Teance Fine Teas

An incredible hidden gem. The space is well tended and curated, beautiful concrete and stonework without feeling stark. They invite you in in a real way. The tea is incredible, I recommend doing an oolong tasting to experience the contrast and breadth of the tea. Baby friendly, I bring my nanny kid there and they welcome them and don’t treat their needs like a burden. One of the few magical places in the world, i feel so lucky to be in their orbit.

There is passion here - once you speak with the owner you will sense it too! Did a tea tasting with 2 different teas. The owner is very... VERY knowledgeable - I asked a lot of questions and appreciated the thoughtful responses and explanations. Tea tasted great - bought tea for home. Tea tasting per person is $5.00 per tea. Bought a $17.00 tea Paid $42 with tip - and it was 100% worth it.

Quaint tea shop that offers an authentic Chinese tea drinking experience! The servers are so nice and offer lots of knowledge about the delicious options. One can spend a nice afternoon tea tasting or chatting. I highly recommend checking it out!

Deep knowledge of teas and a wide selection available to try. A very welcoming and relaxing space.

A great collection of high quality teas from Taiwan and China in a friendly shop. Delicious snacks accompany tea tastings and sit down orders. There are jazz concerts on the first Saturday of each month. Chih Hui and Katie have great knowledge about teas. Stop by for a great tea experience.

I ended up here randomly looking for tea in the area (knowing so little about tea!!). And I am so stocked!! I learnt so much!! This experience was so lovely and the staff was just awesome. I wanna bring all my friends :)

Amazing experience! Still the same great quality in the new location! Thank you so much to all of the staff at Teance for the wonderful time and great tasting teas!

Attending an Airbnb experience here and were lucky to have Darius guide us through a 2 hour tea tasting journey. If you love tea, and learning about what makes it so special and unique, I would recommend you to take the tasting.

A sweet and very chill local business with indoor and outdoor places to relax with their outstanding teas. They also sell in bulk. The woman who serves is extremely nice--feels homey in all the best ways

My husband and I spontaneously decided on a date at Teance Fine Teas and were treated to a truly unique tasting experience. We delved into the world of teas, learning fascinating insights about different varieties. What made the visit even more special was witnessing a mother-daughter duo at the helm of the business, sharing their passion and knowledge. Learning that they often handpick their own tea leaves added a personal touch to the experience. Among the teas we sampled, the silver jasmine tea needle stood out for me. Expertly steeped, it exuded an enchanting aroma and brought its delicate flavors to life. The serene ambiance of the place enveloped us in zen vibes, leaving us feeling relaxed and grounded. Our impromptu date at Teance Fine Teas was truly a memorable and enriching experience.

Came here to taste some teas because I got a gift set from here. When we arrived, there was a group tea tasting (the events that they put on) so unfortunately we couldn't sit at the bar table where they usually serve the tea. Fortunately, we were able to grab a seat and someone there was able to make us our tea and explain it. She did a really good job of brewing the tea and then allowing us to smell the lid before drinking as every brew is different. I personally like oolong so I suggest the Tieguyanyin as that one is my favorite. You can get a pot to pour yourself or have a single tea tasting with a sommelier which is what I did. I tried 3 teas and I thought that was a good amount for one visit.

Kind, knowledgeable staff and a great tea list 1. Quick pit stop on the way from home and needed a tea pick me up - 2. Small Parking lot 3. Serious COVID protocol: they have classes / events so you must provide evidence of vaccination 4. Yes - they made a single cup of tea to go for me which was awesome and probably not the norm- 5. Recommend the Tieguanyin dark monkey (oolong) cuz I appreciate a black tea with caramel undertones ***I wish they had a tea bar for more frequent single serves to-go since my baby restricts me from living life and enjoying time out lol ***Also would love sweeteners and cream because I drink tea like a westerner

Strictly tea is served here. Located in a secluded fenced in area. There are frequent tea tastings with limited indoor/outdoor seating. The service is very personalized. The staff will welcome you in and explain the origins and flavor profiles pf various puers, black/red, green, etc. Katie was our host today as we delved into 3 different types of puer from the Yunnan province in China. It was a wonderful experience. Highly recommend coming here for a tea tasting session! There is limited parking in the fenced enclosure with street parking immediately outside. There is traditional tea-fare sets for preparation needs if you require. Come give this place a try!

I have been searching high and low for my jasmine downey pearls tea...Teance Fine Teas is my life saver! The customer service is wonderful and so knowledgeable. The shop is a little hiddent, but so quaint and cute and will supply all of your tea needs! If you love the warm hugs you get from fresh, authentic tea and tea blends, head on over to Teance!

Very unique experience. Relaxing, with teas that allow you to enjoy the moment. 1st time there with a group, but I saw others sitting alone. Crazy curved mini tea bar in the center of the room. Indoor seating is limited but on a good day nice place to chill. Teas from Asia, India. Hostess gave great instructions for the novice on traditional tea service. For those who like a little sweetness to go with the leaves. Orange Sugar Cake. 1st impression. Best impression

Absolutely love their selection of teas at this place. From green tea to oolong tea to pu-erh tea. Including some very rare and special tea. Recently went by to get these three: - red lichee tea : have been drinking this for years now and the lichee taste is just amazing because it's not artificial flavor but flavored with real lichee. You can drink it hot or cold, but this time, they have red lichee tea specifically for cold brew too! - 10 year aged pu-erh : the earthly smell and flavor is something not all may enjoy but if you love that natural earthy taste of aged tea, this is good. Like this for the winter cold season. - Wuyi Big Red Robe tea : some may know of this tea as a famous tea that was reserved only for royalty in the ancient times because of the tea trees growing on the cliff of Wuyi mountain. It's now available to everyone. No longer from the mother trees, but most probably grafts from those trees. Wonderful oolong tea with very delightful taste and finish.

One of the coolest experiences. Got to sit and try different teas and learn about steeping them. Great place if you are wanting to learn and explore.

Went on Saturday morning to the new location and there was plenty of availability for us to sit at the bar and chat with the staff. I enjoy gongfu tea quite a bit so it was a lot of fun to chat about their tea collection and the whole process. The staff was pretty knowledgeable so I felt free to ask questions like sourcing location and steeping methods. They said they primarily have Taiwanese teas, but there are others, so I asked for a recommendation other than a high mountain oolong (everyone brings it from Taiwan). We drank a roasted Shan Li oolong which was warm, dark, and buttery How it works: walk in and you can taste a tea for $7/person/tea. If you buy the tea, the tasting price goes toward the tea. You can also purchase a teapot and steep it yourself (not sure of price). You can also purchase bags of tea, most were 1-2oz from what I saw and without prices obviously marked. I also looked at the Yixing teapots and they were beautiful and on the more affordable side (~$185). Apparently they were crafted by younger potters. They offered to demonstrate how well it pours, but I wasn't ready to purchase yet (but I'm planning on going back). Last notes: the outside of the new place isn't very appealing, but they said they're working on a tea garden. They also said they would start requiring vaccination proof for sitting at the bar.

We made reservations for an hour tea tasting for a bachelorette party activity and it was really great! We had a group of about a dozen and we were all seated outside and we had one tea master with us the whole time who served us three different teas and gave us a lot of information about tea in general and helped answer all of our tea questions. We also had bite size cookies that came along with our tea and that was a really nice touch. Everyone was super friendly and we got to enjoy the space a bit more until we were all done which was so nice of the staff. Would highly recommend coming here for a tea tasting, especially with a big group of people on a rainy day!

A long walk around the Berkeley Marina deserved a soothing libation as a reward, and that was how my friend Maggie and I felt after the wind whipped us around like a couple of fidget spinners. The becalming atmosphere of this tearoom beckoned us with the Asian-style decor and full tea bar. Fortunately there were two seats just waiting for our derrières to be parked in them. The teatender (I just made that up) was extremely knowledgeable about the shop's extensive collection of whole leaf teas that appear to canvas the entirety of Asia. She was like a sommelier as she served flights of tea and explained the flavor nuances of each tiny cup. After we were schooled so diplomatically, we decided to share a pot of their Loose Leaf Rooibos, and it was quite lovely (photo: http://bit.ly/2ITBy1M). Maggie and I were not able to achieve full zen nirvana since they were about to close, and there were toddlers scrambling about, but we'll likely come back knowing how meditative it can be in here. Let me get into the lotus position now. TEA - 4 stars...that was one fine Rooibos AMBIANCE - 4 stars...very relaxing even with all the customers milling about SERVICE - 4.5 stars...we liked the teatender (like I said, I made that up) TOTAL - 4 stars...let me do my chant now

Go here for excellent Taiwanese tea and their tasting experience. Not super affordable but tea (leaf) making is not an easy business. Worth a try with a group of friends.

Amazing tea tasting experience. I came to Teance with a few friends for their tasting class. As an amateur tea drinker, I did not really have high expectations, but the class blew me away was totally worth it. Our server was incredibly knowledgeable and I learned a ton about the tasting experience, the production of tea, what materials to brew different types of tea in, the temperature of the water, and more. Plus, I got to taste some truly amazing teas that were complex, interesting, and markedly different from one another. Highly recommended if you are into tea and even if you are not, you will have a great time.

If I were to write a list of "Little places to ponder life", Teance tea would top the list. A long time ago we had a 16 yr old from a province in Taiwan stay with us. He brought tea from his family garden. He presented me with a cup of tea. On top of the scented water, slowly unfurling, were three leaves. They floated and I sipped my cup of one of the best teas I would ever have. Thus began my search which brings me to Teance. Green, red, and white. Teas from many provinces. Poured with gracious restraint, humbleness, and might I say, wonder. You will be gently educated. You will love it.

Great tea, great ambience, great customer service. What more can you ask for? I came in randomly one day and one of the workers was extremely accommodating. But before that, the tea shop itself is so zen and elegant. There is a koi pond in the middle of the room with volcanic looking rock surrounding it. Tea lines the wall on both sides and there's seating towards the back of the room and upstairs with wifi and tea service. Customer service was superb. The female worker (Diane) helped me by explaining all sorts of tea, how to brew them, and she gave me plenty of samples of the tea and their vegan gelato. Now, the vegan gelato was awesome-- slightly nutty from the buckwheat and so creamy and icy from the rice milk. Very rich and decadent without feeling guilty for eating something so sweet. I just felt extremely relaxed and the female worker wasn't pushy at all. It was a nice, quiet experience and I cannot wait to go back. Diane also told me that they either make their sweets or have it brought to them and they have tea services too. That is something I cannot wait to experience. Update: 15 November 2015 I went back to Teance and I sat down for two hours at their tea bar on the ground floor. Diane recommended me the Phoenix Honey Oolong tea: has honey and peachy (?) undertones and it soothes a sore throat if needed. No sugar or actual honey needed! This time, I decided to partake in the mochi cake and a chocolate hazelnut truffle. The truffle was refrigerated so it was bit too hard and too expensive at 3 dollars. The mochi cake on the other hand was topped with coconut shavings and the texture was soft, buttery, and very smooth. It definitely grew on me-- it was an acquired taste in my opinion because when I first bit into it, I wasn't sure if I liked it at all. Now here's the amazing thing-- ordering a pot of tea at the bar or for upstairs only costs $7 and there's practically an unlimited amount of free hot water refills. Of course, after about 8-10 steeps, the tea does lose its potency but unless you buy the loose tea leaves for home use, this beats a lot of other tea shops which costs $4-$5 for one drink. Now I definitely found a new addiction! FYI: There's also FREE wifi. I guess I'll be going there on the weekends to do projects XD

Teance is a very nice experience if you are an avid tea fan, though you will notice the premium you will pay for such service. The place has cool jazz playing in the background as you can purchase and sample teas. I wanted to have a sit down with my sister, who was visiting from out-of-state. Without reservations or any kind of wait, we sat at the "bar" counter (first floor), proceeded to order a premium pot of tea and sip away. Along the way, we tried the mochi and chocolates, too. The staff is very knowledgeable and but not your chatty bartender types. I suppose they are trying to be less obtrusive of your experience. I found the experience to be quite pleasant and perfect for chatting over a couple of hours. My sister and I had a great time and found the tea selection to be of great variety and quality. So, we would come back again. For some of my other girlfriends, they find this place a little posh. Maybe so. I pretty much rocked my inside-a-library voice the whole time. Also, there was upstairs seating (you order downstairs), and other patrons brought their reading and computer work. It was a welcome sit down on a gorgeous Super Bowl 50 afternoon with perfect weather. Question: can someone build that cement table and indoor koi water pond feature for me? K, thanks!

They have live music playing here. I dunno if it is a Koto or gayageum but the music is sooo soothing. As you enter the store you hear the sound of water and music. They also provide complentary samples of there tea. The downsides are that they don't have much seating. (An upstairs/ 1 inside bar area/ 1 outdoor bar area) Yes it's aesthetically pleasing but that occurred at the expense of seating. There is also only 1 restroom and the wait is slow. You can buy tea to go or get it fresh in a teapot. The servers are super kind and knowledgeable about the different types of tea available. Definitly don't feel shy about asking for help. Another tip, you pay after you have your tea. Also there's like a 2 hr limit on your tea sitting time

I was kind of intimidated by the tea store in the front, but in the back there's a second floor space where you can drink tea and work like a normal cafe. I got the anhui yellow. I'd say it's a pretty good tea, especially considering it's hard to find good Chinese teas in America. It's better tea quality than Asha I'd say. Maybe I'm just spoiled my own tea where it's pretty easy to avoid oversteeping but this particular tea at least seems to oversteep pretty quick to me. If you're just a little careful it's pretty good. Nice ambience, the sound of running water is pretty relaxing, and the cushions on the wood seats are cute. It's a nice bougie place to relax or work

Matchas are all ceremonial grade. So lush, fragrant and silky. Check out the oolongs, smoky and rich. I have tried many other shops and always come back to Teance. They stand by their product and always strive for customer satisfaction. Sign up for their newsletter and keep your eyes peeled for the sales.

Best, freshest tea I have had in a long time! Many unusual varietals and super knowledgeable staff.

Cute little boutique tea store. You can try a couple of their daily samples and browse their tea selection while listening to a Japanese musician play the koto (I think that's what it's called). They have a koi pond in the middle of the store and a bar area where you can sit and drink some tea. It looked like they even had an upstairs area that was sort of like a coffeehouse where you can sit and get some work done. I had mixed experience with the staff. One of the guys was really nice and didn't seem too pushy. Another staff member came off as too sale-sy for my taste. She asked what I was looking for and I said a gift, and asked her for her recommendation based on the types of tea that I knew my gift recipient usually drank. Her first question was "How much are you looking to spend?" And I said "No more than $50." After that, she showed me one option for $49. That was totally fine, but I was expecting her to show me a few more options just so I had something to choose from but she didn't. It was pretty obvious she was just trying to maximize her sale. Overall, their teas here are really pricey but if you love tea, then this is the place for you - they have a very unique collection here and certainly worth checking out.

I discovered Teance recently and in a sea of coffee shops, it's exciting that Berkeley now has another place for tea enthusiasts. Teance is different from my other favorite tea shop in the East Bay because it offers a wine bar style tasting experience, with a sommelier who will explain the origins of various teas, their flavors, and the reasons for the flavors. They also explain how to properly use teaware such as a gaiwan, which was helpful as a. The tea sommelier (Ethan I think, but I'm bad with names) was extremely knowledgeable and helpful without being pretentious or condescending, as I've seen in some tea shops. This shop also encourages multiple steeps - with my gaiwan full of tea leaves I was also given a tall insulated pot of water (probably a liter or so) heated to the right temperature. so while a pot of tea might be relatively expensive compared to your average cup of coffee, if you have an hour or two to kill, you're actually getting your money's worth. If you're interested in trying unique East Asian tea varieties and building your knowledge set, this is the perfect place. A note for tea lovers who like to come to shops to get work done: this shop is better for doing reading or writing in a notebook rather than for computer work. While I think they do have wifi, laptops aren't allowed at the tea bar. I believe there may be places in the patio area where you can use a laptop, but didn't clarify the policies with the employees, as I decided I wanted to get some reading done. (It was the perfect ambiance for this.) If i could make one suggestion to the shop management, it would be to better clarify the your laptop/work policies, as this would help me plan visits in the future.

By far one of my favorite places in Berkeley. I started coming here during my second year of grad school, and would stay here for hours and come on a weekly basis. I loved the ambiance of the place, and the staff members were always welcoming once I entered the place. They always gave great recommendations of tea, and offered their tea of the day. I enjoyed the open seating area upstairs, where I could sip tea for hours with refilled hot water whenever needed. I loved this place, and would highly recommend to anyone wanting to get work done or come to sip tea with some friends. Going to miss this place a lot!

We did a virtual tea tasting with Teance (Ethan). Best virtual activity of the covid year, highly recommend. They shipped the teas in advance and the guide Ethan was knowledgeable, fun and sociable. We learned a ton and will be recommending their tea tasting to all friends.

I bought the 8 treasures tea from teance 4 packages for $15. When I got home I found mold in 2 out of the 4 packages. I don't like to write bad reviews and I understand this could be a one off situation but after writing and sending pic to Teance management team Darius who promised over email to refund my credit card, there was no follow through. I wrote again with no response to refund my money. Completely unacceptable customer service. I would not recommend this business. Apparently customers aren't important to management. There are a lot of other tea choices out there.

My husband and I had a wonderful afternoon in this tea house. Our host Darius gave us an authentic, top-notch and one-of-a-kind tea tasting experience. This is NOT an ordinary tea tasting that you can probably find in other tea place. 1. The 6 teas and bonus teas that we tasted were authentic, and all top-quality. Some of them are rare. They never use the cheap bagged teas that you usually find in other bubble tea or fruit tea places. Their teas come with specific category, age, and how it was made: white, pu-er, oolong, dahongpao, dragon well; 15 year, 10 year or newly harvested, minimal touched, fermented, or 20-80% oxydized and etcc. 2. The host Darius presented us the tea tasting which is seamless, authentic, and full of sparks of wisdom. The entire 2 hours are totally worth the $$ you paid. The host cares very much about YOU: what you like, what you wanna drink, and the dynamics that you interact with the group and the host. He is an extra-ordinary presenter of tea culture. Each of the tea tasting goes with the tea's origin, his story behind the tea, the water tempreture, the tea pot and cups matches with it, how long you let the tea sit, and your mood. 3. The entire interior design of the venue can never be ignored. The round shaped tea tasting bench is my favorite. The bamboo-ish cabinets blend authentic eastern tea culture with western touch and texture. This is an event that fits both tea connoisseurs and occasional drinkers who would like to explore some exortic flavors. I highly recommend this experience.

This place made me appreciate tea to a whole other level. The wide array of teas plus the very knowledgeable staff truly makes this trip to 4th street worthwhile. Definitely worth checking out

I love this place! They have a really nice tea selection (I love the gyokuro and the matcha). They also have a lovely selection of teaware and usually offer some choice of tea and herbal tea that you can try for free (it's just outside the shop). My favorite are the gyokuro and the tenju matcha. You can also enjoy some pastries from Third Culture (mochi muffin, matcha muffin and sweet potato muffin). A really lovely place for tea lovers on Fourth street!

Customer service was good. I came specifically looking for matcha. After a good amount of time researching the subject I felt like I had a semi-decent understanding of what I was looking for. Pros: They definitely had a higher grade matcha then anywhere else I'd been to. Cons: It was VERY-VERY-VERY over priced. In fact, I just went to the website of the tea company itself and they're selling it for $22.00 cheaper! Plus free shipping! I can't help but to admit that Im feeling very ripped off right about now. 2 Stars for ambience and customer service. One star for product quality. Minus two stars, plus a thumbs down for getting over on the customer, above and beyond what I consider reasonable. My advice - come here with your friends it's cool. Don't buy their products without first doing a google search on the price point.

What a lovely experience to walk in that area on a beautiful day and be treated to some delicious tea and peaceful ambience! I will have to go back on Saturday night when they have their employee choice tea sampling event! Thank you!

The overall the service is great and the inside of the tea place is really clean and aesthetically pleasing. I came in here excited that they had a place where I could get some good green tea. I got a bag of gyokuro and another bag of another green tea which I forgot the name of which I gave to my mom. One thing that isn't helpful is the price isn't labeled visibly because I never saw the price of the tea. Also maybe it's a Berkeley thing because I never got a receipt by email or paper. I checked my statement later and it was a total for around $101 for two bags. I was like okay maybe this is the best tea ever and it'll be worth the price. Well once I tried it at home it didn't taste any better than some of the good green tea I got at the japanese grocery for under $12 for a bag with more tea in it. I've been drinking a lot of good green tea for over 10 years and I was not impressed by the tea I purchased from this place. But I won't be purchasing their tea again. Please label your tea prices visibly. You can get the same quality flavored tea from a good Japanese grocery store for under $12.

As a casual tea sipper, I did not have any expectations; however, Teance appears to be the holy grail of tearooms. I am not even a tea connoisseur but if I were, Teance would be the only place I get my tea, my relaxation, and my zen. You know the Feng Shui is on point when you are greeted by a small fountain (near the entrance). And yes, you can sit near the fountain; it gets better! There are fish chilling in the fountain! Great attention to detail. Props to the interior decorators. My knowledge of tea may be low, but my appreciation of atmosphere and ambiance is high. Towards the back, there is a horseshoe bar that makes for intimate interactions, small-group round table discussion, or a great view of the servers getting lost in the art and science of tea preparation. If I need to spoil myself once a month, I am coming here.

Talk about a lasting first impression: Teance really knows how to win the heart of first-timers. It was a 75F kind of Sunday, and I came to Teance with sister. We had the intention of sipping on chilled tea and cooling down for 30 minutes. We ended up at the tea bar, slowly appreciating our warm tea, and sitting there for over two hours! The knowledgeable and courteous Darius gave us some suggestions and background on the ones we couldn't decide on. We proceeded to order a pot of goji berries tea and a pot of anji baicha. I also ordered the financier and mochi treats to go with the tea selections. First and foremost, the tea: Goji berries have always been a staple ingredient in herbal soup and TCM concoctions, so I was very surprised when it could used to steep a refreshing cup of tea. I learned that the flavor of goji berries became more prominent after the 2nd brew. It was like drinking juice without the overpowering sweetness and sugar crash. It paired well with the pear financier. Anji Baicha was impressive. It was a very warm Sunday, but this tea didn't give me any feeling of "yit hei." I think people who knows a little about Asian culture and the importance about balancing the body internal temperature will understand where I am getting at. Anji Baicha has a floral scent, comparable to jasmine. The initial taste was light with distinctive green tea flavor. but the after taste was sweet and almost fruity. My overall thought was that this tea would be a really good alarm clock for those groggy mornings; it's one of those things that makes you excited to wake up to in the morning (there aren't many). I enjoyed it with the mochi handmade by Yuri. I DISLIKE pastries with azuki beans, and most Japanese and Chinese sweets are made with that ingredient. But I love this one. Yuri's mochi has a chewy but melt-in-your-mouth texture. The azuki bean paste was smooth and creamy, almost like I was eating chocolate truffle. The experience: My sister and I just wanted chilled tea. We didn't get our chilled tea, but we left Teance with more than what we were looking for.

Had a pleasant experience at Teance! My friend and I were looking to get some new matcha and oolong teas, so we decided to come out to Teance from SF. We got to try a couple teas at the tea bar and took home a few. Tea Bar: Received great advice on how to brew certain teas and the best way to drink them. They also have pastries from other bakeries available to eat with your tea (at least on that Saturday) - Ali Shan Red Bush Tea 4/5 - light aroma which tasted great on the second brew - Matcha Ummon - good mild flavored matcha 3/5 Took home: - Monkey Picked Tieguanyin Dark - our favorite, had the best aroma and flavor even with multiple brews - Fire Tree (spring 2019) - smells great, but light flavor - Ali Shan High Mountain 24hr roasted - second favorite, great aroma Definitely coming back for another round of teas!

Serene Ambiance. Knowledgeable staff. Great tea? Coming to this pleasingly zen-like surrounding that says "quality", I was expecting to find the finest & freshest tea. After taking home a 2 oz. bag of Pu-Erh Tea (about $15/oz) I was hoping to experience the ultimate in tasting the "best". Unfortunately, that was not to be. True, it had an "earthy" tone as it stated on the bag but the overall taste after seeping for the 45 seconds as instructed was so weak, I wasn't able to capture any taste to the palate. So much for my first and final experience at Teance. It only reminds one that "being expensive" does not necessarily mean "being good".

Love this tea shop. Just walking in here calms the senses. The most unique water fountain streams from the ceiling cascading into a pool with tangerine-colored koi swishing around. Not only is this a great shop to buy tea, but it is like taking a crash course in what tea is about! Green tea, ooolong, pu-erh...it's all here. Teas that are nearing their use-by date gets marked down. I scored an 8 oz bag of lychee-infused black tea for $4.50 on sale. There is a tea tasting bar area where you can sample various teas and chat with the tea maker. Coffee makers are called baristas, what are tea makers? Tea-ristas? If you don't want the usual caffeine hit from Peet's, come next door to Teance for a taste of something more subtle.

Great ambiance and very knowledgeable and passionate staff. Fun way to relax, sip your tea and soak it all in. If you're totally clueless ‍, ask the staff what their recommendations are and they will point you in the right direction.

I like ice tea. It's one my favorite drinks. I could drink it all day, get some lemonade in it and it's golden. Teance has a really good red lychee tea that is made cold - cold water with loose leaf tea. It's sweet enough that you dont need to add anything to it. It's so good that as soon as I make a pitcher of it and it's seeps properly ~ it's gone. At $20.00 a bag, I can make quitre a few pitchers and I get my money's worth~

A lovely afternoon lunch with me girl before I leave for Hong Kong and the venerable Cafe M. She want to pick up some tea and foolishly I thought we'd stop in Peet's. No. We enter Teance. Passed by here 1000 times and never end ventured in. A nice, a bit pretentious, little store with a pretty good assortment of whole-leaf teas. Not quite like the little shops in Hong Kong, more like a wine shop. We tried a few tastings of floral teas, yet GF decided on Jasmine Silver Needle. After a few recent trips to Hong Kong, we've stocked up on tea, but eventually, Teance will be a reliable stop.

Browsed & had a tea tasting for two at the main 'bar' space mid-afternoon on a Sunday - myself (newly minted tea nerd who recently got into Adagio loose leaf) and my sister (longtime but very casual drinker of both bags and English/French loose.) The space is real nice, quiet, decent ambiance, the 'waterfall' is a mite silly (basically a fancy showerhead up in the rafters) but it's a pleasing background sound. The bar is beautifully designed with a kind of stone surface that slopes to a drain & is met by copperwork on the bartender's side. Started out at 2:30 not super busy, got busier towards the end (~4:30) but never felt 'loud'. They have a good selection of Asian teas, all the way from silver needle whites up to 18-year-old pu'erhs, as you'd expect from a fancy tea place. Some less expensive ($15-25 for 2oz...ok so still pricy) and some very expensive ($70 on up into the $100s). Mostly 1.5-2oz bags, some small $5 samplers, some tins, etc. The tasting was great, the 'sommelier' was knowledgeable and seemed quite skilled (granted, this is my first time having professionally prepared tea but dude knew his way around a gaiwan), was happy to make suggestions, gave the usual spiel about tea. Notably, as someone who already read a ton about the subject, he still pulled out a few facts I didn't know, so thumbs up there. And, of course, all the tea tasted amazing. I'd kinda hoped it would given the prices involved! One thing I didn't know coming in (but obvious in retrospect as eg wine tasting does the same thing) is they'll comp each individual tea tasted if you purchase some of it. 3x$9 = $27.

Can't rave enough about Teance. I come here on most Fridays to try new tea and get some work done. I've tried a number of their green, white, oolong, black, and herbal teas and they taste so fine. You can choose teas that fit any occasion. On top of that, the ambience is perfect for tea-ing: high ceilings, waterfall fountain, jazz bgm (and other genres of music), and incense... I can't keep away. Lastly and most importantly, Darius and Trevor are two of the most friendly and hospitable people I've met. They ensure that the water temperature is just right for your steeps and enlighten you with their deep tea knowledge on the go. I highly recommend stopping by and tasting what Teance has to offer.

This is my favorite local tea shop. It's also one of the most beautiful tea shops I've ever seen. They carry new teas every season and have a great assortment of my favorite kind, the Oolongs from Taiwan. They carry all kinds of tea and a good selection of tea pots and cups, some modern, and many beautiful traditional Asian style. They have an amazing tea bar, beautiful circular counter that's made specifically for tea, and there's always interesting characters and people drinking tea there. They do carry some small treats there that go well with tea.

Darius! I felt a little self conscious when I walked in because I'm well overdue for a haircut and it was laundry day. Suffice it to say I wasn't looking my best. Unlike other places, Darius did not judge this book by its cover and immediately offered me a sample, gave me suggestions when the teas that looked good to me were sold out, and told me about the layout of the store and it's offerings. He also gave me plenty of time to wander around and browse alone. I ended up getting two kinds of white tea (so excited to see the flavors develope as I re-steap!) And can't wait to go back with my husband to do a tasting. Thanks Darius for the gracious service : )

I've been here before and bought tea from here before (they've changed the packaging since, but the quality is still there), and ended up wanting to stop by with Mr. Piano on a lark after grabbing cinnamon buns from Cinnaholic. The tea is really lovely--perhaps my favorite oolong is from Teance, their Single Grove Phoenix Honey Fragrance--and the décor is really nice. My feelings on the place itself go back and forth, because if I'm in the mood for it, it's a really cool environment, otherwise it can be a little... I don't think stuffy is the right word. Stiff? Serious? It's not that the staff is unkind or snooty, because they're quite nice, you just get an onerous feeling akin to that of entering a large library when you walk in. A library of teas, manned by impeccably dressed librarians. It's easy to feel a little out of place when you're of the sartorially challenged engineering type, at any rate. I think Mr. Piano was also discombobulated by the partially ceremonial aspect of Teance's presentation, and we were also a little bummed that they didn't have tea flights available at the time (check ahead if you can). Even so, we tried several teas and ended up finishing off some cinnamon buns there, which the staff was kind enough to be friendly about. I was actually worried they might be put off by it, but the tea got us hungry and I didn't see the purchasable snacks they had had when I had visited a couple of years ago (and which probably would have complemented the tea better than cinnamon buns), so we chanced it, and it worked out. Not that I'd recommend it--like I said, it's a bit of a library-like atmosphere. I'll definitely be back again, if nothing else for the teas, but most likely for a tea flight in the future :) In the meantime, I've restocked on a few teas that I can brew from home, which is nice.

We came here because Winnie, the owner, was at the bar to introduce the new Spring White, Green, and Oolong Teas. We got lots to sample for free. 1. Dragonwell A 2. Yellow Mtn-Maofeng 3. Maojian Hair tip 4. Lu Shan - Winnie likes, not my fav. 5. Bi Luo Chun 6. 8 Immportal - can't buy it, something similar is honey fragrance of the Phoenix 7. Sencha - a Japanese tea My favorite is still Dragonwell A and Oolong. I ended up getting: Flower Bouquet Hand Tied Green Late Harvest 2 oz for $20. All the Late Harvest was buy one get one free. Immortal Peach hand tied green 2 oz for $16. This was Free for me. Yoku Moku Bateau de Macadamia-macadamia butter cookies w/ milk chocolate filling from Japan-yummy. A 4.97 oz tin fo $19.50. One unisex bathroom in the back is very nice. Credit cards taken. My total $41.21

Hands down, the best tea in the Bay Area. Really kind and mellow vibe too. Keep in mind this is not flavored tea, but mostly Asian whole leaf, loose tea (Chinese, Taiwanese, and Japanese).

This shop is so relaxing. There's a bar in the back where you can do tea tastings! If you dont want to sit at the bar, there are tables on an upper level where you can read, catch up with friends, go on a date, or get some work done. All while drinking delicious teas! The staff here are very knowledgeable and love to share with you what they know. They very friendly with customers and have some interest back stories on how they got to where they are. It's basically like talking to your favorite bar tender but instead of whiskey or a beer, you have TEA! :D

I was just looking at some photos I took while at Teance, and they brought back the pure peaceful bliss imparted by the tea, the running water, the beautiful custom made counter. Teance is a little oasis off the bustle of 4th Street. If you're looking for a quiet place to write, chat with a friend, or sit peacefully, this is the place to be. here. now. sans. cell.