Maruwu Seicha is definitely worth the stop if you're in Japantown! I got the pistachio matcha, and…read moreit actually tasted like real pistachios--not artificial at all. It was thick, creamy, and a little rich, but so satisfying. Don't skip the cheese tarts! The original and ube flavors are my favorites. They're super creamy, cheesy, and practically melt in your mouth. The line was pretty long when I went, but it moved surprisingly fast. It's located in the Japantown West Mall, and there are plenty of places to sit around the mall while you enjoy your treats. I'll definitely be back!

I came here today with my 90-year-old grandfather for some matcha ice cream. The ice cream itself…read morewas excellent, rich, creamy, and full of matcha flavor. The quality of the food is why I'm still giving this place 3 stars. Unfortunately, the service continues to be disappointing. This isn't the first time I've felt this way whenever I visit. We were helped by a female staff member around 2 PM, and she seemed very unfriendly. When I politely asked for a cup, she just stared at me for a moment without saying anything, then turned around to grab one. A simple smile or "of course" would have made a big difference. As a young person, I can easily brush off that kind of attitude. But it made me feel sad for my 90-year-old grandfather, who deserves to be treated with warmth and kindness. Customer service isn't just about getting the order right, it's about making people feel welcome, especially elderly customers. The food is consistently great, but I hope the customer service can improve to match the quality of what they serve.

Always a pleasure to return to Lovejoys for tea. Lovely, comfortable setting, generous portions…read more We had a queens tea and high tea with salmon, chicken apple walnut, ham and roast beef sandwiches. The High Tea consists of a selection of two sandwiches, mandarin orange salad, cole slaw, scone, and a small sweet treat. A pot of tea as well. This is quite substantial for me! The Queens tea is the High Tea plus fruit, a crumpet and dessert from the tray. A quaint room but cozy enough to have a small party. Street parking is a bit of a challenge. There is parklet seating as well. Reservations are required to ensure a table. My favorite place in the Bay Area for tea!

Lovejoy's Tea Room takes you into the world of British high tea and dining. The tables both inside…read moreand outside are beautifully adorned with floral-patterned cushion, doilies that cover every table, and serveware collected from the UK. The service here is very quick - our waitress was kind to explain different menu items and give us recommendations for our first time here. We went with an assortment of high tea specials, tea sandwiches, scones and crumpets. The baked goods came out warm and fresh, which was deliciously paired with the creamy butter. The sandwiches were all very refreshing and light! Some of my highlights would be the sandwiches paired with cucumber, and the selection that included chutney. They have an expansive menu of teas for you to choose from, whether you prefer black teas or those that are more floral. I would say you can't go wrong with sharing and it makes for a wonderful experience. My time here was amazing and I really loved coming here!

Was visiting the area and decided to stop by Kiss of Matcha after seeing the reviews. Really glad I…read moredid. The shop has a cozy Japanese-style atmosphere with good music and a relaxing vibe that made it easy to hang out for a bit. I'm not usually a big matcha person, so I tried the hojicha soft serve instead and it was honestly really good. Rich roasted flavor, not overly sweet, and something different from the usual ice cream spots. I also sampled the black sesame and definitely want to come back for that next time. The staff were friendly, patient, and happy to explain the menu since it was my first time there. Everything came out quickly and looked carefully made.

I've ordered their surprise bag on Too good to go twice and both times have been amazing!…read more The soft serve with mochi was my favorite the first time. The vanilla soft serve was still amazing the second time but the matcha soft serve outshined it. It had a generous amount of matcha. There's a self order kiosk when you walk in. There's a few tables and chairs, making this a good spot to grab a sweet treat and yap with friends.

I came here at the recommendation of a friend along with a few other people and we got a pot of…read moreturmeric chai to share so we could sit inside and chit chat. They have quite the selection of teas which are pretty fragrant and the menu is helpfully organized based on the level of caffeine in the teas. I thought the tea was decent. I learned that The Center is a space where events and classes are often held, and that there's actually people who live here (presumably upstairs). When I went on a Sunday afternoon, there were quite a few people there to talk or work on their laptops. I admit this place is a bit too "woowoo" for me, but I'm sure for some other people this would be a good fit for their desired atmosphere.

A lovely third space! The inside is a lot bigger than I was expecting, since the entrance is a…read morelittle hidden down an alleyway. This space feels super homey compared to other cafes as everyone mainly sits on the floor and you also take your shoes off inside. There's a huge selection of teas, and you can get free refills on the pots for as long as you want ($12)! I came on a Sunday afternoon and it got SUPER packed while I was there and pretty loud. I'd recommend coming earlier if you want to snag a table. I saw a lot of people catching up or doing work as well!

This place is absolutely amazing! The food and teas are so delicious and the ambiance was so…read moreadorable. The teacups are all so cute! The staff are also so sweet and knowledgable about the foods and tea selection. We went for our anniversary and they brought us a special tea(: will definitely be coming back and would 100% recommend!!!

This place is awesome! Wasn't sure what to expect, just wanted to grab some tea in a relaxing…read moresetting on a cold sf day. Came Saturday afternoon and it was pretty empty and super cozy. It's just a coffee/tea room with super chill vibGreat tea, super nice staff, cool vibey music and just got to enjoy tea in a comfy setting. This place is honestly one of the best "coffee shops" in town and I can't believe it's my first time coming. I was apprehensive at first because I thought I had to go through the church to go in, but the entrance is on the side through a wooden gate that's open and leads into a cute side area with a fountain. Along with tea they have chocolate drinks and I think coffee too. So happy to have a relaxing place to grab a beverage that's in a setting that doesn't feel like a sterile Apple Store. Love it!!

THE BEST PLACE TO GET RICE BALLS IN THE BAY…read more Hot. Fresh. Fragrant. Delicious. I wish I could get these on the streets. I usually get the mushroom one. The lines can be long, but it's worth it. Dango is also delicious here!

We saw this onigiri spot across from Jina Bakes and I unironically enjoyed it more! The onigiris…read morecome out pipping hot and they were tasty! We ordered the Salmon, Mentaiko Spicy Cod Roe, and Spicy Salmon. All of the onigiris were enjoyable. At $3.50~ per onigiri, the price is very affordable! Definitely grab an onigiri or two from them if you're in the area!

A local friend highly recommended the crème brûlée milk tea here. To make things even better, the…read moreparking gods were on my side and blessed me with a spot right around the corner, which meant I could enjoy my drink inside while giving my tired feet a much-needed break. I don't normally drink a lot of boba, but vacations are for treating yourself, right? The crème brûlée milk tea was basically dessert in a cup. You could actually taste and chew on little bits of torched caramelized sugar throughout the drink. The boba itself was perfectly cooked, soft and chewy. And then there was pudding in there too! Every sip had me going "ooh" and "ahh" as I discovered another delicious texture. The only downside was that the drink only comes in one size, and it was a bit too much for me. I was genuinely sad that I couldn't finish it. That's one of the reasons I don't order boba very often. I can eat way more food than I can drink liquid for some reason. But I'd happily return to Urban Ritual to work my way through more of their milk tea menu the next time I'm in San Francisco.

Reasonable boba tea in a nice location in Hayes to drink at the park…read more Their straws are too small to viably drink the boba $8.5 for one basic boba tea with only milk/tea is quite high

Came here for the Neko Oji-san collaboration, as that's how I learned about the cafe (I love the…read morecomedy short form manga online, check it out!). Parking nearby is horrendous, super busy even on the weekdays before the rush hour so I can't imagine weekends when people are out or other high traffic times. Get ready to make some rounds and pay for parking and be careful since there's very specific signage and times. The cafe itself is cute and cozy. Front area is a gift shop with lots of cat themed gifts and goodies like keychains, stickers, and such, and also some items from local and small artists too, which is neat. The cafe also has community events like movie showings ("The Cat Returns" was one of them which is a great choice) and cat yoga. If you're local, you can also get a time stamp if you are a frequent visitor. Definitely follow their socials for more information. There's reservations online and you can also do walk ins if it's not super busy. You can book for a 55 minute visit or a 30 minute visit. PRO-TIP: There's a discount for students, so if you want to be surrounded by some feline friends while you study or relax, great place to do so. You can hang your coat on the rack and there's a mini shelf area for your shoes. So you gotta walk in with socks! With each visit you can either get a hot cup of tea or a cold can or box drink from their fridge (sparking water, juices, etc.). Very refreshing and you can enjoy it in the cat area too. Sanitize your hands before and after visiting. There's lots of cats hiding around, sleeping, walking around, and some are super friendly and will go into your lap. There's toys you can play with the cats with and there's a wall of adoptable cats. Lots of seats or you can opt to sit on the floor with the cats too. There's relaxing lo-fi music throughout too. Pretty cool that they rescued 2 cats from Qatar and neat that we got to see them. As with all cats, some can be a bit spicy but it's usually just a warning teeth rub. I own cats so there's nothing new. I'm horribly allergic to the cat that specifically lives in my house, but I didn't get an allergy here, meaning that the cats are clean and well taken for. My favorite was a large sleepy orange boy, Ron (permanent non-adoptable resident) that was hanging out next to me the entire time.

My coworkers recommended this place and I'm so glad she did! I was able to take my six year old…read moreeven though online the minimum age is 9. Luckily, the worker called his manager and got approval for my son to go in. You can't pick the cats up sadly but if you sit down one will Forsure make its way into your lap. The room was very clean and well kept. We enjoyed being here while sipping on hot cocoa and playing w the cats