Ministry of Scent - Pacific Heights

Vanessa and her teammate were extremely helpful! Both of them lined up a few fragrances for me as I was exploring something new outside of my standard OUD fragrances. I ended up getting the Santalum Slivers for its unique notes. At Checkout Vanessa handed me a sample of Maison Crivelli Oud Maracuja Extrait to try out sweet OUD, I literally came back in 30 mins and bought that one as well! I’m absolutely thankful for the staff and their dedication to the beautiful products in store. I can’t wait to be back for more.

I visited the Fillmore location for the first time tonight, and I have to leave a review for the excellent customer service. It’s a small store, and it was fairly busy, but the two sales people made a point of checking in with everyone and spent time making personal recommendations for each customer. I was there to purchase a small bottle of something I had already tried, but I also tried a few things while I was there. The sales person suggested a few perfumes based on what I like and was happy to work with my budget. She ended up having me try Pomelo Oolong on my skin, something I would not have tried on my own. While in the store, I wasn’t blown away, but by the time I got home, it smelled incredible. I’m now going to save up for a full bottle. Unexpected recommendations are why we are so lucky to have this store in SF. Shopping online just can’t compare.

I stopped into Ministry of Scent and had the best experience with Vanessa last Tuesday. I had no idea it was her first day until I was walking out, which tells you everything you need to know. The store is a fragrance lover’s dream, but it can definitely feel overwhelming with so many options. Vanessa somehow made it the opposite of overwhelming. She clearly knows a lot about scent, but explains everything in a way that is easy to follow, never pushy and never too much. She walked me through a few fragrances based on what I usually like, then gently nudged me toward something she personally loves that shares similar tones. It was a scent I never would have reached for on my own, and I ended up loving it. That is the mark of a great salesperson. On top of that, she has such a warm, calm, lovely presence that you feel relaxed and taken care of the whole time. Thank you, Vanessa, for being an incredible human but also an absolute scent whisperer. 💫

I went to Ministry of Scent with the intent to find a replacement for my favorite perfume (it was discontinued over a year prior) and Vanessa was a HUGE help! She gave me so many options to try, explained what was different and special about each scent, and she helped me develop a better vocabulary when I was at a loss for how to describe the scent that I was looking for. I am intimidated by interactions where I feel that I am not equipped to adequately describe what I mean to say and Vanessa was incredibly kind and patient with me as I struggled to articulate myself. Eventually I settled with this perfume as my new evening scent, and I know which scent I will get the next time that I am in the city.

Every single time I go to the Fillmore location, the staff is more interested in chatting with their friends than helping actual customers. The girl employee in particular looks so irritated every time I ask her a question. I’ve literally hovered around while they were chatting away for like 10-15 min trying to find a moment to interject their convos and ended up giving up and just leaving without buying anything I wanted. Mission location staff is infinitely more helpful / friendly. Don’t waste your time here.

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.

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!

PLEASE INVEST IN A BETTER AIR FILTRATION SYSTEM. It's a great store with some cool scent brands. But the smell was so overpowering in the store that we couldn't actually smell any of the bottles we wanted to try. The scent on our clothes lingered for hours.

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!

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!

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.

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.