There's a little known vegetarian teahouse in Mississauga with fresh fruit tea and delicious vegan meals in a peaceful environment. It isn't advertised at all and there's no outdoor signage for it.
The Water Drop Teahouse (formerly known as Lotus Teahouse) is a Buddhist temple Mississauga tea house, and it's a delightful place to enjoy a delicious and healthy meal.
Step inside the Fo Guang Shan Temple of Toronto and you'll find a quaint tea house that has quickly become one of my favorite lunch spots in the Toronto area.
It's perfect for vegans, vegetarians, and those who love incorporating plant-based meals into their lives. If you're a tea lover, you'll adore this place.
The Water Drop Teahouse is part of our "Japan in Toronto" itinerary. Check out our full day of activities if you'd like to experience a day in the city inspired by our trip to Japan.
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Visiting the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple
Before you step through the front doors, be sure to admire the exterior of the Buddhist temple itself. This massive, symmetrical building is ornately decorated, with a large drum suspended on one side of the building, and a large bell on the opposite side.
After walking up the front steps to the main entrance, we swung open a hefty red and gold door. The smell of incense immediately filled my lungs and my eyes were dazzled by hundreds of gold Buddha statues inside an enormous prayer room directly beyond the front door.
No photography is allowed inside the temple itself because this is a place for meditation and prayer. On Sundays, you can take a tour of the temple. As it wasn't a Sunday, we weren't able to take a tour, but I hope to return at a future date.
How to Dine at the Water Drop Teahouse
You'll find the Buddhist temple Mississauga tea house at 6525 Millcreek Drive, and it is closed on Mondays.
From Tuesday to Sunday, you can dine here for lunch between 11:00am and 4:00pm. Please check their official website for hours first.
Here are some important things to know before you plan your visit.
Membership and Tickets
When Justin and I dined at the Lotus Tea House (now called the Water Drop Teahouse), it was open to members of the public. Nowadays, you must be a member of Buddha's Light International Association (BLIA) to dine at the vegetarian teahouse.
Anyone can become a member for $30/year. As it is relatively inexpensive to dine at the teahouse, it's certainly worth paying for a membership if you plan to dine here more than once a year.
Once you enter through the front doors of the temple, you'll spot the tea room to the right of the main entrance and a table on the left side. As no money is exchanged inside the tea room itself, you can buy meal/drink tickets from this table in advance.
Tickets are $12 each and every item on the menu is worth one ticket (the meals, a pot of tea, etc.). When Justin and I visited, we purchased three tickets: one for each meal, and one for a pot of tea to share.
Please note that the temple is completely run by volunteers, including those working in the kitchen and those working as servers. They do not accept tips for their services. You simply pay for your meal with the tickets and that's it!
In the place of a tip, you are welcome to make a donation to the Buddhist temple at the front entrance, though it is not mandatory.
Dining at the Mississauga Buddhist Temple Tea House
There are several tables in the tea room. We didn't have a problem finding a seat on a weekday afternoon. It gets very busy here on weekends and they do not accept reservations in advance. You may need to wait longer to get a table on the weekend.
The tea room itself is quite minimalist, and the restaurant offers a very relaxing and peaceful vibe. The servers are kind, courteous, and helpful. They are happy to answer any questions that you might have about the menu.
The entire menu is vegetarian and vegan. The temple serves mock meat items in many of its dishes, including tofu and seitan.
There are five food menu items: Vegetarian Laksa Noodle, Noodle in Red-cooked Soup, Noodle in Vegetable Soup, Noodle with Bean Sauce and Cold Noodle with Sesame Sauce.
We've tried the Noodle with Bean Sauce, Noodle in Vegetable Soup and Cold Noodle with Sesame Sauce. Everything is so delicious.
The food is always served really quickly, making this an ideal lunch stop for anyone with a limited amount of time on a work lunch break. Enjoy these healthy meals that are soothing for the soul.
Their most popular dish is the Vegetarian Laksa Noodle and sometimes it sells out. That's the one that I'm going to try on my next visit!
The Fruit Tea
The fruit tea is definitely a highlight of the meal. You can ask for more hot water when you're partially finished your pot of tea. The servers will happily top up your teapot.
We were given toothpicks so we eat the fruit from the bottom of the teapot once we were finished drinking it. The fruit was super concentrated from the tea and was really good.
We've only ever had the fruit tea, though there are other teas on the menu (Jasmine Honey Pomelo Tea, Lemon Ginger Tea, Tangerine Tea and Dried Fruits Tea). I can't see any tea being better than the Fresh Fruits Tea, so I haven't ever tried any of the others. Be sure to let me know in the comments section down below if you do!
I hope you have the opportunity to visit this fabulous "hidden" teahouse in Mississauga. I've never regretted becoming a member as I always find myself returning again and again.
More Things to Do in Mississauga
There are lots of great things to do in Mississauga that you'll love. Here are some of our favorite places to visit in Mississauga, from the perspective of a local:
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Don't forget travel insurance!
Heading out of the country? Don't forget to get travel insurance. It's best to be covered in case of an emergency, cancellation or accident.
Raphael Alexander Zoren says
That Buddhist Temple looks great!!!!
Sammi Wanderlustin' says
That place looks super stunning
Anda says
Great place to visit, Lauren. I am going to share this post with my cousin who lives in Mississauga. She might not know about it, since she never mentioned a word so far.
Jenna says
This looks like a really cool place--I would love to stop there! The food looks delicious too. Love places like this!
Hannah says
Cooooool! The outside looks awesome, would love to know what the inside is like too! Your tea looks delicious btw. And I am impressed that you are both using chopsticks. I am awful with chopsticks and am pretty sure I will starve when I go to Asia because of it.
Meg Jerrard says
Love it - what a super cool find! I love discovering hidden places as we make our way around the globe, so have made note - thanks!
antonette - we12travel says
Looks like a great spot for lunch. Even though I'm writing this while having breakfast, it makes me totally hungry. Also love the idea that they made a lunch spot in a temple, very nic!
Jolanta says
That looks like a wonderful place! Thank you for writing about it. I'll have to remember it when we visit Toronto. The kids may not care too much for tea, but I will.
Shikha (whywasteannualleave) says
Looks like a beautiful temple and what a peaceful place to stop for a pot of tea and a healthy meal :)