teteria teahouse Caj Chai

Narrow back streets twist between ancient stone facades of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter. In this labyrinth of medieval buildings hides an oasis for the weary traveller. Antonio welcomed us to Caj Chai, a comfortably cosy tea shop and café tucked away in this colorful neighbourhood. Antonio is relaxed but confident about his art, and like any master practitioner, he keeps a few good tea books hidden away in his back room.

The shop boasts over a dozen Jananese teas from sencha to genmai-matcha to gyokuro. Since Antonio purchases them in small sealed packets directly from Japan, they stay spring-fresh. His menu also sports a handful of pu-er and green teas from China, as well as blacks and chai from India. What really stands out is the Caj Chai’s list of oolongs. For 15 euros, he’ll break out the gongfu set and walk you through the brewing process, or for a more modest price you can get a teapot and a thermos of water at your table.

It’s a great place to relax and de-stress, but don’t leave without checking out the shop’s collection of tea ware for sale. He imports both nice equipment for everyday use as well as a few works of art, including some of the nicest sencha teapots we’ve seen outside of Japan. He even carries work by a very promising Czech potter who trained in Korea, and produces clever designs inspired by the Chinese gaiwan.