Arvo Lavender Chai Review

Arvo Oahu, Hawaii

Today I’m switching things up a bit with a cafe review!

This is Arvo, a trendy cafe located on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. I’ve seen this place all over instagram, as well as been recommended by friends.

I came across their Instagram account a while ago and have been wanting to visit for a while now, so when I finally got to go I knew I needed to do a review on their chai! They also serve food, like sandwiches and avocado toast, but unfortunately I didn’t have enough time to order more than a couple drinks.

I got a recommendation to try their lavender chai which is just their normal chai + their house made lavender syrup and some lavender on top.

I ordered both the lavender customization with soy milk and the regular chai with milk to compare.

Side note: They have teamed up with a local alternative milk provider to sell freshly-made nut milks as well as oat milk!

Arvo has a really cool atmosphere, it’s like California cafe meets Hawaii. I love their clean and simple decor, lots of white/natural colors makes it bright and modern.

They are actually located in a mall, and have tables set outside where if you order food they’ll bring it to you. The outdoor seating is nice, especially since it’s a little harder to find since COVID.

They were pretty busy when I went, so it took a little while to get our drinks.

The lavender chai was very solid, I would definitely get again! I love that it wasn’t overly sweet, but it was a good balance between the lavender syrup and the chai. I believe that they don’t use concentrate, since I could see some spices at the bottom of the cup (which I love).

While it wasn’t a spicy chai, it definitely has depth to it and was more than just black tea +milk. Often times, drinks with lavender in them tend to lose the lavender, but they were generous with it and it really added to make this chai unique. Also, since I got it with soy milk, it really let the chai flavor shine through.

The regular chai with milk was not as flavorful. I’m not sure if it’s just because the ratio was milk heavy, or the fact that regular cow’s milk masked the chai too much. It just tasted like milk with a hint of cinnamon in the background.

Both drinks were ordered iced. If you make it there, definitely order the chai iced, with soy milk and add lavender syrup!

If you are in Honolulu and want to chai for yourself, you can visit Arvo at 324 Coral Street at SALT, Honolulu, HI.