i'm not much of a tea drinker, so i don't have much opinion on it. this place is a bit bougie. very quiet. almost like a library study room that serves fancy tea. service was friendly. the ube mochi muffin was good. read more

Great energy great service if your looking for a sitdown tea spot look no further couldnt have been happier to find this place

I love this place! Let me first say that i am passionate about tea, I have over 60 different high quality teas (oolongs, puerhs, blacks, and greens) in my tea tansu, and have a nose for fine tea establishments. I've been coming here since they opened. the staff are all exceptionally knowledgable, friendly, thoughtful, and sophisticated. The ambiance is exquisite and if you want an authentic tea experience, blue willow tea spot is up there with the best of them. Their prices for high quality tea are the lowest of any tea shop in the Bay Area. Thank you everyone at blue willow for all the amazing tea, and taking care of me so sweetly for all these years. read more

Quality selection of delicious and authentic teas accompanied by welcoming, passionate and engaging staff. My favorite tea spot in the Bay Area! read more

This is a great spot for wannabe hipsters who sell flavored hot water for ridiculous prices. The owner was condescending when we asked about the different teas and it took forever just to serve us hot water. This has a snooty vibe and uncomfortable overall atmosphere. I went with a party of 4 and none of us will ever return. read more

It was our first time and the girl working here was super sweet. She explained a variety of teas to us. They don't have a caffeine-free option so we tried a couple teas that are low in caffeine. Our favorite was the Wild Forest Pu'erh. It's dark, grounding and smooth. We really liked it. It was a Sunday afternoon and the place was pretty busy. They have different rooms for people to enjoy tea. It's sweet. read more

This tea shop is AMAAAAAAZING!! We stopped in yesterday and the owner and her staff were soooo nice. There is a great selection of teas for drinking, tasting, and purchasing!! Highly recommend the Black Honey Oolong and the locally sourced pastries (I forgot the name of the bakery but is nearby in Berkeley some where!! definitely taste the Mochi muffin and the Ube one too!) read more

Blue Willow Teaspot - Served with the tea service items appropriate for that kind of tea! - Tea Rooms Near Me - Berkeley, California

Excellent owner, staff, the selection of teas and understanding of teas is amazing. The environment is cozy-Berkeley. Good place to meet a blind date or sit with old friends and sip. I'm away now and miss this charming top-spot! read more

Amazing place! I love the vibes and all the great teas, especially getting recommendations from the friendly folks working, and traditional tea ware that the tea is served in here. read more

This is my favorite tea shop. Ali, the owner is so knowledgeable and sweet. Their Earl Grey blend is my favorite. I drink it religiously every morning. I'm also a big fan of their milky oolong. The shoe has a wonderful atmosphere. read more

Lovely spot for tea. Welcoming and huge variety. zen type of feel with parking availability. Staff was friendly and informative. Took time to offer explanations etc. very inviting. Especially for newbies to tea. Great place to chat with a Friend or study and read over a pot of tea. Will definitely return. read more

Wonderful to-go drink menu at the counter, can make or blend any tea they have hot or cold for to-go as well and a great vibe/space for sit down tea flight options. This place is a little happy corner :) read more

A great place to sit and get some work done. It's like hanging out in a big comfy living room for a day of work. They serve tea in the traditional way of each tea's origin, which is pretty fun. And they have hot water kettles sprinkled around the room to keep you hydrated during your time there. The tea is pretty great, and they usually serve 2 iced versions a day. They have a few pastries available everyday, including a gluten free option. Didn't take a good look, but seemed like everything was on the sweet side. Also, because it's so quiet here, it's not a great place to have a very lively conversation. I spent a few hours here catching up with a friend, but we were pretty aware of how loud we were compared to most of the other customers even when we did our best to be relatively quiet. read more

Blue Willow Teaspot - Tea Rooms Near Me - Berkeley, California

Lovely tearoom! It's a smaller space, but the atmosphere is really clean and peaceful, with lots of people working or quietly chatting. I came here to study for a midterm, and it was really easy to focus here! Beware that there aren't too many outlets, so try to snag a table by an outlet if you think you'll need charge. They offer a really large variety of Japanese teas-- the entire wall by the cashier is filled with boxes and boxes of teas! The staff is very welcoming and are happy to help you decide on a tea to try. For my visit, I informed them that I wanted something light and refreshing, and they gave me a chilled Sencha tea which was exactly what I was looking for. I'll be coming by again (and trying some of their hot teas!), whether it's to study or just to enjoy the vibe. read more

I stopped in looking for a travel tea set and, while I didn't find exactly what I was looking for, the iced black tea I got was phenomenal. The staff was very helpful and knowledgeable. The indoor seating looked very clean and the decor was cute! I will be back in the future for sure! Edit: I came here for a date and had a wonderful flight of delicious teas! Can't recommend it enough! It's also very affordable for the quality of the tea. read more

Beautiful selection of tea. Quaint space with a peaceful atmosphere and very knowledgeable staff. Visiting was a refreshing experience.

Blue Willow is one of those kind of places that sets the standard for what a tea shop should be. They have delicious, high quality teas and for reasonable prices (Would highly recommend the Golden Needle Red tea). However, what sets Blue Willow apart is the service (or should I say family?). I have been coming ever since opening, and consistently feel welcomed by the wonderful staff there. Just now, I came in and got a lovely hug from Ali the owner and Lili one of the staff there. Would highly recommend! read more

The Japanese Tea Room is beautiful and my parents enjoyed coming to this place for tea and cake when they visited me! We highly recommend the Jasmine Pearl, which reminded my parents of the tea they used to have together back in Vietnam. The ambiance was great and the staff were very kind. Very excited to come here again with my family! read more

This place is the perfect tea (or French press) spot! It has: Great ambience Sweet employees Delicious fancy tea Reasonably priced Mochi muffins! I love meeting a friend here for tea, a great non-alcoholic option after work! These are the kinds of local businesses we need to support! It's right in the middle of Sprouts, Whole Foods and Starbucks, Philz. Easily overlooked...But this is a unique spot with high quality products. Check them out! read more

Wonderful spot, great tea selection, friendly and helpful staff! This place is a definite stopover for us anytime we are in Berkeley!

Checked this place out today. It's still brand new. I saw a poster for it when walking to work and decided to check it out. No regrets. The ladies are extremely nice, willing to talk. And they have the greatest selection for tea. Like... a million. Very mellow vibe, quiet, a nice place to relax, different than most vibes in the neighborhood. Definitely plan to go back again. If I had any complaint: no honey yet, but they do offer sugar. But honey is soon to come! On another note, this place is worth stopping by, you won't want to leave. read more

Blue Willow Teaspot - Masala chai and coconut milk chai! - Tea Rooms Near Me - Berkeley, California

Best. Matcha. Ever. Matcha in the Matcha Room. Don't add sugar. Don't add milk. Just breathe deeply and taste. There is light conversation but enough peace to study. Truly a gem. read more

Blue Willow Teaspot - Tea Rooms Near Me - Berkeley, California

The tea is delicious, the baristas are clearly trained and knowledgeable on how to properly prepare the tea, and the atmosphere is peaceful, comforting and unique. I bring all of my friends here when they visit town! The gluten free pastries are appreciated and delicious!! read more

I can't believe it took me this long to find this gem. This Teaspot is THE spot that I'll be marking down as my go-to place when I need to get my productivity up. I love the nice bright and earthy ambience of the place. The huge selection of tea along with a personal kettle at the table are also helpful in making sure that I don't snooze off too soon before getting my work done. With the free WiFi and friendly service, I can't see how anyone could have anything less than a superb experience here. Also, I'm not sure if this is usually part of the tea place, but there was even a friendly doggo that roams around while I was there. As an animal lover, that certainly is a huge plus for me. With all the wonderful features of this place, perhaps the only downside is the parking situation. Since the tea house doesn't have its own parking lot, you can only park on the side of the street. I went there on a weekday and had minor difficulties in finding one, but it might be a lot harder on the weekend to score a good spot. read more

Blue Willow Teaspot - Happy pooch that roams around and giving everybody love - Tea Rooms Near Me - Berkeley, California

We had a wonderful time here! We reserved the Japanese room and enjoyed a tea flight, as well as mochi donuts. Afterwards, we perused the shop and enjoyed viewing their tea ware and tea. I cannot wait to return!! read more

Blue Willow Teaspot - Tea flight - Tea Rooms Near Me - Berkeley, California

This place is the ideal place for a midday break and an opportunity to refocus your attention by performing your own tea ceremony. Unassuming from outside once you enter the space is inviting, and intriguing. Up front you have a standard tea shop, but in the back there are many seating options as well as a small corner with a Japanese table and tatami mats so that you can really appreciate the nuances of your matcha! My favorite things are that teas are served with traditional serving tools like a gaiwan or yixing for Chinese style oolongs and puer as well as Indian and British style serving tools and drinkware. I enjoyed the aromatic cup addition with my milk oolong! Do yourself a favor and take some time out of your busy week to enjoy this space. read more

Blue Willow Teaspot - Milk oolong in yixing pot. Yes. - Tea Rooms Near Me - Berkeley, California

This is such a wonderful spot to study or meet up with a friend. The ambiance is a mix between a traditional tea room and a coffee shop which makes it my go to for many occasions. The teas here are high quality, and I love that they keep kettles around the entire seating area so you can refill your pot at any time, and at the exact temperature the tea is meant to be steeped. I learned so much about different teas from Ali and the other staff! My favorites have to be the Milk Oolong, Black Honey Oolong, and JinJunMei. read more

Adorable, quiet spot. Chill and refined without being prissy or rigid. Nice and helpful staff...my new go to.

Tea smells and tastes amazing! Great and friendly customer service! Also great environment to do work/school work.

great tea - really rude service. told if I wanted bulk tea, I should order online and complained about having to do it. . I will not come here again. read more

Are you serious about tea? If so, this place is going to minimally meet your expectations, if not exceed it. We learned so much about tea within the first 10 minutes of stepping foot in there. The experience was interesting and enjoyable. There are a variety of places to sit ranging from a couch, to regular tables, to a table in which you take off your shoes and sit on little cushions. Take your pick. We take all of our out-of-town visitors here to begin their first Berkeley experience. read more

Calm spot to enjoy tea alone or with friends. Their tea selection is very good and they have tea kettles around the seating area so you don't have to wait bother the staff to get more hot water. The place is clean and bright and they also have on-going classes, when I was there, a group of bonsai enthusiasts were meeting in a separate room. read more

Blue Willow Teaspot - Tea Rooms Near Me - Berkeley, California

I love this place so much! I regularly (and happily) make the trek across town to hang out here because of: 1) The tea -- obviously. It's clear that they care a lot about not only the quality of the tea but the whole experience. I think tea drinkers often get short-changed of this type of special, ritual moment compared to coffee drinkers (so many roasteries, third wave pour-over, etc etc etc). So it's really nice to find this. Also they carry the mochi muffins by Third Culture, if you haven't had one you must find one immediately!! 2) The people -- everyone who works here is sensationally nice and that contributes to the calm, happy zen vibe you want when you're having a pot of tea. 3) The convenience -- ample parking, always a seat. Though I'm torn between desiring for everyone to patronize this place, and selfishly wanting these two things to always be true :) read more

Came here on a rainy day. Not a traditional/oriental tea house but has a serene and quiet cafe atmosphere. Large tea selection from whites, greens, herbals, oolongs, and black. You can order the simple or traditional options. Simple ($4-5) is a cup and traditional ($6-7) comes with a small kettle for several servings. I ordered the Japanese bamboo tea which was good. You can ask to smell the tea before purchasing. Has several seating arrangements: tables, couches, and one mat booth (my favorite). Several water heaters are spread about the place for you to self-refill your tea kettles. read more

Blue Willow Teaspot - Sitting in the mat booth. - Tea Rooms Near Me - Berkeley, California

The Yunnan Tea is just the best. I discovered this tea at a café near campus. I then tracked it down to this gorgeous, little teaspot. I live in Los Angeles and have these lovely bags of tea delivered to my home. I can't wait to get up in the morning to brew my Blue Willow tea! read more

Love that my friends are always up for an adventure and let me choose all the random things for us to do. Today we started at @bluewillowteaspot for some tea education. The owner Ali picked some great teas for us to try and shared her knowledge and passion for them with us. We reserved the tea room/raised seating area which was a cute little area with pillows to sit on the floor and slippers to wear since shoes weren't allowed in it. Ali brought us 4 teas she chose for us and one we asked to add. They were all delicious and there were electric kettles around the shop to refill your tea pot as the tea leaves could have multiple steepings. They have a great selection of teapots, accessories, and teas to take home as well. There is also a parking lot with a few spots for the tea room which is great because the street parking is pretty crowded. I highly recommend checking Blue Willow Tea Spot if you're in the area read more

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The owner was very helpful and friendly great customer service!!!! Tea lounge was nice and clean.. clean bathroom and WiFi... had fresh strong good coffee and pastrie apple very gooooooood..... coffee brewed one cup at a time.... read more

Blue Willow Teaspot - Tea Rooms Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I have learned so much about tea since buying from Blue Willow. Now, instead of craving ice-cream or chips, wait for it....I have started craving evening tea! The flavors are so deep and rich and I am having so much fun trying different teas. Ali is amazing and I wish her all the success in the world (because I benefit from her success with beautiful teas)! read more

Unpretentious. Peaceful. Aesthetic. Maybe first real tea house in East Bay. Best selection of teas for connoisseurs.

A peaceful oasis in the heart of Berkeley's Gilman district (just around the corner from Whole Foods), this tea house is truly special. The interior is at once calm and welcoming, as are the people who work there. I heard about Blue Willow from friends who are very particular about tea and were delighted to discover that Blue Willow's proprietor not only blends her own teas, but also travels to various parts of Asia each year to meet with the farmers and bring back fresh, fair-trade varieties that are unparalleled in flavor and quality. Her creativity and passion for tea are evident as soon as you walk in the door, from the thoughtfully packaged teas that line the shelves to the lights handcrafted from copper tea kettles. The first time I visited the tea house wasn't actually scheduled to open (unbenownst to me), but Ali happened to be there, so she kindly let us in and served us two amazing teas simply to introduce us to the place. Each one was presented in ceramics and styles appropriate to that culture. In this case, one British, one Chinese--both incredibly fragrant and flavorful. The pastries are delicious, too (my favorites include the mochi muffins and warmed apple cake). Tea ceremonies are offered on the weekends, and Ali is always happy to demonstrate how to make a perfect matcha, presented in a handcrafted ceramic bowl. A wide range of teas (herbal, green, black) are available for purchase and make wonderful gifts. One favorite is World Peace, an herbal blend of mint, licorice and cloves. read more