Sydney hit 28 degrees on the Friday we went and it felt like summer had switched on overnight! Nobody had to convince us, we wanted something icy straight away, so we headed to Bubble Nini in Zetland and ended up staying most of the afternoon.
Is Bubble Nini Zetland worth visiting
Yes, especially for the bingsu. It’s at 10 Ebsworth St, Zetland, right in the Green Square area, and listings show it open every day from 11:30am to 10:30pm, so check their website before you go in case hours have changed. There are a few Bubble Nini shops around Sydney, and the brand says it has been making its drinks since 2018, with fresh pearls made daily. Two of us spent around $20 each. We went on a Friday afternoon and it was really quiet, so we picked a table and stayed.
The strawberry matcha bingsu
It looked so good before we even touched it! A big green mountain of matcha ice with strawberries stuck all over the sides and a huge swirl of cream on top. The ice is fine and soft, almost fluffy, and the slight bitterness of the matcha cancels out the sweetness of the strawberries, so it never gets sickly. It comes with four little cups on the side, pearls, coconut jelly, condensed milk and strawberry sauce, so you can keep changing the flavour as you go. Big enough to share, and a great way to cool down on a hot afternoon.
The Dubai chocolate soft cookie
I wasn’t expecting much, then took a bite and heard the crunch! Soft chocolate on the outside, packed with pistachio cream inside, mixed through with golden kataifi strands that crackle as you bite. Rich, so it’s good to share.
The drinks
The lychee lemon green tea is the light one, sweet lychee, a bit of sour lemon and green tea aroma over the top, and it cut through all that dessert nicely.
The Sun Moon Lake black tea is what I’d order again. It doesn’t hit you with sweetness first, you get the black tea aroma, strong and smooth but not bitter, and the pearls were chewy the whole way through. 30% sugar was perfect for me, and it’s the shop’s signature for a reason.
The cake cabinet
I thought it would just be a bubble tea shop, but the cake cabinet is huge, full of all different cakes, matcha ones, crepe cakes, cheesecakes. Most slices were around $14 to $16 when we went. Standing in front deciding took me a while! One local guide says the cakes sell out daily, so a late afternoon visit might mean fewer choices.
The room
The decor is why we stayed so long. Warm lights, wood tables, log stools, flowers hanging around the arched windows, and a wall of bookshelves curving up into the ceiling. For a second I felt like I was back in China. Plenty of tables too, so we never had to hover.
A good spot to study near Green Square Library
Also worth knowing if you study nearby. The Green Square Library is only a few minutes’ walk away, but it closes at 6pm on weekdays and 4pm on weekends, and I’ve heard the closing announcement right when I’d got into the zone (it does run longer, until 9pm Monday to Thursday, during the HSC study period, City of Sydney). Bubble Nini stays open until 10:30pm, comfy seats, good lighting, easy to settle in with a laptop and a drink.
Going in the school holidays
Restaurant listings say families are welcome, and with the NSW spring school holidays running 28 September to 9 October this year, a weekday afternoon is an easy way to give teens somewhere to sit. Green Square Library also puts on kids activities over the holidays, so it’s worth a look, along with our libraries for kids list.