Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar

I’ve been here twice. I enjoy it’s vibes mostly because I come on off peak hours where there is plenty of space to sit and enjoy hookah with some tea or drinks. The seating could be more comfortable for me, but it works with the aesthetics they got going on. The bathrooms are clean and it’s a earthy type of vibe I enjoy with serene music. Watch out for the stairs, they are a bit steep. The workers that I met were nice and it felt comfortable to my personality. I hear they have local bands play, but haven’t been to any of those events because I’m not much for crowds when I enter this venue. It is pretty small to have large quantities of people.

Free Wi-​Fi, good tea, and an aesthetic and ambiance that I find appealing (it has a Nepalese kind of vibe) all make the tea bazaar one of my favorite places in c-​ville. It’s a great place to come alone or with friends if you need to do some work, and if you want some sustenance to go along with your tea their admittedly small selection proved to be quite satisfactory for a light meal. Though I haven’t tried the hookah, I at least appreciate that the smoking section is entirely seperate from the non-​smoking area, being almost wholly outside the building. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, always willing to recommend their favorite tea, and so far non of those recommendations have let me down. All in all, if you like tea, I would bet money you will like the twisted branch tea bazaar.

Unique cozy décor when we walked in. I ordered a mug of Monkey picked oolong (which is my fav.) We sat down at a small table and it was cool. The tea was steeped correctly which was good. Seems like a cool place to hang out !

They are extremely picky on checking IDs, so even if you are way older than 18 but forgot to bring your ID, don’t bother to go there.
We went on Saturday night, and the place was pretty packed. Hence, I saw they asked some folks who weren’t ordering anything to leave.
I’m a huge fan of hookah, and as far as I know, this place is the only hookah bar in Charlottesville.
Frankly, their decent hookahs and cozy design make it one of my favorite places in C’ville.
Besides, we ordered falafel pita and some tea. I’m not a tea expert to comment on that, but it seemed pretty decent. falafel pita, which comes with a side, was pretty good too.
Overall, we ended up paying $ 50, $ 17 for hookah, $ 10 for falafel, and the rest for tea. I must say the tea was kinda overpriced.
Note: they have live music on Friday and Saturday nights.

It’s a cozy and nice place just make sure to take your ID with you if you’re ordering hookah :/

I’d try again… Looked really really really cool but I just wanted to sit and have a cup of tea after an exhausting day, but they had a band and it was a $ 7 cover just to go in.
I think they need a solution wherein one can go to the back porch if you simply want tea? Not sure how they can fix this problem.

Just a really cool and chill tea and Hookah place almost invisible on the downtown mall.
If it weren’t for Unilocal,I never would’ve discovered Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar. There’s a door that leads up a rickety set of steps to an upstairs tea/​hookah/​bar/​restaurant. The inside features plenty of hipster seating options, a groovy twisted tree, and some mild-​mannered staff. Essentially, you order everything at the front and it is taken out to you (for tea and Hookahs). There is a back area and outside porch for the Hookah.
My group ordered the Mint shisha ($ 15) and the Moroccan Mint tea ($ 5 — Gunpowder green tea with organic peppermint and sugar). I’ll start off by saying that this place is worth coming to just for the tea selection. Our Moroccan tea was excellent — sweet green tea with only a touch of peppermint that complimented the mint Shisha. The mint shisha didn’t have an overwhelming mint taste (I’d try a blend for an extra $ 2 more), but it was pretty smooth and easy for all shisha skill levels.
I’m thrilled I found this place hidden among all the high-​priced eateries. If you want a place to chill, Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar is the place for you.

I wish I’d written this review 10 years ago. Forgive me, Twisted Branch!
I love this place soooOOOOoooo much. I’ve been coming here since I was 18 and hadn’t been anywhere in the world, and now even after traveling the world and coming home again, I love the vibe of this place. As I sit here now, Deerhunter (my favorite band, of course) is playing as the spring breeze drifts in across the tapestry of Ganesh hanging on the wall. The fragrant smell of fresh green iced tea is in the air. No crowds, always a relaxed environment when it is busy, and of course delicious hookah flavours (recommended to ask the staff which teas go with which hookah. A rose tea and a vanilla hookah, for instance, will absolutely blow your mind in the garden of delight.)
Love this gem in Charlottesville. Best vibes around.

This was the second time that I have been here. The ambiance was unique and they have a huge selection of teas along with a limited menu. We ordered the «Goat herder» to share amongst the group and also each got a bowl of their Soup Du Jour, which was Sweet Potato Ginger; it was delicious. It is a very tiny place with strange seating options and if it were very busy I could see having to wait a while for a seat. Also; if you don’t like the «hippie vibe», this probably isn’t the place for you. The lack of 5 stars is solely because of their service, the people aren’t very friendly and seem to hate their job and it was that way both times I’ve been. I will return though because this place is so very unique.

What a teahouse should be.
If you want tea brewed the right way by people who care about the right temperature and amount of time a particular tea should be steeped, worth a visit. Good music, too. Some of the best live shows I’ve seen in C’ville. Great place for a conversation, or to read.
If you’re a hungry carnivore that wants a server to check on you every five minutes, this probably isn’t for you.

Overpriced hippie tea and hookah bar.
And I’m not being an «old fart» I’m only 21.
Got a pot of the jasmine blossoming tea, cost almost $ 10…
It was enough for about 6 small Japanese style cups.
To be fair, I am from the northeast, home of the massholes so maybe that affected my experience.

If you drink tea, you need to go here. Without question, you will find something you love and something unlike anything you’ve tried before (which will then likely join the former category).
Twisted Branch is an interesting little place tucked away on the second floor of a building in Charlottesville’s downtown mall. I must’ve passed it 2 – 3 times while trying to find it. When you get inside, you’re greeted with some intriguing décor. When I came in, there were several people there, but it still had a fairly quiet atmosphere. It’d be the perfect place to come study or read for a while.
Their tea selection was impressive. I frequently try to visit tea places whenever I can, and the only places I’ve found that could give Twisted a run for its money in terms of selection are places that are primarily shops for buying loose tea that just happen to also sell cups of tea. Twisted it the other way around, it’s built for enjoying a cup (or pot) of tea and just happens to sell loose tea as well. In addition to their vast tea selection, they also offer a few beers, a small array of foods, and hookah.
I ordered a cup of Clouds and Mist and a cup of Flying Monkey. The Clouds and Mist, true to its description, was full of numerous subtle flavors. There were bits of sweetness, earthiness, nuttiness… it was a very interesting (and very good!) white tea for sure. The Flying Monkey felt a bit more straightforward (it’s a black/​mate/​puerh blend), but was also very good.
The only «problem» I had it that they initially handed me the wrong order. I had two to-​go cups, and they brought me someone’s pot of tea. There was no problem getting that corrected when I pointed that out though (again, I want to note that they made what I ordered, they just handed me the wrong thing, which is a less costly mistake in terms of time, and a much easier mistake to make then getting an order that wildly wrong).
I loved my visit, and only wish I could’ve had the time to sit and enjoy my tea there. I’ll definitely be making this place a priority any time I go through Charlottesville.

If you can get up the stairs it’s worth it. the Goat Herder is huge and great first date nosh. Also don’t go if you’re feeling rude, the staff have permission to be rude back. You can sit near the window and watch people go by. you can also order pots or cups or to go tea. Ask the staff for recommendations, Sean and Kala are great at it. Also it’s not a quick joint, they do everything in a kitchen that kinda looks like mom’s at home but at the same time you get great bang for you buck and the food is delicious.

I came here on a whim with some friends while visiting Charlottesville. You walk upstairs to a set of rooms with very evocative décor; it certainly wisps you away from the pseudo-​city outside. Although they didn’t have komboucha, we ordered the Tamaryokucha, a Japanese green tea. We were able to sit at a traditional table with pillows instead of chairs, and the tea was brought out fairly quickly. There was enough for the four of us to have a little more than 2 cups each, which was plenty for a pot that cost $ 7. Definitely plan on trying here again!

This place is cool as s***. I love it! So much character. So earthy. So hippy. So unique. Almost feels like a fairy tail. I’ve seen aome bands play here. Mostly hard rock emo type music if you are into that. Good tea of course. Also a nice rare beer selection. Awesome seating inclusing so reclining dinner tables (indian style perhaps?). Hookah available too! Outdoor patio out back. Check it out!

Hookah came over packed and burnt quickly. Took a long time for both my tea and the hookah to arrive. Staff was pretty rude and judgy and didn’t provide the relaxing atmosphere I was hoping for. There is a presumption of expertise that permeates through the staff that is not demonstrated through their craft. Perhaps consider spending more time learning and less time condescending. Would be willing to come back and reevaluate though.

Let’s be honest here. Twisted Branch has AWESOME atmosphere, no doubt, and a great selection of teas as well as hookah. But basically that’s the end of it. When it comes down to it, their tea is more expensive (you can get peppermint down the street at Mudhouse for less than HALF of what these guys sell it for), their service often SLOW AS BALLS, and if there’s a band playing, which tends to suck 85% of the time, you have to pay a cover even if you just want a damn tea to enjoy in the evening. It wears a nice mask, but under that mask is ugliness.

It took 3 different hookahs to find one that actually worked. Sure, there is a hipster vibe that lends to the slow, mellow, and somewhat rude service but I expect to actually smoke hookah at a hookah lounge after 45 minutes of sitting outside in the cold.

Hey y’know what this place kinda sucks.
I’m all about the «idea» of a mystical tree-​fort-​tea-​lounge, and while a great example of an idea, the Tea Bazaar is a pretty bad example of a business. Aesthetics aside, the service is pretty damn awful for a trendy watering hole. Granted, I haven’t been here in a few months — mostly because the last couple times I stopped by I ended up standing in a line for about 10 minutes before saying «Fuck it, there are way better/​cooler/​less expensive/​more rewarding/​less pretentious places to kill an hour and a half.» Seriously, the place is consistently understaffed and the staff consistently sluggish, and in a college town it’s not too too difficult to find a hookah and a pot of tea at a moment’s notice.
Great coffeeshops thrive on the flexibility of quick service for commuters and leg room for idlers, both of which can make up for mediocre coffee. Tea Bazaar offers quality tea and an ostensibly relaxing, social atmosphere — while I don’t know what kinda hippy dippy loser stops in here for a steamin’ pot before work, I do know that there’s a very large population who are looking for the atmosphere and the service, the tea being equivalent to a nice bowl of mixed nuts. Nobody came to Rainforest Café for the dino nuggets.

This is a nice hangout spot.
I had some white tea and hookah. As I left, I got a rose milkshake to go; it was great!