Let’s take a journey back to the turn of the twentieth century. In Prague, perhaps, near the Charles University dormitories. A group of young but world-worn revolutionaries nod to one another before entering a warm teahouse, kicking the thick snow off of their black heavy boots. They greet the owner, who they know is sympathetic to their cause, and sit in the back of the shop on small round cushions placed on the burgundy carpeted floor.

This is the feeling of Dobra Tea in Northampton, a place where modern philosophes and revolutionaries can meet to while their evenings away in warm conversations and hot tea.

The teahouse values atmosphere above all, and theirs servers, known as “devotees,” are experts at pouring their diverse blends with exacting finesse. Once you enter the eyeglass-fogging, warm restaurant, you are greeted by a small fountain, about two dozen tables, and more tea accoutrements than seem reasonable.

You are given a small bell to ring when you are ready to order and a menu that spans well over 80 pages, including the table of contents. You have a wealth of options here, and all the time you need to order. After the lengthy tea menu, a list of small snacks “for hungry tea-drinkers” is provided.

At Dobra, there are five premium tables that I heartily recommend. They are located in the three farthest corners of the teahouse on raised platforms. The tables themselves are only about a foot off the ground, and customers sit on round cushions, barefoot. The atmosphere at these tables is quiet and genuine, romantic in the historical sense of the word. While at Dobra in these little nooks I’ve talked with perfect strangers for hours at a time and reminisced about the good old days with old friends.

Therein lies the beauty of Dobra, its magic touch. Dobra is intimate, a place where you can be perfectly comfortable with your fellow guests. Replace its quiet chatter with a Starbucks din, and it’s just another overpriced place selling nonalcoholic beverages, the long menu becomes an annoyance rather than a boon, and the spotty cell reception becomes a deal-breaker rather than a nice relief.

In that manner, Dobra isn’t for everyone. You need to be able to enjoy the present with sincerity and an open mind. Texting and Snapchatting in Dobra serves only to spoil the mood, and here, the mood is everything. The tea is good too.

The teas are meant for sharing, and as such come in small, refillable pots that you can dispense as you please over many hours. I recommend the Tuareg tea as their best brew. It is a sweet Moroccan mint tea served in small glass cups with a single mint leaf at the bottom. The flavor is intense and accessible, a perfect way to start a night of gallivanting about Northampton or to round off the evening.

The pu-er nugget and red phoenix teas are not to be missed, either. These teas have a bolder, more complex range of flavors, with bottomless refills of hot water. All are delicious with a bowl of crystallized ginger on the side. And the pita and hummus is a must.

Dobra Tea is a trendy tea chain with a trendy location in trendy Northampton, but what they do, they do very well. Is it expensive? To a degree, yes. $5.75 for hot water and tea leaves can seem excessive, but that hot water and tea leaves come with hours of truly memorable shared experiences and excellent service. It’s a top-notch establishment, and I recommend you give it a shot.