Review Thea - Adelaide

Anna Trinh

Great customer service - the staff are super friendly! The only downside is that pretty much everything is deep fried, but this seems to be a common theme in many vegan/vegetarian dishes based on my experiences. I ordered the Vegetarian BBQ Rice - I like that we are given the choice of salad or rice. I was happy with the salad and vegetables but the imitation BBQ pork was drenched in oil so I didn't want to eat it. Also ordered the iced mango tea but didn't expect it to be so sweet. The pricing of food is fair. The portions are quite large - the dish I ordered could have fed 2 people. The little shop downstairs was really cool! There was a great collection of teas and tea sets, as well as a wide range of vegan/vegetarian snacks and ingredients. I would come again, but only just to buy tea leaves or something.

Barbara Bt

I loved the nuggets but the prawns were too spicy for me. What I loved the most was the super grocery with soooo many things to cook at home. Definitely will come back to get my supplies 😂

Mimi Rose

Thea tea shop is my absolute go to in the city, for yummy, wholesome vegan food. I have never had a bad meal here and always leave feeling full but light. The atmosphere is very peaceful as well. My favourite dishes are the crispy vegan Hainan, sweet and sour thing, Thea cold noodles and passionate fruit tea :)

Joelle and Catherine

Wow this is some of the most amazing food I have ever eaten 🤯. I’ve been working my way through the menu over the last month and still have a long way to go! Also they prepare it quickly, it’s affordable and it doesn’t contain any onion or garlic (which many people with fructan intolerance will appreciate). New favourite restaurant!

Gemma Dupont

Yummy yummy yummy yummy yummy food. My favourite meal is “thea’s marinated rice”. You have the option with rice or with salad. I get it with rice. Then, and this is the secret, ask for peanut sauce, and then pour that over the top. Soooo good AND healthy!

Monkeymoo

super super tasty i have literally gone here so many times and the food is so good it literally tastes so good. Its sad tho bc sometimes they run out of the boba pearls so u cant put it in your drink but over all i literally love this place.

Adriana Salegio (Adri Cakes)

My favourite restaurant 😋🥰 I hope they never ever stop making all this amazing food. I just moved back from living in NYC for a decade and it was the first place I went to (as it was every time I ever came back home for holidays). THE. BEST.

Janet’s Journey

I was surprised with this set up, beyond the front takeaway coffee stand is a ambient eatery. They offer an Asian vegetarian / vegan ONLY Menu. As a meat lover, I am amazed at how flavoursome the (non meat) dishes are here. One of the best quality vegetarian places in Adelaide. The drinks selection has a wonderful selection of specialty teas to try. The staff are so polite here.

Andrew Thomson

Recommended by a waitress from another Adelaide restaurant, just flew in from Perth even though the place was busy the staff took time to go through the menu and help me decide on a few plates. The Tarro rolls were great as was all the dishes, we had a black bean rice dish and a noodle soup, all were delish.Service was very quick and with a smile. We will return, absolute superb value

MelKate Couch

Such an awesome place! Felt so welcome & staff are so helpful & nice. Everything was really yum. Highly recommend

Kathy Chen

The regular food menu is always good. Of course the specials are even better!!

Rach Kochie

Enjoyed our first meal here tonight. Sensational flavours and yummy spice. So good to find a delicious veg place to eat!! We will be back 😁

Naomi Jellicoe

It's always a treat to go to Thea's. The food is yummy, the service is quick and it's got great daily specials. My tummy is rumbling just thinking about it...!

Ako Blazer

I have been visiting Thea's since 2001 when it was located in Gay's Arcade. It's such a special place with so much to offer everyone; not just vegans and vegetarians. Although it's mostly mock meat, and I am usually not drawn to that style of cuisine, it's done in such a delicious and thoughtful way that it's one of, if not my favourite restaurant in Adelaide. I always choose BBQ Rice or Cold Spicy Noodles but everything is good. As far as the tea, you can't go wrong. I always have a cold tea and it seems to compliment the food fantastically and always made fresh. The prices are so reasonable and service is just so polite and caring. Thank you for your many years of hard work, my friends at Thea's! Restaurants like yours don't just happen. Please keep it up.

Annabelle Schuttloffel

I went to Theas for the second time today and both times have been an amazing experience! All the food was so delicious (I recommend getting the coconut milk tea cold-if you're a fan of coconuts like me) will be going back time and time again! And for nugget lovers the Basil Nuggets are incredibly tasty!!

Jaydan Dillon

The hot mango tea is incredible and all the food is so tasty and affordable. Recommend!

Darren J Taylor

great food, wonderful service. dining area was beautiful.

Paula Davies

Love the curry rice on Wednesdays especially but the marinated rice on the standard menu is pretty delicious too ... :)

Marion Pledger

My husband and I had Valentines Day dinner at Thea. The food, service & ambience were all wonderful. The staff were lovely. Highly recommended :)

Lincoln Lovecraft

Amazing food. Relaxing atmosphere. Beautiful and friendly staff

Tony Lee

Best coffee and vegetarian food loved it so much!!!

Jess Turner

Great service, delicious food, great prices! Will definately visit again :D

Michael Gabrielsen

I am rating the little coffee gig out the front in the morning. The coffee is great, well priced, and the gentleman who serves my friends and I every morning is precisely that. He is polite and precise and in his own way he is the most polite barista I have ever met. Honestly visit for the kindness offered... the great coffee is just a bonus.

Boatmik

I was an early customer 15 years ago when they were a tiny shop. Now big with two levels. Revisited this week and it's still so good for vegetarian food and Taiwanese bubble and leaf tea It's also a vegetarian place that meat eaters like ... Get "sweet and sour thing" (like fish) or BBQ rice (so similar to BBQ pork that some vegetarians worry that it is meat).

LyN

Love the food! First time I’ve been and the food was delicious. I had the old style soup and noodles and the soup was full of flavour. There were a few other things on the menu that I wanted to try so I’ll definitely be back!

Carmen Tassone

Food and drinks are always excellent. Been coming back over 5 years now. It’s still one of my favourite vegetarian places which I can’t miss. Location is very convenient in the city as well. Highly recommended!

Sampat Rao

This place is a must try if you prefer vegetarian or vegan food in Adelaide. We had the most authentic Korean vegetarian food in this restaurant and the food really tastes good here. The service is extremely warm and friendly and personally liked the way we were welcomed by Chang! Kudos to you guys! Chang also makes the most amazing coffee out there. Very consistent with the taste and quality.

Harshal Sudhakar Patil

this place changed my understanding of eating vegan food. this place has a range of Asia dishes to offer and they also have a specials every day . Their Buble tea is to die for .. have been here lot of time and the service and the food is steller

Andrew Potaczek

This place is amazing! The bbq gluten meal is my go to. Never disappoints. Only issue is timing they bring out the items at all the wrong time. Like see the steamed buns come before your meal. Isnt a big deal but they go cold. Best vegan place for sure. I visit many times per year.

Jade

Thea Vegetarian Tea Garden is one of my favourite places to eat in the Adelaide CBD. The staff are always friendly and efficient with their service and the restaurants atmosphere is relaxing, warm and cozy. I've tried a large amount of the menu and the food is consistently delicious, they have a great variety of hot & cold teas and they even offer my favourite flavour which isn't available at many places (lavender) and everything is fairly priced! Really can't fault this place :)

Vivienne

The service is excellent and it has a quiet and relaxing atmosphere. The menu is small, but full of tasty dishes. They also don't make you wait too long. Bring your vegetarian/vegan friends and try the basil nuggets and mushroom buns!

Andrew Lord

I think most foodies in Adelaide have a bit of a soft spot for Thea's charmingly quirky, peaceful little vegetarian oasis. Enough has been said here about the cold noodles, the cloud-like buns and the other delights on the menu. But the big news is that they have installed a coffee bar. Just a windows on Gawler Place with a coffee machine, good coffee. Fleurieu milk and the nicest, kindest, sweetest barrista to ever steam a jug of milk. He'll help you choose the size of your coffee, how strong you want it, how hot you want it and all with a smile and a friendly greeting. If more coffee houses had more barristas like this we'd all be better off!

Kate8and8and8

Love this place. I always get the spicy cold noodles as they are amazing! Great vegan options. Definitely recommend for lunch if you're in the city

Emily W

I've wanted to check out Thea's Tea Room for the longest time but the opening hours were never kinda to me! I finally got in to check out the amazing vegetarian dishes recently and I'm so glad I did. I went with a friend and we shared quite a few dishes between ourselves. The cold peanut noodles were amazing, I also loved the passionfruit tea and the chocolate milk tea (both cold). The dumplings also get a special mention (including the custard or 'sunshine' buns). The basil chicken nuggets and salt and pepper squid rings were amazing. No real duds, although the filling for the peanut buns was dry and hard going (but could be because we were so full by that point). Thea's does amazing things with tofu and other vegetable proteins.

4chillies

Long time fan of Thea. Still love the cold passionfruit tea. The cold spicy noodles are still excellent. Still gets ultra busy at lunchtime which is great to see.

Golden Eagle

This is no doubt one of the worst places I have eaten in Adelaide. I simply do not understand how the reviews for this place is so rated so high. We ordered barbecue rice, special rice along with the "specials" basil dumplings, dim sims, Thai prawn, samosas, etc. The rice was boiled rice, not steamed like any proper Asian restaurants would serve. Accompanying this rice are canned corn kernels cold lettuce and some fried tofu. Not tasty at all. The special accompaniments basil dumplings were tiny, over cooked and tasted ordinary, the dim dims were tiny and tasteless, samosas were the smallest samosas I've ever seen, albeit tasted just ok. So much for the nice reviews for this establishment, left me so disappointed. People, you have been warned!

Vanilla Bean

I was in Adelaide for work and was looking for places to eat. This place had a fab rating so I thought I would try it for lunch... It is the best vegetarian food I've ever eaten! I wish they were in Melbourne!!

Famished

I just had a delicious lunch at Thea. My friend is a loyal diner here, and she insisted that we get together for some fresh and healthy vegetarian food. We arrived at 11.30am, which meant we missed the rush and had plenty of time to savour our dishes. My "Spicy Cold Noodles" were spot on - good size, variety and enough heat without burning the mouth. The coconut milk tea was a beautiful accompaniment. Thea is a peaceful place in the heart of town, and I hear the downstairs area is even more tranquil. Definitely worth a try.

6ixty

Ambivalent Omnivore. As an omnivore with lots of vegan/vegetarian friends, this place is definitely one of the better vegetarian places I've tried. The fake proteins are interesting, but I think the better dishes are those that don't try to be something they're not. Worth trying out.

Katherinemharris

Excellent, long time favourite!. My absolute go-to for noodles/asian in the city, any excuse for lunch at Thea! My favourite is the Thea's Cold Noodles (with peanut sauce), fabulous! I would eat here everyday if I could. Quick service, peaceful decor, and they have a high chair - hooray! Highly recommended.

Elfoodiesreviews

So good. In my top 3 vego places in Adelaide! Try the specials because they're only around once a week and are amazing. I kinda like the cute 'tick-box' menus too, kitschy goodness. (Two-Bit Villains, Thea!!, Meesu, oh and newbies Cherry Darlings).

Tenez

Divine fluffy cloud-like steam buns and a whole lot more!. This restaurant is a bit of a find! I was intrigued it was always so busy every time I walked passed and I can see why! Today's lunch crowd was varied, from office workers, shoppers to construction workers - all dining on deliciously generous portions of food. Not being a vegetarian, I was looking forward to the experience and not at all let down. The food is utterly, UTTERLY delicious and generous. I had the "BBQ gluten with rice and pickle". I can not fault it, it was divine. The pickle which I was looking forward to the least was actually delicate and tasty. My lunch friend and I also shared some mushroom steamed buns which were the BEST I ever had - fluffy, soft, perfectly formed....and I had a lavender milk tea which was pleasant and sweet (there were so many teas to chose from!). Will be back, and they do take away too for the busy passer by or office worker... Beautiful décor, fast service and fab food!

Laura

Wow! This is a new favourite. So fresh and tasty. The spicy cold noodles are just amazing, as are the basil nuggets and crispy Hainan 'chicken'.

Zoe L

Amazing!!! Basil nuggets are so good. Excellent and fast service, will be back.

Horrus88

Best Vegetarian in Adelaide. This is a favourite among my group of friends. We probably go there once a week and are never disappointed. The peanut sauce is amazing! We order it with everything (except the soup haha). All the teas are delicious too, and I enjoy being able to have them hot or cold (the chocolate is especially good for that!) The owner, Mr Chen, walks around the restaurant and sometimes gives out tea. We regularly go down to his tea room to sample different teas and learn Chinese. When I get take away I am also offered a small cup of tea whilst I wait. Love the service and the food. Wish you guys were open more so I could eat there all the time!

Alexwatson

Some of the cheapest, most creative and most delicious vegetarian food around!

Lovely.veggie

A Standout!. A group of us from work will frequent here often because the food here is amazing. We will have 'Thea's Craving' weekly. Being vego, the menu is exciting and fresh and is yet to disappoint. Admittedly, I have only tried a few things off the menu but it all looks great. I will usually order the Cold Noodles, Steamed Mushroom Buns and a Hot Coconut Milk Tea - don't knock it 'til you try it! Service is always efficient and friendly, within a tranquil setting. I only wish opening hours were extended beyond lunch rush, but I understand this works for them. Cannot rave enough about this place.

Dave Shearer

I was dragged there somewhat reluctantly by a friend who is a big fan of the place I had some of the tastiest food I've had in a long time along with Lemon Snow Tea which was beautiful Will certainly return very quickly and will recommend to anyone Great value, superb food and delightful service Thanks for opening my eyes to a world of healthy and tasty vegetarian food Five stars

Annie Williams

Great!. Always great, and quick service! The BBQ options are the best things on the menu for sure.

Emma Maree Sullivan

Best Vegetarian Restaurant in Adelaide. I come here almost weekly. The service is always friendly and prompt and the decor is neat, tidy and pretty! You get your food quickly and the servings are large and you definitely get value for your money. I've tried almost everything on the menu and I'm yet to be disappointed. They're sides and daily specials are all amazing and my favourite are the basil nuggets (a must try!) and as for the tea side of things, I haven't tried any of their hot teas because I'm a bubble tea fanatic and I can never sway. The snow bubbles (any flavour) as heavenly and I think the best bubble tea in Adelaide. Whenever I go to a new Vegetarian restaurant I compare them to Thea and I've yet to find anything that comes even close!

Pipi

I loved it! For entree I .... I loved it! For entree I had the yam samosa. At a very reasonable price you get six small, sweet packages. As a main I had the old style noodle soups which was absolutely delicious. Personally I would have preferred thicker noodles but other than that the dish was perfect. It was also a reasonable serving. With my meals I enjoyed a warm almond tea. Probably not the best match to my food but still delicious. I left feeling full, satisfied and knowing I will definitely go back!

Rhirhi

Crispy hainan is the only meal I've ever had that! And it's amazing! Love love love it

Riva V

Great lunch spot and wed special salt n pepper rings are amazing

BlindFoodie

Peaceful without being boring. The food at Thea's is a bit different, and a bit exciting. Not too keen on the marinated rice, but the Thea's Cold Noodles and Spicy Noodles keep me coming back. Opening hours are designed for local office workers, but if you have the opportunity, it's well worth the effort to get there on a weekday. (ANY flavour of steam bun is great there, but the sweet red bean buns are a huuuuge fave!)

Maximillian

Highly recommended. Don't be discouraged by the menu descriptions ('deep fried gluten', 'sweet and sour thing'), every dish is tasty. I've eaten here countless times and have always experienced great service and generous serves. Thea's has a wide range of teas and most can be served hot or cold. If you have a small appetite, beware - the milk teas can be filling. Daily specials are a feature of the menu, so co-ordinate each visit with a new dish to maximise your options. It's worth the effort.

Kitty Bootleg

This place really is unique, not only because of the range of teas and vegan food, but because of the atmosphere and ordering system. You tick what you want off the paper menu and then take it up to the counter. The serves are generous for the price, and I enjoyed my 'sweet and sour thing' which was not at all what u expected from the menu description, but half the charm of this place is you really don't know what you've ordered untill it arrives. Strawberry iced tea was refreshing, and the barbequed steam buns delicious.

Jordan Mychal

The hot almond tea is amazing! Perfect on a cold day!

X Ness X

Amazing vegan place! The crispy Hainan is to die for for vegans or non! I take my parents here and they love it. Open weekdays and Friday nights! Recommend it :)

On The Chopping Board

I (Amanda) have to admit that I am quite the regular at Thea and when I realised OTCB had not written a review as yet, I jumped at the chance to return for lunch with a friend. Thea is a vegetarian café that has many vegan options also. Arriving at peak lunch time the first floor was full, so I was escorted to a table downstairs. The cafe is decorated in a minimalist manner, with wooden chairs and tables topped with glass widely spaced throughout. The menus are A4 sheets of paper folded and kept in a plastic holder on each table with a pencil.

Laine

I am a little bit of a bubble tea addict. Just a little bit. Whenever I happen to be in Chinatown, I would definitely get myself a cup of bubble tea. Who doesn’t enjoy chewing those little pearls? A friend who got wind of my addiction, asked if I’ve tried Thea’s bubble tea. They were suppose to be really good. And when Sash googled the place, it told us that it was a place that served Taiwanese food, so we arranged to have lunch there with DL. What I got DL got there before we did, and told us that the place was really a place that served vegetarian food. We have nothing against vegetarian food, but was just a little surprised that we didn’t find out about this while googling the place. We went in anyway. What Sash got We sat there, taking a relatively long time deciding on what to get. We were still trying to process that it was a vegetarian place and had no idea what to get. My bubble tea. They didn’t have pearls In the end, I ordered one of their Thea bowls and teas, and Sash one of

Gninethree

3 storey tea house for tea appreciation with healthy vegetarian food and bubble tea.Definitely a very interesting concept. They're only open for lunch on weekdays and dinner on Fridays but closed on the weekends. Usually very crowded as well because of the lunch crowd so do get in early for call up for a reservation! 110 Gawler Pl Adelaide, SA 5000 08 8232 7988

Merkel Marmaduke

Thea is another café on the Adelaide Vegans website . Like Zen House and Joy Discovery Centre it has soothing music, a calming atmosphere and an interesting variety of meals. The wide range of tea's come in tall glasses and the service is efficient.