I wish I was a local who could enjoy sitting in the shop sipping tea many times per week. The shop has plenty of charm and friendly staff. The shop has a nice variety of teas and pleasant ambiance. The state capitol and other government buildings are the reason for most of my visits, and I am therefore grateful for the shop’s proximity to these buildings in the East Village.

—4/9/2017 So, I am changing my rating to five stars. My original rating was four stars given four years ago. I am much more conservative with my ratings of everything on this site than most people I see, and the absence of a fifth star did not necessarily imply a failing. A recent visit to the store reinforced how special it is both as a place and what they offer. This place is a real gem!

Gong Fu is where my husband and i had our first date, so i may be a little biased. It’s just such a great place to go and have a quiet conversation. I love the atmosphere, the wall of teas in jars that you can smell, the pretty little tea cups and pots for sale. I like the low tables in the back, but sometimes my legs or hips won’t allow for sitting on the floor.

The teas are abundant and lovely. I can never resist picking one out to take home with me. I only wish Gong Fu were closer to my house so that i could stop by more often.

I wish I was a local who could enjoy sitting in the shop sipping tea many times per week. The shop has plenty of charm and friendly staff. The shop has a nice variety of teas and pleasant ambiance. The state capitol and other government buildings are the reason for most of my visits, and I am therefore grateful for the shop’s proximity to these buildings in the East Village.

—4/9/2017 So, I am changing my rating to five stars. My original rating was four stars given four years ago. I am much more conservative with my ratings of everything on this site than most people I see, and the absence of a fifth star did not necessarily imply a failing. A recent visit to the store reinforced how special it is both as a place and what they offer. This place is a real gem!

Gong Fu is by far the best tea shop in the state. They have a large selection, reasonable prices, and excellent quality.

Gong Fu Tea is a fine tea shop that is locally owned in Des Moines, Iowa. I highly recommend going down and getting to know the place if you are local. When you walk in you sense immediately that they have an appreciation for the business and a respect for the goods. In addition to the minimalist aesthetic, the teas are all top quality loose leaf served at suitable temperatures in the correct methods. Occasionally the shop will host tea classes or give a presentation of their various journeys to different regions of tea production in India & China with others to come, hopefully. I used to have to source tea from the coastal tea houses but thanks to Gong Fu Tea I can just head downtown now.

nice little locally owned tea shop. I really recommend stopping in if you are in the down town area.