Welcome to the guide to tea in San Francisco and the Bay Area!
Anywhere I travel, I always want to know: where is the best tea shop near me? I wrote this guide to help anyone with the same question find their way to the best tea in San Francisco.
Where is the Best Tea in San Francisco?
Table of Contents
As small as San Francisco is (it may surprise you to hear San Francisco city proper is only a 7×7 square mile area), there’s a surprising amount of tea packed in and around the area. I decided to put a guide together to help the uninitiated or unaware navigate the confusing hills and neighborhoods of the San Francisco and Bay Area tea scene.
I’ve been to a number of the places on this list, though I haven’t written about them, and some are still on my list to visit. My goal is to have personal reviews written for most of these places over time, but until then I’ve included little bits and blurbs in lieu of more in-depth articles.
Before we begin, if you’re a Bay Area tea drinker and you see any glaring omissions, please let me know! This list is meant to include tea houses, cafes, or restaurants with the kind of tea offering an enthusiast like me would enjoy. If you don’t see a place you go for a decent milk tea, that’s probably why.
Let’s get to it!
Tea in Downtown San Francisco/SoMa
Imperial Tea Court – SF Ferry Building
Roy Fong’s Imperial Tea Court is one of the OGest of OG tea houses in SF. Roy was among the very first people to start bringing premium loose leaf tea over from China shortly after their economic opening in the late 80s and early 90s. It’s a tea lover’s paradise in here.
The beautiful space sits inside the rows of shops in the historic Ferry Building. It’s modeled after a stereotypical Chinese teahouse you might find in or around Hong Kong. Gorgeous teaware and canisters of a wide variety of Chinese teas adorns the walls. Stop in and refresh your stock or stay for a whole for a gongfu session with any tea off their extensive menu.
If you’re feeling a bit peckish, they have a wonderful menu of Chinese food, which is actually the main attraction for most folks stopping by. Protip: grab a couple packs of their tea-infused cookies and a jar of their oolong spice oil to go.
Website | Map
Asha Teahouse – FiDi
While this place has become a hot spot for milk tea and boba, I say skip right past those offerings and take a look at their gong fu tea sets. For $8-9 you can try a while variety of tea from puer to Taiwanese oolong. The owners mainly specialize in Taiwanese tea, so I recommend you stay on that side of the fence.
There are only two downsides to this place: it can get packed, which makes it hard to get into the tea zone, and it’s closed on weekends. This is mainly because FiDi is a ghost town when folks aren’t working, but hey, there’s always their main teahouse in Berkeley for your weekend tea fix.
Website | Map
Family Cafe – North Beach
This new spot in the Little Italy aka North Beach area of SF is a gem. Opened by a trio of experienced Japanese sushi chefs and resterateurs, Family Cafe features seasonal Japanese food made from scratch and tea sourced directly from Gifu prefecture.
At the time of their opening, they offer four types of tea: matcha (whisked), matcha latte, hojicha latte, and barley tea (mugicha). Jessica, one of the co-owners who usually works the front of house, prepares each of them expertly and serves them up with a small dish of Japanese sweets made in-house.
Family Cafe is by far and away one of my favorite places in the city already and they’ve only been around a short time!
Website | Map
Tea People – Hayes Valley
From the founders of Boba Guys, Tea People is the company Bin and Andrew started to source quality whole leaf tea for Boba Guy’s milk tea offering. While you can get access to some Tea People stuff in most Boba Guys stores, the Hayes Valley flagship store is the only one with a tea bar in it.
In this shop you can sit at the bar and enjoy a flight of their teas or go deep with any single offering. The vibe is usually bustling but relatively chill, making it a good spot to get some work done while sipping on a decent cup of tea. I’d rate the overall quality of their offering below other specialty tea spots, but they put on a respectable showing for a place that’s supposed to be all about the Boba.
Website | Map
Samovar Tea Lounge – Yerba Buena Gardens
The Samovar Tea Gardens in Yerba Buena Gardens is tucked away in the sprawling Moscone Center campus. The food there is quite good (be prepared to pay SF prices) and they carry numerous Samovar offerings for you to sip alone or alongside a meal.
It’s not my favorite place on the list but the Tea Lounge is a good spot to keep in mind if you want a sip and a bite for lunch or dinner.
Website | Map
Tea in Chinatown
Vital Tea Leaf
Vital Tea Leaf is a place I’ve written about before. They’re another one of the tea OGs in SF and it was one of the first tea shops I experience in SF and I still have a soft spot for it in my heart. The thing to bear in mind about VTL and other places on Grant St. in Chinatown is it’s mostly a tourist area, so they’re likely to lump you into that bucket when you walk in.
READ: A Tailored Tea Experience: Vital Tea Leaf
Don’t settle for the Blue People Oolong and ask for something else instead. They may have something ready in gaiwans you can jump in on, or you can maybe ask to taste something more to your liking. I recently had a very interesting green tea from Sichuan that tasted like water at first but built up an alluring sweetness that stuck with me for a while afterwards walking down the street.
Website | Map
Red Blossom Tea Company
Red Blossom Tea is yet another entry on the OG list. I made my first ever loose leaf tea purchase from them–a Mi Lan Xiang that was to die for–and they are a paragon of quality in traditional Taiwanese tea. Their space is beautifully designed with lots of light wood, and they have a fabulous collection of various teawares that starts a bit pricey and goes up from there.
Much like VTL, they’re likely going to think you’re a tourist at first, but unlike VTL they don’t won’t try to foist some kind of blended or subpar tea on you (because they don’t have any, really). They offer a seasonal tea flight tasting for $35, but it’s only 30-40 minutes long, which I think is a shame.
In any case, you won’t be disappointed by their quality, so stop by if you’re in Chinatown.
Website | Map
Tea in the Mission
Stonemill Matcha
Anyone who’s read my post about Stonemill will know I’m a fanboy. I make any excuse I can to arrange meetings and lunches there if I have any in the area. It’s still amazing and it’s still the best matcha/hojicha cafe in town.
READ: Stonemill Matcha: The Best Matcha in San Francisco
That said, since opening they have pivoted a bit to be more food-centric, which also includes stuffing the once open and minimalist space with as many tables as it can comfortably fit. A tea-centric business model just doesn’t seem to pay the bills for their beautiful space in SF.
The good news is the food is amazing. Grab the Pork Katsu Donburi or Katsu Sandwich if you’re really hungry, or the Chicken Okayu if you’d like something a bit healthier or lighter.
Website | Map
Samovar Teahouse Cafe – Valencia St.
Samovar’s Mission spot is one of two teahouse cafes they have in the city. Likely the first thing you’ll notice coming in the door is a pot of bubbling chai. The fragrance is so alluring it’s basically impossible to miss. They have a variety of other teas to-go on offer and packs of loose leaf for purchase in-store.
They have very little seating inside but more out on the sidewalk. Grab a cup to go and take it for a stroll down Valencia St. to look at all the fun boutiques and bistros or sit with a small pot outside and enjoy the bustle as it passes you by.
Website | Map
Beloved Cafe
I have yet to visit Beloved myself, but the way it was sold to me is as a “crunchy quinoa exterior but it’s all tea at heart”. Indeed, their tea menu is huge. Even the website doesn’t communicate the full extent of what they have available.
I feel comfortable recommending this spot on reputation alone. I’ll make sure to come back and update this post once I’ve had the chance to check it out myself.
Website | Map
Tea in Japantown/Fillmore
Song Tea
Ya gotta go here. That’s all there is to it. Jump on their website and book an hour-long tasting. Read my blog post about my own experience if you’re curious to know a bit more before you dive in (but you really should just go).
READ: Premium Tea Service: Song Tea
Make sure you stop to ogle the teaware while you’re there. Peter works directly with a number of artists both local to SF and abroad in Taiwan to produce some truly wonderful pieces. Be warned–they are not cheap! Fortunately, the tea is a lot more affordable.
Website | Map
ChaTo
Just a few blocks away from Song Tea, tucked behind the staircase on the second floor of the Japantown Center Mall, right next to the good-but-overhyped Marufuku Ramen restaurant, lies Japanese tea shop ChaTo. This isn’t a place to sit and have a cup but you should walk right in and talk to the lovely folks behind the counter. I doubt you’ll make it that far before they offer you a cup of whatever they have ready.
They’re a wonderfully friendly group happy to answer any questions you have about Japanese tea, brew you up a cup of something if you ask for it, and go over the finer points of Japanese teaware, which they have plenty of in their modest space.
Website | Map
Samovar Teahouse Cafe – Fillmore St.
The second of two Samovar Teahouse Cafes is in the Japantown area as well. While the Valencia St. location relies on limited indoor but a bit more outdoor seating, the Fillmore location has some seats and tables where you can sit and sip but lacks the outdoor seating.
It’s a cozy and well-lit spot to have a pot of tea with a book or with a friend or two. Also a great destination to stop for a drink on your way to some Japantown food or shopping.
Website | Map
Tea in Berkeley/Oakland
Far Leaves
This teahouse first came on my radar when I listened to a podcast with one of the co-founders, Peter Christy. The subject of the podcast was mindful living and drinking, and you can tell this is something that is integral to the design and function of the Far Leaves teahouse.
They have a wonderful tea menu served up in appropriately matched tea pots. Each table has kettles kept full for you to brew your own tea to your satisfaction. In short, it’s a tea enthusiasts dream spot.
Website | Map
Asha Teahouse – Berkeley
Yet another on the list of places to visit, I can only assume Asha’s original Berkeley spot is at least as good as their bustling FiDi location mentioned above. They’ve certainly got the aesthetic nailed. I imagine the space and the location creates a bit more space and less often overwhelmed milk tea juggernaut in downtown.
Website | Map
Teance
Teance just recently reopened their doors after closing down their previous retail location. I’ve yet to go, but their reputation precedes them by quite a bit. If your’e out in East Bay drinking tea anyways, add them to your list. They also have a tea tasting experience available on Airbnb you can book with one of their capable teahouse staff.
Website | Map
Blue Willow Tea
Another stalwart of the Bay Area tea community is Blue Willow. They have a warm and welcome community vibe. I love to see pictures of Ali on her various tea trips and adventures on Instagram as well. I also recently learned they offer Omotesenke-style Japanese tea ceremony experiences in a small pseudo-tea room space in the shop. All the more reason to go!
Website | Map
Other Bay Area Tea Spots
Samovar – SFO International Terminal
Like a safe port in a storm, the Samovar Teahouse Cafe in the SFO international terminal is a welcome sight, indeed. Positioned just before you hit the security check, the open and well-lit teahouse spot is the perfect way to get your tea on before you endure TSA and arduous travel to your final destination.
Important: They are not open until 10 AM! Makes it a big bummer when you’re jonesing for the caffeine fix for your early morning flight.
Website | Map
Phoenix Tea Collection – Lagunitas
Phoenix Tea Collection is a bit of an outlier in that it’s pretty far out of the Bay Area proper. Located in Lagunitas, it’s about 45 minutes past Golden Gate Bridge by car if traffic’s behaving. The only reason I mention it here is because it’s the home of David Lee Hoffman and his legendary tea collection.
READ: The Phoenix Tea Collection: Tea with David Lee Hoffman
I went and saw him a couple years back and wrote about the experience. It was transformative as a young tea drinker to meet someone with as much experience in both the business of tea and the skill of making it. Plus, you can visit the Muir Woods redwood forest and take the beautiful Coastal Highway back down to the city on your way home. It’s a major win-win.
Important: They are only open on Saturdays from 10-2 PM so plan accordingly!
Website | Map
(Featured Photo by Maarten van den Heuvel on Unsplash)
2 comments
Thank you for the list! One spot you may have missed off the top of my head is Aroma Tea Shop off Clement and 6th in Inner Richmond district. I’ve only ever bought loose leaf from them online but they have a huge selection and great quality.
Hey Irene, thanks for the note!
I am aware of Aroma Tea actually. I’ll get them added.