Chicha San Chen

Always delicious! You can tell they care about tea quality. They have mix of creative and traditional flavors. I got the osmanthus passionfruit tea and my friends got boba milk tea. Both were great.

Can order via Snackpass. Super convenient and no wait at all. Aesthetically very pleasing. However, it was very crowded in there so might not be a good place to study. The drinks on the other hand were ok. I got the light sugar oolong with cream (basically their version of tea latte). Not very creamy but still good and light. The taro balls and Boba was very fresh, chewy and bouncy. I normally do not get toppings, but I Highly recommend getting toppings here. They also had samples of their black tea with cream on the counter. But it was pretty sweet. The pineapple tart drink was not it.

Enjoyed their boba too as well as their clean and spacious store! Staff are great too 🤗

This is my 2nd time back at Chi Cha Berkeley, the 1st time I came was for the opening weekend and I got a cute little pin. The 2nd time around, I came back to get more drinks, and also came back to try the tea-tasting experience. My go-to order is the Dong Ding Oolong tea w/ Cream & Konjac Jelly, no sugar, less ice. The combination of cream and low calorie konjac jelly adds an amazing texture while the konjac jelly adds the sweetness that the tea could use for those who are more health-conscious! Tea Tasting experience: Georgia was an amazing and friendly host who patiently allowed us to choose from 5 different roast levels of Lishan Oolong Tea. From the lightest to heaviest roast, one could choose and get a small cup of the 5 roast. She also explained to us what sort of tea leaves was on sale at Chi Cha and what the closest equivalent menu items to the type of tea we were having. Each session consists of 5 participants, and is around 20 minutes long. You can reserve the experience online, and it's free!

Love the milk tea at Chi Cha San Chen in Berkeley! The boba is perfectly chewy, and the tea has a rich, authentic flavor. Staff is super friendly, and the place is clean and cozy. Highly recommend the classic milk tea!”

Every drink I have tried is amazing. Their boba is also very chewy and tastes sweet. Only problem is it is a little expensive but you definitely get a better drink than other boba places by paying more.

I came here for a peach oolong tea this weekend with my parents and ended up doing the tea tasting with Georgia. She was wonderful! You could tell she was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about tea. She gave great tips on how to prepare different types of tea at home, and answered our many questions. Would totally stop by again!

Loved the tea tasting experience! Chloe was amazing taking us through the company’s harvesting process. The boba is also super tasty! Love the mango oolong.

I went back for a second time. The tea is delicious as alway. Highly recommend the tea tasting experience - you can choose from 5 different teas, and it’s free!

I got the peach sparkling water drink and it was very delicious. Not too sweet and I loved the toppings. Quite pricy though.

I highly recommend attending the tea tasting with Georgia - lots of great information and selection of teas to taste. Veronica made my drink perfectly and offered excellent customer service.

They have a lot of options for sugar and ice and a lot of variation of bobas. I took fruit tea and it was very refreshing and good

I came here for my birthday to try the Lishan Oolong Tea Tasting! It was a great experience that I will try again. Jessica was super sweet and took her time walking us through the experience!

The atmosphere is serene and beautiful, there’s a great flow to the space with lots of good seating. I got the lemon and passion fruit condensed milk drink and it was so tasty!!

Such a vibe. Great place for studying and some quiet socialization. Ambience is welcoming to all, staff are so professional. The tea selection is unique and flavorful!

I was initially a skeptic wondering if it made sense to be drinking an almost $10 milk tea until... I finally tried one. It was definitely something different from the many other milk teas that I've had. The tea flavor was fragrant and though being added with milk, the tea flavor continued to stand out. The level of sweetness right on for my personal preference - I didn't go with their recommended perfect sweetness, but went one level lower as I generally don't like my milk teas sweet at all. Since each cup was brewed individually, it took longer than other milk tea stores, but worth the slight delay - it wasn't overly busy when I was there. The store has a cool ambiance to it and with good amount of seating. However, being that it's across the street from Cal, most tables were taken with what I presume as students working on computers or chatting with friends.

I tried every tea and my rankings were: 🥇Green tea 🥈High Mountain Pouchong 🥉Osmanthus Oolong Tea 4th place was Dong Ding Oolong And 5th was the Black tea Highly recommend the konjac boba for a chewy sweet topping

Amazing tea quality, and if you can make it to one of their 15-minute tea tastings, I would highly recommend it. You get to see the process that goes into their tea brewing, and it's fun to see the different roasts. A great place for people who really appreciate tea flavors, especially if you love oolong!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I had a great experience here. I ordered the taro milk tea, and it was excellent; smooth, rich, and perfectly balanced without being overly sweet. You can really taste the quality of the ingredients, and the texture of the taro was creamy and satisfying. The shop itself is clean and modern, and the staff were friendly and efficient even during busy hours. It’s a great spot to grab high-quality milk tea if you’re in the area, and I’d definitely come back to try other drinks on the menu.

We enjoyed this wonderful, clean, and beautiful boba tea shop and tea tasting experience and brings us back to enjoying tea in Taiwan!! Jessica guided us through all the tea options and I learned a lot about how to really enjoy tea. A really cute small group experience! Can't recommend this enough.

Lucky me, no line today!! Delicious fresh teas, very fragrant. Beautiful modern interiors. Students friendly atmosphere.

Dude , this place was so good we came back twice in the same day. I’ve never had tea this flavorful , fresh and light. There’s a line out the door for good reason ! They have samples , seasonal drinks, customizable and a section for tea tastings . This place will change your life !

I'm being honest Everytime I'm in Berkeley which is almost twice a month I get some tea! This gotta be my favorite right now! Will always get a drink if it's open!

Probably one of the best tea places I’ve visited in Berkeley. We had mango tea with boba and a creamy pineapple tart. Though the pineapple tart was too heavy for my liking, I really liked the mango tea with boba: very refreshing and not too sweet. It is pricey compared to other places in town, but I would definitely come back to try their green tea and milk tea next time.

Fantastic boba spot! The interior is beautifully designed—bright, clean, and modern, with a welcoming atmosphere. The self-order screens make the process smooth and efficient, even when it’s busy. The boba itself is absolutely delicious, with high-quality tea flavors that stand out. A great place to relax and enjoy a perfect cup of tea!

Got boba and had a tea tasting experience for free today in the store. Our server Georgia was super nice and introduced the different types of teas. There are five kinds of teas and you can pick your own. Overall a great experience and will come back again!

We participated in their tea tasting! Rui and Alicia were very knowledgeable about the different caffeine levels of their roasted tea, and where they source their tea. Additionally, I got the creamy pineapple tart drink and it was so good!

Kenneth Tong

I was initially a skeptic wondering if it made sense to be drinking an almost $10 milk tea until... I finally tried one. It was definitely something different from the many other milk teas that I've had. The tea flavor was fragrant and though being added with milk, the tea flavor continued to stand out. The level of sweetness right on for my personal preference - I didn't go with their recommended perfect sweetness, but went one level lower as I generally don't like my milk teas sweet at all. Since each cup was brewed individually, it took longer than other milk tea stores, but worth the slight delay - it wasn't overly busy when I was there. The store has a cool ambiance to it and with good amount of seating. However, being that it's across the street from Cal, most tables were taken with what I presume as students working on computers or chatting with friends.

Stef A

We enjoyed this wonderful, clean, and beautiful boba tea shop and tea tasting experience and brings us back to enjoying tea in Taiwan!! Jessica guided us through all the tea options and I learned a lot about how to really enjoy tea. A really cute small group experience! Can't recommend this enough.

Ms. Bui-Bernheim

Dude , this place was so good we came back twice in the same day. I’ve never had tea this flavorful , fresh and light. There’s a line out the door for good reason ! They have samples , seasonal drinks, customizable and a section for tea tastings . This place will change your life !

Excel Ang

Lucky me, no line today!! Delicious fresh teas, very fragrant. Beautiful modern interiors. Students friendly atmosphere.

Raul Piscoya

I'm being honest Everytime I'm in Berkeley which is almost twice a month I get some tea! This gotta be my favorite right now! Will always get a drink if it's open!

Hanna Kang

Probably one of the best tea places I’ve visited in Berkeley. We had mango tea with boba and a creamy pineapple tart. Though the pineapple tart was too heavy for my liking, I really liked the mango tea with boba: very refreshing and not too sweet. It is pricey compared to other places in town, but I would definitely come back to try their green tea and milk tea next time.

Olga Lonska

Fantastic boba spot! The interior is beautifully designed—bright, clean, and modern, with a welcoming atmosphere. The self-order screens make the process smooth and efficient, even when it’s busy. The boba itself is absolutely delicious, with high-quality tea flavors that stand out. A great place to relax and enjoy a perfect cup of tea!

Kelly Humbert

Got to do a free 10 minute tea tasting! Jessica was super sweet and we got to taste the different levels of tea as well as feel the leaves. Would recommend if you have time to spare. The only complaint is that it can be hard to hear depending on how busy the shop is :)

Yifang Li

Got boba and had a tea tasting experience for free today in the store. Our server Georgia was super nice and introduced the different types of teas. There are five kinds of teas and you can pick your own. Overall a great experience and will come back again!

Dustin-David Chu

We participated in their tea tasting! Rui and Alicia were very knowledgeable about the different caffeine levels of their roasted tea, and where they source their tea. Additionally, I got the creamy pineapple tart drink and it was so good!

Darah Macaraeg

Pineapple Milk Tea with pineapple bits $10.00 This is a delicious drink with the right amount of tart and pineapple bits. I opt out of the boba this time, which I didn't miss. In a previous visit, I tried the milk tea taro with tare bits. That one was perfection. I'm glad I don't live close by. This place would take most of my money. This place is spacious with an average number of seating. lots of natural light streaming in. UC Berkeley just ended their term. The place wasn't packed. If you're a boba tea connoisseur, then Chica San Chen is the right place for you. This is a rare gem as far as boba spots go. They truely care about their tea. It's freshly brewed. Tea is from Lishan Mountain in Taiwan. They've been in the game for twenty years. Check out their website to learn more about them.

Shuyin Chen

Eleanor was very professional when introducing us to the tea leaves and during taste testing! We enjoyed the experience here and talking to her!

hunny

I’ve started getting tea from this place every single day. Their tea is so good by itself that my favorite drink from them is the plain green tea with honey—no need for sugar or other flavors to make the drink worth $7. Moreover the inside is always clean and well-maintained, and the workers are amazing! I’m a regular since a few months ago and the employees have always been kind and patient, even when I accidentally forget to pack up before closing time. Also, they have free samples AND free iced, filtered water, which automatically makes them the best boba place on the block lol.

Love it! Only if it can be substitute milk with oak or almond milk or sweeter. Very high class feel. Tea is made to order, so it's always fresh

+4

Good tea drink place but crowded with visitors and college students. I don’t remember what I ordered since Berkeley has so many 🧋 drink shops.

Excellent boba! Definitely tastier, richer, and better texture than standard boba. Would recommend as a once-in-a-while treat, it's a bit boujee. The drinks come in these cute little cups with cute little handles 😍. The peach green tea with mousse was delicious, 10/10, quality of tea was sooo gooooddd! The fresh organic milk w/ Taro ball and Taro paste is not my cup of tea ☕, especially don't recommend with oat milk 😩.

It's nice to see a Chicha San Chen in the East Bay! The first time I had it was when I was traveling in South Cal, and then they opened their first North Cal location in South Bay! We ordered the Bubble Milk and the Dong Ding Oolong Milk Tea with boba. I really like their Dong Ding Oolong tea, it's very fragrant and tastes really smooth! Thet boba was large, chewy sweet, and has a great texture.

I feel hey tea is better, maybe because I ordered light sweet. A lot of people waiting in line though. Decoration is decent. The cup design is great

You can taste the real notes of tea in their drink and their boba is really soft! I think they alao used real passion fruit? drinks are on the pricier side tho.

The service was great and the inside is extremely pretty! It was pretty busy but despite that they were extremely fast. I would say some of the drinks are a bit average but I enjoyed the lemon tart with creama. The taro balls are also soft, chewy, and sweet.

Pretty interior with nice seating area. Neat drink package design. Tea seemed to be good quality but a bit on the light flavor side (very subtle taste). Boba was not consistent (may be still new for quality control?). Some boba balls were hard inside (not cooked through) and difficult to chew. I drank the tea only as the boba was not ready to be consumed. May be I will check back in several months to see if the boba quality improves.

Alice Hou

It's nice to see a Chicha San Chen in the East Bay! The first time I had it was when I was traveling in South Cal, and then they opened their first North Cal location in South Bay! We ordered the Bubble Milk and the Dong Ding Oolong Milk Tea with boba. I really like their Dong Ding Oolong tea, it's very fragrant and tastes really smooth! Thet boba was large, chewy sweet, and has a great texture.

Wei Chang

I feel hey tea is better, maybe because I ordered light sweet. A lot of people waiting in line though. Decoration is decent. The cup design is great

Bawichin Tial

The service was great and the inside is extremely pretty! It was pretty busy but despite that they were extremely fast. I would say some of the drinks are a bit average but I enjoyed the lemon tart with creama. The taro balls are also soft, chewy, and sweet.

V W

Pretty interior with nice seating area. Neat drink package design. Tea seemed to be good quality but a bit on the light flavor side (very subtle taste). Boba was not consistent (may be still new for quality control?). Some boba balls were hard inside (not cooked through) and difficult to chew. I drank the tea only as the boba was not ready to be consumed. May be I will check back in several months to see if the boba quality improves.

More on the expensive side. the two drinks we got weren't worth the price. Good atmosphere, and workspace though

The good: 1. Above average tea 2. Good service The bad: 1. The pricing is ridiculous for such a small drink 2. Some tea is insanely sweet even when you opt for no sugar Overall not bad but also nothing to write home about.

This is my first time and it was good, but just okay IMHO. I ordered the Bubble Milk Tea and the Creamy Pineapple Tart and the second drink was tasty. The Bubble milk tea was okay. They have a cool brewing machine that reminds me of an espresso machine, but for tea. Try it out and make up your own decision, but I will go elsewhere for tea.

Chicha San Chen has quality tea and boba, you can't deny that, but their prices are exorbitantly high. $9 for just a regular size cup. Out of all the flavors, their Osmanthus Oolong is probably the best, but I don't recommend their current Pineapple Series with the Creamy Pineapple Tart not tasting the best. Surprisingly, there isn't a long wait and one can order at 1 of the 2 kiosks or at the counter. Wait times are manageable and there's plenty of seating inside.

Sam

This is my first time and it was good, but just okay IMHO. I ordered the Bubble Milk Tea and the Creamy Pineapple Tart and the second drink was tasty. The Bubble milk tea was okay. They have a cool brewing machine that reminds me of an espresso machine, but for tea. Try it out and make up your own decision, but I will go elsewhere for tea.

James Wang

Chicha San Chen has quality tea and boba, you can't deny that, but their prices are exorbitantly high. $9 for just a regular size cup. Out of all the flavors, their Osmanthus Oolong is probably the best, but I don't recommend their current Pineapple Series with the Creamy Pineapple Tart not tasting the best. Surprisingly, there isn't a long wait and one can order at 1 of the 2 kiosks or at the counter. Wait times are manageable and there's plenty of seating inside.

Ordered milk tea from this place. It seems that they are using milk tea powder to make the tea and they didn't even bother to mix it properly for my drink. It tasted terrible, unless you're a fan of chunks of un-dissolved powder. They should not even use powder in the first place for the price they are charging, and they are not even trying to hide it.

Reyna Liu

Ordered milk tea from this place. It seems that they are using milk tea powder to make the tea and they didn't even bother to mix it properly for my drink. It tasted terrible, unless you're a fan of chunks of un-dissolved powder. They should not even use powder in the first place for the price they are charging, and they are not even trying to hide it.