What a lovely place to browse! So many gorgeous ceramics and the employees really know their stuff. They gave us some samples of cold brewed barley tea (SO GOOD) and then my partner talked tea with them for a while before deciding on a sencha purchase. They knew how to answer her specific questions and make a good recommendation! read more

ChaTo - Such cute little trays! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Came here to shop for matcha accessories and the staff were so nice and helpful! They were amazing at explaining different products in the store. They have a great selection of matcha bowls and other drink ware, perfect for gifts or for yourself. Will be my go-to store for tea and tea accessories. read more

ChaTo - Matcha bowl - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Amazing experience. Was roaming around to find so many great things and was even given complimentary tea. I was also offered help choosing between matchas and given a very good explanation that helped me learn about their differences. I ended up very satisfied with my purchase (so much that I came back the following week to buy more and will be putting in an online order to gift to my fellow matcha latte lovers and stock up for myself haha). Can't believe I've been coming to JapanTown for so many years and never visited the store until now. It's my favorite go-to now whenever I'm back home in the city :) read more

ChaTo - Culinary matcha 50g - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Cute and intimate shop selling teas, tea pots, tea cups and anything related to teas. Located on the upper level of the Japantown Center Kinokuniya Building. I purchased two tea cups with the Japanese cat for my sister as gifts. It was wrapped nicely in tissue paper. I think she likes them. They are pricey but well made. Great place to shop for house warming gifts and tea lovers. read more

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Cute little shop in Japantown offering tea and tea things. Great place to stop by to pick up gifts for any tea lover in your life. Tea tastes better when you brew from loose leaf. This shop has everything you need to transition away from teabags. Friendly knowledgeable staff to answer all your questions. Parking can be challenging at times. Try your luck with street parking, or park in the underground garage. read more

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Love this place. I went lookin for hojicha powder and found one of the very best. Now I order regularly and give them away as gifts. It's on par with some of the best places I've had in Kyoto and Uji. read more

This is still my FAVORITE Japanese tea shop. They have the best quality loose teas, beautiful handmade tea cups & sets, tea accessories, so many cute cat items, and it's the perfect place to buy gifts. Staff is super friendly and helpful. read more

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When my wife and I decided to return home to Hawaii, I was most upset that I would no longer live down the street from ChaTo. As it turns out, ChaTo delivers to anywhere in the U.S. FOR FREE! Amazing!!! I continue to order all of my green tea (matcha, genmaicha, houjicha, sencha, gyokuro) from ChaTo, and I'm so thrilled to continue my support of this wonderful small business. Thank you so much for the incredible customer service, ChaTo! I'm a fan for life. read more

ChaTo - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Love the really distinct and hand picked selection of tea here, that you'd be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. The ceramic collection is gorgeous, and picked up a mug from a popular brand in Japan (which you can't find here) and some hojicha powder. The service was super friendly, and it's located in Japantown so nice to grab a bite - such as a fantastic udon place next door. read more

Have been hesitant to buy matcha online as I can't see the quality of the product in person but I decided to stop by this cute little tea store in Japantown and am so glad I did! I was able to try some matcha, learn about the different types from the knowledgeable and friendly staff, and ended up buying one that I'm super excited to try. I will for sure be ordering from here online once I'm out! I had such an enjoyable experience here and the teas are very competitively priced + you get the bonus of supporting an awesome local business :) read more

I haven't been to Tekuno in Irving street just yet. After I overcame my hour long eye exam, I quickly walked up to J-town and had a Maiko Special just to cool my head. I have yet to visit some of J-town's attractive businesses in the right time and place. Thus, ChaTo was where I head to before it closes by early evening. I been to ChaTo several times and I never purchased anything from this tea ware shop, until this time. All smiles to a sweet Japanese merchant every time I set foot. What to chose? Strainer, teapot, or just plain authentic Japanese loose leaf teas? Since I have a purpose, I chose the Yuzamashi (tea bowl with a spout). The cheapest one to purchase was the reddish brown. Good for steeping teas, but acts like a chawan (matcha bowl). And with the very cheap chashaku (bamboo powdered tea scoop), I got a free mini pouch of loose leaf hojicha. How nice! I couldn't thank the female merchant enough. I might come back to ChaTo to still do some window shopping before I actually make a splendid purchase on the next day. This family owned tea ware shop had been a good place to sample any loose leaf tea. Tourists are welcome to try if there's any. read more

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Glad to have found ChaTo during our visit to Japantown! The employees (possibly owners?) we're super nice and gave us a sample of houjicha cold brew tea. Wow!! It was so good and has a natural sweetness to it. I ended buying a bag along with the glass filter-in-a-bottle. I'm a sucker for delicious tea! read more

ChaTo - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Amazing store and even more amazing people. I didn't know much about matcha other than I love to drink it, but boy did I know the whole process after I visited ChaTo. I got all stocked up on some good teas as well as bowls and mixers. Wonderful quality of goods and such a welcoming feeling as you enter. They offered me some great tea as I came in to their shop to browse, and naturally it was so good, I bought a bag. I will of course be back to to stock up. Support this business. You guys are great! read more

ChaTo - Such an assortment of matcha. I will eventually try all of these. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I can't say enough good things about Chato. This family owned tea shop in the Japantown mall helped me uncover my love for Japanese coldbrew teas (and I now drink them almost every day!). Their free samples and helpful brewing instructions got me hooked. Their friendly service and amazing selection of high quality Japanese teas is what kept me coming back. During the pandemic, they had to close their storefront, but still took my order and hand delivered it to my apartment. When the wildfire smoke and pandemic were in full force, sipping on coldbrew teas from Chato was one of my daily joys when so many other things weren't an option. My favorites are the genmaicha with matcha and the smoky hojicha (both pictured). I love the genmaicha both warm and cold brewed. I generally drink the hojicha cold. My fiancé prefers the hojicha. These have been great gifts for friends and family as well. Come support this amazing local Japanese tea shop you won't be disappointed! read more

ChaTo - Hojicha and Genmaicha tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

I wanted to check out the teas that they had here as well as the teapots and cups and was definitely not disappointed. I was the only customer in there and they were super helpful after they let me wander the store for a bit. They offered me a cup of tea (unfortunately don't remember which one) and I ended getting Hojicha and Hojicha powder during my visit. I really hope I can come back to get some more tea. read more

What a lovely family run business here in the mall! I didn't even realize it existed until I had to go fix my ramen craving at Marufuku. You'll find some beautiful handmade teaware and if you're lucky, a teapot that is as pretty as this one that I came across! Great people. read more

ChaTo - a hand holding a teapot in front of a window - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

I love stopping by ChaTo whenever I'm in Japantown (which is pretty often.) The staff are so warm, friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. I've bought tea in-store and also now during Shelter in Place I've been buying online and with a gift card! They have a large variety of tea and are very responsive to emails. Another perk of going inside their physical store (besides the people, I always leave with a smile on my face--love those women!) is sampling their tea! They have tea ware and cold brew bottles and more which are not currently shipping during shelter in place. Support this amazing store and benefit from their knowledge and tea supply! They know how to make tea recommendations based on anything and their teas make great gifts too. read more

ChaTo - Details on sencha vs genmaicha vs houjicha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

An adorable tea shop owned by a lovely and sweet couple. They sell an assortment of matcha, hojicha, sencha, and gyokuro tea (all types of tea from Japan). Pre-Covid, they gave out samples to drink, but for now, they're still always providing great details about the flavour and region the tea originates from. The store also has a range of affordable to expensive tea ware. They have cute dessert spoons or sturdy, typical tea ware to more expensive, high-end, handmade ceramics from Japanese kilns. I recognise some great finds from Bizen or other regions. I always buy something here when I come, whether it's a small bag of tea or a new cutlery item. They're truly a wonderful family owned business and the quality of their products and the reasonable prices are exceptional. I'm not sure how long it was last, but for every purchase right now (May 2021), they're giving out little bags of sample tea (good for 2-3 steeps or 1-2 concentrated steeps). Come support this small family business! You won't regret it. read more

Really unique and beautiful ceramics for Japanese tea. They also sold some tea also. They had brewed some tea to offer as samples which is a really nice touch to introduce to customers the product for expensive goods before committing to. The layout of the store was good. I liked how the ceramics were displayed. read more

I love this tea shop! I tried their hojicha at a restaurant down the block and it was sooo good that I had to visit the shop to get a bag. I chatted with the owner and she helped me find the hojicha I was looking for and when I asked for suggestions for regular green tea, she pulled out a few options, shared their details, and let me sniff them. I picked up a wooden tea spoon and a lovely tea canister as well. They bagged everything up for me and threw in a genmaicha sample. I'll definitely be returning for more loose leaf tea and to support this shop. ChaTo is also a great place to pick up tea gifts as they have a variety of wonderful tea accessories. read more

ChaTo - Green tea, Hojicha, wooden tea spoon, tea canister, and Genmaicha sample - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Was shopping for some housewarming presents and totally enjoyed my experience at the store. Loved listening to the instructions and information from staff. Staff members were definitely professional and very approachable. read more

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Amazing place to swing by if you are into tea or looking to get a gift for your friend! The staff was extremely friendly and the tea selections make me happy read more

I had a wonderful experience here. The store is full of a wide array of tea and tea accessories. The staff was very kind and helped show me around and explained the flavor profile of each tea. I purchased some matcha and looked forward to trying it. If you are a tea lover, I recommend checking this place out! read more

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This is a cute little tea shop in Japantown that has a variety of tea mugs, tea sets and good quality tea, The staff were really friendly and greeted us right away, offering us samples of genmaicha. There were more pitchers in the back near the cash register, and she warmly told us we'd be welcome to try more tea. I was actively walking around the store, partly because there's so much to look at and partly because I was trying to fight off a food coma courtesy of our meal at Udon Mugizo. The staff were really friendly and kept offering me more tea samples, which were all cool and refreshing, a nice way to fight off food coma. Husband ended up buying some genmaicha and my mother in law got a cute tea canister. I recommend stopping by this place, even if it's just to browse, on your next visit to Japantown. read more

ChaTo - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We came to this store. It's a tea store. They have some really cute things at a very reasonable price. You can tell they have quality items. The owners are very nice and helpful. We purchased some unique pieces I'm happy we found this place. read more

ChaTo - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

This has to be the cutest tea shop! The two ladies who own the store are so helpful in helping you find whatever teas you're looking for and even give samples of the different types. This is the only place I will get my genmai cha tea from. The hoji cha is also one of my favorites. They have a great selection of artisan tea sets and accessories. Definitely a must-visit when in Japantown! read more

This is the best tea shop in San Francisco, and this is where I shop for all my tea and especially my matcha needs. This place changed how I view matcha, the first time I visited this shop I asked some questions and was given a wealth of knowledge and information about matcha. I now have matcha to make matcha lattes with and ceremonial matcha that is actually and truly ceremonial grade, to make matcha tea with. Matcha is a practice and being able to get better quality matcha has changed my matcha practice. Starting my day with tea from ChaTo is beautiful and helps me start my day. Check this place out, spend some time, and then go home and make and enjoy the tea and tea supplies you purchased. read more

The last time I visited the store was pre-COVID. I recently visited again during the cherry blossom festival in Japan town and the store and the teas were still as good as I recall. The people are friendly and helpful. And more importantly the teas are delicious. read more

My favorite little tea shop! This is a cute shop in J-town that has a wide assortment of cute tea mugs and gifts. My favorite takeaway from this shop was the friendliness of the staff. There is a little old lady who will whip some matcha in front of you with her frother just so you can sample the tea. It was so magical to be able to experience her craft! The store had a lot of cute cat things as well. I had initially left but came back in the same day to make a purchase of a mug because they were so nice and accommodating to my questions I wanted to support them. I wish more stores were friendly like this one, a nice genuine kind of friendliness too not the I want your moneys kind of friendliness. I will be back here to make many more purchases for sure! Thank you to the wonderful staff who make it a delight for shoppers like myself. I would buy from you time and time again because you're just so pleasant! read more

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Always a stop whenever I'm in Japantown! The grandmothers who run this store are so sweet and friendly. Everytime I visit, I'm always greeted with a grandmother holding a tray of tiny cups of tea sample. On my last visit, she sold me on the cold brew hojicha. I bought tea-filter cold brew bottle along with a bag of hojicha. They attached a brewing instruction as well as contact info should I have any questions with reproducing the tea. There are also plenty of cute dishware to browse through everytime I stop by. Highly recommend any japantowners with an enthusiasm for tea to visit this chateau of chá. read more

ChaTo - Amazing hojicha blend - hot or cold brew. Mild flavor and very crispy, leaving you feeling fresh. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Chato is a familly owned business, a great place to buy some quality tea from japan and learn about the teas and the region they come from Also great selection of beautiful pottery from japan. The folks there are super friendly nice people. And helpful answering questions. They even gave me 2 samples of other teas i was on the fence to try out without even asking. read more

ChaTo - Varies teas i bought - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

This shop has everything you need to do a tea ceremony. They carry very cute ceramic cups. The store owner lady was very kind and helpful, she taught me how to whisk the matcha the correct way. read more

ChaTo - a cup of matcha latte on a coffee machine - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

It's a nice place and everything looked lovely, but when my partner and I visited the other day we were completely ignored. The staff were talking with other customers but as soon as another couple walked into the store they paused and offered them tea samples. We were close to the register, but even on their way back we were not talked to. Lovely place, but the staff made it very unwelcoming. :c read more

Walking into Cha To feels like visiting long-time neighbors who always have a refreshing beverage waiting for you. The quality of their teas are very high as is the knowledge of their products. Warm and efficient customer service even during the COVID19 closure. Sachiko was so accomodating and made shopping and pick-up very easy. If youre visiting SanFrancisco, you must visit Japantown and Cha To Teas. You will not be disappointed. *** Oh, they also have a wonderful variety of accessories. read more

Stumbled upon this place looking for a tea set or nice tea cup and upon entering was delightfully greeted with a tasty sample of roasted green hojicha green tea. It tasted so good I bought a bag ($15.50). The store is filled with beautiful items from Japan that range from tea cups to tea pots and beautiful hand crafted matcha cups and other gorgeous items. The staff were so friendly and we spent a long time just admiring every little thing in the store without any attitude or stares that can happen at some of the other shops in this plaza. I will definitely come back again. I am debating on purchasing a tea set here. I will post the photos. read more

This place is great! They've got an awesome selection of various teas and a bunch of cups and kettles to drink it with! Look at this cat cup lol I love it. Staff (I think they were the owners of the shop actually) were super nice, helpful, and funny! Check this place out! read more

ChaTo - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

I love this little tea shop. When we walked in, the sweet owner gave us samples of delicious Genmaicha tea. In addition they had cute cat cups and maineki-neko figurines. I ended up buying a special neko that was holding some cherry blossoms. Their specialty in green teas can be overwhelming to make sure to ask the owner about which ones would be the right one for you. Maineki-nekos, green tea and an owner with excellent customer service? A definite place to visit when looking for the perfect present for someone. read more

Great selection of Japanese teas and amazing customer service! Some of my go to's are the sencha and the arabikicha. I've only ordered from them via their online shop, but I'd love to visit in person some day :) So thankful that we have an authentic Japanese tea shop in the Bay Area read more

I really like this tea shop. The service and quality are what I'd expect to get in Japan but...in English! Lots of info on the teas, techniques, and equipment. I got a hold of some Genmaicha and Hojicha along with a Japanese tea cup with filter. I also picked up a special Hario tea bottle for cold brewing. Good Stuff! I'll definitely come back here for my green tea shopping. Fantastic! read more

ChaTo - Very high quality teas and equipment from Japan. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

I really love this place! I wish they had one in LA!! The ladies are super amazing and sweet! I'm a matcha lover and drinking matcha is a part of my everyday ritual. it's so hard to find good quality matcha and sencha tea in LA, so when I yelped this place I was super excited. We got the top quality ceremonial matcha and the top quality sencha and few other teas to take back home with us to LA. The ladies gave us the taste of different ones which was super courteous considering it is important to taste tea first before spending on it (for me personally), specially if you are an avid matcha drinker. Anyway, I highly recommend this place, they carry quality ceremonial matcha... perfect for zen like focus and alertness. They have other things they carry too, hopefully we will come back soon and visit again. Thanks for an amazing experience at your shop and an amazing service! 5 stars all the way!! read more