Tea Time
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 9:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 9:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
Sun 9:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Wi-Fi: Free
19 reviews
Redwood City, CA
"This is a really cool place and one of the gems of the Bay Area. They supply a lot of the coffee for Whole Foods (where it costs $1-3 more…" read more »
35 Reviews for Tea Time
This is one of my favorite places in Palo Alto to meet friends in the afternoon. It's very relaxing. They have the most amazing tea selection and their tea is really in a different league. The preparation takes some time but it's clearly worth it. If you want to try an exotic tea or just looking for a relaxing spot in Palo Alto to wind down, this is a must try place...
I came here for a bridal shower today and it was pretty awesome. The place is small and quaint but they can probably accommodate up to 20 people inside the store. The green tea they served is really good and not filled with an overwhelming amount of caffeine. They catered to the fact that the bride-to-be is a vegan which is nice and the tea sandwiches are really good. They also sell a wide variety of cute tea cups if you're ever looking for some.
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Such friendly staff and wide array of teas to try!
A friend and I came here today to have some crumpets (YUM) and scones and it was great!
Near the fireplace next to the counter in the back, they have all their teas in little samples that you can smell to get an idea of how strong the teas are which is awesome! So many and it's surprising how some teas smell stronger or more fruity than others.
The crumpets are a little small (size of half an english muffin but texture of a pancake) but very tasty and the scone was wonderful! So dense but moist. Comes with lemon curd, devonshire cream, and huckleberry jam - all made freshly there.
The price was cheap compared to Lisa's Tea Treasures, and this place was definitely more relaxing and nice. Very pleasant experience. Will definitely be back again.
This shop has given me constant, friendly service since I found it about a year ago. The staff members are very quiet (a bummer for someone with bad hearing, like me!) but they are very good resources when it comes to trying new teas and making suggestions. Prices are quite reasonable for the loose leaf tea, especially the high grade oolongs. They do have little tea cakes, etc but new customers to Tea Time should keep in mind that this shop is like an East/West blend - plenty of English tea "habits" like cakes and nice big pots of black tea, but the underlying vibe is very Asian influenced. English tea snobs look elsewhere - this shop is for the up-and-coming tea generation!
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Pros:
-Great tea selection
-Sandwiches tasted great: tried the ham and the smoked salmon
-Mango mousse pastry was good
-very cute little place
-have outside seating
So why the 3 stars? Bad value. I don't mind paying $25 for a tea experience, but I felt they delivered too little for that price. A pot of tea (without the tea leaves, so you can't add more hot water), 3 small sandwiches (these are little open faced triangles), and some pastries.
Also, the menu was confusing. They try to offer different combos, but you have to read through all of them to figure out if they have the combo you want. It would be so much easier if they just say 'pick a tea, a scone, 2 sandwiches, and 1 pastry' for $x instead of being specific about every thing and driving you crazy.
I also thought it was odd that they didn't put the loose tea leaves in the pot so that you could adjust the steeping time and have more hot water added.
To the employee who likes to wear her pants riding low, please pull it up! Please! This is tea time.
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Tea Time is my favorite store in Palo Alto and an indispensable addition to my life. They have a huge selection of loose teas by the ounce and by the cup. After trying about thirty teas and loose teas at other tea shops, I can definitely attest to the high quality of their tea options. The owner is very knowledgeable and accommodating to all my very particular questions. They offer tea by the pot in little tea cozies or in cups on the go ($3 for most teas). The by the cup price is a little high, but if you can make tea making a part of your life, its a great way to try a lot of teas and then buy the loose tea by the ounce for a much lower price.
They have a way array of petite pastries and sandwiches. The selection is wide and all are pretty good, though none are significantly better than you might expect. They have free wi-fi which is nice and aren't as packed as their neighbor Coupa Cafe.
My favorite of their teas:
Darjeeling: Upper Namring
Green: Mao Jian and Gen Mai Cha (the one with brown rice and little popcorn pieces)
Oolong: Champagne Oolong
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Very cute little cafe in downtown palo alto by university avenue. street parking available as well as a free parking garage across the street. It was a little different from other tea places Ive been to. Tea Time had more of an Asian influence which gave the place its unique character. Few tables outside, great for people watching. Few tables inside for an intimate meeting with friends. I did enjoy the ginger peach tea with my tea service if European Delight. It included a spring salad, tea sandwiches of egg salad and smoked Gouda with tomato, and a plate of mini desserts which included a cream puff, Napoleon and an eclair. Mind you these are morsels, just tastes of each item. If you want a whole meal...might need to go down university for some grub. about an hour later, i was definitely hungry. Over all a good experience and a pleasant place to spend an afternoon catching up with girlfriends.
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I love tea, and Tea Time makes drinking it all the more pleasurable. Having a couple tea sandwiches with a pot of hot tea, light jazz, free wi-fi access (but why use it during this time of relaxation unless you're going to yelp about Tea Time?)...all adds up to a peaceful oasis in the middle of bustling Palo Alto. I could sit here by the window all day! The Japanese Cherry green tea smells and tastes wonderful; the Emperor's 7 is really good, too. The chicken salad sandwich has bits of green apple instead of celery (woo-hoo!) and comes in the shape of a heart. I am partial to the salmon and cream cheese sandwich, but haven't tried all their selections yet. If you haven't tried Tea Time, or if Coupa Cafe next door is too crowded, come and enjoy this place.
Ok, I didn't really know they made 50000 types of teas but apparently they do. I just wanted to get a box of green tea for the office and talk about overkill. My coworker order some pretty exotic teas and I just stuck with old school Green Tea.
I saw the lady behind the counter making a bunch of small sandwiches that looked pretty good.
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Free Wireless!! From 10-11:30am and 4-7pm in the evening!!
This place was awesome - the crumpet selection was incredible compared to other places I've been too, but I was totally totally wowed with the tea sandwiches - LoveJoy's in the city - there is no comparison!!
Pastries were incredible - raspberry almadine..WOW!
Get here either early or later in the day - this place is crazy during the day...
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Ok, I just had a glass of iced tea here, so based on that only, it's a 5 star. I had orange blossom oolong, and it was very subtle (probably subtler for it being iced).
My friend also got pearls in her drink and they were very sweet and chewy. So they are good. Uncommon. So go them.
(can you tell I'm out of practice writing reviews??)
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Tea Time is really a great alternative to Coupa Cafe if you're into tea. It's much quieter and the staff are really nice.
I've passed by many times before deciding to go check it out. The tea menu is extensive, I think there's about 100 teas on the menu. A good selection from greens to blacks to reds...although not much white tea.
The scones are HUGE. I had the apricot ginger scone, which I found heavenly. Their crumpets are also pretty good, I had mine with smoked salmon and capers. They also had some pretty tasty looking tea sandwiches. You could get a better deal by ordering a combo of crumpet + tea or scone + tea or sandwiches + tea rather than ordering them alone. I picked white pomegranate for my tea, which was a bit underwhelming.
The reason I can't give it higher marks is I think it could be better, mostly decor. But since there aren't many good tea places in the peninsula, I think it's still worth a visit if you like good loose leaf tea.
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As I write this, I am sipping on a strong cup of green tea brewed from a portion of the quarter pound of sencha yamata I bought from Tea Time just a few moments ago. I have been on a quest. For a good while now i've been searching to connect with some excellent green tea at a good price. Whenever i encounter a market that might be likely to sell loose leaf tea (as they are remarkably rare), I have consistently gone out of my way to have a look at what they're holding. Usually its either a) bagged, b) poor quality (ie. bagged), c) over priced. I've bought a lot of this tea, to sample the sources and get a handle on what makes a good green tea. To have found a shop which sells a sencha green tea for $52/lb that is entirely worth its cost grants it 5 stars in my book.
... and the fact that they kicked those guys out who were trying to hold a business conference in their cafe makes it all the cooler.
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My friends, who I blame for my tea snobbery of late (just say no to bagged tea!), brought me here for the first time last year. There is something so intoxicating about just smelling teas that actually sipping it is magical. I'll never forget the first time I came here. It's a great place to be.
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After final exams have worn down most of my composure and ability to form coherent thoughts, I like to partake in a ladies luncheon where we all try to put ourselves back together again. Today, it brought us to Teatime, a bright and lovely tea shop in the heart of Palo Alto. Quite extensive was the menu, which was difficult for my fried brain but also appreciated in that I could find whatever my heart desired. "So many teas...so many sandwiches....scones....crumpets (they just sound cute don't they?)...pastries.....mmmmm" - this went on for about half an hour.
However, once all the ladies made their choices, we were each quite pleased with the delectable treats that arrived before us. My cheese and broccoli quiche was the perfect savory treat with a wonderful crust and the blueberry scone was fantastic with devonshire cream and jam. Some of the items on the menu seemed a bit high in price....tea sandwiches are extremely small for the prices (which have been hiked since published on the website), while others were quite reasonable. However, I know I will be back to this spot as there are many more things to try and everyone agreed it was the perfect spot to chat and nibble away at tasty little morsels.
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I really should give them another chance, but my first visit to Tea Time was so unmemorable that I haven't been back since. I may have gotten spoiled at other tea places I'd been to before.
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It's a cute cozy place, got my attention and drew me in...but I was disappointed with the quality. The sandwiches are marginal. Tea was ok. There are better places for tea in the Bay Area.
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I finally made my way to Tea Time today for a last minute visit with a good friend. This hidden gem is nicely comfortable and cozy; good for long conversation. The tea selection is good. The herbal chai and the 7 year old puerh were both good. I still favor the puerh a friend introduced me to at his house; I have to dig up that one. The tea pots were brought to our table in cute tea cozies. We didn't try the food. Though I'll admit that I quite enjoyed my time here because of the company (catching up with a good friend), Tea Time is a lovely little tea house. I will go there again. And again, I expect.
I don't have enough experience with Tea Time to rate it higher than 4 stars, yet. Additional visits may change that.
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Free wifi, cute little gourmet tea sandwiches made with loving care, and teas and more teas.
Tea Time is a lovely, lovely place with gorgeous tea and delicious sandwiches and crumpets! (Apparently it's difficult to find crumpets around here, but Tea Time makes great ones.) Everything is floral printed and too, too cute.
I love coming here to escape the madness next door at Coupa. The only madness here is this old Palo Alto ladies:
My favorite story from last December: Siting next to two old ladies (approximate age range: 55-70) who mulled over three pots of tea and two trays of crustless sandwiches and discussed no-fat, organic yogurt from trader joe's ("the very best in the /world/") and the possibility that Tom Cruise is, in fact, gay--even though he's married to that young girl and has a baby ("at least we know he can have children! ... do you think it was her? no, it couldn't be!")
I don't know if I've ever been as thankful for the range of my iPod's volume. Oh, Palo Alto!
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Quality and selection of tea is 5 stars
Presentation of sandwiches is 5 stars
- my chicken salad sandwich was shaped like a heart!
- my turkey sandwich was topped with a ribbon made with a small strip of turkey!
Other pluses are that the staff are friendly and they have free tea samples.
The reason I gave Tea Time an overall 4 stars is that the quality and taste of food is not as good as say like Leland Tea Company in San Francisco. The sandwiches and sweets look pretty, but taste just slightly above average.
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I debated long and hard about how many stars to give this place... It's a quaint little shop with a good selection of loose leaf teas. I have yet to try their food. The interior of the shop is a little cramped and probably would not serve as the best place to study. Also, unlike Far Leaves Tea in Berkeley, you don't get your own water heater, you just get a teapot.
Far Leaves, despite the slightly ghetto interior, is truly built around the experience of tea and how the same leaves change their flavor with repeated brewing. Tea Time, despite the cuteness and good tea selection, still reeks of Palo Alto. Still, as one of the few tea places in the lower peninsula, I'll be back.
Quaint but ridiculously overpriced. I love the atmosphere, very calming, and the teas are very nice and authentic. However, 5 dollars for one pot of brewed tea!?!? THAT IS RIDICULOUS. I thought, having sat down and selected a nice Yunnan black tea, that for the price of 5+ dollars I would get to drink all the tea made from the 4-5 times this tea can be brewed...no, apparently you don't buy the tea you buy the first wash and thus only one pot of tea. One pot of tea for 5 dollars. Absolutely ridiculous. And 3 for a scone - mediocre, although presented nicely and with cute sauces? I loved the ambiance, but its wi-fi didn't work for me and it closes at 7 and it is ridiculously expensive. I know this tea does not cost this much. I bought USD 200+ worth of highest-grade oolong in Taiwan (not exported), and went to several tea plantations and a number of small tea shops...I know what good tea tastes like and what it should cost, and this is a total rip-off. I'd rather go to China and buy tea myself.
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1) free wireless
2) if you're a tea person, this is the place to be. what seems like 1 million different types of teas, and the owner can recommend anything to fit your preferences.
3) sandwiches are tasty and innovative. they are a bit small, though so i wouldn't recommend trying to make a meal out of them.
4) tea comes in your own pot with a tea cozy!
5) atmosphere is really quiet and relaxing. a great place to study.
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The ultimate afternoon tea place. Who needs a victorian decolation to enjoy tea? Nice tea at cozy place would do just fine. They have tea sandwiches, crumpets, scones, and cookies and all priced reasonablly. It's not a big portion, but enough to satisfy you mentally! Their orange almond cookie is to die for - even a crumb cannot be wasted!! Going there can make my day easily. :-)
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What makes a 5 star tea place? A cozy little room, painted in a wonderful earthy green with decor that is the right blend between simple and clean -- without being stark -- and charming and homey.
We originally stopped in here to have some tea and very light snack, but it was so cozy and wonderful we wound up staying for hours. The only things that could have made the time in Tea Time more perfect would have been for it to be raining outside instead of just overcast weather and for there to have been a fire going in the fireplace.
The shop can be hard to spot. It is in half of the space that used to be the Christian Science Reading Room. If you want a place to hang out with friends go to Neotte Tea Bar. If you're looking for something a little more intimate and cozy, Tea Time is the place.
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I've had a generally pleasant experience with this place - actually, very pleasant. I guess the other reviews just scare me a bit.
There are usually one or two girls working there, and they're usually exceedingly nice. You order, pay, and they bring you your stuff. I usually am alone and need to sit along the wall with the power outlet, and I just hack away and catch some tv from across the street when i need a mind-breather.
Haven't seen any dude owners or anything. Place usually has room when Sucka Cafe next door is packed - and that place doesn't have power outlets anyways.
The only problem with tea time is you can never figure out when it's open, and when you do, you find out that it's a half hour unti closing time. Brilliant. They really do close at like 7 pm - LATEST. Crazy.
Great reviews above for this place. Just adding that they have a hugely extensive selection of teas (as well great little tea time meals), and they have scones, which are God's gift to bakery creation fans...
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My previous review was removed; I'm not sure why. If you don't log into Yelp for a while, does it discount your review? Strangely enough, it seems that other negative reviews for this place have been deleted as well, given the comments about being wary based on other reviews.
Well, again: I will never go back. The owner was terribly, unforgivably rude to me and my friends. Besides, the food, mediocre at best, won't be missed.
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Biggest selection of teas I've ever seen. Fairly simple and old fashioned interior. Good service.
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Nice place, great tea, internet access, great location. All in one!
Great place for a private meeting!
Want your girl all to yourself - this is the place.
Start a conversation with just a look at the desserts.
A+++
allan
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This tea room is a gem in Palo Alto. The decor isn't so fancy but simple and homey.Tea Time's mission is to educate tea drinkers on all aspects of tea's preparation, enjoyment and benefits. When you go to this tea room, please bring your favorite book with you. There is no better company than tea when you settle down to read of other times, other lives, and find yourself there.
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tea time is fab! used to go with a bunch of friends for hot tea and crumpets (the apple with melted brie is divine) while playing bridge (seriously, we're not retired people, but it fits the atmosphere). highly recommended.
Tea Time is one of the sanest places anywhere, and my favorite spot in Palo Alto. There's a huge selection of premium teas (enough to please any connoisseur). The food is light, tasty, and thoughtfully presented. As for the setting, it's cheerfully relaxing and elegantly inviting, with the perfect choice of music. And such a pleasant staff! Tea Time is an expression of taste and temperament. A wonderful place to visit, whether you want to drink a cup of tea, have a bite, have a chat, surf the Web, read a book, write a dissertation, think deep thoughts, or just breathe a little easier.
Favorites: the green teas, sweet peach, chai, melange russe, San Franciscan crumpet, blueberry or raisin scones, shortbread cookie, and the Thai ice tea.
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