Far Leaves
(9 reviews)2979 College Ave, Berkeley, CA 94705, USA 510-665-9409 Website Suggest Changes
Recent reviews
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Raoul Cavera
Far Leaves is a great place to go have tea. They give you an electric waterpot so you can prepare as many pots of tea as you want. The tea is great and it's the only place I've found to enjoy kung-fu style tea; they have great high mountain oolong.
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Sherry C-F
This is a pleasant enough tea room. There is a wide selection of loose leaf teas (white, green, black, and herbals) and the staff is obviously knowledgeable. Also, they provide kettles on each table, so patrons can enjoy cup after cup. However, Far Leaves is a tiny space that does not quite shut out the noise from College Avenue. Plus, it might be difficult to snag a table during the weekends. Far Leaves may not warrant an out of the way trip, but if you are in the neighborhood, step in for a break.
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Larisa
This is by far my favorite tea shop! As others have said, the picture shown here is NOT Far Leaves. Their decor is Asian and very simple but beautiful with some displays of the various tea cups and pots for sale. Overall it's a very serene place -- great for studying or having a quiet conversation with a friend.
As for the food, they only serve snacks but they are delicious and original (green tea macaroons, blood orange shortbread, jasmine biscotti, etc.). And as mentioned they let you bring in food if you need something more substantial (the neighborhood it's in is full of restaurants and cafes). The teas are truly excellent -- they have a variety of white, green, oolong and black teas, as well as some herbal blends. Each table has its own electric tea kettle so you can make yourself cup after cup of tea. And as some one else said you can have your tea served in a variety of ways.
I would highly recommend this shop to anyone who enjoys fine teas!
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Chris
First I would like to say the interior picture that is up right now is not from Far Leaves, it looks much more Asian style and has cool, decor.
More importantly this is the best tea house I have ever been to. The staff is super friendly and knowledgeable and the owner Donna is just the best.
They have a great selection of tea that many times is specially selected by Donna and her staff on their regular trips to Asia.
It's also quite reasonably priced and you won't get any snobby attitude around this place.
Simply put, it's the best!
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zephyrine
I love Far Leaves Tea. I usually buy the tea to take home and enjoy every day, but stay occasionally and like the calm environment. As mentioned by another reviewer, the photo on this page is not what it looks like. It's actually a nice combo of the funky older buildings, old wood, nice windows etc. with very pretty asian appointments and furniture, often nice local art on the walls. I love the perpetually heating teapots on each table. The music is usually nice too, quiet and calming. The staff is sometimes wonderfully engaging, sometimes a little reticent, but always helpful. This is a jewel in the neighborhood.
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Dera Williams
I love this place. When a friend used to live off of College, we used to go there. As mentioned, it is an ideal spot to bring a book or whatever project one is working on, go upstairs, take off your shoes and sit on the map and have some great tea. I love learning about the different teas and have purchased. The treats are fine for a light snack but as has been said, you can bring in food. Great, relaxing atmosphere.
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Lisa
This is one of my favorite places. Their selection is broad, their staff is amazingly knowledgable, and their atmosphere is calm and lovely. It definitely does not look like the picture shown here--there are four traditional low tables on tatami mats (take off your shoes!), as well as regular table-and-chairs. Each regular table has its own lamp, and combined with the quiet atmosphere it makes Far Leaves the perfect place to study. Their regular tea service is served in a gaiwan, or you can request a traditional gongfu service. They're happy to let you nurse your pot all day, and they don't mind if you bring in outside food - there's a good sushi place next door, and my friends and I regularly eat trays of sushi while sipping tea and studying. They don't serve coffee though, so my boyfriend doesn't like coming to tea with me here :*(. But I give this place an A+!
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ET
I love this place. It is casual, but has really good tea. There are all kinds of seating options, but none like the one pictured as of my review date. They have some nice cookies, but if you want food, you can buy it and bring it in--they are cool with it. There are many people who work there, so the artistry of tea preparation is variable, but usually really good. Sometimes I have to ask when I should pour my water, and they tell me about bubble size and steeping time, too. This is a good place.