This is where you should buy every day drinking tea. There's other spots for special gift teas. Tea selection is big. What I like -iron goddess king -silver needles -monkey picked -golden turtle -dragon well -pu-erh -Jasmine read more

I hope someone has recorded his shows somewhere because they're hilarious. I know my wife got some things but in general he's just very funny. He taught me how to steep tea correctly. I bought a few things of tea from him just because he's so funny and informative at the same time. read more

One of my favorite Chinatown experiences. We walked in for a free tasting and learned so much about differnt types of teas and their benefits. Ended up buying a bag which was a little pricey but the free tea tasting was super worth it! read more

This is the second time we've visited Kenny's shop and crossed it at happenstance after a volleyball game in the city. His teas helped me regulate my digestive tract in the past. Right now, I'm having a lot of dizziness and vertigo so I got a tea for dizziness and to clear out gallstones as that could be a cause of my current symptoms. I sought out non-caffeinated teas and they had suggestions for me. You can't tell from the outside (looks like a hole in the wall midst Chinatown), but on the inside it looks like a beautiful old school tea shop with clear glass pots everywhere filled with teas from all over the world. Definitely must visit for your ailment fixing needs and even just to zen out with some chamomile. read more

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

Criz is awesome! Great time. Atmosphere and service On point. Chinatown tea at its best read more

Vital Tea Leaf - Cris is awesome! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Nicest well informed people pour you tea, ask for The 94 year old Godfather . Perfect place to recoup after being in the city read more

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

Had a wonderful time - they patiently let us try lots of different types of tea (my 12 year old LOVES tea) and were so friendly. We'll definitely be back. read more

I was not someone who appreciated teas until I started coming to Vital Tea Leaf for their free tea tastings. All of their selections are high-quality and distinct, and some of the varieties they typically pour include Jasmine White, Iron Goddess, Cocoa Black, Milk Oolong (which smells and tastes like butter!), as well as herbal teas like Roses and, my personal favorite, Chrysanthemum. The staff (shoutout to Ming) is incredibly knowledgeable about teas and Eastern medicine, and is friendly and entertaining too. I've only had great experiences here and have even run into celebrity chef Martin Yan during one of my many visits! read more

See all

I saw this place walking up to our Chinese restaurant. I was rushing to eat so I can come back and get Blossom tea. I've been seeing videos on TikTok about it. I got to get some. Soon as I was done eating, I ran right to the store ! It was closed. No ! Thank God the man was sitting there just resting. I banged and bang on the door. Please let me in. I want to buy ! Giving him the sign language movement for i will pay! Not Until I gave him the strip club movement of making it rain then he open the door.Ha! Six blossom teas for $10. I can't wait to drink tea now! The sign out Side says freetea tasting. Definitely check this place out. Sweet Man, five stars ! read more

Vital Tea Leaf - Now all is good I got my tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

I have nothing but good things to say about this place!! The way I felt like all my problems were cured after trying their tea..... This is a cozy family-owned tea shop in chinatown that offers completely free tea tasting! It can get full quickly so try to arrive 15-20 minutes prior to the hour so you can secure a seat, especially if you're going with bigger groups. I think the max seating is probably about 15 chairs. The owners are so incredibly sweet and explain each tea you sample in great detail, along with the health benefits of each one. I loved the ginseng oolong tea, as well as this one black tea which was aged 20 years but I unfortunately do not remember the name. Everything was so good and it was a super nice experience. I would definitely recommend trying and buying something from them too as they are all genuine tea leaves! read more

One of my favorite experiences in San Francisco. Ming was so hospitable and welcoming! He taught us soooo much about tea and made us laugh along the way. The tea sampling was free and I think we tried about ten learning what each one was good for and how to brew it perfectly. He would show us the tea before and let us smell it then after brewing. Honestly it was way more fun than the wine tasting tour we went on and a lot cheaper ! We went home with quite a few teas and then stopped by Ming's dim sum restaurant after. Highly highly suggest stopping in if you're in Chinatown. read more

See all

wonderful people, beautiful store and delicious tea! definitely stop by and do a taste test, it's good for you and you'll learn a lot if you listen. read more

Im from the bay and came here in a tour with work. We had such a great time, learned a lot about tea, and were thoroughly entertained! I'll be back! read more

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

Spontaneously popped in after seeing the "free tea tasting" sign. Owner was entertaining and we got to sample at least 5 different teas! Favorite was the white jasmine tea but that was $45... so we asked for a cheaper alternative to take home and left with the jasmine pearl, which was also delicious. The most popular tea was the black pearl which is the most strongly caffeinated, which I ended up taking home! It was $28 for a small bag. Tasted a lot like the tea I would drink in China. Had a lot of unique tea flavors I had not heard of... wish I got to try the duck shit oolong! read more

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

See all

Sat down Sunday morning and had about an hour tea tasting of mostly oolongs. Chris was very knowledgeable and generous and I discovered many new aromas and flavors. The 30% Milky Oolong was other worldly. He shared teas from Taiwan and China and later some herbals. We had multiple steeps and pours. I purchased the Champagne Oolong, The Milky Oolong and The Blue People. They don't serve tea off a menu. This is a unique experience and opportunity to learn, explore and purchase some exquisite teas from renown growing regions. (Protip: bring cash to tip your host.) Highly recommend for the tea curious. read more

Came here to sample some tea, and the lady working here was very friendly and offered us to try as many teas as we wanted. We tried a variety of teas, and we ended up buying half pound of Tit Kwun Yum tea to make at home. Price was $38. Located in Chinatown, they have a second location also in Chinatown, nearby as well. :) read more

See all

I'd been recommended this place by a coworker, so I stopped in with two friends during a girls weekend in the city. I had no idea what to expect, but we had a blast! We sampled 5 or 6 teas, while Uncle Gee told us about each one and their purported benefits. The space was cozy on a cold day, friendly, and open to beginners (one of my friends had never tried any oolong, and learned a lot). Left with some Blue People Ginseng Oolong, Jiaogulan, and an adorable and fairly cheap gaiwan. The tea isn't the highest quality, but it's fairly affordable and tasty enough. I would recommend this place to anyone! read more

Vital Tea Leaf - Bar area with Uncle Gee and lots of tea! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Come to San Francisco for a refill on my tea and the great host makes ir a wonderful experience every time!

Had good time sampling different teas at this cozy little place. Service was good and the tea was delicious. However, it is pricey just so you are aware before you buy a bunch like I did. The teas we tried were full of flavor and I have to say you do not get this kind of experience picking tea bags in your average grocery store. Well worth the money and time spent there. Learned a lot about tea and glad our host was very knowledgeable. Would definitely visit again and recommend. read more

We tried 4 or 5 teas here and got refills as well as different steeping numbers (since a first steep tastes different from a second steep etc). They explained the differences between the teas and showed how to brew them correctly. We bought a bag of green tea that changed dramatically between steepings. We also got a steeper that makes rinsing and brewing the tea super easy. Will definitely get more tea from here. read more

A Chinatown trip is incomplete without visiting Uncle! My sister and I were walking the streets of Chinatown, visiting stores that caught out attention, and walked by Uncle giving a family a tea tasting, so we also stopped by. Uncle is extremely knowledgeable on tea, and brews free tea right in front of you for you to try. Uncle is such an unforgettable, lively person who is never fails to garner a laugh and roast you at the same time. He has such an interesting past as well, and it's a lot of fun hearing his stories from the military and industry. We stayed for a solid hour tasting the coco pu'erh, jasmine white, and other teas. We ended up buying a herbal tea, though the tea doesn't taste the same without Uncle making it for you. read more

Vital Tea Leaf - wide collection of teas! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Such a lovely experience, so kind as soon as walked in and my friends and i didnt know we were in for such a treat. We tasted 4 different teas for free and Chris led us through a whole story of teas. Got to learn more about all kinds tea :) read more

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

See all

Summary: Try before you buy, from an extensive and tasty selection of loose leaf teas Details: One would think that being located within Chinatown, a tea shop like this might be something of a tourist trap, right? And while I won't deny that it does pull in a lot of tourists, it ALSO happens to be a really legit tea shop, offering up a huge selection of well-curated loose leaf teas at reasonable prices, a friendly and knowledge owner, and perhaps most importantly, the ability to try before you buy! Prices range pretty widely depending on what you're looking at, but on average, you're looking at ~$25-30 per 4oz of pretty good quality classics, ~$40-45 for the more premium leaves, and a lot less for less traditional/weird options like fruit teas. And while these prices are a bit higher than you can get from other online overseas retailers, the main sell here is you don't have to wait weeks or months for shipping, and being able to sample teas first means you aren't dropping a bunch of money on something you'll end up disliking, which is well worth the markup. We've been in for multiple tea tastings now as repeat customers, which themselves are free, informative, and pretty fun, as the owner is a pretty chill and entertaining dude. If you don't know what you like, just sit down and try a bunch of the stuff he pours out, but if you have specific things in mind, you can pretty much ask to try whatever you'd like! Accessibility: Much of the shop is just low counter seating, so accessibility shouldn't be too difficult if you can nab a spot up front, and if they aren't too crowded. read more

What an awesome experience! Chris is a great host. Very knowledgeable about the different tea varieties, extremely helpful, and can easily open his own stand-up show. Wasn't a hard place to find. Walking in, we were met with a nice clean tea shop with welcoming staff. The tea tasting was a great experience and we got to try a whole range of different tea varieties. We also learned proper ways to brew certain teas and got to really experience the subtle/significant differences between the ones we tried. I don't think I'll be drinking coffee for awhile... I will definitely be back again in the future! read more

* This was a unique Chinatown experience!! Must recommend to all tourists and locals alike. * We walked in because the store looked interesting and full of teas. The owner asked us to sit down for tea tasting. Got us free hot tea samples. He wouldn't stop (in a good way). We tried at least 7-8 different varieties of tea and non teas (e.g. rose infused hot water). The owner seemed knowledgeable and funny as he described various samples. * The collection, the spread of teas in the store is pretty mind-blowing. I didn't end up buying anything, not a tea person, so l don't know about the tea quality. My friend did spend $30 to get quarter pound of tea, so does seem a bit on the pricey side. Con: * Owner makes claims about certain teas being good for anxiety, blood pressure, diabetes, etc - which I don't know how solid they are scientifically? read more

See all

Great experience and learned a lot about different types of tea! Great experience for locals and tourists.

Honestly Chinatown seemed to be nice to just walk around eat some baked goods and grab some peeking duck but sitting with uncle and drinking tea was pleasant and actually fun. He is so hospitable, passionate and funny. I am pregnant and he made me a special tea which was so delicate and actually delicious. We sat and he immediately treated us like he's know in forever getting to know each persons story and sharing love . I literally would come back just to talk to him he seems to have so much wisdom and is so kind. Thank you uncle ! read more

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

The 93 year old guy who runs this place and guides you through drinking tea is hilarious. He will yell at you till you laugh historically. The tea was hot and tasty too. So cool and a must to visit in San Francisco. It can be loud but it's fun. read more

Vital Tea Leaf - The owner who pours the tea and makes you laugh. He's 93. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

We had an incredible experience tasting tea here. You simply walk in and take a seat and let them do the rest. They move you through a number of samples and describe the tea and the benefits. I felt like our guy was a tea expert and a life coach. We tasted five different teas and ended with a chocolate flavored tea and everyone had an opportunity to buy what they wanted but there was no pressure to buy. Our family friend tried to tip $5 and he wouldn't take it from her because he said she was the same age as his kids and to save her money. I will definitely be back when I have more time and money to spend on tea. Definitely worth the investment and we felt like a million bucks when we walked out. read more

See all

Loved the free tea tasting! My daughter and I were visiting Chinatown and stumbled across this place. Chris was a phenomenal speaker and guide through the tasting. He presented the history behind the teas with light hearted humor. The larger the group the more fun it became. Fabulous! read more

A super fun tea tasting place! My friend and I went in for the free tasting and we learned so much about tea and had so much fun. The owner was super energetic and funny and let us try multiple teas! You just go in and sit down and he will start pouring you tea and telling you all about it. We ended up getting some teas and they were delicious. read more

See all

I was so impressed with this place. I don't know what got me to stop by, but I am so glad that I did... This is one of the best food/drink experiences I have had. I used to go to hidden peak tea house and I thought it was so cool, but vital tea leaf made it look like a joke. I have never had tea this good. It's like I have never had tea before. The blue people group tea was crazy. It was an experience drinking it. I learned so much about tea here. This is a must in the city. read more

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

See all

Incredibly friendly and helpful staff! They were very busy and still answered all of our questions and let us taste all the teas we liked. Great experience!! read more

This tea house is awesome and the owner and owner's son are the best! You can walk in here, sit down, and get free samples of amazing tea. He does not force you to buy anything and you can ask all of the questions you want! If you want teas that help with certain things, like digestion, anxiety, depression, inflammation, etc., he will pour some for you and explain all the benefits of it. We took home 2 bags of the chamomile, one bag of blue tea, and one blue people's oolong! There were so many other yummy ones so it took like an hour of sipping tea to make a choice. read more

Vital Tea Leaf - Free tea tasting! The dude is funny :) - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

I had heard about this place from my brother, who swears by this tea and orders it online when we can't make it in person. The staff were amazing - they let us sample so many different kinds of teas and explained each one. When I decided to buy some, I was given so many samplers to try at home too! Can't wait to be back, and cannot WAIT to enjoy this tea at home. read more

Stumbled into this place on a cold rainy day where tea sounded lovely. It was kind of confusing at first, it isn't exactly clear that you should just walk in and take a seat and the guy behind the counter was not paying any attention to us when we walked in. Thankfully a group that was just leaving told us to take their seats and just wait for tea to be poured. Once we got comfortable, we tried probably a dozen teas and had a wonderful time! Felt touristy but also somewhat authentic at the same time. I'm an avid tea drinker and learned a lot while I was there. Tea prices can vary wildly so make sure you look before you buy. I walked out with a 1/4 of Dandelion Root. Definitely a place to take out of towners to. So happy I found it! read more

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

w tea tasting with chris please go and rate 5 these guys are awesome !1!1!!! for real feel smarter

stumbled upon this tea shop while walking around chinatown and it was definitely a highlight of our trip! uncle gee is a very entertaining man and quite the character. he let us try all sorts of teas while giving us many fun anecdotes. he even left us with a paper full of life advice. among the teas we tried were the blue people ginseng, cocoa puer, puer, iron god, angel green, and milk oolong. all were tasty and uncle gee described the health benefits of each one. we ended up getting the blue people ginseng ($30 for 1/4 pound) which is supposed to be a coffee alternative and boosts energy. overall, so glad we stumbled into this tea shop. the vibes were amazing and the tea tasting was solid. read more

See all

Whether you live in the city or are visiting, you have to stop by Vital Tea Leaf. Enjoy some great tea, have unforgettable conversations, and maybe... spend 3 hours here like I did. I bought the milky oolong, no notes! read more

This was one of the best experiences to try different teas. I learned so much in the short half hour, 4-5 different tasting, and there is no cost. The guy serving had lots of knowledge about what type help relieve symptoms you might be having. You will have a smile on your face for the remainder of the day. read more