What I had: Large Jasmine Green Tea

It was good—flowery with a good amount of sweetness as well as flavour—not too watery but also not too strong. Tasted a lot like how sampaguita smells so it leaves a nice fresh aftertaste in one’s mouth. There are two sizes of tea—small and regular. Also there are milk tea options as well as “moustache” ones wherein they top the tea with salted cream. I had mine plain so that I could really appreciate the goodness of the tea. There are also the typical add-ons or sinkers such as tapioca pearls, nata de coco and pudding. Aside from this they have wheat germ, aloe vera, agar and red bean which range from 10-20 php per add-on.

Another great thing about Saints Alp is the wide range of drinks. They don’t just have the classic tea options, but also ice-blended drinks, yogurt with MatchaAgar, coffee, and milkshakes. Besides this they also have salad, snacks, noodle soups, and rice entrees.

The downside would probably be that not all of the tea in Saints Alp is freshly brewed. Some of it is already pre-brewed and put in a shaker with whatever other ingredients they use. There is still something about having freshly brewed tea made especially for you.

The Place

I honestly think that it has the best location among all the tea houses that you can find on Katipunan. Situated in the Regis Center, the tea shop is easily accessible to the two major schools on Katipunan Avenue. As some of you may know, Regis is directly connected to the blue bridge which has a direct entrance and exit to Ateneo and a close-by access point to Miriam College.

The place is conducive to studying, chatting and relaxing. Since the restaurant has a large space and the seats are well spaced, you won’t have to worry so much about the noise from the chatter of those beside you. Also, there are many seating options—may it be a table for one or eight, Saints Alp has a place for you.

The cons of the place would be that it is FREEZING in certain parts of the store since their air conditioning isn’t centralized. Choose your seats wisely and maybe bring a cardigan. Also while I was there, one of their aircons was super noisy which messed with the whole relaxed ambiance of the place.

Other comments

The place had a great playlist—not too loud but not the typical bossa-nova coffee shop music. It worked well with the ambiance—relaxed, subdued and happy.

The Verdict

While I have yet to try the other varieties, I’d definitely come back for a simple clear tea and a nice place to sit and study