Asheville
Single-estate loose-leaf, traditional Gong Fu Cha service, and a quiet bar centered on the leaf.
If you're looking for a real tea house in Asheville, not a coffee shop with a tea bag bin, Plant Bar is the room. We run a working Gong Fu Cha bar with single-estate Chinese and Taiwanese teas, traditional gaiwans and yixing clay teapots, and baristas trained in multi-infusion service.
New to loose-leaf? Been chasing the same Phoenix oolong for years? We'll meet you where you are. Order by the cup, by the gaiwan, or sit for a full Gong Fu session.
Tea House
Our tea library is small, deliberate, and rotates by season. Standing offerings include Wuyi rock oolongs (Da Hong Pao, Rou Gui), aged white tea, ceremonial-grade Uji matcha, Yunnan ripe and raw pu-erh, single-estate Darjeeling, and Japanese sencha and gyokuro. Every tea is sourced from importers who publish harvest year, estate, and cultivar.
Gong Fu service is short, hot, repeated infusions in a small vessel, the way tea has been served in China and Taiwan for centuries. The leaf opens slowly across five to ten infusions, and the flavor evolves with each pour. Our baristas are trained in water temperature, leaf ratio, and timing for every style; you can tell them how serious you want to go and we'll match the pace.
Prefer a more casual cup? Loose-leaf teas are also brewed Western-style in a side-pot, and we whisk matcha to order in a chawan. Iced tea is single-origin, brewed cold for clarity and balance, not over-steeped and sugared.
Where to drink it
Our South Slope room runs a dedicated Gong Fu bar with gaiwans, glass pitchers, and a quiet seat for full sessions. Mornings are the best window, it's the slowest, most contemplative time on the bar.
Our West Asheville flagship serves the same tea menu and matcha service in a livelier lounge, with a back garden for a slower afternoon pot. Either room will pour you a real cup.
Asheville, NC
A specialty coffee shop and non-alcoholic space in Asheville's South Slope, reimagining what a café can be, with coffee, artisanal tea, and zero-proof cocktails crafted to match your mood.
32 Banks Ave #105, Asheville, NC 28801
Asheville, NC
Our flagship room on Haywood Road, a full bar and lounge, dispensary, and outdoor deck in one of Asheville's most artistic neighborhoods.
919 Haywood Rd, Ste 110, Asheville, NC 28806
What folks are saying
“I've been chasing good Gong Fu service in the southeast for years. Plant Bar finally delivered, the Da Hong Pao opened up beautifully across six infusions.”
Wei C.
Local Guide · 92 reviews
“The matcha is properly whisked in a chawan, not stirred with a spoon. Small thing, huge difference. Best matcha in Asheville.”
Sophie A.
23 reviews
“Quiet morning, gaiwan of aged white tea, sun coming through the window. This is what I needed.”
Daniel O.
8 reviews
FAQ
The menu is online. The rooms are open. We'll save you a seat at the bar.
