the flavor is amazing and i love the sesame with it! everything is hand crafted which is a great touch but for a saturday afternoon, we did wait 80 mins so be prepared for that it gets crowded with the long wait read more

Forest Tea Bar - uji matcha latte + black sesame matcha latte - Tea Rooms Near Me - Berkeley, California

i think this place is new and when i came, it was packed. the place is not that big and you need to order through kiosk. ambiance is ok. have to be patient to wait, it is matcha. very excited once got my order but i will say taste is just ok. the blue lotus tea is almost tasteless for me, just feel like drinking hot water but the presentation is great... read more

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Found this place while visiting family in Oakland. I had no idea it was a soft opening. They only sell matcha and they do it with the bamboo whisk. The matcha was very good and they have syrups you don't see anywhere else, like my favorite, the black sesame. It's very quiet inside with plenty of seating. read more

Forest Tea Bar - Black Sesame Matcha - Tea Rooms Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Heading to South Berkeley after getting off at Ashby BART station and walking six tiny blocks; that would've been tough, especially when getting back home late. Once I head over to where many people hang out, that's when it got tougher with a very long wait. Since Forest Tea Bar in Shattuck Ave opens every Friday to Sunday, many people had to wait in line to get their online order. At least I got to have some free time watching vibrant folks chat and drink matcha tea even if I have to wait for almost one full hour. The smell of hojicha flavor was permeating throughout the atmosphere while the mist humidifier eased us when coming inside. Waiting for almost an hour made me a bit tense than trying to relax, but patience is more rewarding when getting the matcha drink I purchased. After all, everyone else were waiting to receive their order. The moment the clock reaches 6 pm, one of the matcha baristas have to shut down the online order; well that took one of them to respond after few minutes. So far, I only see two to three baristas working on making ceremonial grade matcha tea drinks. Any barista was taking turns whisking matcha while the other pouring coconut milk or black sesame. With many different bamboo whisks and ceramic bowls with spouts, I believe hand whisk matcha drinks are way better than frothy ones. Contactless payment and just as expensive, I had with me a straight-up iced sugarless sparkling matcha followed up with matcha cashew ice cream! Might come back one day for a matcha bowl that is more than bold and umami. read more

Forest Tea Bar - Ahh! Deep green excellence! - Tea Rooms Near Me - Berkeley, California

The best matcha I've ever had in the east bay. The wait was around 45 mins for me but everyone there was mindful and got their drink and left because it gets very packed. I will totally go back. read more

Forest Tea Bar - Another photo of the menu - Tea Rooms Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Had the rose latte that was pretty good, loved the ambiance. We also got both the ceremonial matchas to try, but perhaps it's my untrained palette it didn't feel worth the price. read more

Forest Tea Bar - Ceremonial matcha - Tea Rooms Near Me - Berkeley, California

I got a regular matcha latte and a rose matcha latte and the matcha was very astringent, which I wasn't a fan of. It left a dry mouth feel. The cups are small for the price. read more

Good not great matcha. Once the hype wears off this will be just another matcha spot. Interior is great. read more

Got the hojicha and genmaicha matcha latte both were really good, portions were small and the matcha was a little chaulky. Too bad they ran out of Housemade Milk. I guess ill have to come back and try it another day. Ambiance reminds me of stepping into a cafe in Japan. Tea sourced from Uji, Kyoto, Japan Expect to wait a little as they artisanally whisk the matcha powder per order. Waited around 30 minutes. read more

30+ minute wait for 2 drinks is unacceptable. They ran out of the black sesame matcha drink by 1PM on a Sunday, which is only 2 hours after they opened. The menu only allowed either free oat milk or cashew milk at $1.25+ extra charge. There was no milk selection available so you were forced to choose one of the two. The total came out to be $20 after tip for 2 drinks. It's pricey, a long wait, and they ran out of things pretty soon after opening. I hope they get their shit together after this soft opening. I much prefer Asha tea house as I don't feel there's significant difference in their quality and Asha has a much more streamlined ordering system. read more

Forest Tea Bar - Super long wait for 2 drinks only - Tea Rooms Near Me - Berkeley, California

This place is a gem if you are a matcha lover! They take their craft seriously. I love how they make the matcha in front of you. This place gets super busy because they only open certain days. The place can get crowded inside but there's some sitting space outside as well. My friends and I loved everything we ordered. Uji, Gen, hojicha, black sesame latte. I would say this place has the best matcha thus far. I've had hojicha elsewhere but this one is sooo nutty and delish!!! Make sure to come support them! Returning customer here read more

Forest Tea Bar - Tea Rooms Near Me - Berkeley, California

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My mom, my fiancée, and I stopped in to this place to kill some time. I love matcha so this place looked promising. We walk in and there's just one lady working there, and she's grinning from ear to ear. She looked incredibly happy to be there. I ordered an iced genmaicha latte with cane syrup, my mom ordered a hot hochija, my fiancée ordered the iced matcha rose latte. I tried a sip of each. All were incredible and super unique. The place is clean and has a calm and quiet atmosphere. The lady working there was super friendly and just seemed like she was living out her dream. She put so much care and effort into each drink, whisking by hand all the matcha/hochija. I could go here every day of the week and order a different drink and be more than satisfied each time. I cannot recommend this place enough. Probably the best latte I've ever had--like actually. read more

Waited for about 10min around 1pm which is pretty ok. The matcha latte was good but wish they had a regular milk option. read more

Forest Tea Bar - Uji Matcha Latte - Tea Rooms Near Me - Berkeley, California

Got the hojicha, which has good flavor! I enjoyed how rich it was. The matcha was good, although the flavor was not as strong as it was for the hojicha. The store itself is very aesthetic and clean and the staff were all very friendly. read more

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new solid matcha spot in berkeley!! this really reminded me of the lattes i make at home; aka a solid tea : milk : sugar ratio, and a matcha blend that actually tastes good w milk the matcha they use is a quite nutty, sweet, and umami-forward, which ties in really nicely w oat milk (their default milk) they also have wifi and some tables! it's quite small tho, was getting really packed at around 1 pm. overall rly enjoyed :-), will be coming back to try their more fun drinks! read more

Forest Tea Bar - Tea Rooms Near Me - Berkeley, California

Some of the best matcha I've had in the bay. I really appreciate the effort put into every single cup and it's aesthetically pleasing watching them whisk by hand. None of the matcha flavor is watered down, the syrups aren't overly sweet or artificially tasting. The atmosphere of the cafe along with how welcoming the baristas are, all contribute to a serene and friendly experience. Great place to unwind from the day to day. read more

Forest Tea Bar - Genmaicha latte and sparkling yuzu - Tea Rooms Near Me - Berkeley, California

I've tried them all and this is the best matcha in Berkeley! The matcha latte is perfect as is but if you want a sweet treat the black sesame matcha is amazing read more

I went during their opening weekend. Quality matcha! Probably the best matcha I've tried in the Bay Area.

The matcha latte is super grainy with bad flavor. The flavor profile was just bitter and one dimensional. The bitter is super overpowering and leaves a really unpleasant aftertaste. I normally love a strong matcha and even polarizing flavors like bitter/umami/seaweed etc. this was just bad unfortunately :( read more

Service, ambience and drinks were all exceptional. They have different flavored matcha that you can't get at Starbucks or just any Asian bubble tea place. The experience is really an "art form." read more

The location can be hard to see from the street as the business sits within a large building structure and signage isn't visible. Parking can also be tough as there are a limited amount of parking spaces just outside the building but street parking is available. Overall the atmosphere was pretty chill and for the most part is a grab and go spot. There is some seating at the small bar area and some bench like seating along the large window areas with small low round tables and stools. Wouldn't describe any of the seating as being comfortable if you are looking to hangout for a while. Orders are placed via a computer kiosk screen. I only focused on the matcha based drinks so can't speak to other offerings. Available flavors were - black sesame, uji (ginger, tumeric), genmaicha (brown rice), rose and hojicha (smoky green tea). I chose an iced black sesame as it was considered to be one of the most popular options. From what I saw there was only one serving size, approximately 8 oz or so. A wee bit small for my liking but hey, this isn't a typical American based coffee/tea spot. My order was ready within 10 or so and I was instructed to stir well before drinking. Overall the matcha flavor and consistency was front and center with hints of black sesame and not too sweet. Would be open to try again but would definitely order the matcha hot as I think this would be a better pairing for me personally. read more

I got a genmaicha matcha latte here and I really enjoyed it. I liked that it comes with oat milk already, and the genmaicha added a really nice roasted flavor. It is pretty rare to find placed that serve genmaicha, so I was especially happy with my matcha latte. You order at a kiosk and you wait for your drink to be made. It is only one or two employees hand making the drink, so it did take a while. There is seating inside and outside but it fills up fast. read more

Exquisite flavors and service. Fabulous location and elegant decor. We love the black sesame Matcha - hot.

Not sure I understand all the hype (asides from the fact that it's beautiful to watch the matcha being made). Forest Tea Bar, a pop up known for it's high quality matcha drinks, & run by 3 sisters, is now open. I was expecting a quiet serene place but Sat. afternoon was more like a zoo. As I watched the baristas meticulously brew & pour the matcha drinks, I, like others, was tempted to film the art of making matcha. Nothing had been said to the others, whom had also filmed, but unlike me, they were cute (Asian) girls. I wanted to also do my share in supporting the owners, but 1 employee singled me out saying " ask first ". I feel like this day in age, if you work in a super popular place you should expect to be promoted online, and probably even thank the people doing so... what bothered me even more though, was that the order was not taken by a person.. I ordered through a screen.. and no one said hello when I walked in (I didn't expect that by any means given the volume of people there) however to then tell me I should address them when there has not even been eye contact since I ordered my drink and it's super chaotic & loud in there, I find, is a little much. If my staff acted like that, I would be super upset. Unfortunately, the black sesame I crossed the bay for, was out of stock (and apparently for a few days). I asked the same barista if he knew why it was out.. and he said no. I explained to him that marketing matters and the SFChronicle had done a piece about their black sesame drinks so hint hint, probably not a good idea to sternly scold your clients that are attempting to help you with marketing... 55 minutes later.. my matcha drink was finally ready. I had no problem being patient and waiting longer but this was not 20 min.. frankly it took me longer to wait for the matcha than it did to cross the bridge and make it home during rush hour on a Saturday... it's true that it was super busy but still.. we are not drinking gold. Though the matcha was good, I will not be returning because all of this left a sour taste in my mouth and honestly it was not wow in terms of taste. read more

This matcha place is definitely 5 stars for the quality of matcha. The wait is worth it. Their Asahi was the best I have ever had outside of Japan. A lovely little store nestled in Berkely. read more

Grainy and watery matcha! No matcha taste at all. So grainy that i felt clumps of powder in my throat. Not worth the 7-8 bucks for this drink. read more

Forest Tea Bar - Tea Rooms Near Me - Berkeley, California

I love this place! I've been coming here since they were just a pop up and am so happy they finally have their own storefront! I had their iced matcha today, and it's not too sweet, which I find most places struggle with. Overall, this is the perfect place to slow down for a chill afternoon and delicious drinks. read more

Forest Tea Bar - Tea Rooms Near Me - Berkeley, California

Great place to get matcha! The baristas are very nice, especially the barista who wears a mask. He is very skilled at his craft. I usually get the rose matcha latte. The matcha is very high quality. The rose syrup works very well with the matcha and is not too sweet. read more

Their tofu matcha ice cream is really good. It was the only thing I ordered, but the wait time was still really long. (40 min) I visited a second time and reordered the ice cream, and it still took them an hour. Which is interesting because their ice cream is already made. The only thing they'd have to do is scoop it.... I'd visit again if they figure out how to expedite their orders. read more

Forest Tea Bar - Tea Rooms Near Me - Berkeley, California

1 hour wait on a Friday evening, not worth it for matcha. What a waste of time. Wouldn't come back unless they figured out how to expedite orders, hire more employees. read more

I know it's their first week, but to have to wait 55 min for the 1 matcha latte I ordered? So sad. The screen of estimated time was not accurate. After 40 min of waiting, the screen said 3 min... then 5... then ... 10... till it went to 18 minutes. At that point I left. I don't have all day to wait for my drink. Two stars because it looks like they use actual good matcha, and the traditional tools to make it. But 8 bucks for a drink I wasn't even able to enjoy? I really was excited, especially since I was only in town for the day. :( read more

Been following Three Tea Bowls for a long time now and was super excited when they announced they were going to open up their own storefront! I went during the 2nd week of their soft opening and it was packed, but that is to be expected. Though my favorite drink wasn't on the menu anymore, they do now have a bunch of other goodies to try out. I tried their genmaichai matcha latte and I wasn't sure what it was at first, but it was delicious! Never had anything like this in the states. I can't wait to try more later on once the lines start to shorten up. read more

Forest Tea Bar - Genmaicha Matcha Latte - Tea Rooms Near Me - Berkeley, California

Really cute café with mostly matcha/hojicha drinks, made one cup at a time and staff really takes their time to craft the perfect beverage for each customer. I enjoyed my hot hojicha black sesame and looking forward to tasting one of the matcha drinks next time. There are some tables inside as well as outside and parking was easy on a Friday early afternoon. read more

The matcha was just ok- I didn't like how there weren't any normal milk options (only had oat and cashew). That being said, my matcha latte did not have a strong matcha flavor ad the oat milk overpowered it read more

Incredible matcha! If you want 'not too sweet' , strong, good quality matcha, Forest Tea is the place to go. Staff are kind and caring. The space is small, but beautiful. There's also outdoor seating. I'm excited to see what this business will do in the future. read more

this place is rite around the corner from my house so when i saw the long lines i was curious. I am new to matcha but have really been enjoying it and this is my favorite matcha i have tried in the area! read more

Amazing service and the matcha is soooo good. Both the black sesame matcha and original were delicious.