Amazing little place to visit, learned lots of new things about tea and it's history and ways. The service was great and a variety of different options for tea! read more

The tea tasting experience here is so fun and relaxing, a respite in the middle of noisy Chinatown. The owner is so cheerful and knowledgeable and answered anyone's questions about anything. There was no pressure to buy any tea, either--the tasting is free. But after trying so many teas, it's going to be hard not to find one that you want! read more

Vital Tea Leaf - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Me, my boyfriend, and his friend came here for free tea testing because we saw the sign and it was a wonderful experience. Chris was the one who served us and he was very welcoming and educated on tea, he sold me right away and made tea a bigger factor in my life. It was fun listening to the history of tea and the different types/names. The environment of the shop was beautiful too and comforting in a way, definitely will come again soon and buy more tea! Thanks Chris for turning me into a tea person :) read more

This was my first time visit to get some of my favorite teas and the owner was amazing! The experience was wonderful! I would return next time when I want to get more teas. He helped me get the flavors that I wanted. read more

Stumbled into this tea house in China Town, Uncle Gee greeted me with you must show me something or I will kick you to death, I showed him my vaccine card and sat down at the tea bar, Tasted about 8 different teas in about 2 hours, Enjoyed listening to Uncle Gee talk about the health benefits of each tea we sampled, been back a few times since and now I have so many different teas from here, Recently I tried the cocoa Puer tea, I am addicted to this tea, It is very good tea, There teas are top quality, and Uncle Gees stories are fun read more

This joke of fraud place should be shut down. Tea you taste there is different from the tea they actually give to you.

My lion dance group performed here and I'm also a regular popping in and out almost every week. I enjoy a all out of their interesting teas such as Lychee Blck (good for digestion), Angel Green (good for antioxidant and people worried about their figure), Blue Tea (good for people with anxiety) and High Mtn Tea. Uncle Gee is like my dad every time I go in along with cousin John, Jin and Ming. This place can be expensive depending on the type of tea you buy. But, since there's some free tasting and good humored people here, I like to come here before going to work. Ginseng Iron Goddess tea, definitely a must try and Blue people tea for those of you who need a chaser after some major drinking. hehehe Lovely place to bring your friends if you got some out of towners and its in Chinatown! Think CHEAP!!! ^.^ read more

The owner is hilarious, kind, and the tea is very good. I got to try out various tea during the free tea tasting and the tea was very reasonably priced! Definitely come here for a fun time read more

This is a wonderful, cozy tea shop in China Town. It's great little place for all tea lovers and tea-loving tourists. My colleague and I popped in here last week for tea sampling lessons, and we really enjoyed our time. I'm a tea drinker, so I was immediately drawn to this place. We sat here and sampled the different types of teas that our host presented. We learned that there is no such thing as decaf tea. All teas have caffeine and the ones that have been stripped off caffeine has chemicals in them, and no longer pure. When I asked about lavender and chamomile teas, he corrected me and said that they were flowers and not teas. There's a difference. We also learned that adding sweeteners like milk and sugar loses its health benefits. That is part of the British and American culture Chemically processed substances like sugar are not ideal for consumption when you are trying to detox. Teas have healing properties, and it defeats the purpose of detoxifying if you put sugar and milk in them. Staff is very knowledgeable and helpful. This place is also great for gifts. You can find all kinds of teaphernalia and accessories here. I love it. read more

Service is very friendly! They were eager and giving with their tea samples with us as we walked in the door and sat in They also are very knowledgeable of their teas and were very open to questions and teaching us a lot about the history of the teas that we were interested in! Prices are pretty decent with hundreds of teas! They're all in big glass jars and you can see exactly what the tea leaves or the tea buds or seeds are coming from!!! They also sell a lot of teapots too which are kinda cute but too Asian for me :) Will come back here for more teas for sure!! Favorite teas: -Snow chrysanthemum -Monkey picked green tea (absolutely my favorite and it's for cleansing your body) -Lychee black tea -Jasmine green tea read more

I wanted to buy tea as a gift for someone I know who likes the scent and flavor of rose in their tea. Walking into this shop I saw two seated customers at a counter who were chatting with a man across the counter. When he asked me what I was looking for I said that I was curious whether he had any kinds of tea with rose in it and he responded with "Well then go buy some roses and put them in water," and then turned toward the two customers with a look of laughter. I asked whether he had any roses and he pointed to a bulk container which I then walked toward. From behind the counter he then told a story to the two customers about how nowadays so many things are mixed into teas and are still called tea, and then shared a story with them about how a customer once told him that they didn't like the way which he spoke to them. He followed that story with some other bit about how he says things like they are, and lastly he asked the two whether they knew why they shouldn't call tea "Chai tea." Afterward he told me that he'll bag a quarter pound of the roses for me, and whether there was anything else he could help me with. I asked whether there was a difference between the lapsang souchong he carried and another which is labeled "Smoky Lapsang," and he interrupted me to say that "One is smoky and the other is less smoky." I then asked whether he knew if he knew anything about the origins of the two, if they both came directly from Fujian or if they were smoked with pine or oak- I've been told that traditionally pine is used and also that some producers will spray their tea with an artificial flavoring agent) and he said the he doesn't know anything about where they come from. He then asked me whether I wanted either and I chose a quarter pound of the smokier one. I responded to him with thanks and please after any interaction. The two customers were still seated. While bagging the Smoky Lapsang he told me that he doesn't tell stories about his teas, and I softly responded with "I didn't come here for stories, I came here for tea." He then counted my change, I thanked him one last time and we both wished each other a nice day. I left knowing that a moment ago he had shared a story regarding tea with customers. I couldn't tell whether he handed me the right bag of tea, only the bag with the rose was labeled. It does not smell or taste like the Lapsang Souchong I buy from a trusted source who visits Fujian, but I'm still very new to all of this. read more

Probably the coolest Chinatown experience I could have had. I was getting myself lost and wondering around after a hectic New Year when I stumbled into this hidden treasure. The tea master was giving a free tasting for anyone who was walking in but it wasn't just a tasting, he was a show himself. He educated everyone about the tea they were drinking along with had stories to tell that went along with each tea. He also is a Kung foo master! The teas were phenomenal. Then when i tired to tip the guy he didn't want to accept it. He truly just loves tea! I felt like i walked into a magical tea shop, the kind of magic you hope to find when you visit quirky San Francisco. This spot is a must for any tea lover and or lover of romantic San Francisco. Question: if Vital ends up reading this review. I tasted a tea that the Queen of England drinks. It was so good and regret not getting it. I think it might have been a red tea. Would love to learn what it was so I can order it! read more

Vital Tea Leaf - Most magical Kung Foo Tea Master in the city! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Randomly stumbled upon this place today because there was a sign that said "free tea tasting." That piqued my interest greatly. The people that work there are super hilarious and kind. And man, they have a great selection of tea. Very high quality and flavorful. If you're a tea lover, I highly recommend that you check it out. read more

This was the last stop on my Chinatown Food Tour and it was the best stop. The nice lady let us taste quite a few teas of different types and flavors, instructing us on the way to rinse the tea, the best temperature of the water, and the best way to steep it. I wound up buying two of the teas and her recommended two part steeper. I've been enjoying the Angel Green and Blue People Ginseng Oolong immensely and will probably be ordering more,like the fantastic rose she started us out with. read more

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Uncle Gee made us feel right at home. My wife's coworker asked for some tea from this shop so we stopped by for a taste. Uncle explained you don't drink for the smell but for its benefits. I went with my wife, my Mother and my two Aunts and he was asking them to touch his face to see how soft his skin was. I am coffee drinker and will be drinking more tea which is better for you. read more

Vital Tea Leaf - My aunts love Uncle aka Tio - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Uncle Gee is the best... I absolutely love this place, my daughter and I travel all the way from Antioch to come here just to taste tea.. they have great quality of tea for sale and are very knowledgeable.. whatever you need they have.. this is a must try read more

They were very generous in offering tea tastings, and shared a lot of information and tips about brewing tea. Great experience, will recommend. read more

I came for the free tea tasting and it was decent but nothing I haven't grown up drinking. Some would call the tea guy charismatic. I found him to be obnoxious. He talks like he learned English from watching Hollywood action movies and has a really aggressive way of teasing you (e.g. "If you don't come in, I'll beat your ass"....verbatim quote). After a while, I just had to leave because I couldn't stand listening to him anymore. Skip this place. read more

We stumbled upon Vital Tea Leaf completely on accident while wandering Chinatown. And good thing too because we must have spent an hour or two in there tasting various teas and learning about them. It was such a phenomenal yet simple experience wholly focused on the tea. Though the entire tea tasting was free with zero pressure to purchase, we ended up buying a lot because we were sold on both taste and health benefits. Definitely, definitely recommend this to locals and tourists alike! Next time I'm back in San Francisco, I will, without a doubt, make a second visit. ((Just realized I actually visited the 509 Grant Ave location and not the 1044 Grant Ave location)) read more

Vital Tea Leaf - Tea tasting - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Tea sampling and an education on tea for medicinal purposes. Eastern healing and more. We had a lot of fun, they were very helpful and friendly, it was our first experience like this, even the hubby enjoyed it. We had pooped into another shop and they were not friendly. So glad we found this one, he also recommended a great restaurant for dinner :-) read more

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I could have sworn I had written up this spot as it's been a few years since I visited, but it left a solid impression, and I've been happily spreading the word. Hunter, our guide, is a MASTER of tea. He also happens to be a master of sales. Knowledge, warmth, great presentation, passion, engaging. I left with a lot more tea than I thought I would, and it was a highlight of my San Francisco adventures. If you like, love, or are simply curious about tea, make a point of stopping in. read more

We were walking down the street and passed by this place and the funny thing is that we didn't even notice anything about free tea tasting. The store just looked like an interesting place to browse. We got in at the right time though because there was an older couple there and the lady came up from the bathroom-more on that later. I did not have the older gentleman that everyone else seemed to be raving about but the younger lady that was there was still pretty funny. She highlighted a couple of benefits from each tea that we sampled-the older lady kept saying how she had such bad digestive problems and any mention of digestive benefits was a cue for her to repeat how bad her GI tract was. Anyway, I did ask if there was any tea to help me sleep and her response was that the tea helps relax but doesn't help me sleep. She said that if I wanted to sleep a bottle of whiskey would help. "Let the record show she did the 'drinky-drinky' motion." I did end up buying some tea and it was pretty convenient that I could buy it at any increment I wanted. I want with a quarter pound and my friend also went with a quarter pound. $20, but with multiple uses for each cup it turns out to be a pretty good value, entertainment and tea wise. read more

The owners here make it fun to drink tea. Im already a fan of tea and drink it on a daily basis but it's always great to discover new things in a raucous setting. Ive come to learn that this is where M.Y. China gets all of it's teas too and the Milk Oolong is particularly good. Iron Goddess, and some of the others are also tasty. I'd say go down and give them a try, it's totally worth it. 4.3 stars read more

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The saleswoman there (I believe her name was Maggie) is very informative. She can suggest a tea for whatever problems or concerns you have and she'll tell you the benefits along with pros and cons of certain teas. She's very informative and she's very engaging with everyone sitting by the tea tasting bar. I love that you can try the teas here-- any tea you've been thinking of and they'll brew it in front of you. This place sells loose tea leafs, which is better and they have a lot of accessories in the back too. Definitely try out some teas here before you make a purchase because you'll probably discover something you've never had the chance to try before!! read more

Our first time Tea Tasting and we realized that there is a whole world of tea, history and how to make it. Our host was great and we got to taste almost all varieties of tea with description, benefits and method of preparation. This experience has opened our eyes on teas and we now know what to look for and how exactly to prepare and consume tea. read more

I have been to both their locations. This time the owner lady was there pouring tea and tell jokes to the customers. Who knew we would have a party at a tea shop at 1pm on a Sunday afternoon! My father is a big time tea drinker so I have some tea culture in me. These guys know their stuff. You go in and tell them what you are looking for. Light? sweet? floral? For energy? To help with digestion? Sleep better or anxiety? Whatever you need, they will give you a suggestion from a type of tea or have a shot of Jack Daniel lol. Good Chinese tea is not cheap, nor expensive if you think about how much it cost to drink a cup. Most their stuff are around $20-$40 a bag (about quarter pound). It will last you a long time. read more

Vital Tea Leaf - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Not sure if the experience we got was standard, but thoroughly enjoyed this cute little tea establishment. My friend and I were wandering the streets of Chinatown when we suddenly got told by an elderly man to come in and try the tea. Upon sitting down, the nice mean proceeded to entertain us with explanations of the teas he poured, including what family the teas belonged to, general taste profile, general use cases, etc. We tried several different types and bonded a bit with the other customers as well. Can't promise an experience as uniquely entertaining as ours, but do think that this place is a hoot for anyone who is open minded and wants a little character with their tea! read more

As we were walking in Chinatown, we noticed a sign that said "free tea tasting." We thought we were going to just run in, grab some samples in plastic cups sitting on a table and run out. Boy, were we wrong! You sit down at the bar as a tea expert serves you four or five various kinds of tea and explains exactly the real way it should be brewed (not the tea bag American way of drinking tea). Royale (I believe his name was) was so friendly, charismatic and charming. You can definitely tell he loves giving people the knowledge on tea and has a passion for the drink. We didn't buy anything, but we tooks some business cards to hopefully order things online in the future! read more

Vital Tea Leaf - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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One of my go-to places for really good loose tea, this location is right in the middle of it all in Chinatown. The older gentleman that hocks the tea, Uncle Gee, has funny stories and anecdotes. The younger gentleman has consistently been really helpful. I always leave with a box of Blue People Gingseng Oolong. It has this sweet lingering taste after you drink that I absolutely love and it's also supposed to be a coffee replacement. Another tea I like getting is the Lychee Rooibos which is a sweet red tea that's good for digestion & has lots of antioxidants. You don't have to buy by the lb, so don't feel pressured into anything. And they will try to push the expensive teas. Just ask for samples if you're uncertain about the flavor of a tea. read more

Vital Tea Leaf - Blue People oolong - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

A while back some friends & I went tea tasting China Town. We poked into several places & each one seemed extremely concerned on whether or not we would be making a purchase before offering anything and were very unfriendly & standoffish about it. The folks at Vital Tea Leaf were welcoming and friendly. We sat down sampled several teas. The brewmaster gave us a lesson on proper technique, taking the same leaves and brewing for 15 seconds VS 40 Seconds VS 90 seconds. This illustration really opened my eyes and some green tea that has been sitting gathering dust in my pantry because I thought I hated it I now enjoy greatly because I'm longer over brewing in boiling hot water. I ended up buying Tan Gui Puerh Cake, jasmine, green, Yerba Matte, & earl grey and I've been back two more times since each time with a no-pressure friendly atmosphere. P.S. I hope this review is not a catalyst for a bunch of people to swarm the place for free tasting without considering a purchase & this is you...you suck. Hopefully instead you'll appreciate that these folks do business differently & that you'll support them & even you can't take tea home with you tip em a fiver. read more

We were looking for a tea house to sit and enjoy some tea and conversation. I found Vital leaf and we went inside. It wasn't what we were expecting. This wasn't a traditional tea house, but a place where you could sample teas before buying them. And that's Ok. We felt welcome and comfortable as we sat at the bar and were offered several different tastes of different teas. They started with an oolong, a traditional black tea and then started with the different whites and other leaf teas. In the end, we left with a purah (?) tea and a milk oolong, they were expensive but good quality. I am certain that we will be back before we leave. read more

Cool place to try various herbal teas. Friendly staff who makes the experience fun and unique.

we had a great experience! chris was so knowledgeable and humorous. we ended up purchasing some tea that we absolutely loved.

this is what I call friendly service, we were served different tea with proper explanation of the tea you are tasting, You are not forced to buy anything, very relaxing and great experience for my family. Did one Tea ceremony in Shanghai last year and it was memorable. The owner served us read more

Vital Tea Leaf - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

I had the most Tea-riffic day while stopping by at Vital Tea Leaf. I was visiting SF and wanted to check out the Chintatown area since it's been 5 years since I've visited and I was not disappointed. This was by far the highlight of my trip. I had a chance to do an amazing tea tasting & learn about all of the benefits of tea and most special, I got a chance to meet the business owner, Ming. He was informative, refreshing, and welcoming. My friend and I left, each with three teas in hand, and are excited about the chance to start our daily tea regimen. read more

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Free tastings of tea from a knowledgeable tea master? YES PLEASE. I sat here by myself and got fantastic service. I could tell that the staff member helping me was absolutely obsessed with tea and was so eager to tell me what he knew. No pretension about it, just genuinely a nice guy who loves tea. He was super welcoming as well so it was easy to buy tea from him. I've been hesitant to buy expensive tea from places like this and the tea tastings is the way to go. read more

You walk in and the walls are lined with various teas. Sit down. The workers will walk you through free tastings of potential tea to purchase. I always walk out with at least three bags and am excited to try something new. I'm a loyal customer and live in L.A. so this is a must stop while visiting San Francisco. If I cannot make it up there and run-out they have an online store. If they don't have the tea you know and love, call them. They'll go out of their way to make sure you're stalked up year-round. Recommendations: iron goddess king, milk oolong, silver needle jasmine read more

The best tea in America. I have been coming here for 13 years and have tried literally every single other tea distributor in San Francisco. Nothing else even comes close to Vital Tea Leaf in terms of quality and pricing. Go in, enjoy the tasting, and leave with a quarter pound of blue people. read more

While the critique is fair on the pricing, there are some places you go knowing you go for the spectacle, the service, or the "it" that some places have. Vital Tea is one such place. They staff was a ton of fun on a late Saturday night, and the knowledge of tea was amazing. We bought a few of their more humble teas just to try Chinese style tea. It is not everyone's cup of tea (ha! what a pun!) but still an enjoyable experience for all, regardless of what you think of their prices. If you want to bargain shop, stay home and surf CL. The aroma of this place is worth a visit, and try the blue jasmine tea. It will not disappoint. read more

Vital Tea Leaf - The Tea Master - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Thinking of going on one of those fabulous time-share paid vacations, test how resistant your signing fingers are at this place first. These guys would try to sell shoes to a shoe salesman. I am familiar with the tea basics, but I have no real depth of knowledge of teas. But what I do have is a nose for b.s. These guys did feed me some lines of it. But this close to the holidays, and all the traveling that I am doing, I really didn't care as I had no time to look around for a good tea shop. These guys offered me free samples, so I could taste what I was purchasing for someone, because I know generally what type of taste she has. So Vital Tea afforded me the opportunity to taste each one, and that was what it came down to. All in all, I know it was somewhat a ripoff, but shopping is almost done, and I can focus on other more pressing matters. If you have time, look around, I am quite sure you can find cheaper and same if not better quality elsewhere. If time is short, then like me, do what you have to do. I am giving them a 3.5. It is what it is here. read more

Vital Tea Leaf - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California