One of the biggest challenges of not living in or near a big city like New York, Boston, or Los Angeles, is the lack of nightlife. In New York, you can walk a block or two anywhere and find a thumping dance club or low key jazz bar —there are tons of unique places to chill out or dance the night away. Not so here in Connecticut. But, located in Hartford, Tisane stands out not only as a cool place to hang out at night but also a relaxing tea oasis during the day.

Tisane has been around for 9 years, but I only recently discovered them. Personally, I’m not much of a partier, but when I heard that Tisane had an extensive list of teas, {and why wouldn’t they, with a name like Tisane?} I was in. I can’t say that I’ve tried every different tea {nearly impossible!}, but I love their green, oolong, and white teas. In addition to their fabulous tea infusions, Tisane also carries a variety of brews, cocktails and foods from both the East and the West, lending to the second part of their name, Euro Asian Cafe. They have cheese and chocolate fondue, edamame, sweet n sour tofu, sandwiches like the caprese flatbread or cheese steak, and so much more — truly something for everyone, whether you have a sweet tooth, are craving buffalo wings, or if you want a tasty vegan meal.

Okay, so they have great drinks and food, but what about community? Well, they have gay night {also called “Boys Night”} on Tuesday with DJ John Rzasa, Wednesday is Service Industry Night {”Live in S.I.N.”} with live music by Kenny Mehler, Karaoke on Thursday, and DJ Sobi One on Saturday nights. They also act as an exhibition for local artists, like my longtime friend {and Mish’s boyfriend} Pawel, who is also the person responsible for my Tisane love. An incredibly gifted artist, Pawel exhibited several of his paintings a few years ago at Tisane, shown above.

So, if you want a place to relax and hang out with friends in the morning or late afternoon, forget Starbucks, check out Tisane. Want to do karaoke or experience a DJ or some live music? Check out Tisane! You don’t have an excuse not to go! :)

Read more about Tisane, and view their hours of operation, on their website or like them on Facebook.