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The bubble tea fad is far from over at the New York outpost of this Hong Kong-based chain founded in 1994. Outfitted with a handful of lacquered-wood tables and square stools, St. Alps is a popular stop for chattering NYU students and high schoolers, who slurp a broad array of brightly colored hot and cold tea drinks out of tall, milkshake-style glasses while pop music blares in the background. Nibble-size, $5.50 portions of vermicelli, udon, or green tea noodles, and "crispy savouries"—chunks of bland, deep-fried radish, shrimp, or cuttlefish—are also on offer, but the real draw here is "frothy tea," which comes with a spoon for scooping up the irresistibly chewy tapioca balls nestled at the bottom of the glass. If you’re not partial to the gelatinous specialty, there are pages of alternatives ranging from coconut green tea to kumquat lime nectar, blended ice "Sorbies," and yogurt-based Matcha Nature made with flinty tasting Japanese green tea powder. — Candace Taylor

Reservations are only accepted Monday through Friday.

Coconut Black Milk Tea, $3.45