Tea Chapter

Tea Chapter has served Chinese tea in a shophouse at 9 Neil Road, on the edge of Chinatown, since 1989, and it describes itself as Singapore's oldest Chinese teahouse. It was set up to revive interest in traditional tea appreciation, and in its first year it received a visit from Queen Elizabeth II, an occasion the teahouse still remembers with pride. Today it combines a teahouse with a retail shop selling teas and teaware.

The teahouse is the reason to come. You choose from a long list of Chinese teas, including dark and pu'er teas, black and red teas, oolongs, green, white and floral teas, and the staff bring a tray of teaware to your table and show you how to brew it in the traditional gongfu style: warming the pot, rinsing the leaves and pouring a series of short infusions, each slightly different from the last. Once you have learnt the method, you brew your own pot at your own pace.

A pot is designed to last, as the same leaves can be infused many times, so plan to stay at least an hour. Ask the staff for a recommendation if the list is unfamiliar: a light oolong is an easy introduction, while aged pu'er has a deeper, earthier flavour. The teahouse also runs workshops on tea appreciation and hosts corporate events, and the shop sells loose-leaf, compressed and bagged teas, gift sets and teaware if you want to continue at home.

The teahouse opens from 11am to 9pm from Sunday to Thursday and until 10.30pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and the shop opens half an hour earlier. It suits couples, solo travellers looking for a quiet break, and families with older children who will enjoy the brewing ritual. It is an excellent rainy-day option and a calm contrast to the busy streets nearby.

Neil Road runs between Chinatown and Tanjong Pagar, and Outram Park, Maxwell and Chinatown MRT stations are all within walking distance. Maxwell Food Centre, Keong Saik Road and the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple are a few minutes away, and Jigger & Pony on Tanjong Pagar Road is close by for a drink later in the evening.