Being our first time, showed up to this lovely establishment expecting tea from one of the many small petite tea pots located inside and out. Was unexpected when it came out in a ramen size soup bowl. We asked in perplexity for small cups to drink comfortably and we're told "no". I'm not infuriated, but rather surprised that if someone doesn't want to drink from a bowl, they denied us with a hard no. We must go inside to drink from a small normal cup. Not the end of the world, but certainly won't be back - it was very offputing. read more

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Every single time I'm in Santa Cruz or on my way to Carmel or back to Los Gatos I stop to slow down the time of the day. This Amazing sacred place with beautiful ambiance , a good feng shui and energy flow at the Hidden peak tea house are rare nowadays. Tea selection is exceptional and the owners company in conversations are priceless. If you are looking for a special time to celebrate You this is the place . Thank you David and Marilee read more

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I just came back here after pretty much 6 years of being gone and let me say.... they are still EPIC and OUT HERE. It was a wonderful experience bringing some friends here. One of the nicest TeaHouses you'll ever come across whilst conveniently being managed extremely well. They are unreal, being in the place is akin to having a good dream. read more

This special tea house is a treasure. There is a separate indoor full service experience and an outdoor service which has a limited menu. That's because they have specialized equipment inside at each table. They specialize in puerh tea so they have several fresh and aged variety. If you like tea, I highly recommend the indoors full service experience! This is a great quiet place for a nice date or for a chill Sunday afternoon. No use of electronics are allowed to preserve the tranquil atmosphere of the place. read more

The ambience is amazing. I was looking for things to complete my specialty tea set, and was not disappointed. It is well stocked in Pu-erh teas and tea pots. It is not your western type of establishment. I did get a chance to enjoy the tea service with the owner, wonderfully funny and gracious host. I went with no expectations and was tremendously happy and very caffeinated :) If you like to be transported to another time while enjoying delicious tea then I highly recommend. read more

Really cute tea place that serves and performs the Chinese tea ceremony. They are digital free so you cannot use your phones inside but the provide with ample books and games that you won't miss your phone. I went with my mom and we played scrabble. It was a lot of fun! Highly recommend. read more

Highly recommend this super zen and phone free space. It was a unique, chill experience, and the owners are super dedicated to their craft. The tea is lovely, and poured over some old (traditional?) tea tables. I don't know where else to get a traditional Chinese tea experience like this near me, and the owners were taught well, so I'm happy to support! read more

Very cute space. And such sweet staff. The waitress showed my daughter how the traditional tea service worked even though we weren't going to do it. (Traditional Service inside, Cups on the patio). The idea of being there and just enjoying the space/your companions is so nice. They have a very strict no electronics policy and they enforce it. Board games and cards to borrow if you want. Lots of very beautiful cups and tea pots inside to peruse. We sat on the patio - they had just three types of tea to choose from out there. I got green. My daughters got the Chrysanthemum (the only decaf option). They loved the little cups that came with it. I actually thought it was much tastier than I thought it would be. They have just some very light snacks. Unfortunately they don't allow outside food - which was kinda a problem for us, because I have kids who like to snack and they didn't like any of what was offered. We made do. No photos cause no camera allowed! read more

Just off of the Main Street, atmosphere is impressively serene. The service was prompt. The tea was nice. I enjoyed sitting outside and having a good place to chat for over an hour with a friend. $5 for tea outside, refills of hot water for free. read more

I was in Santa Cruz on business and wandered into this shop. What a WONDERFUL experience led by two remarkable people at the counter. I was just looking for tea to bring home to my wife and was treated to a terrific lesson in pressed tea in a beautiful environment. It's apparently a very ancient was of producing tea and very interesting. The two women helping me were a fountain of information and even gave me a small sample of the brewed tea. If you like tea you can't miss this place. read more

Stellar experience. My partner and I have been twice, and will probably be making the trip from Oakland to SC at least once a year just for this place. This most recent trip, we were on a mission for a nice pu-erh, their speciality, and a non-caffeinated option, because we're both pretty sensitive to caffeine. We asked the server for a raw pu-erh recommendation (raw = slightly less caffeine than ripe). She recommended the Panchen Lama, at an eye-popping $27 for a pot (plus the $16 table charge for the indoor tea ceremony experience). She told us it tastes like a sunrise, and walking through redwoods after it rains. It sounded cheesy, but our one prior visit made us trust her recommendation. WOW. The tea was absolutely lovely - on the early steeps, the flavor was much milder than most pu-erhs, more similar to an oolong or even a white tea, with almost no noticeable tannins. It tasted uplifting, comforting even. It was like drinking a hug. Sunrise. Subsequent steeps developed an earthy, foresty taste, were noticeably drier, with clearer tannins, more classic pu-erh flavors. The dryness reminded us both of petrichor, the smell of rain on dry earth. Walking through redwoods after it rains. Is $43 a bit expensive for tea for two? Yeah. But it wasn't *just tea* - it was a relaxing, uplifting journey. The indoor space helped the experience all the more - the music was calm but not sleep-inducing, the decor is beautiful, and the low light added to the ceremonial vibes. If you're on a budget, their other tea options were considerably more affordable, and will also be delightful - we had two different pu-erhs the last time we visited. Don't be surprised or put off by the small pots - all of their teas can be brewed many times, and one pot can easily serve 4 people a satisfying amount of tea. This time, we also had the chrysanthemum tea ($6 for the pot), which had a bolder, more medicinal flavor than the $5 giant jar of chrysanthemum flowers we'd bought in Chinatown. We discovered that we like the cheap stuff better, but others' tastes likely differ. Not familiar with brewing high-quality tea yourself? They will happily teach you - all of the staff I've interacted with have been extremely friendly and excited to share their knowledge and introduce more people to the experience of good tea. Be prepared for a bit of woo-woo, but lean into it if you can. read more

This is one of my new favorite places in Santa Cruz. The Puerh tea was truly amazing. I didn't see the sign for no electronics, and they promptly told me to put my phone away, which I think was great. Definitely an extremely peaceful place, despite being in an alleyway in downtown Santa Cruz. Really well executed, will definitely be back! read more

Hidden Peak Teahouse - Puerh Tea - Tea Rooms Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I came here from a Reddit recommendation since I travel monthly to SC for work. I am a total tea nerd, but just getting into puer, and this was a perfect experience! The staff were so friendly and knowledgeable, the tea room was absolutely gorgeous, and I LOVE that there are no phones allowed (which was difficult for me, but so lovely to unplug). I spent over an hour enjoying a session of their house puer, reading a book about the history of tea, and sitting in quiet contemplation. I'll be back next time for sure! read more

We rode motorcycles from San Diego with the intent of stopping at this puerh specialty shop. After arriving and having ridden through 100+ degrees temps over the last 1.5 hours, we were hot. We stepped inside and when greeted, I told the girl up front that I was there because I heard they specialized in pu'erh. I was looking for a nice early 2000s cake. She pointed to a small display of bags saying that's what they had. I asked if we could put our jackets and helmets outside since we were pretty high body temps. She responded with "well.....are you guys going to drink tea out there? Anyway, the drinking area is over here inside and it's gongfu." Then she walked off. I browsed the pots and the bags of pu'erh for a couple minutes and she came over and said "if you are looking for samples the guy in the robe outside will help you." He was busy with another customer and having just rode all the way from San Diego, I was over it. We left without sampling or buying anything simply because it wasn't really seeming like we were customers. I do buy a lot of pu'erh from various vendors online and know the sort of stuff I was looking for and at the price point it sells for I shouldn't have to force myself to be interested in a shop. "Do you guys need water, come sit down to cool off, put your jackets and helmets here" would have been nice. "Oh you're here for pu'erh, what profiles do you like, are you looking for something specific" etc. when some of this stuff is well over $80 for 5-6g, I shouldn't be forcing myself to want to buy something. Treat us like customers, sell TO me. Not wait for me to sell to myself. I can do that online without the ride. read more

Came here on a whim and wasn't sure what to expect. I'm not typically a tea person but thought coming here would be a fun and unique experience since I had seen many good reviews on yelp. It is conveniently located, right in downtown Santa Cruz. You can't miss walking past it as the front entrance area has an outdoor zen seating area. For the more casual experience, we sat in the outside area where you can order teas a la carte as a opposed to the more elaborate tasting options were indoors. It was a perfect day outside for some tea and by just paying a few dollars for some tea it was fairly inexpensive. The server explained the three choices that they had, we ended up getting the puerh and the green tea. The puerh was said to be their staple, which was very delicious and came in a big bowl! Warning: the outside seating area has a no electronics policy (hence no photo) which we respected so we opted to just disconnect and enjoy our tea. They do offer books snd games inside for which we played backgammon and drank our tea. This was definitely a great spot to hangout and play games or talk, and it is a little cheaper than going to coffee shops. I wouldn't hesitate to come here and check it out! read more

I loved my experience at Hidden Peak Teahouse. They're located on a side street off Pacific away from the hustle and bustle of the crowd, and you can really feel like you've made an escape by coming inside. As others have pointed out, the "digital free" zone is heavily enforced inside but you won't be kicked out for pulling out your phone. However, once you turn them off and stow them away like you're supposed to on a plane, you'll find the unplugged life rather nice. The interior looked and felt like a spa. If they only had lemongrass or lavender essential oils around, it would have been perfect. Their vegan friendly menu and vast tea options here were impressive. My friend and I decided to split two desserts (apple bread and chocolate custard) and opted out of tea this time since we were full from dinner. The desserts were a bit small but great quality and you would not believe that everything is vegan friendly. Sitting inside, conversing with my friend, and admiring the decor, it really felt like a lost art. I'm so glad that this place exists for the sole purpose of getting you to disconnect from the online world for just a bit to appreciate life as it stands. And yes, ironically you're pulling this review up online to go somewhere to unplug. You may feel the itch to snap a pic of that dessert or check that email one last time, but you'll get over it quickly and learn to enjoy the ride. read more

Stopped by with my boyfriend and we greatly enjoyed it! We sat outdoors so we can have a much more casual experience. We got the herbal tea + a pack of uno cards and we had such a great time reconnecting with one another! No cell phones, so it really makes you reconnect with the person across from you. Loved it! read more

Felt like this place was a little snooty. Walked in off the street and I asked if they had any tea ball infusers, as I needed a new one, and they snidely said that they only sell tea sets. Saw they had a few selections of green tea, so decided to try it out in spite of that comment. The salesperson told me it was a really good one and "buttery", so I bought it ($18 for a few ounces), and it literally tasted like straight up dirt. After drinking a few sips of that, I tossed the rest of the tea into the trash. Maybe they have other better teas, but with the snooty customer service, I'd rather go somewhere else for tea. read more

Very good, high-quality tea and staff is friendly and helpful. They also have good finger food (the fingerling potatoes and other snack selection are super tasty). Overall the atmosphere there is soothing and this place offers an authentic tea drinking experience. read more

Hidden Peak Teahouse - Tea Rooms Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Wow, what a gem in this world! Came in here with an interest in pu-erh and was lucky enough to get to chat with David. Dude knows his tea and has spent a good part of his lifetime learning about it, sourcing it, and providing folks with a look into the history, culture, and beauty of the tea culture. As a bit of a novice, I got the sampler pack of pu-erh teas. So far, they've all been pretty dang delicious. It's pretty wild how the fermentation/aging of the tea really breaks down the tannins. Smoothest tea I've ever had. Didn't get to stick around and do a tasting, but it's certainly on my list. Thank you for providing such a cool space and array of teas to the community! read more

A very different yet relaxing and peaceful place to enjoy tea. Our hostess was extremely knowledgeable and amazingly friendly. This being my first time there I told her what teas I prefer and she guided me to a great choice. My friend and I had the gung fu service and was shown how to prepare the tea. I picked a black tea and since no electronics are allowed I didn't take a picture of the menu. If you want to take some time to just enjoy a quite place and a nice glass of expensive tea, then I would recommend it. read more

Hidden Peak Teahouse - the interior of the teahouse - Tea Rooms Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

This place is amazing. No cell phone usage allowed, but that's okay. I don't really drink tea on the regular because it's just tea, but the stuff here is different. The pu-er here is amazing. You can taste the huge differences between the teas and even as you continue to steep the tea over and over. read more

I am thankful I found this hidden gem and never knew Santa Cruz had such a traditional tea place to authentically experience a tea ceremony but a Kung Fu service. It is rare to find a place like this and especially in the modern world taking a pause to be more present where technology is not allowed or having a clock to always run our day with schedule. This place really forced you to have an actual conversation with someone and be present without technology. Sometimes we forget how things used to be before it became a tech world.. the owner I was the one who gave the tea ceremony and I love the mom/pop feel where the owner actually build relationships with their customers and the passion he carries. read more

WONDERFUL tea house. It was almost completely silent when we walked in. This place is so peaceful, which is a nice change when you're coming from the hectic Boardwalk. BEWARE though. This is definitely a different experience than anything you're used to. You're not allowed to use electronics. So you actually have to INTERACT with each other. Imagine that! Haha! I really had a great experience here though. The teas were all great, and the workers knew exactly what they were talking about. We tried almost all of the snacks, which were pretty good but on the light side. My favorite was probably the wasabi peas, which I now discovered they sell in a can at Luckys so I stocked up on them :) I'd pass on the brittle if I came again though, it wasn't my favorite. It wasn't the typical brittle I was expecting and had way too much chocolate (if there is such a thing). I'm not sure if I would come back again for lunch, because they only have light snacks, but I would definitely come back to relax and drink some tea! read more

We made a pilgrimage from Berkeley to this beautiful teahouse. Yes, it was worth the trip. There's no other teahouse like this. It's filled with beautiful antiques and lots of seating area where you can take your time with excellent quality pu-er. This place provided me an environment to appreciate the moment and reflect on the beauty and simplicity of tea and all the history and hands that labored so I could enjoy my moment. I found David, the owner, to be a master teacher and an excellent story teller. I'm very appreciative of my visit there and will enjoy the tea and tea ware I brought back home. read more

Hidden Peak Teahouse - a teapot and two cups - Tea Rooms Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Hidden Treasure. I'm in looooove. No phones or laptops allowed so as not to kill the authentic, timeless tea house vibe. So you actually sit and enjoy tea. My herbal tea looked like it'd been hand-gathered out of a storybook! (e.g. full of clover & other magical looking things you'd collect as a kid). My server was low key and attentive. Plus she explained why we steep teas at different times based on the tea. She had nice energy, and she said the secret was the tea!! Also, you can sit outside if you want to work on electronics. read more

Do you ever feel that life is so stressful you want to stand in the middle of the road and shriek like a crazy person? Welll...that might be a bit awkward. But a second best bet would be an escape to Hidden Peak. Secreted away off the street down a narrow little alley, this curious oasis feels like another world--and another era. The first thing you'll notice is the peaceful entrance, flanked by gorgeous raw wooden tables and potted plants. If you're lucky enough to score one of these tranquil outdoor nooks, you can enjoy your tea outside in a lovely setting--tucked away from the chaos of downtown. Step inside the dark, stately shop...and you'll be greeted by an unfamiliar hush. Though the space is fairly large and busy, there is a library-like reverence for quiet here. The strict no-devices policy carves out a sort of sacred space--where you're encouraged to feel fully present...to savor your tea--and your company. The decor is mostly dark antique wooden furniture with an Asian flair. An eclectic mix of Chinese stylings, Persian rugs, Japanese china and cloisonné. Throw in a few bookcases crammed with books for a space that is at once elegant and a touch formal--yet also deeply relaxing and cozy. My boyfriend and I had never experienced a traditional gung fu tea service before, nor were we versed on pu-erh teas. We confessed we had no clue what we were doing--and our servers were more than happy to share their art. We found the process and menu with its array of $7-$400 raw, organic teas fascinating. The tea itself, brewed at our table and poured into little fairy-sized cups--was delicious. It smelled amazing and glided down our throats--as rich and silky as café au lait. And even though the one we ordered was mildly caffeinated, it didn't cause any nasty jitters as coffee often can. Honestly, I was prepared for the tea itself to be overhyped but this really was different from any tea I'd had before. Our apple bread was also delightful--moist and rich but not too sweet. Verdict: Old Chinese men are definitely onto something. By the time we floated out into the crisp fall air, we both felt completely relaxed yet also energized for our evening on the town. I highly recommend picking a weekend day to slow down and treat yourselves to the old school art of tea. read more

A little pricey but one of the best Chinese tea houses you'll ever go to fantastic selection

This place is an oasis. It is a thoroughly unique experience that asks you to step back from the rush and distracting and just be. Allow yourself to let go and just have an experience and I promise it will not disappoint. The staff and owner are some of the most genuine and consceincious people you will ever come across and if their methods seem strange, just ask for what you need because they are there to help. It's not going to be a typical restaurant or cafe experience. This is more like a community house that centers around what tea can do to provide a medium for deep discussion and respite. They may seem "militant" about the no phone policy, but they are attempting to maintain an energy in this place of being there. If you need to do phone things, just step outside of the gate. I meet people here all the time and may need to check my phone to coordinate timing, but it's simple to get a table and just pop outside quick to send a text. They can always call the teahouse and say something came up if they can't reach you. Remember how that worked before cell phones? Seriously, let the teahouse win you over. It gives sevenfold what you give it. Promise. read more

Great tea, and an excellent ambiance. No indoor seating while I was there. They don't permit electronics so be prepared, but I personally enjoyed the atmosphere with a good book. read more

Wonderful place to hang out with friends. I love the NO electronic devices ZONE - the staff was very friendly - the food choices were simply yummy - the tea choices and service was excellent. I look forward to hanging out again i this as Aesthetically pleasing environment! read more

If you like pretentious hipster ethic and ambiance, "Hidden Peak Teahouse" is for you! My sister and niece from out of town had invited me to meet them at HPT in Downtown Santa Cruz around 3 pm, so I went down a bit early to stop by the bookstore. When it got close to 3, I texted them to see if they were there yet. No answer. I later found out that they had sent me a text too, which I never received because HPT is aggressively militant about not allowing the use of mobile phones on their premises. So we were not able to contact each other, (to meet at HPT). When I finally got there I discovered my sister and niece had already been there awhile. It was near 90 degrees and the air was hot and stuffy in HPT. The waiter came over, (I believe he had a man bun in his hair), and put down a menu. Since it was so hot, I asked what they had in the way of iced tea. I was informed that they had nothing but hot tea and couldn't even offer me cold water so I said that I would not be ordering anything. My sister and niece had already been served some hot tea. So while we sat and chatted, I pulled out my phone to show them a picture. (Coincidentally, it was a really nice picture I had taken inside HPT the only other time I'd been there) I couldn't believe how fast I was confronted by a female hipster employee about phones not being allowed. I told her and my sister and niece that I would wait for them outside. On my way out, I couldn't help but notice that the place was empty except for us, and I can see why. I will smile a big smile when Hidden Peak Teahouse goes out of business because that's what their pretentiousness and bad service deserves. I've included the picture I had wanted to show my sister and niece... read more

Hidden Peak Teahouse - Hipster Freak Teahouse - Tea Rooms Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I am not sure, but this may be the only all vegan spot in the entire Santa Cruz County for the time being. Certainly there have been some others since closed, but for the moment I think this may be it? That said, if you are coming here for the food, not to say it is bad, quite the opposite. Delicate and delicious, if a bit light fare since it is meant to complement the real reason to come here and what the menu devotes many more pages to: the tea. The proprietor, previously of Chaikhana and collaborations such as The Empty Boat (and from what I have heard tell, even some older festival tea the likes of which Ron Jon and Om Shan Tea et al have continued keeping going for night time nomads seeking to stay warm and hydrated) has what I would say is the best assortment of tea and tea ware I have seen outside of two storied tea shops in Hong Kong or some very rare personal collections not privy to public eyes. The tea house itself, is an electronics free area. A welcome respite as we now live in an era deluged by pocket sized digital distractions and I don't think I should have to go to a movie theater where I am blasted with more previews and propaganda just to be told to "please turn off your cell phone". However, Hidden Peak is not merely better than a coffeehouse overrun by laptops and people on their cell phones. It's also free of the hubbub and frenetic tourist driven sales tactics you will find in San Francisco's Chinatown's tea shops, where sometimes decent tea ware can be found for an OK price, and more rarely decent tea. If you are unfamiliar with such establishments, more often: you will find a lot more spectacle and showboating sales tactics and scales and "savings" as they shave off spuriously faked high prices than you will delicate additive free fragrance and steam as I have enjoyed at Hidden Peak. The staff are patient, polite, often stylish if subtly understated, well mannered and I am grateful to say some are even personal friends at the moment and have pleasant personalities and rich lives outside of tea culture if you are lucky enough to know them a bit beyond that too. However, if you appreciate 工夫茶「gongfucha」and 普洱「pu'erh 」this is the best spot in NorCal that I know of publicly selling tea whether in cake, brick, loose leaf. However, given their delightful tables and seating I tend to prefer enjoying it there in a pot with a decanter and a pitcher of boiling water. Regardless of how you enjoy tea, if you do enjoy tea, you will be hard pressed to find any establishment anywhere outside of China with as much curated quality teas and teaware. Highly recommended. One of the best places in Santa Cruz and even the state and perhaps even country for what it offers. read more

Amazingly relaxing atmosphere and cool tea selection! Love how it's a technology-free space as well. Definitely visit if you want to unwind. (you also get taught how to make & pour tea the traditional Asian way) read more

Good tea, good vibes, reasonably priced if you stay a while. They have a good, though sort of orientalist selection of books and fine tea. Overall the place works, though for a spot that specializes in chinese tea, there's a few odd japanese things there though which are ... out of place? Anyways, I'm still a fan and wish there was more places like this. read more

Very interesting tea house! When my friend first told me he was going to bring me out for some "afternoon tea," I thought it was going to be one of those frilly teahouse places with fancy tablewear and crumpets, you know? But this teahouse is a whole other world! It's located downtown next to this doggy boutique and a parking lot is right near it. Right when you walk in, you see a bunch of teapots, tea leaves, etc. They have a lot of various tables and chairs. We came when it was slightly emptier, so we got seats at these nice couches. Service can be a bit slow, but the waiters/waitresses are very patient with you and take the time to explain the different teas and styles. They serve a variety of black, green, ooling, etc. I ended up with the Buddha Island tea with a cup of the daily Pu-Erth while my friend got some new special green tea that I think was tacked on the side and $6. Buddha island tea ($5?): You know those Asian seaweed cookies.. It tastes just like that. I mean, which is good if you like that kind of snack! I just happen to really dislike it, so I ended up primarily drinking my friend's tea and wishing I just got a pot of the Pu-Erth tea. (http://www.amazon.com/Imei-Fried-Cookies-Seaweed-Flavor/dp/B007XUCU4O/ref=sr_1_3?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1405229527&sr=1-3&keywords=I+Mei+Fried+Cookies) Cup of Pu-Erth ($1): This thing was AMAZING. I loved it! I usually don't like anything but green tea, but this one tasted very good. It tasted like black tea with some musky, dark flavor to it, but with some berry undertones. My favorite in this place. We ended up sitting there for around two hours and catching up. Not once did I feel rushed or anything. They made sure to check in on us and see if the hot water was refilled every so often, which I found very nice. Great place to catch up with your friend if you're not into coffee! And remember: no digital devices! ;) read more

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Calm, vibey place with delicious tea and small tasty snacks, beautiful wooden Chinese furniture and decor, and, if you wish, tea ceremony rituals. Or simply get a pot of tea, keep pouring hot water in, and hang out and talk with your friends and slow down and take your time. They emphasize this aspect, as it is a digital-free zone, so no cellphones allowed. Nice. Service: I'm usually reticent to pigeonhole people, but this is a review where you attempt to communicate, sooooo....the young people who work there have this calm vegan hipster neo-hippie kind of thing going on, and were really quite friendly both times we were there. This is, of course, not a place you should go if you're in a hurry, but is one of the best places to hang out with friends and linger and talk. And the staff encourages this...even if you're just hanging out with a few $3.50 pots of (delicious) tea. There's some organic vegan/vegetarian snacks. The Cardamom & Orange Cashew Cream Cup with Dark Chocolate Crust was delicious by any measure. Lots of different kinds of tea, whether herbal or not, some inexpensive, some not so much, some coming with a traditional tea ceremony and more elaborate ritual of pouring, and some, just a good pot of tea. The whole experience was pleasant, and we returned a second time with a friend. For those who are familiar with Santa Cruz, this is set in the old space where the world percussion shop, which I believe was called Rhythm Fusion, was formerly located, in a walkway between buildings north of Pacific, close to a public parking lot. read more

Definetly the place to go if you are looking for deep conversation. I go here when I'm trying to talk one on one with a friend or a small group. It's perfect for that because the specialty pu-erh that they serve is life changing. You won't want to leave and there will be so much to talk about. read more

If you are looking for this place, it located where the Rhythm Fusion drum shop use to be. So you can imagine what a wonderful, large, open space they have here. And if you don't know where that is, that means it is down the alley between the parking garage and Pacific, on the town clock end, and it is worth finding. We came here for two reasons. 1. We wanted to try the tea. 2. We wanted to pick up some tea (to brew at home) for a friend of ours who has moved out of the area but is tired of grocery store quality tea. There was no way to sample the tea other than to purchase the tea service and try a cup or two (paying full price). They charge extra if you want to share. I wished that they had some product on display to sample via a sniff test of the leaves (like they do at spice shops) to get an idea of the aroma/flavor profile or if they could put a taster option on the menu to give you small samples of small like you see at micro-breweries for people who are not familiar with their products. They are on the pricey side and for tea newbies, if you want to dish out that kind of dough, you want to make sure it's a flavor profile that you would be into. The husband and I went out on a limb and sat down for tea service. The outside was well kept and quiet. In retrospect, we should have stayed out there but I decided that I wanted to try the inside. The seats were comfortable. As soon as the tea came, the music kind of got stressful. I had ordered the calm tea and all I can describe the soundtrack is, as Sitars Gone Wild. No,that's probably not the name of the album but it gives you an idea of the wild, stressful riffs that made me want to jump out of my skin. I kindly asked the server to change up the music and she did, to some nice soft guitars.... transporting me off to a happy, calm place. It was a nice place to relax and we ultimately fell in love with the Jasmine Pearl tea. We weren't up for sampling the food but we watched as some snacks went by. They looked appetizing and as though they were a good deal for the money. Next time? Overall, I'd give this place a 3.5. Service was great, but the business model has a few wrinkles to iron out. I'd definitely give it another try. Our server let us know that Thursday and Friday evenings that they have live music. I'll have to come back and check it out. Hopefully, it's something a little more mellow to go with my calm tea. :) read more

An interesting little spot. I'd come here more often if I had more money, more time, more friends, but as it is, I simply stay at home. However, my sister and the owner are well-acquainted. I ended up wandering in another store around the corner as well, and purchasing a tea set and necklace from the lovely lady there as well. (Her shop is filled with GORGEOUS artifacts, so beware, if you love beautiful things like I do.) David's tea shop is absolutely wonderfully silent, which also appealed to me. My sister's friends and I were introduced to one another mostly in the beautiful, clean, quiet, pleasant space, having tea. Which was really nice! I believe we got the variety pack, and tried all the teas, plus the wasabi peas, and the brittle. I prefer herbal teas, but again my sister insisted I try each of them. I really loved the lapsang souchoung. read more