Teance Tea Room 1780 Fourth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710 (510) 524-2832 (tea classes and reservations, directions) Store Hours: Winter Holiday Hours Retail Store Dec 24: 9am-7:30pm Dec 25 closed Dec 26-30th: 9am -6:30pm Dec 31st: 9am-4pm Jan. 1 closed Jan. 2nd: 9am-6:30pm Jan 3rd onward: regular store hours 9am to 6:30pm daily Last call for tea tasting: 1/2 hour before closing Upstairs Tea Service : Reservation Only
At the bar, tasting flights of tea are offered for an educational comparative of white, green, oolong, red and black teas. Rare agedpu-erhs and competition-winning oolongs are just some of the premium teas from key producing nations - China, Taiwan, Japan, India and Sri Lanka - served at Teance. Other products available A full selection of full-leaf teas, teawares, kettles, tea tools, books and DVDs are available, as well as a new line of tea infused chocolates created in partnership with Charles Chocolates, CA.
Store designed by Fu-Tung Cheng The new 1600 square foot shop is a skylight environment with sustainable bamboo cabinetry, raked plaster walls, and hand-made glazed porcelain tiles, surrounding a 10 ft circular concrete tea-sampling bar, cast in a single pour and embedded with semi-precious gemstones and fossils.
'Appreciating artisanal teas is a lot like appreciating great wines,' co-owner Winnie Yu says. "You have the same variety of styles and flavors -- and choices from several countries, many sourced directly from the growers themselves. All tea comes from the same plant, the differences come from variances in location, tradition and production techniques. Science has begun to recognize that tea is healthy for you - rich in anti-oxidants and vitamins - a wonderful benefit, but the pleasure of drinking great,whole-leaf teas, prepared properly, brings the daily experience of tea to a whole new level."
