Bookshop and Tea Shop

Chapter is a bookshop and loose leaf tea shop located in the heart of the Mt Eden Village. The store also carries tea accessories and tea gifts.

Chapter is the brainchild of Frances and Christina, who are cousins. On her return to Auckland after living overseas for several years, Frances found that the local bookshops carried a very limited range of romance books for which she had a passion. An avid reader, Frances decided it was time for a career change and to set up her own independent bookshop specialising in the romance fiction genre.

Frances acquired the Tea Time Café business in the Mt Eden Village in April 2005. With the assistance of Christina, who had café experience and is a crime and mystery fiction reader, the cousins decided to maintain the well-established specialty loose leaf tea business which had operated for ten years. Frances and Christina also wanted to provide a relaxed environment for readers to browse and purchase romance and crime/mystery books whilst enjoying a cup of tea or coffee. The café was renovated in May 2005 and it reopened as Chapter book café and tea shop in June 2005.

The Books

We specialise in the romance fiction genre, including contemporary romance, fantasy (including futuristic, magic, paranormal, time travel, vampires, werewolves, etc) romance, historical romance, hot romance, regency romance, romantic comedy and romantic suspense. We also offer selections of mainstream, chick lit and crime & mystery fiction.

We import most books directly from the USA and stock the latest releases as well as classic favourites. Authors include best-sellers such as Mary Balogh, Maeve Binchy, Dan Brown, Sandra Brown, Lee Child, Janet Evanovich, Diana Gabaldon, Julie Garwood, John Grisham, Georgette Heyer, Linda Howard, Marian Keyes, Jayne Ann Krentz, Johanna Lindsey, Jodi Picoult, Julia Quinn, J.D. Robb and Nora Roberts. Up-and-coming new writers include  Christine Feehan, Laurell K. Hamilton, Charlaine Harris, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Sophie Kinsella, Kinley MacGregor and Gena Showalter.

We would be happy to search for any fiction titles that you are seeking and order these in for you.

Read more about the books

The Teas and Tea Accessories

We offer a wide range of specialty loose leaf teas (traditional and flavoured black teas, traditional and flavoured green teas, white teas, herbal teas, fruit teas, oolong teas, pu-erh tea, Turkish apple tea, organic teas and decaffeinated teas), stick teas and tea accessories (including tea pots, cups and saucers, tea glasses, infusers, strainers, filter bags and tea tins). We also stock a selection of tea books.

Read more about the Teas

The Café

Come in and try a pot of loose leaf tea (choose from more than 100 different teas) or a tea-based chai latte, and taste the difference! We also have espresso coffee (Atomic Coffee's Veloce blend) and a selection of cold drinks as well as delicious cakes, savoury treats and yummy cookies.

Tea Gifts and Gifts for Tea Drinkers

Not sure what to give as a gift? We have a few options for you - a tea gift bag, a tea gift box (with either 4 or 10 popular teas from our range), a tea accessory or a gift certificate.

Books and Gifts for Readers

We can search for any particular fiction title you would like to give as a gift (but please allow a few weeks to get the book in) or, if you are not sure what to give as a gift, then why not try a gift certificate.

What They Are Saying About Us

Metro - November 2008 - Top 50 Cafes 2008 - "A charming bookshop-cum-teashop with good coffee as well."

Metro - November 2006 - "Chapter. 442 Mt Eden Rd, although principally a teashop, is the stand-out establishment in the coffee wasteland of Mt Eden village. It's also a bookshop specialising in romance fiction, so you can read Only a Duke Will Do with your Atomic Joe."

About Town - October 2005 - "Open Book. Cosy and caring, this cafe has a HAPPY ending. There is considerable ambient pull ... The coffee is reason alone to stay ... We love the little club sandwiches that are so fresh and light and refreshingly traditional ... The bacon and egg pie and vegetable frittata are fresh enough and generous enough to quietly please, and the optional relish adds a further lift ... There's a sweet round of muffins and cakes and such which will happily hold hands with our second round of coffee ... Because Chapter is small, it's easy to build up a sense of cosiness ... This sense of cosiness and caring is enhanced by the deeds of the cousins who take great care of their clients - be they eating, booking or taking tea by the leaf away."

Metro - September 2005 - "Hot. Chapter cafe, Mt Eden. Coffee, tea, delectable poppyseed cakes - and romance novels and girly thrillers including Hazel Holt's Mrs Mallory series."

Urbis - Spaces 2005 - "For a unique tea experience, visit Chapter in Mt Eden, which is a book store, premium tea supplier and cafe all in one. Our favourite brew? Nepal Chai."

citymix - July 2005 - "Heady brew. Discover Chapter, a cafe for book lovers. Sipping coffee and ruminating over a good book is that most favourite of past times to be had amongst the labyrinthe aisles of the library, the bookstore or your own mind. Chapter is the latest verse in this meeting of words and potions, and with exquisite cakes and extensive range of crime, romance and contemporary novels, it makes that warm aromatic break from your Mt Eden sojourn just that much more fulfilling."