BW is the friendliest, loveliest place to sit and enjoy a tasty drink in Berkeley. Their tea is so consistently delicious and the staff is so knowledgeable and welcoming. Everyone who works here has been so warm and generous in creating a space that truly feels like a community hub that brings the best of all the colorful sides of life that the bay has to offer. I’ve spent hours talking with strangers at the bar about art and poetry and life, and I’ve spent hours reading and writing in peaceful solitude. Blue willow is truly an escape from the stress of daily life.
Their wide range of teas is a testament to the very intentional curation and selection of really special cakes and leaves from around the world. Their in house blends and herbal options are also a treat. But nothing beats their hojicha latte on a cloudy day.
The acupressure + tea tasting I did there in the fall was one of the sweetest little moments of last year. Pairing a grounding puerh with a lesson on acupressure points related to the lungs and grief, giving me a chance to tune into my body and mind in a safe, educating space.
I’m so grateful that such a beautiful place like this exists and is thriving so well, community spaces like this are what allow us to share our lives and selves, and spaces like this are what makes Berkeley and the east bay feel like home.
Thanks BW for offering a sense of place, and a beautiful space to inspire creativity and community.
Andy Wardell
⭐☆☆☆☆
Unfortunately, this was a very disappointing experience. Although the scenery was nice, we felt unwelcome from the start and the customer service was slow and inattentive. It took over 40 minutes to receive one tea flight and two teas, while other customers who arrived after us were served much faster and received more items. Being consistently overlooked really ruined the experience. Sadly, I wouldn’t return.
Aaliyah Crawford
I really wanted to love this place because the tea itself was excellent. The matcha I ordered was very fresh and tasted great. Unfortunately, the overall experience was overshadowed by poor customer service.
After being seated with three other guests, our waitress gave us a brief overview of the menu and then disappeared. We waited almost 20 minutes before anyone came to take our order. I eventually had to politely track down a worker myself, only to be told rather pretentiously that they were “busy.” What made this more frustrating was that the table behind us—who arrived after we did—had their order taken immediately and received their tea before we even got a chance to order.
The situation made me feel overlooked and excluded, and there was a clear lack of hospitality. While the tea itself was very good, the customer service was disappointing and needs serious improvement.
Nora M
Good quality tea. Spending time in here is like an SNL skit, though.
Brittany Ferrero
It's rare to find a place in the east bay where the food/drinks are good quality and the atmosphere is great too.
Brandon Dickson
I love the atmosphere here. It’s a really cool place to hangout, drink tea, and spend time connecting with people. We tried the 2023 Full Circle Shou, 2021 Sticky Rice Shou, Jin Xuan Oolong, and Genmaicha. If you’re in the area, stop by 👌
Jenny Xu
This was such a fun find in Berkeley! We came after wanting to try something different that didn't involve alcohol and tea sounded perfect.
Good: - The private room was really good! We got out own private spot for about an hour and thirty minutes - The service was great - we had our own tea steeper and had enough tea for the entire time - Loved the duck s*** tea and the dragon tea and puerh tea, super tasty and we even tried mixing it a lot - The place is so cute! Very relaxing
Bad: - Gets super busy, so make a reservation ahead of time!
Overall, really enjoyed having the time to sit and relax and be present with me and my boyfriend!
Jesahel Alarcon
I love this tea shop! Great service, amazing selection of teas and pastries with knowledge and friendly staff
jordan
Tea so good
Manish Bhatt
Beautiful place for drinking tea and a wide selection. Some desserts available like mochi.
Love Blue Willow the space is very calming and the tea is amazing !
UrbanGirl
AMAZING, quaint, quiet, authentic tea house🫖🍵☕️ This place is the real deal. Open 8 years (as of ‘25) the owner apparently travels throughout Asia each year exploring new teas and forming bonds with farmer-suppliers. Wow. Who does that? Vibe is cozy and special. Tea cup price is same as Starbucks venti latte ($7)..worth it because most teas are served clear, w/o milk, but because they’re so sophisticated that allows you to taste so many flavors in the layered profile teas actually have. (I’m a morning Pg Tips with Oatly kind of girl ;) It’s like a wine bar but aromatic teas. They have milks and sugar if you want, but most won’t once you take a sip😉
What a sweet little special place🥰🏡🧡✨
Oneill Mclean
This place is a charming spot that truly captures the essence of a cozy tea experience. During my recent visit, I had the pleasure of trying the oolong tea flight, which was a delightful journey through various oolong flavors. Each tea was distinct, showcasing the rich, complex profiles that oolong is known for. I also enjoyed a cup of Summer Down tea, which was refreshing and light. Its floral notes and subtleat fist but the bold flavor came towards the bottom of the cup. Overall, a fantastic place to unwind and explore a variety of teas.
Victoria Chen
Bamboo lies splintered, Hope wrapped in plastic deceit. Taste? Like empty fog.
—
Don’t order their $12 chashoku online. It arrived in a cheap plastic envelope and looks like it cost 2 cents to make in a factory. The back side is uneven throughout and is already splintering inside the bag. Honestly, it looks worse than the scoops you get in basic matcha kits on Amazon.
The matcha was also tasteless and heavily marked up for what it is.
BW is the friendliest, loveliest place to sit and enjoy a tasty drink in Berkeley. Their tea is so consistently delicious and the staff is so knowledgeable and welcoming. Everyone who works here has been so warm and generous in creating a space that truly feels like a community hub that brings the best of all the colorful sides of life that the bay has to offer. I’ve spent hours talking with strangers at the bar about art and poetry and life, and I’ve spent hours reading and writing in peaceful solitude. Blue willow is truly an escape from the stress of daily life.
Their wide range of teas is a testament to the very intentional curation and selection of really special cakes and leaves from around the world. Their in house blends and herbal options are also a treat. But nothing beats their hojicha latte on a cloudy day.
The acupressure + tea tasting I did there in the fall was one of the sweetest little moments of last year. Pairing a grounding puerh with a lesson on acupressure points related to the lungs and grief, giving me a chance to tune into my body and mind in a safe, educating space.
I’m so grateful that such a beautiful place like this exists and is thriving so well, community spaces like this are what allow us to share our lives and selves, and spaces like this are what makes Berkeley and the east bay feel like home.
Thanks BW for offering a sense of place, and a beautiful space to inspire creativity and community.
⭐☆☆☆☆
Unfortunately, this was a very disappointing experience. Although the scenery was nice, we felt unwelcome from the start and the customer service was slow and inattentive. It took over 40 minutes to receive one tea flight and two teas, while other customers who arrived after us were served much faster and received more items. Being consistently overlooked really ruined the experience. Sadly, I wouldn’t return.
I really wanted to love this place because the tea itself was excellent. The matcha I ordered was very fresh and tasted great. Unfortunately, the overall experience was overshadowed by poor customer service.
After being seated with three other guests, our waitress gave us a brief overview of the menu and then disappeared. We waited almost 20 minutes before anyone came to take our order. I eventually had to politely track down a worker myself, only to be told rather pretentiously that they were “busy.” What made this more frustrating was that the table behind us—who arrived after we did—had their order taken immediately and received their tea before we even got a chance to order.
The situation made me feel overlooked and excluded, and there was a clear lack of hospitality. While the tea itself was very good, the customer service was disappointing and needs serious improvement.
Good quality tea. Spending time in here is like an SNL skit, though.
It's rare to find a place in the east bay where the food/drinks are good quality and the atmosphere is great too.
I love the atmosphere here. It’s a really cool place to hangout, drink tea, and spend time connecting with people. We tried the 2023 Full Circle Shou, 2021 Sticky Rice Shou, Jin Xuan Oolong, and Genmaicha. If you’re in the area, stop by 👌
This was such a fun find in Berkeley! We came after wanting to try something different that didn't involve alcohol and tea sounded perfect.
Good:
- The private room was really good! We got out own private spot for about an hour and thirty minutes
- The service was great - we had our own tea steeper and had enough tea for the entire time
- Loved the duck s*** tea and the dragon tea and puerh tea, super tasty and we even tried mixing it a lot
- The place is so cute! Very relaxing
Bad:
- Gets super busy, so make a reservation ahead of time!
Overall, really enjoyed having the time to sit and relax and be present with me and my boyfriend!
I love this tea shop! Great service, amazing selection of teas and pastries with knowledge and friendly staff
Tea so good
Beautiful place for drinking tea and a wide selection. Some desserts available like mochi.
Restaurantji Recommends
For tea lovers, by tea lovers.
Love Blue Willow the space is very calming and the tea is amazing !
AMAZING, quaint, quiet, authentic tea house🫖🍵☕️ This place is the real deal. Open 8 years (as of ‘25) the owner apparently travels throughout Asia each year exploring new teas and forming bonds with farmer-suppliers. Wow. Who does that?
Vibe is cozy and special. Tea cup price is same as Starbucks venti latte ($7)..worth it because most teas are served clear, w/o milk, but because they’re so sophisticated that allows you to taste so many flavors in the layered profile teas actually have. (I’m a morning Pg Tips with Oatly kind of girl ;) It’s like a wine bar but aromatic teas. They have milks and sugar if you want, but most won’t once you take a sip😉
What a sweet little special place🥰🏡🧡✨
This place is a charming spot that truly captures the essence of a cozy tea experience. During my recent visit, I had the pleasure of trying the oolong tea flight, which was a delightful journey through various oolong flavors. Each tea was distinct, showcasing the rich, complex profiles that oolong is known for. I also enjoyed a cup of Summer Down tea, which was refreshing and light. Its floral notes and subtleat fist but the bold flavor came towards the bottom of the cup. Overall, a fantastic place to unwind and explore a variety of teas.
Bamboo lies splintered,
Hope wrapped in plastic deceit.
Taste? Like empty fog.
—
Don’t order their $12 chashoku online. It arrived in a cheap plastic envelope and looks like it cost 2 cents to make in a factory. The back side is uneven throughout and is already splintering inside the bag. Honestly, it looks worse than the scoops you get in basic matcha kits on Amazon.
The matcha was also tasteless and heavily marked up for what it is.
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