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San Francisco, CA

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Tattoo City

4.8 (103 reviews)
PriceyTattoo

By appointment only

Tattoo City Photos

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Reviews With Photos

my gorgeous magnolia by Jen Lee.
Brianne H.

I traveled from San Diego to San Francisco just to have Jen Lee do my tattoo because she is the BEST for the style I wanted. It was well worth the trip, my tattoo is amazing. Jen is crazy talented at fine line work, color and detailing...my tattoo is seriously gorgeous and people are amazed by it all the time. I am considering one more tattoo and I will only let her touch my skin from now on. Yes, the travel costs suck but when you are getting something permanent on your skin for life, this should not be a concern. Budget tattoos are a bad plan. As far as the shop itself...I was thrilled with the private rooms, WAY less awkward than open area shops. And even more awesome was that I told my husband (prior to arrival) that I wished they would play some reggae while I got my tattoo and it was like a miracle of some sort bc when I walked in, they were playing the typical old school punk and by the time I was getting tattooed, reggae was playing, no joke. The tattoo gods heard me that day. :) Thanks Jen and Tattoo City for my gorgeous tattoo and for randomly playing reggae during my 3 hour tattoo.

Tattoo of Rocky... RIP 12/2/2012
Kirsten A.

I cannot believe that it has taken me this long to update this review!! Jen finished my tattoo of my late Husky, Rocky, around late February. The result is just amazing. Yeah, it hurt, IT'S A TATTOO!!! But you get used to the pain, and honestly Jen is so easy to talk to I forgot I was even being inked. It still looks amazing to this day, and I am out in the sun a lot (make sure to always put on a lot of SPF on tats, sun lovers!!!). I am so happy with it. From concept to completion, Jen was amazing!! Best tattoo artist in the Bay!!! I sent her a design/idea/picture and she made it real. I now have my running buddy/fur-baby on my ankle forever, and each day I am reminded of how happy he made me. The tattoo looks real, just like Rocky did, and it captures his happy-go-lucky, charming, and loving personality. It makes me smile. Thank you Jen!!!

Half way through! Artist: Jen Lee
Lauren C.

I came here for my first tattoo. And I did a lot of research on the type of artist I wanted to do work on me. Each artist had a unique and beautiful style, but I fell in love with Jen's designs. She is a great one for details, shading, and color in animals and portraits. The place overall was very hip and located in a decent neighborhood in San Francisco. the tattoo was well worth the money spent and I've gotten so many compliments on Jen's art on my shoulder. I recommend this place to anyone. It's a trust worthy place and they definitely know what they're doing.

Jen Lee's portrait of my beloved dog -- this is immediately after she finished tattooing it. It has healed perfectly!
Star C.

For several years, I've had a tattoo dream -- to get a portrait tattoo of my dog by Jen Lee. I love her whimsical style, which captures the realistic image of the animals within a magical illustrative style that has nods to American traditional imagery. After my dog passed away, I made it a point to take the plunge and make an appointment during a trip to the Bay Area. My dream was fulfilled--and then some! Jen is an AMAZING tattooer and a very nice person with whom to work! The tattoo that she created for me is beyond my expectations--for me, it's perfect! She created a beautiful memorial tattoo for my beloved little dog, and she tattooed it perfectly! I cannot recommend her enough -- she's amazing! Doing business with her was also seamless and professional -- I really appreciate that as well. The whole experience of going to Tattoo City was awesome. Everyone was super nice, and I felt immediately relaxed and at home. And I got the giant thrill of meeting Don Ed Hardy, too -- that was beyond awesome. How rad to meet someone who is so integral to the history of tattooing! I left totally thrilled by the whole experience -- I have a beautiful tattoo by an incredible artist, and the vibe of the shop is relaxed and friendly. So much awesome in a relatively tiny space -- thank you, Jen Lee and Tattoo City!

Tattoos

OMG! My nephew was visiting from the east coast so my wife and I took him to The City for the day. We ended our adventures at Tattoo City! I hadn't had a tattoo in 10 years and I immediately knew we'd stumbled upon a legit operation. Doug was our artist and he was professional, friendly, talented, and fast. Doug actually knew the artist who gave me my previous tat, Tricia Allen, of Honolulu, HI. I understand Doug inherited his father's operation and I'm sure he's making him proud. Thank you for the great art and a memorable day with family we'll not soon forget!

Jen is an amazing artist - thank you!!!

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Let It Bleed Tattoo - Piece done by Kat (@katbarrieau)

Let It Bleed Tattoo

4.7(135 reviews)
1.1 mi•Lower Nob Hill
•$$

Today I had an appt wit Karl. I had come into their store about five days be4. Karl was very nice…read moreand agreed to do this piece 4 me. I did a drawing of the two hearts wit my 4 kitties names. I was blessed to have them 4 12-14 years. I miss them dearly. I came to my appt today and completed their paperwork. Then Karl said to come in to their workstations. The staff are all very chill and very kool wit their customers. I have about a dozen small pieces on my wrists, shoulder, lower back of my neck and stomach. I hadn't had a tattoo in about ten years. I am very grateful to Karl your work today I think looks gr8. Thank you 4 wat you did 4 me I'm very happy with how it looks. I highly recommend Let it Bleed if you want some new art on you. Thank you again Karl 4 today. Sara Jane Firth

I was referred to Kevin at Let It Bleed by a friend, and unfortunately my experience was terrible…read moreand traumatic. Every time I worked with Kevin, he was late. At one appointment, I showed up early and still waited over an hour and a half while he got set up, and I was charged for that time. I also had issues with his drawing. I ended up having to redraw some of the details myself to get the design closer to what I wanted/ the inspo photo. After he completed the outline, Kevin texted me multiple times asking me to come back to finish the tattoo. I was already hesitant, but I eventually agreed. Before the appointment, I sent him multiple inspiration photos showing exactly what I wanted for the shading: primarily an outlined tattoo with light shading, contrast, variation, and plenty of negative space. I was lying down while he worked, so I couldn't see what he was doing. About an hour in, I finally looked at the tattoo and was honestly horrified. Instead of the light shading we had discussed, large portions of the outlines had been filled in with heavy black ink. It looked like giant blocks of black to me. There was almost no negative space or variation, and it was completely different from the references and direction I had given him. When I told Kevin this was not what I wanted, his attitude immediately changed. To make the experience worse, I was ultimately charged hundreds of dollars more than I expected. The shop itself didn't make the experience any better. In my experience, it was dusty and grimy, and people regularly came in directly off the street while I was there. I also personally witnessed another tattooer at the shop, Max, shove a homeless man to the ground outside after the man had already left the shop. It was incredibly uncomfortable to witness. Overall, I deeply regret trusting Kevin with my tattoo. Between the lateness, being charged while waiting for him to set up, having to correct parts of the drawing myself, the finished work being drastically different from what I requested, his reaction when I spoke up, and the amount I was charged, I would absolutely not return. For me, Let It Bleed was the definition of a struggling tattoo shop.

Photos
Let It Bleed Tattoo - The four names in the hearts are of my four kitties I was blessed to have. Thank you Karl again 4 your gr8 work today. Sara Jane Firth

The four names in the hearts are of my four kitties I was blessed to have. Thank you Karl again 4 your gr8 work today. Sara Jane Firth

Let It Bleed Tattoo - Big thank you to Let it Bleed today. Thank you Karl 4 your gr8 work today. Sara Jane Firth

Big thank you to Let it Bleed today. Thank you Karl 4 your gr8 work today. Sara Jane Firth

Let It Bleed Tattoo

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Tattoo Boogaloo - Universal monsters by Mez Love

Tattoo Boogaloo

4.8(194 reviews)
0.4 mi•North Beach/Telegraph Hill
•$$

I went to Chris Peralta with an idea for a cardinal tattoo with a bunch of concepts of what it…read morecould look like but what he came up with exceeded expectations in a massive way. This was my second tattoo and I can say confidently I'll never go anywhere else for my future art - wow! Chris' design captured the exact vibe and art style I was looking for and the experience itself was absolutely phenomenal. I'm so incredibly pleased with the final result and we had some great conversations that made the couple hours I was there fly by. The shop itself was clean and welcoming, vibes were off the chart great and the playlist was fire too. If you're looking for an incredible tattoo shop in SF look no further - Chris is a beyond top notch artist and Tattoo Boogaloo is as good as it gets. I'm already planning the next one!

I have 3 different pieces by Deanna Wardin. A turtle on my shoulder, a mangrove shoot on my forearm…read moreand a back piece. Deanna is crazy good at Watercolor style tattoos. They age well (my turtle is over 6 years old and still looking awesome) and the colors pop. Price wise what she charges makes sense for the quality of work. With tattoos you get what you pay for. If you want a cheap piece of flash, go somewhere else. This isn't a shop you just walk into to off the street and get a tramp stamp at. Shop itself has a great vibe. Deanna, Mez and Chris are all super awesome folks. They make you feel as comfy as possible. A definite North Beach fixture.

Photos
Tattoo Boogaloo - Black and gray moth tattoo done by Chris Henry

Black and gray moth tattoo done by Chris Henry

Tattoo Boogaloo - Dog portraits by Mez Love

Dog portraits by Mez Love

Tattoo Boogaloo - Fox tattoo by Lahel Fowler

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Fox tattoo by Lahel Fowler

Dream Masters Tattoos - Almost 2 years since getting my tattoo.

Dream Masters Tattoos

4.7(89 reviews)
0.6 mi•Chinatown
•$$

I found Dream Masters because I was looking for a high quality, clean, and technically skilled…read moretattoo shop. They exceeded my every expectation! I already had part of a sleeve done, and was looking for an artist to continue the piece since my former artist retired during the pandemic. Svetylo (who I worked with) is an incredibly friendly, communicative, and collaborative artist. After emailing them describing my idea, he quickly reached out to set up my appointment. I brought along sketches of my idea, and he not only made sure he understood what I wanted, he also asked great questions to understand my job and daily routine to make sure the tattoo would fit my lifestyle. His technique is very precise, and i can say out of all my 6 previous tattoos, this one hurt the least! Especially for a piece on the back of the hand, this tattoo has beautiful line work and is healing very well. I can't wait to go back and finish my sleeve. I would recommend Dream Masters, and Svetylo, to anyone looking for high quality and unique tattoos.

Hello! Just dropping in to update my review and go over how…read moremy tattoo has held up. It will be 2 years in March since I got this tattoo and I still love looking at it everyday! The detail still looks great and I have regularly been complimented on it by strangers on the street. (See updated pictures). It may need a couple small touch ups but, overall I don't really notice that and neither does anyone else that sees it. Im hoping to come back for another one someday in the future!

Photos
Dream Masters Tattoos - Tattoo session with shop owner, super easy going!

Tattoo session with shop owner, super easy going!

Dream Masters Tattoos - Tattoo in process.

Tattoo in process.

Dream Masters Tattoos - Tattoo finished and healing.

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Tattoo finished and healing.

Dragonfly Ink

Dragonfly Ink

5.0(5 reviews)
1.0 mi•Union Square

Sasha is amazing. Not only is she kind and caring but is a true artist. After having a double…read moremastectomy she was able to create 3D nipples that look surprisingly close to the originals. She has helped me regain some of my confidence in the beauty of my broken body and helped me realize what a gift life really is. I am immensely grateful for her talent and ability to read the situation and talk me through the process. I would highly recommend her!

I just got home from seeing/working with Sasha so this review is hot like fresh baked bread…read more Where to start? Okay so 15 years ago I had surgery on my chest (keyword: transman, ftm, transguy, transgender male, you get the idea) and my nipples did not stay in tact. They actually feel off in front of me in the shower with the scabs. What a nightmare. Reconstructing new nipples was not possible or ideal with my surgeon so I've been living with flat nipples and discolored areolas for the last 15 years. I really thought I had NO hope until I found Sasha. Angels sing please, wait for it and rejoice. I've been wanting to do 3D nipple tattooing and areola re-pigmenting for awhile but was 1. not in the best state of health and 2. very very very nervous. Well today, we finally made this happen. I got an appointment schedule over a month in advance. I put down a $100 deposit via Pay Pal. I waited and panicked and then the big day came. I got a ride down to SF. Sasha's shop is on the 17th floor of a building in Union Square. There's a parking garage a block away. It cost $35 and gets you up to 12 hours in the lot. You are not going to find street parking so if you're driving you will want to fork out $35 and be happy your car is safe with only a block to walk! Sasha gave me complete instructions and directions ahead of time. She is VERY professional and organized with her scheduling and timing. The office she works out of is awesome! The entire office and outdoor patio (with wild beautiful birds and parrots might I add) has a total zen approach. The front desk folks were also REALLY NICE and totally trans/queer friendly. Sasha's room was very clean with a sitting area for guests. She was extremely polite, patient, compassionate and thorough to walk me through the ENTIRE process and 1. give me voice throughout it all and 2. check in frequently to see how I was doing. Nipple and areola shopping is quite fun! I got to pick the size, shape and color variation to design on my chest. Boom! I feel so Hollywood now ;) She is extremely sterile and showed me ALL the needles she was using before and as she was using them. Everything from the office, her station, the tattoo bed, frequent changing of gloves, packaged needles, organized ink palettes, fresh paper towels, rubbing alcohol, ETC were CLEAN. I really appreciated how intuitive she was like when I held my breath during bits of pain and she could feel me tense up and gently remind me to breathe. I was excited and anxious and nervous and emotional all at once but she eased me through EVERYTHING. May I also include she has a gentle hand so the needles don't feel like they are digging deeper than deep like some tattoo artists who put all their weight on their artistry hands. Pain level ... well this boy whimpered some but she did use some topical anesthetic after the skin had been broken into to help ease pain. It DID help some. My results, pre bandaging, were beautiful. The bandaging she used is really neat. It's waterproof and clear like a clear tape. I honestly can't stop staring at my new nips even if things are still bloody and bandaged up! I was given very detailed after care instructions which I will be meticulous about following. I can't wait to see the overall results. I'll be scheduling a touch up/follow up in a 1 1/2 months or so. I look forward to seeing her again! Cost breakdown for ME and what I got done: $700 total... that's $100 deposit then $450 the day of the tattoo and then I will pay $150 during our touch up + tip today and I'll tip again on the touch up. Don't forget to tip. Some artists will say you don't have to, don't listen! Tips for those new nips my friends! TIPS! 100% happy with my experience, actually happy is an understatement. I am enthralled like a unicorn catching rainbows and sprinkling glitter from the sky. Yes, indeed. I will recommend her in a HEARTBEAT to any other trans folks who need this procedure, cancer and mastectomy patients or just anyone in need of this kind of help. I was SO ASHAMED of my chest, a chest I fought so hard to learn to love post surgery but still deeply upset about what happened and the trauma from loosing my nipples to my feet in the shower (yikes, just imagine). Now I can live again. This is part 1 of my chest tattooing process (I'll be doing scar coverage with another artist since Sasha is not taking new decorative tattoo clients at this time) and then I will be free. You deserve to be free too. I hope you will consider Sasha and let her help you change your life, confidence and get your groove back!!!

Tattoo City - tattoo - Updated October 2026

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