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    Forest Tea Bar

    4.4 (127 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 4:30 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Forest Tea Bar Photos

    FOREST TEA BAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Forest Tea Bar

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    Joyce S.

    Just writing a quick share for this shop- I love hojicha tea and have been trying hojicha from different shops. I ordered a hot hojicha latte here and really liked it- creamy and fragrant, and not overpowering. The barista helped me adjust the sweetener level. The shop vibe was also very cute-wish it had more tables and open space. Although small, it is well decorated -honoring the Japanese tea culture and giving the cafe room a calm atmosphere. Hope to come back!

    Michelle H.

    Date: 7/9/2026 Forest Tea Bar located in Berkeley is one of the best matcha place in the Bay Area! Visited with a friend and with two kids together, and the seating can fit four person and two strollers. Organic Rose Matcha Latte $7.5 I got the combination of rose and matcha latte, with a mix of organic rose buds and Uji matcha, lightly sweetened and blended with plant based milk for a fragrant latte. The floral notes and the taste of the matcha was great together. Uji Matcha Latte $6.95 My friend got the classic Uji Matcha, shaded 25 days, whisked with plant based milk for a perfectly smooth and balanced latte. A classic one to order.

    Black sesame matcha
    Jeanie N.

    The ginger matcha was ethereal. Loved the strong ginger flavor! I am a dairy milk girlie so I was initially disappointed that they only have non dairy options but i actually think that their default oat milk is the right way to go The black sesame matcha was less good in my mind relative to the ginger matcha. Black sesame didn't seem to add much but that could just be a personal preference - maybe I like black sesame with espresso more It's a small place but has nice indoor and outdoor seating options. Friendly staff! Metered parking right outside

    Black Sesame Matcha Latte
    Jessica H.

    The ambiance is on point. I could relax here with a book. Appears to be dog-friendly with outside seating and no issues entering and ordering with a dog. Ordered the Black Sesame Matcha Latte with oat milk (no additional cost) at the self service kiosk. No line so my drink was ready in 2 mins. The matcha was slightly grainy and a slight bitter after taste. I'm glad I got the black sesame as I'm not sure if I would have liked this matcha without another flavor due to the bitterness. The black sesame is sweetened. The flavor is rich and nutty. I was worried the black sesame would be too intense for the matcha, however, it balanced the texture as black sesame was thick and velvety. The drink had a matcha earthiness with a pleasant nutty finish. I would still come back to try the other flavors as Ginger and rose both sound interesting.

    Genmaicha Latte (Oat Milk), Hojicha Tea
    Kyra K.

    I'm slowly making my way through all of the new matcha cafes in Berkeley. But I fear I might pause because Forest Tea Bar has my heart! First off, the vibes are so zen, even if it's extremely busy! I came with my friend, both of us Japanese. It was a nice change of pace being in a cafe like this. It's common in Japan for cafes to be more western, so she was shocked that this cafe was more minimalistic, Asian-inspired, haha. There's bar seating plus indoor and outdoor tables. Most customers are Cal students studying or working, and seats can be limited. Communal seating is communal, and there's seating outside too. The service was great! We sat at the bar so we could watch what was happening. We loved how sweet one of the workers who helped us was. Kind service, and they put time and care into making each drink. Wait times can vary, but it's so worth it! I love any Japanese tea--matcha, hojicha, I'm all there! But I especially loved how they have genmaicha. I got the Genmaicha Latte with Oat Milk. It was perfect, subtle sweetness and roast, and a nice earthy matcha blend. I'd get it again. My friend enjoyed her Hojicha Latte, and they were kind enough to accommodate her request and give us Hojicha Tea as well! Everything was great quality and delicious. Forest Tea Bar is a wonderful cafe in Berkeley to get a matcha or other tea drink. Find them off Shattuck Ave. with street and metered parking around. Looking forward to coming back again and again!

    Surge C.

    Forest Tea Bar is my favorite matcha and hojicha spot in the Bay Area. The quality of their drinks is superb and I love how cute the little cafe is. You can see how meticulous the matcha baristas are when making the drinks and it truly comes out with each sip. While the black sesame matcha latte is popular, I prefer the regular matcha and hojicha lattes. Even on the weekend, it is easy to find street parking in the neighborhoods.

    decor
    Jade L.

    Omg this is undoubtedly the best matcha café I have tried yet in the Bay Area, and I don't say this lightly! This place is the definition of a matcha bar with its friendly staff, emphasis on product quality, and inviting third space environment to relax in and linger at the small tables along the wraparound window seat to enjoy the drinks. I first tried the black sesame matcha, one of my fave drinks of all time, as it combines two of my most favorite flavors. It was executed perfectly, and I liked it so well that I went back for round two and got the black sesame hojicha, which was just as good. I'm so impressed by this place, and it's really elevated my matcha standards.

    Jack R.

    Finally, I can see the forest through the trees! This place makes your drink one at a time with care and precision. My friend got the Black sesame with match and it was the perfect balance of sesame to matcha. Not too sweet, with a fresh matcha undertone. My drinks, the Suzuki sparkler which is basically Yuzu with sparkling water was refreshing in this Berkeley heat, and my second drink, the Cashew nut macha made with homemade cashew milk was very satisfying. The Japanese look and feel of this intimate store made it feel like we were transported into a small Japanese café. Really enjoyed our drinks and the ambiance. A great addition so close to UC Berkeley.

    Arlo T.

    I am not a matcha person so much, but my friend is. So we're going off her opinions. The service was good, the people greeted us. We had to order off a kiosk. We got 2 drinks and a treat. She didnt like it, but I did. Honestly, it tasted like matcha. LOL I'm not bougie about it. The place is pretty small, but hella charming. Limited parking as well.

    L D.

    It was my first time trying the matcha here, and I loved it. The flavor was smooth and creamy, with a wonderfully calming feel, and the whole experience was elevated by the serene, zen atmosphere. Also tried the mini rainbow cake with matcha flavor inside, it was very pretty and of course it was a great match. The gentle sound of water trickling in the corner made the space feel even more peaceful. On top of that, the service was genuinely kind and attentive.

    Black sesame on the left and uji matcha latte on the right
    Lisa E.

    One of the best Matcha I've had outside of Japan. I ordered the uji Matcha latte. The sweetness was perfect and it tasted very clean. I also tried my friends rose Matcha latte and black sesame Matcha latte, which were both delicious. Black sesame Matcha latte was probably the sweetest out of all. The rose latte was also really good. The rose aroma was strong, but it did not have that sticky after taste that a lot of the rose syrup have. It's a small café, but there are 3 to 4 tables with seats available as well as barstools at the bar. Parking is street parking, but it was not too difficult to find. If you're looking for a high-quality Matcha, this place is a must try.

    Brenda Y.

    The matcha quality was good and we really enjoyed our drinks. It was a nice clean place. Staff were nice. Took one star off for the long wait. We waited 40 mins for 3 drinks. They were also very small. We wished there were options to get a bigger size. We tried the uji matcha, organic matcha latte unsweetened and the black sesame matcha latte. Black sesame one was had a nice nutty flavor that balanced well with the matcha.

    Danielle P.

    This place is not located in a forest, but if it was I'm going INNNNNN. I was really excited to try this place after seeing a few new matcha places open in Berkeley. They have their own mini parking lot, but other than that you do have to bank on street parking. As for the inside, you definitely get both that cozy and relaxing vibe from the interior. But, it was also modern or upscale due to how updated everything was from the lighting and chairs. Forest was giving minimalistic baddie! I felt like I was about to drink some boujee matcha right when I walked in. You order at a kiosk and the drink options are pretty standard at moderate price points ($7). Card only! Besides matcha lattes, they also had Hojicha and Usucha (just the matcha). It was cool to see they had a black sesame matcha and rice tea matcha (both options you can get sweetened). I opted for the sweetened brown rice tea matcha and loved the taste profile! The matcha was strong and more on the earthy side. It balanced really well with the rice tea flavor in my opinion that it was more so refreshing than milky. #needthatmatchapowder #immabuyatin Would love to come back and try another drink! Drinks also came relatively quick ~5 minutes. Smooth service overall.

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    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - Forest Tea Bar

    Have they started selling their hojicha tea and powders yet?

    All I know is that they only sell Hojicha drinks, not tea leaves and powders in bags.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    I came here on a weekday afternoon, where it was peaceful but there were a few other customers. The…read moreemployee was friendly and was wearing a high quality mask which I appreciated. They have an extensive menu of tea, I decided to get the black mango tea, which is indicated as high caffeine. They told me to keep it to less than 1 min steeping or else it gets oversteeped. They were prompt with coming out with my tea leaves and teapot, and gave me a towel to put your teapot on in case of spills It was bitter, but definitely has the fruity notes I was seeking. I was able to make several potfuls of tea which still had some flavor in them, so the leaves seemed to do well with re-steeping. They provided me with a kettle so I could continually reboil the water, so I felt it was decent value (since total it cost only slightly more than the average boba costs nowadays). I'm thinking I'd like to get the lychee or hojicha next time. The worker didn't mention to me if they offer milk, which I wish they did. But they do sell snacks. The bathroom is clean. They have free wifi but the day I was there, unfortunately they were having issues with the wifi. They have a 2 hour time limit on weekends, but no limit on weekdays. I appreciate that they have outdoor seating, for those who are airborne illness conscious, and also so you can enjoy nature and sunshine while having your tea. A lovely spot overall, right on San Pablo Ave so you can take the 72 bus lines to reach it.

    My best friend and I were so bored this summer, we made it our mission to find experience based…read morefood/eats. We stumbled upon this place on social media and wanted to check it out. It is such a vibe. There's street parking (limited) we ended up parking 10 mins away from a public parking spot. We got the four seasons tea (they charge $3 per extra person for a cup) so for us two, it was only $3 extra on top of cost of the tea. We ended up spending $20 for tea for us both and the little snacks (pineapple bites and mochi). For the experience I'd say the pricing was worth it and especially if you are a tea connoisseur. Keep in mind, if you do go, you have to talk quietly since it's a quiet ambient atmosphere

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    Blue Willow Teaspot

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    I'm new to the Bay and trying to actually explore, so I'm really glad I found this place…read more I came with a friend on a slow Sunday around 4pm. Parking was pretty easy, though there aren't a ton of spots. Since it wasn't busy, we got a lot of attention and guidance on the teas, how to steep them, and what to pay attention to while drinking. We did the 3-tea flight ($25 + $3 per extra cup) and both got a snickerdoodle cookie, which was really nice alongside the teas since they were served without added sugar. This was the first time I think I actually understood tea descriptions. Earthy? Apparently that means I might feel like a little glistening frog licking a water droplet off a leaf in a swamp during the fall . I learned earthy teas probably aren't for me. But then you'll be sipping something, slightly lost, and suddenly be like....wait, I taste the chocolate! The plum? Brown sugar?? You start connecting the descriptions to what you're tasting and learning your own preferences: hotter or cooler, longer or shorter steep, which flavors you keep going back to. The changes between steeps are subtle, which I think is important to know if you're new to tea. It's less about huge flavors hitting your taste buds and more about slowing down enough to notice. We also had a little owl tea pet that we poured water over while setting intentions for our goals. As our conversation moved through life, plans and where we both are right now, I started to understand how tea becomes a ritual. Water to leaf, leaf to tea, tea to you, then back to the leaf for another steep. Calmingly informational is probably the best way I can describe it. I learned about tea, learned a little about myself, had a great conversation with my friend, and left understanding why the whole process can feel so grounding. Sooo I'd definitely come back! I think it's especially nice for catching up with someone when you actually want to sit and talk, a quieter date, or even just trying something you haven't done before.

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    I moved to Berkeley about a month ago, and Asha quickly became one of my go-to spots for matcha. I…read morelove the vibe and decor of the cafe, the baristas have always been sweet and friendly, and the menu has a great selection. I especially appreciate that they have genmaicha, which can be harder to find. Their version has a distinct roasted tea flavor that doesn't taste watered down, which I love. Their strawberry matcha is also delicious, with a fresher, juicier strawberry flavor than a lot of other spots. I would honestly give this location 5 stars based on the drinks and regular barista interactions alone, but my last experience was really off-putting. I noticed that people often study there with laptops, so I came in with mine and brought a small lunch from Oori down the street to make a morning out of it. I've done this before without issue, but this time, a woman with crazy eyes who seemed to have a higher role came out and very abruptly scolded me, saying, "You CAN'T eat outside food here," while aggressively pointing toward the door as if I needed to leave immediately. I completely understand having a no-outside-food policy, and I would have had no problem following it if it had been communicated respectfully. But the way she approached me felt unnecessarily harsh and honestly pretty upsetting. I apologized right away, packed everything up in a panic, and left. After processing it, I realized how inappropriate the interaction felt for something that could have been addressed with a simple, polite reminder. Overall, Asha has great matcha, a cute space, and friendly baristas, but that experience really left a bad taste in my mouth. Just a heads up: the drinks are good, but you may want to be careful about bringing outside food in, because the policy might be enforced in a pretty unpleasant way.

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    Forest Tea Bar - tea - Updated August 2026

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