISON LE TE is not just another line on a restaurant menu. It is a specialty in its own right, made with the same Taiwanese teas as the rest of the menu. Tapioca pearls are cooked fresh daily, the milk is fresh, and every drink is customizable: sugar level, milk choice, toppings. The bubble tea menu includes classic milk tea, creamy taro, matcha, and seasonal creations that rotate regularly.
What makes MAISON LE TE different from other tea rooms in the 11th is that you can also have lunch, brunch, and dinner here. Generous onigiris, slow-braised pork gua bao, composed plates, and tea cocktails make this a place where you come for the tea and stay for everything else. Brunch is available every day from 11am to 10:30pm, not just on weekends.
Tea time is not just an English tradition: at MAISON LE TE, it is a Taiwanese way of marking a pause in the day. In the afternoon, the menu focuses on the pairing between high-mountain teas and house pastries. Pastries change with the seasons, made from fresh produce, sometimes reinterpreted with an Asian twist — matcha, black sesame, yuzu, red azuki bean. Every infusion is served at the right temperature, with the steeping time specific to the chosen variety, so the tea can truly express its notes. It is the kind of place where you settle in for an hour with a book, where you stop between errands on rue Oberkampf, or where you extend a Sunday walk along rue Saint-Maur. In the 11th, very few places offer this genuinely tea-centered experience: most neighborhood cafes serve a decent espresso and a tea in a bag. Here, tea is the center of the moment.
Every tea served in the 11th at MAISON LE TE comes from a specific origin, usually printed on the menu. Ali Shan oolong grows at over 1500 meters on the misty slopes of Taiwan's central mountains: it develops floral, milky, almost buttery notes. Dong Ding, more roasted, reveals a woodier character with the round finish typical of more oxidized oolongs. The black tea from Sun Moon Lake, in the center of the island, is soft and fruity, without the astringency of classic Indian black teas. Alongside these classics, we pour rarer teas: hand-picked jasmine, fragrant autumn osmanthus, barely oxidized baozhong from Pinglin. All come from small family farms selected directly in Taiwan by the founder. Nothing to do with the industrial blends sold by most chain tea shops in central Paris or in generalist stores.
The 11th arrondissement is vast: from Place de la Republique down to Place de la Nation, it covers very different moods. MAISON LE TE sits in the northern part, between Oberkampf and Belleville, a short walk from most of the structuring metro stations in the area. From Republique (lines 3, 5, 8, 9, 11), expect ten to twelve minutes walking down rue du Faubourg du Temple and then rue Saint-Maur. From Parmentier (line 3), seven minutes. From Oberkampf (lines 5 and 9), eight minutes up the street. The neighborhood has its bars, its vintage shops, its coffee shops, its local restaurants. What it was missing was a tea house that was not just a stopover between two cafes: a place where you come specifically for the tea. That is the role MAISON LE TE now plays in the 11th. If you are looking for a table more focused on Taiwan cuisine with the same commitment to tea, our Taiwanese restaurant in the 11th shares the same rue Saint-Maur address.
There is no shortage of pastry shop windows in the 11th, but few of them design their sweets around the tea being served next to them. At MAISON LE TE, the pastry menu follows the harvests and the seasons. In autumn, a black sesame tart pairs well with a roasted Dong Ding oolong. In spring, a yuzu financier goes with Ali Shan oolong, which is more floral. Every pastry is prepared on-site, steps away from the counter where the teas are brewed. No outsourcing, no frozen deliveries from an external kitchen. The recipes borrow from French tradition (financiers, sables) and from Taiwanese flavors (matcha, taro paste). The afternoon treat here works differently: you pick your tea, you pick what goes with it, and the pairing holds together.
The 11th arrondissement has dozens of cafes and coffee shops. MAISON LE TE does not belong in any of those categories. You do not order a long black at the counter while waiting for your bus. You sit down, browse the tea menu, ask for advice on an oolong you have never tried, and take the time to drink it. What changes compared to a cafe in the 11th is the tea itself: whole leaves imported from Taiwan, not paper teabags. It is also how the tea is served: each infusion is brewed at the right temperature and steeping time, in an individual teapot. And then there is the space: no queue, no loud music, tables spread apart. You come to stay, read or work quietly. If you want a cafe in the 11th, you will find one on every corner. If you want a tea house where tea is taken seriously, this is it.
The restaurant is at 136 rue Saint-Maur, 75011 Paris. The nearest metro stations are Goncourt (line 11, 5 minutes on foot) and Parmentier (line 3, 7 minutes). Bus lines 46 and 96 serve the area. MAISON LE TE is open every day from 11am to 10:30pm, no reservation needed.
To discover our second venue, Le Te at the Palais-Royal in the 1st arrondissement offers a more intimate tea house experience, with the same commitment to tea quality. Craving a craft bubble tea in the 11th? Our Taiwanese teas and fresh pearls are prepared at the same counter. Coming from Republique, our artisan bubble tea five minutes from Republique details the walk. And if you are after the best brunch in the neighborhood, MAISON LE TE serves it daily with Franco-Taiwanese plates.
MAISON LE TÊ, at 136 rue Saint-Maur, is a Franco-Taiwanese tea house and restaurant in the 11th. It offers premium Taiwanese teas, artisan bubble tea, and a full menu with brunch, dishes, and tea cocktails. Open every day from 11am to 10:30pm.
MAISON LE TÊ serves Taiwanese teas sourced directly from producers in Taiwan: high mountain oolong, Sun Moon Lake black tea, jasmine and osmanthus teas. Each variety is brewed on-site at the right temperature and steeping time.
The restaurant is at 136 rue Saint-Maur, 75011 Paris. The nearest metro stations are Goncourt (line 11, 5 minutes on foot) and Parmentier (line 3, 7 minutes). Bus lines 46 and 96 serve the area.
Yes, MAISON LE TÊ serves a Franco-Taiwanese brunch every day from 11am to 10:30pm, not just weekends. Onigiris, gua bao, composed plates, house pastries, and hot or cold drinks. Expect 15 to 25 euros per person.
Yes. MAISON LE TÊ, at 136 rue Saint-Maur in the 11th, offers a tea time pairing high-altitude Taiwanese teas (Ali Shan Oolong, Dong Ding, Sun Moon Lake black tea) with seasonal house pastries — sometimes reinterpreted with matcha, yuzu, black sesame, or azuki bean. Afternoons are especially quiet, ideal for a calm pause.
Yes, MAISON LE TÊ is at 136 rue Saint-Maur, an eight-minute walk from Oberkampf (lines 5 and 9) and seven minutes from Parmentier (line 3). It is the only tea house in the northern 11th dedicated to high-mountain Taiwanese teas, with artisan bubble tea prepared on-site.
Yes. Pastries are made on-site at 136 rue Saint-Maur from fresh ingredients, with recipes that mix French baking tradition and Taiwanese flavors such as matcha, black sesame, yuzu, and red azuki bean. The pastry menu changes with the seasons to pair with the high-mountain teas served at the same counter.
At a typical cafe in the 11th, you order an espresso at the counter. At MAISON LE TÊ, you sit down, browse the Taiwanese tea menu, choose your oolong or craft bubble tea, and each infusion is brewed in an individual teapot at the correct temperature. The atmosphere is quiet, designed for staying to read or work, not for a takeaway coffee.