San Francisco, CA has 8 tea rooms and tea shops in this guide.
8 tea spots
San Francisco's Tea Scene
San Francisco's tea scene splits three ways. Chinese tea runs from free tastings at Vital Tea Leaf on Grant Avenue and Aroma Tea Shop in the Inner Richmond to gaiwan service and dumplings at Roy Fong's Imperial Tea Court in the Ferry Building, with Song Tea & Ceramics selling top-end oolong and handmade teaware on Sutter Street. Japanese tea covers the 1894 tea house in Golden Gate Park's Japanese Tea Garden plus a newer wave of matcha bars, led by Stonemill Matcha in the Mission and Constance Tea & Matcha, which opened in June 2026 and stone-mills its matcha on site. For British-style service, the Fairmont on Nob Hill serves afternoon tea in its Laurel Court.
The Richmond District and Golden Gate Park hold three venues: Aroma Tea Shop on 6th Avenue, Constance Tea & Matcha on Balboa Street and the tea house in the Japanese Tea Garden. Vital Tea Leaf in Chinatown and the Fairmont's Laurel Court on Nob Hill are a short uphill walk apart, Imperial Tea Court is in the Ferry Building, Song Tea & Ceramics is in Lower Pacific Heights and Stonemill Matcha is on Valencia Street in the Mission.
San Francisco Tea at a Glance
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Tea Rooms & Tea Shops (8)
Tea houses, afternoon-tea rooms, matcha bars and loose-leaf shops that brew tea from other makers. Each card says what the place is known for and its price range.
Haymen Da Luz and Ying Wu opened Aroma in 2005 and still travel to China several times a year to buy tea. The shop specializes in high-grade Chinese and Taiwanese teas, oolong above all, with Tie Kuan Yin, Milk Aroma and Blue People oolong among the bestsellers. Tastings at the custom tea bar are free, and Da Luz runs them as a combination of lesson and performance.
Opened in June 2026 in the Outer Richmond, Constance grinds tencha leaves into matcha on a stone mill at the back of the shop, which it says no other Bay Area cafe does. The menu is built on that fresh matcha and on stone-ground hojicha, served as lattes and einspanners. Batches are small, so the freshest matcha can run out.
The tea house inside Golden Gate Park's Japanese Tea Garden, the oldest public Japanese garden in the US, built for the 1894 Midwinter Exposition. A tea house has stood here since the fair, rebuilt several times, and today it serves matcha and other teas with snacks such as mochi, arare rice crackers and fortune cookies, looking out over the garden. Garden admission is required.
A Chinatown tea shop on Grant Avenue built around a tasting bar where staff brew rounds of loose-leaf tea for free and explain each one before you buy. It is a regular stop for tour groups, so expect a crowd at the bar at busy times. The brand runs more than one storefront on Grant Avenue; this listing is the 1044 Grant shop.
The Fairmont serves afternoon tea in Laurel Court, its domed, marble-columned lobby restaurant on Nob Hill, from 1pm to 3pm. The service brings pots of loose-leaf tea with house-made scones, lemon curd and Devonshire cream, tea sandwiches, fruit pastries and French sweets. Reservations are required, and the hotel runs a holiday tea in winter.
Tea master Roy Fong opened his first Imperial Tea Court in Chinatown in 1993; the Ferry Building teahouse is now the flagship. Chinese teas are served in gaiwans in a quiet room at the back of the stall, alongside a full food menu that includes dumplings. It is closed Wednesdays, and the kitchen stops an hour before closing.
Founder Peter Luong sources the oolongs and pairs them with handmade ceramics, including the shop's own gaiwan and celadon cups. The shop is open Wednesday through Sunday afternoons, and it hosts ticketed tastings and workshops, such as morning sessions that compare versions of its flagship oolongs, booked through Tock.
A matcha cafe on Valencia Street, open since 2018, that serves matcha from shade-grown farms in Japan. The menu pairs matcha drinks with Japanese food and sweets such as sandos and matcha desserts.
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San Francisco Tea Tips
Free tastings are a Chinatown and Richmond habit
Vital Tea Leaf on Grant Avenue and Aroma Tea Shop at 6th Avenue and Clement both pour tastings at the bar at no charge, with staff explaining brewing and origin as they go. Aroma owner Haymen Da Luz runs his tastings as a show. Expect to be offered tea to buy at the end.
Book Song Tea ahead
Song Tea & Ceramics on Sutter Street is open Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 5pm. Its tasting sessions and workshops are ticketed and booked through Tock, so reserve before you go rather than walking in for a session.
Go early for fresh-milled matcha
Constance Tea & Matcha grinds tencha into matcha on stone mills in small batches each day, so the freshest batches can sell out. Stonemill Matcha on Valencia closes at 4pm on weekdays and stays open until 7pm on weekends.
Plan around garden and hotel rules
The tea house at the Japanese Tea Garden is inside the paid garden, so you buy a garden ticket first. The Fairmont requires reservations for afternoon tea in the Laurel Court and asks guests to dress for the occasion.
Brewing at Home After San Francisco
Found a tea you liked in San Francisco? Buy the leaf, then use these to brew it the same way at home.
Teaware
Kettles, gaiwans, kyusu, scales and matcha whisks for brewing at home.
Steeping Chart
Water temperature and steep time for green, white, oolong, black and pu-erh.
Tea Ratio Calculator
Grams of leaf per 100 ml, for gongfu and western brewing.
Bitter Tea Troubleshooting
Fix a bitter, flat or astringent cup by changing one variable at a time.
Cold-Brew Tea Ratios
Leaf weight and fridge time for cold-brewed tea, by tea type.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I get gongfu or gaiwan tea service in San Francisco?
Imperial Tea Court in the Ferry Building serves tea in gaiwans with a full food menu. Vital Tea Leaf in Chinatown and Aroma Tea Shop in the Inner Richmond brew small-pot tastings at their bars, and Song Tea & Ceramics runs booked tasting sessions of its oolongs.
Where can I get afternoon tea in San Francisco?
The Fairmont San Francisco on Nob Hill serves afternoon tea in its Laurel Court from 1pm to 3pm, with loose-leaf tea, scones with lemon curd and Devonshire cream, tea sandwiches and pastries. Reservations are required.
Where is the best matcha in San Francisco?
Constance Tea & Matcha in the Outer Richmond stone-mills tencha into matcha in house every day, and Stonemill Matcha on Valencia Street in the Mission serves matcha drinks with Japanese food and sweets. The Japanese Tea Garden tea house in Golden Gate Park also serves matcha.
Where can I buy Chinese and Taiwanese loose-leaf tea in San Francisco?
Aroma Tea Shop sells high-grade teas from China and Taiwan, with oolongs such as Tie Kuan Yin and Milk Aroma among its bestsellers. Vital Tea Leaf on Grant Avenue and Imperial Tea Court in the Ferry Building also sell loose leaf, and Song Tea & Ceramics sells its own oolongs and handmade teaware.
Is the Japanese Tea Garden tea house worth visiting?
Yes. The garden opened in 1894 and is the oldest public Japanese garden in the US, and its tea house has served visitors since then, rebuilt several times. It serves matcha and other teas with snacks such as mochi and rice crackers, overlooking the garden. Admission to the garden is required.
San Francisco Tea by Neighborhood
Richmond District and Golden Gate Park
Best for: Free oolong tastings, fresh stone-milled matcha and the city's oldest tea house.
Top picks: Aroma Tea Shop, Constance Tea & Matcha, Japanese Tea Garden Tea House
Chinatown and Nob Hill
Best for: Free tastings on Grant Avenue and a formal hotel afternoon tea up the hill.
Top picks: Vital Tea Leaf, Afternoon Tea at Fairmont San Francisco
Embarcadero
Best for: Sit-down Chinese tea and dumplings inside the Ferry Building.
Top picks: Imperial Tea Court
Lower Pacific Heights
Best for: High-end oolong and handmade teaware, with booked tastings.
Top picks: Song Tea & Ceramics
Tea Reading for San Francisco Visitors
Read these before you order: what to ask for, how it is brewed, and what it should cost.
