Camellia Sinensis Tea House
Montreal-based francophone specialty tea house founded in 1998 by Hugo Americi, Kevin Gascoyne, Jasmin Desharnais, and François Marchand. One of North America's most editorially serious tea operations.
Camellia Sinensis is among North America's most editorially serious specialty tea operations. Founded in 1998 in Montreal by Hugo Americi, Kevin Gascoyne, Jasmin Desharnais, and François Marchand — the four founders remain involved — the operation now includes multiple Montreal tea houses, a Quebec City location, direct producer relationships across Asia, a tea sommelier certification program, and the most respected French-language tea book publishing in existence.
The educational dimension distinguishes the brand: published books on tea culture, regional Chinese tea production, and Japanese tea ceremony have established the founders as among the most knowledgeable specialty tea writers globally. The Montreal tea houses operate with the depth of European premium tea destinations rather than typical North American specialty tea retail. The bilingual French/English catalog reaches both Quebec's francophone market and the broader Canadian and American specialty tea community.
Focus areas
Tea types carried
- Green
- White
- Oolong
- Black
- Pu-erh
Retail locations
- Montreal (multiple)
- Quebec City