Bubble-tea and iced-tea shops we checked, and how to cold-brew loose-leaf tea at home. For hot tea, tea rooms and loose-leaf shops, see the Berkeley tea guide.
Berkeley's boba is a campus scene. Durant Avenue and Bancroft Way, just south of UC Berkeley, pack in Plentea, Purple Kow, Boba Ninja and Sweetheart Cafe, which says it was the first bubble milk tea cafe in the East Bay when it opened in 1996. Downtown, Asha Tea House on University Avenue and Tibear on Shattuck Avenue are the stops for matcha milk tea and mochi milk tea. For iced matcha made from stone-milled Uji powder, go south on Shattuck to Forest Tea Bar.
8 Berkeley shops, checked as open on 2026-10-01. Listed in no particular order; this is not a ranking.
| Tea | Leaf per Water | Example Batch | Steep and Serve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green or white tea | 8.5–10.6 g per litre | 9 g leaf : 1 L cold water | Fridge 6–8 hours, strain, drink as is (Rishi) |
| Black tea or oolong | 8.5–10.6 g per litre | 9 g leaf : 1 L cold water | Fridge 8–10 hours, strain, drink as is (Rishi) |
| Taiwanese oolong, lighter batch | 7 g per litre | 7 g leaf : 1 L cold water | 2–3 hours at room temperature or overnight in the fridge (Eco-Cha) |
| Herbal blends and rooibos | 8.5–10.6 g per litre | 10 g : 1 L cold water | Fridge 10–12 hours for herbal (Rishi), at least 12 hours for rooibos (Rooibos.Africa) |
| Sencha, quick concentrate | 10 g per 210 ml | 10 g leaf : 210 ml chilled water | 15 minutes undisturbed, small glasses (Ippodo) |
| Where It Steeps | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator, 40 °F (4 °C) or colder | 6–12 hours by tea type | Green and white shortest, herbal and rooibos longest. The FDA puts a safe fridge at 40 °F or below. |
| Room temperature | 2–3 hours (Taiwanese oolong only) | Eco-Cha’s short counter steep; strain and refrigerate the tea once it is done. |
| Chilled water, quick | 15 minutes (sencha) | Ippodo’s method gives a small, concentrated cup rather than a pitcher. |
Sources: Rishi Tea & Botanicals, How to Make Iced Tea; Eco-Cha, How to Brew Oolong Tea; Ippodo Tea, Cold Brew Sencha; Rooibos.Africa, Brewing; FDA, Refrigerator Thermometers: Cold Facts about Food Safety.
Every tea type, with leaf weight and fridge time: Cold-Brew Tea Ratio Chart.
We checked 8 Berkeley bubble-tea and iced-tea shops as open on 2026-10-01: Asha Tea House (Downtown Berkeley (University Ave)), Plentea (Southside (Durant Ave)), Purple Kow (Southside (Channing Way)), Sweetheart Cafe (Southside (Durant Ave)), Boba Ninja (Southside (Durant Ave)), Tibear (Downtown Berkeley (Shattuck Ave)), Forest Tea Bar (South Berkeley (Shattuck Ave)) and Chicha San Chen (Southside (Bancroft Way)).
Tibear list brown sugar boba on their own menus or listings.
Plentea, Sweetheart Cafe, Boba Ninja, Tibear, Chicha San Chen make fruit teas, according to their menus or listings.
Use about 9 g of leaf per litre of cold water and steep it in the fridge: 6–8 hours for green or white tea, 8–10 hours for black or oolong, 10–12 hours for herbal blends (Rishi’s guidance). Strain, then keep it refrigerated at 40 °F or colder.