Ministry of Scent - Pacific Heights

Ministry of Scent in San Francisco gave me the single best perfume shopping experience I’ve ever had. No exaggeration. I work in the perfume industry myself and have been to countless stores, but nothing compares to this. From the moment I walked in, I felt completely at home. Not in that generic "customer service" way, but genuinely comfortable, understood, and welcomed. Nick and Emma are absolute stars. They were so knowledgeable, warm, patient, and honestly just a joy to be around. They knew everything without ever sounding snobby, and they were so real and relatable. I felt like I was chatting with friends, not salespeople. They never pushed anything, never made me feel rushed, and they really listened. That level of care is rare. As someone who sells perfume too, I was blown away by them. I learned a lot just watching how they interact with people. They’re exactly the kind of professionals I look up to. The kind that make you love perfume even more. Anyone who walks into that store can feel it. The vibe is so good. You can tell people love being there, and it's because of how Nick and Emma treat everyone. The selection is incredible, the space is beautiful, and the location is perfect. But honestly, it’s the people that make this place unforgettable. I would fly from Belgium back to San Francisco just to go there again and relive that experience. That’s how good it was. If you love perfume, or even if you're just curious, go. You won't regret it.

Wonderful experience at this store. I have previously bought from Ministry of Scent online and was excited to visit a brick-and-mortar location while visiting SF. It did not disappoint. Michael Ryan and Emma were both there, sharing scents with us, and we had a lovely time chatting with them. Sometimes visiting a fragrance store can be intimidating, but I felt so warmly welcomed at this one – I can't wait to return!

I am brand new to the world of fragrance and had a great time in the store. The staff are attentive and helped me find just the right first one for me. They have a wide selection of all kinds of different smells and I left feeling happy with my purchase and smelling good.

Justine and Emma were so incredibly welcoming and helpful. They took time to give us recommendations of things to do in the city as it was our first time visiting SF. Customer service and the collection of fragrances available were both top notch. Can’t recommend enough :)

This shop is so special! I was greeted by two wonderful sales associates on the 4th on Filmore…I took my time, smelled through entire brands, and the staff made really great recommends! I came in looking for something woody and came out with Rouge and Kasbah! The nose wants what the nose wants! Thank you for making my scent travels really extraordinary!

I had the most incredible experience at Ministry of Scent (Pac Heights) this past weekend. I’ve been looking forward to visiting for some time as I’m based in the PNW and have heard fantastic things!! From the moment I walked in, the space had such a welcoming energy and the staff was so friendly and attentive. When I asked for help & recommendations I was met with so many amazing choices that held so much range. I was able to find a scent I wanted to commit to with the help of the staff (which is a huge decision for me!) and they made the entire process so smooth and special for me. A huge huge shoutout to Justine who made sure I was able to get my perfume before I took off back home and HAND DELIVERED it to my hotel. Truly you can tell the care and intention they all collectively put into this space. I leave the city feeling elated and excited to plan my next visit! I cannot recommend Ministry of Scent enough.

had such a lovely experience at their fillmore store. space is lovely, clean and well organized. they had a couple of new releases in store, so i had to stop by. i asked emma if she had any recs or good similar scents she likes, and she nailed it. emma is incredibly knowledgeable and has excellent taste. so good, im gonna gatekeep... i wore it all day (gotta give it some time to marinate ya know) and it was to die for so i bought it online that night, and did shipping from valencia as they didn't have it for pick up at fillmore. long story short, i found out the next day that it actually indeed was in stock at fillmore, and i came in eager and ready to take it home any way! justine and jocelyne (sorry about spelling!!) were really quick to act and helped me figure out how i was going to take my new perfume home. jocelyn found the right bottle size saved it for me 🥹 then justine settled with me and customer service so i could take it home with me. their efforts to work with me, handle 5 customers at the same time (each), get confirmation from their Valencia location about my order, pulling inventory ringing people up and wrapping product, all while checking in with me was really amazing. this location is always so busy, so i was really impressed with the level of professionalism and care. in an environment where it's almost buzzing like a hive with energy, you'd think you'd be forgotten about or lost. this wasn't the case and it was really great to work with this team. the energy and care you guys put in felt noticeable and worthy of a 5 star review from me at least. i hope more people notice! this is the spot for niche perfume in sf. thank you all for making my summer perfume dreams come true!

I had SO much fun talking about niche perfumes with the staff there today! They were super helpful and welcoming and also very knowledgeable about every perfume in the store. I felt like I had personalized attention to find exactly what I’ve been looking for. I had so much fun!

This place is a niche fragrance heaven. I love perfumes so I wanted to check out it. They had niche brands like molecule, one day, room 1015, commes de garçon, borntostandout, Liis and more. The employees are very knowledgeable of all the scents instore and I would trust them to help me find anything particular. The store gets 3 samples of each scent per month, the samples range from $5-12. I mentioned I was only in SF for a little while, and the employee said I could order the samples from their website and they could prep the order and get it ready in an hour. What exceptional service. I'll definitely be back!

this place is like scent heaven! its difficult to find somewhere with this diverse and niche of a selection. everyone here was so welcoming and helpful, even pulling 10+ scents they thought I might like! I left with Un Air d'Apogee from Maison Violet and I absolutely love it. probably would have gone my entire life without smelling it if I didn't stop by. so excited to come back again.

Scent lover's paradise - especially if you want to browse and hone in on a scent to wear and pair with, beyond the well-trodden path of more mainstream fragrances. I suggest visiting this jewel box of a shop with the scent note fixations you've been chasing like a dreamy golden petaled chimera all your life- start there, and the savvy shop team will assist in paring you with your new scent. The adorable interior is just a classy plus. Long live the latest perfumery shop on Fillmore!

I prefer ZGO. I went in wanting calm and thoughtful guidance. However I was met with a team of young professionals who were talking amongst themselves, loudly and about their life problems. It was such a sad ambience. I left in 10 minutes with no purchases.

Such a gem in SF! Beautiful store, great selection, and amazing staff. I went in and had a great experience with one of their team members who helped me find a scent that I loved. I then proceeded to come in every day to spray it on myself to think about the scent. Every time I came in, their team was so welcoming and warm. I finally decided to purchase the scent and am so excited!

Shop did not disclose they were going to have a team meeting. The front of their door says "coming soon" when this place has been open prior. Very frustrating to have a brick and mortar location listed on their website and they're not staying true to their hours of operation. No one is answering their phone and there were about 10 employees in there. None were accommodating. Overall, I know this is a great place to try niche perfume. Just disappointed on this day plus wasted $$ on parking.

Love the concept of going into a fragrance store and having the opportunity to explore unusual scents

Wow!! What a FANTASTIC fragrance store!! They have SO many to choose from!! The store is clean!! The sales ppl were really kind & professional!! We will be back

I'm so glad ministry of scent moved into my neighborhood! The salespeople are super nice and so helpful. Especially Michael Ryan! And also a woman with very long dark hair whose name I forget. I told her on one visit what scents I typically like and she pulled at least 12 for me to test! Everyone here is so knowledgeable. I can't wait to bring friends.