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I finally acquiesced to the hype and wasn't disappointed. I got one of their specialties, Dong Ding Oolong Milk Tea (cream), and it was deliciously creamy with a hint of tea. Not the strongest tea flavor, but the drink was very well-balanced and refreshing. The price was on the higher side at above $9 with toppings, but the quality justifies it (plus most higher end boba/matcha shops now charge that price in the Bay) Be prepared for a 20+ minute wait, but it's well worth it if you have time. This location is also less busy than locations in the South Bay, which is nice
This spot just became my favorite Taiwan tea place. From the moment I walked in, I could tell they put real thought into the experience. The decor is clean, modern, and warm, making it a great place to study or just hang out with friends. I especially liked the kiosk ordering system--quick, efficient, and no pressure while deciding. The drink packaging is honestly next level. It feels premium and thoughtful, not just another basic cup. You can tell they care about presentation just as much as taste. And the drinks themselves? Smooth, refreshing, and high quality. Service was excellent--friendly, attentive, and fast without feeling rushed. The space was spotless, including the bathroom, which is always a big plus for me. Overall, this place nails atmosphere, quality, and convenience. I'll definitely be coming back regularly. Highly recommend if you want a chill, aesthetic tea spot.
Chicha San Chen is my new favorite tea spot that brews award-winning Taiwanese tea from Lishan mountain. The UC Berkeley location is spacious, with a bright interior. There are two ordering kiosks and a good amount of seating. I've been here twice already and the staff are always friendly and efficient with orders. All of the tea is freshly-brewed, so do expect to wait a bit. At my most recent visit we had the opportunity to attend one of their complimentary tea tastings! You ask for a time slot and get little passes for the time slot you choose. It was just me and my husband for that specific slot so we basically got a private tea tasting! We each got to choose one tea to try from 5 teas, each with unique notes. It was really cool to see how the different processing procedures resulted in completely different tea leaf shapes and textures once they expanded under the hot water. If you've never done a tea tasting at Chicha San Chen, I'd highly recommend. This is honestly as close as you can get to authentic Taiwanese tea, and the quality of the leaves as well as the farmers' attention to picking the right leaves truly shines through in each cup they brew. There are so many variations you can choose from their menu, and also seasonal flavors. You'll always find something to suit your palate for the day. In addition, the price is still really affordable for such solid tea. I'll definitely keep coming back to Chicha San Chen for my high-quality tea fix, and I'd highly recommend stopping by to try their tea if you've never had legit Taiwanese tea (and book a spot for free tea tasting)!
surprised this Boba place was open on Christmas Day so we decided to check it out. My girlfriend said it's sort of like the one that's in her area with Michelin ratings The service here was not too bad, you ordered on a kiosk. The ambience felt cozy, as it felt like a study hall in addition to a hangout place. The Boba here was actually pretty good
We came for boba after an early dinner at Binge Coffee House nearby. I got my usual, a passionfruit green tea with boba. I requested perfect sweetness and no ice, but after I tried the drink, I wish I only got 50% sweet. The perfect sweetness level, which I think is around 70-75% sugar tasted a bit too sweet for my preference. The boba were really chewy though. I'd come back to this location but would adjust the sugar levels until I find my perfect balance.
Love coming here especially because there's usually no long wait compared to other chicha in the bay area. If you love boba, this is the place for you. The bubble milk tea is always my favorite - rich, smooth with great tea flavor that you can actually taste. The boba also has the perfect soft and chewy texture. Would definitely come back again and again.
I've been revisiting Chicha San Chen and really appreciate how consistent they are. On my recent visit, I ordered my usual Bubble Milk Tea with 0% sugar and normally the sweetness from the bubbles balances it perfectly. This time the drink turned out a bit sweeter than expected though. Another drink I highly recommend is the HOT Milk tea with taro ball and taro paste. It carries a nostalgic charm, instantly taking me back to those childhood cram school afternoon tea times!
I was initially a skeptic wondering if it made sense to be drinking an almost $10 milk tea until... I finally tried one. It was definitely something different from the many other milk teas that I've had. The tea flavor was fragrant and though being added with milk, the tea flavor continued to stand out. The level of sweetness right on for my personal preference - I didn't go with their recommended perfect sweetness, but went one level lower as I generally don't like my milk teas sweet at all. Since each cup was brewed individually, it took longer than other milk tea stores, but worth the slight delay - it wasn't overly busy when I was there. The store has a cool ambiance to it and with good amount of seating. However, being that it's across the street from Cal, most tables were taken with what I presume as students working on computers or chatting with friends.
I came here on 11/10/2025. I would say this place has the best tea. The flavor is very fragrant, incredibly smooth, and has no bitterness at all. The toppings like boba, lychee jelly, etc... are also really good. I tried konjac topping for the first time here, and it was interesting (sorry forgot to take a picture of it). I didn't hate it, but I'm still not sure if I like it yet. It's a bit chewy but also kind of firm. Overall, this place is amazing! So why did I give it 4 stars instead of 5? Mainly because it's quite expensive. (easily $8-$9 per drink). The shop itself is very pretty and clean. They also offer tea tastings, but I didn't get the chance to try that this time. Maybe next time!
This was delicious. Ordered the black milk tea with cream and it was much more flavor than I expected, which was perfect. Definitely a little sweeter than I thought with the perfect sweetness but it complimented the drink very well. Also felt very caffeinated after drinking it. My partner got the dong ding oolong with boba and that was also very tasty. Nicely cooked boba, creamy milk tea with a milder oolong flavor. Inside very cool spot, modern open area with ample amount of seating, and high tech screens that show you the estimated time of your order and pick up. Line wasn't long at all, two order screens and availability to order with a staff member. Price wise, is a bit steep at almost $9 a drink. But it is a nice treat and would come back for the flavor and taste.
Had the taro milk tea with taro paste and taro ball, it was the best tasting drink I've had in a while. $10 bc they charge you for the carrier, but is it awful to say I would pay that $10 again? Drink itself has good balance, I can actually taste the taro, unlike my favorite quicklys that gives me the artificial taro flavor which I also love lol. The paste and taro balls had a different texture compared to other add-ins I've tried, very very very good. Pricey but what can I say, americas the king of unnecessary luxuries and this tea shop is no different. 10/10, no pun intended.
I love this place for the ambiance and simple sweet decor. Such a fun place for studying and get togethers since you have choices of sitting next to the window, at the large table, the bench seating, or high top seating. So many choices of where to sit!! My go to is the taro milk since it has an abundance of taro mochi and taro paste!!! My favorite Also staff here is hands down so welcoming, hard working, and super helpful!!!
11 months ago
I've been to several chicha locations before and this one really stands out because of the interior design. It's also close by the campus too so it's perfect for studying or hanging out. We ordered our drinks online for pickup which I highly recommend if you want to save some time. I got the osmanthus oolong tea with mango which is probably my favorite out of all the drinks I've tried at chicha so far. read more
1 year ago
delicious, high-quality tea! while the creamy pineapple tart drink was food, i can't justify paying $9.10 for it. the dong ding oolong tea was delicious & i liked how refreshing the tea was. i would recommend getting a purely tea drink here since you're paying a premium for the tea quality here read more
8 months ago
Business owner information
Jenny T.
Hi Nancy,…
1 year ago
I ordered the best peach green tea I've ever had. The tea is so fresh and it's not too sweet and doesn't feel like artificial flavoring. Got to partake in a great tea tasting experience too! 10/10 experience with Georgina. Will be back again for sure read more
7 months ago
great service everything here is so clean and modern. lots of seating areas and great space to hang out or study. the aroma of the tea feels very relaxing and inviting. drinks are at a perfect sweetness and the boba texture is always perfectly soft read more
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Jenny T.
Hello Joanna,…
8 months ago
1 year ago
1 year ago
Business owner information
Stephanie X.
Thank you for the review, glad to hear our staff is helpful.
1 year ago
Always great drinks and made with care, good attention to detail Quality as always and my number one choice for Taiwanese teas and drinks generally in Berkeley :) highly recommended! read more
Business owner information
Stephanie X.
Thank you for your support, glad you enjoyed the drinks
1 year ago
I came for the tea tasting on Tuesday at 1pm. Georgia led the tasting. She was incredibly knowledgeable and clearly has a passion for tea. There were multiple options to try and because I came with a group we were able to share three. I was surprised which teas I liked better. The place is very clean and nice. Everyone was so friendly. This was a much more unique experience than I expected. It was only about 15min but I would highly recommend trying this place. It's slightly more expensive than some options nearby but there's a reason for that and it's quality. read more
Business owner information
Stephanie X.
Thank you for sharing your feedback, glad you enjoyed the experience
7 months ago
My Golden Bear told me about a new Boba Spot that's close to campus. Now, I've been to so many boba spots everywhere haha. So I wasn't that excited to try another Boba spot. Man, I was so wrong about this place!! Haha. I was actually very impressed! The inside was very clean and modern. When we came, I guess it was their soft opening. But it looked to be well run. When you walk in, there are 3 self ordering kiosk. I think you can also order with a person in the front. It was busy, so we ordered through the kiosk. There were so many options! One of the workers came by and offered us a sample of their Bubble Milk Tea. After tasting that sample, we went ahead and ordered it from the kiosk haha. After ordering, we sat down and waited for our number to be called. It was very cool watching them brew the tea on these fancy machines. I am curious how much that machine costs haha. They called our number and we got our drink. It came with a cool carrying handle sleeve thing, so that was unique. As for the drink itself, man the boba and tea was just perfect. You can really taste the quality of ingredients this place uses. When I visit my Bear, I'm definitely stopping by here again. If the line looks long, don't get steered away, it moves quickly and efficiently. I'm pretty sure it's partly because these are Berkeley Students! Go Bears! Haha read more
1 year ago
Not worth for the long wait and price. We ordered few drinks but end up we feel nothing special of the tea, the boba are super chewy and sticky to the teeth. Very disappointed! I think the high price is just for the packaging ONLY, not taste. read more
1 year ago
You can tell the quality of tea was brewed fresh. They have a kiosk for ordering. The uniforms are so cute, the customer service was good. Its in a college toen so busy for a saturday night. read more
1 year ago
What an amazing find! During a short trip to Berkeley to watch women's gymnastics, my daughter and I stumbled across this beautiful tea shop. Love the entire experience from the artisan feel. The atmosphere is a story telling of their history and roots. Tea was absolutely incredible. Would visit again when around the area! read more
1 year ago
Business owner information
Stephanie X.
There’s a parking garage near by first hr is free.
1 year ago
The drinks are great just like how I remembered when I had it in China 5-6 years ago before I study abroad. Alicia gave us an amazing tea tasting experience! read more
1 year ago
Came in on a Sunday 2pm thirsting on trying this new place since i've been seeing it being hyped up on instagram. quick when it comes to ordering since it's self service. I ordered 2 mango osmanthus tea (one lightly sweetened and one no sugar) a fruit tea, and mango. green tea. Lightly sweetened was still on the sweeter side. No sugar was perfect. I prefer the green tea over the osmanthus tea but both were not as fragrant as I was expecting. my norm for any new boba tea spot is their milk tea but after reading the reviews with their dairy, I decided to not try. upon walking in, another customer said he didn't like his drink and of course it was something with dairy in it. Took them 10mins to make my drinks which is not bad timing. will I come back? only if im in the area. I have my go to boba places in Oakland that taste similar if not better read more
1 year ago
New favorite tea place in Berkeley and the Bay Area! Strong tea flavor without being watered down or overly sweet, and so many delicious tea blends (I love the green tea and oolong!). Great service and ambiance. read more
1 year ago
Went to the tea tasting and Alicia was very informed on the tea sourcing and roasting process! I got to try one of the lighter teas and it tasted great! read more
Business owner information
Stephanie X.
Thank you for joining us, glad you enjoyed the tea experience
1 year ago
I enjoyed the tea tasting experience with Alicia! She had a wonderful energy and was very knowledgeable about the teas. read more
Business owner information
Stephanie X.
Thank you glad that you enjoyed it
1 year ago
Overpriced & bad drinks... roommate and I had to throw our drinks out cause they tasted awful waste of $10 imo.. read more
1 year ago
Tried this new place, got the pineapple tart drink, very tasty. Mostly sweet, some tartness from the fruit at the bottom. Very pricey for a small drink ($10 without tip). Really good service, shop is beautiful! read more
I visited Chicha San Chen during their soft opening. The place is very well organized and workers are super helpful and nice! Some of the employees were giving out free samples and doing tea tasting. One employee, Chelsea, was especially helpful! She was super kind and answered all of my questions. After placing our order, we waited about 25 minutes to get our drinks. I paid close to $20 for 2 drinks + tip. The drinks are fairly overpriced and they were a bit disappointing. The Dong Ding Oolong Tea (2.5/5) had an interesting flavour and it wasn't sweet or milktea-like. The Cassia Black Tea (3.5/5) was okay, but I've definitely had better boba nearby for a fraction of the price. read more
10 months ago
1 year ago
Ordered a drink with no milk and got a drink with one. Got it replaced without much issues, but here's the punchline. As I was observing them remake the drink, there was at least 3-5 women staff talking amongst another doing nothing...if that's the case hire me because I would love to do that!! It took them about 6 staff roughly 2-3 minutes to discuss what went wrong with the drink and I overheard the staff make fun of my order while remaking it as they were appalled that a drink would come without a milk order?? Let me be clear, I am severely lactose intolerant as well so consuming milk doesn't do me any good. Before coming here I have been a loyal customer to this franchise in Cupertino meaning I would be willingly to drive 1 hour to get a drink (crazy right) but let's establish what they do right in Cupertino. First they are always busy and have staff working. Secondly, they serve sample drinks for customers to try as a new flavor that don't have milk in them (shocker!!!!!). This franchise should get things right. Very sad to see this happen to this franchises name and I can see why it hasn't gotten the same star rating as the Cupertino one. If a drink doesn't come with milk don't write it on the cup trying to be smart. (See photo) I don't need to know that, you guys should.... To those coming across this message as helpful, take the drive to Cupertino for fun and go to Westfield mall for the fun of it as well. I can guarantee you 10000% that your money spent on gas and their drinks will be much more worth it than coming here for their mediocre drinks read more
Business owner information
Chicha S.
Hi Brandon,…
1 year ago
Before I start with anything about the drinks, Berkeley requires you to a fee for cups but it comes with a carrying thing all for $0.25 each cup. No choice to not get the disposable carrier either. What a waste! With that said, on to the drinks. The taste of some of the drinks are unique. The boba is very good. The value is less than desirable. The hype kind shrinks pretty quickly after you buy the drinks and finish them. Ordered 5 drinks. Two were the creamy pineapple tart one. Inside are some brown syrupy pineapple brunoise pieces. There are some chunks of pie crust in it too. Tastes good the first few sips and then it's just sweet syrupy flavor. Bubble milk tea was good. The boba is tasty. The milk is plentiful and tea is somewhere in the background. The mango osmanthus is unique and I like the mix. The dong ding oolong is flavorful. I took one star off for the large chunks of pie crust. Another star off for the brown chunks of pineapple. And the final star I want to take off but won't because of the 5 cup carriers we didn't need since we had cup holders to hold our drinks for the two of us. I'll try again. read more
Business owner information
Stephanie X.
Thank you for your feedback, glad you enjoyed the drinks
1 year ago
I had a great time doing the tea demonstration. Georgia was really helpful and informative and gave a great demo. It's also really pretty inside and the decorations are cool read more
1 year ago
Amazing service and the place is so cute! I love getting anything fruity related here! The service is so great and they give good suggestions too. read more
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Stephanie X.
Thank you for joining us today, glad you like it
1 year ago
Great oolong tea tasting experience with detailed explanation! It was interesting to learn more about the company and tea. read more
1 year ago
An amazing place to visit if you're a tea lover or like to experience something new. They do tea tasting every 30 minutes and you get to learn so much! Amazing atmosphere and a vibe place. read more
Business owner information
Stephanie X.
Thank you glad you enjoyed it
1 year ago
Great tea! Very informational! I love the service and very aesthetic cafe! Will come back again read more
6 months ago
Business owner information
Jenny T.
Hello H O.…
10 months ago
Business owner information
Stephanie X.
Thank you for coming, glad you enjoyed the tea experience.
1 year ago
It was the most enjoyable tea tasting experience I've ever had. You don't always get this kind of experience, but this one was excellent. I appreciate you being so informed and responding to all of my inquiries, Chloe. I highly recommend to everyone. read more
Business owner information
Stephanie X.
Thank you glad you enjoyed it
1 year ago
1 year ago
The aesthetic of the drinks and the shop were great. The wait-time posted outside was pretty accurate. The drinks themselves were good, but not quite worth the price. I would like to try some other, more specialty, drinks. read more
More info about Chicha San Chen
2400 A Bancroft Way
Berkeley, CA 94704
Telegraph Ave
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https://chichasanchennorcal.com
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Are there dairy-alternative milks?
Per the menu photos already available here, oat milk is a substitution option! However, it might not be an available substitute for every dairy recipe.
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Chicha San Chen - bubbletea - Updated June 2026
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