Forest Tea Bar

All the matcha drinks were delicious!! Smooth, not too sweet—just really balanced. The immunity boost was especially good. The raw honey paired perfectly with the matcha, adding a touch of sweetness and spice in a way that was perfectly mixed. Also, you can tell they use quality ingredients. The black sesame was super smooth and nutty, and it complemented the matcha. The rose matcha was also amazing—fragrant and not overpowering. The interior was stylish and modern, with a calm, relaxing vibe that made it a great place to hang out or get some work done. Definitely coming back!

One of the best matcha lattes I’ve had in the Bay Area… in fact anywhere. The quality comes through in everything, from the preparation to the presentation to the taste. We especially enjoyed the hojicha and genmaicha matcha lattes. Of note, all lattes are soy or oat milk based which doesn’t detract from the quality, and even augmented the taste/flavor. Am def coming and would def recommend.

I got the hojicha and it was hands-down the BEST hojicha I’ve ever tried in the bay!!! The hojicha was so rich and my drink was sweetened perfectly—not too sweet, which didn’t steal the thunder away from the hojicha’s notes and flavor! I do want to disclose that they did take over an hour for my drink to be ready, BUT I went for their soft opening weekend, so that may be why many people were there (there were around 25 orders ahead of mine). They whisk the hojicha and ceremonial matcha right in front of you, which was a blast to see. The ambience was great! I’d definitely go again at a time where there aren’t as many customers there. Update: my friend went a few weeks after me, and their wait is still just as long (about 40-50 minutes). Definitely place your order, explore downtown Berkeley, then come back for your drink. There aren’t a lot of seating options available in the tea bar.

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.

I love the ceremonial grade matcha! It has a really nice smooth and rich flavor. The ice cream options are pretty diverse, too. I definitely plan to try them all! Also, the atmosphere and staff make the drinks a delight to enjoy there.

Hands down best matcha latte in the Bay. Very generous with matcha servings. Staff are super friendly and easy to talk to. Atmosphere is very relaxing and the shop is tastefully decorated. The lines can get a bit long but definitely worth the wait!

Johnnie Baba

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.

yaery min

Probably the best matcha in Berkeley. The staff is so nice and the matcha is always so good. No milk tasting matcha here.

Ying-An Wang

Hands down best matcha latte in the Bay. Very generous with matcha servings. Staff are super friendly and easy to talk to. Atmosphere is very relaxing and the shop is tastefully decorated. The lines can get a bit long but definitely worth the wait!

konrad koessel

I love the ceremonial grade matcha! It has a really nice smooth and rich flavor. The ice cream options are pretty diverse, too. I definitely plan to try them all! Also, the atmosphere and staff make the drinks a delight to enjoy there.

John Tran

One of the best matcha latte's I have ever had. You can tell how meticulous they are in their craft. High quality ingredients you can taste! The Black Sesame Matcha Latte is a must try.

Hans Goertz

One of the best matcha lattes I’ve had in the Bay Area… in fact anywhere. The quality comes through in everything, from the preparation to the presentation to the taste. We especially enjoyed the hojicha and genmaicha matcha lattes. Of note, all lattes are soy or oat milk based which doesn’t detract from the quality, and even augmented the taste/flavor. Am def coming and would def recommend.

Lisa Quan

Hands down the best matcha spot I’ve tried outside of Japan and so glad it’s close to home. Their matcha is strong, smooth, the perfect emerald green and milk to matcha ratio, made to order in a lovely atmosphere with great staff. I’ve tried pretty much everything on their menu because it’s a ~45 min trek for me (totally worth it) so I usually drink one there and order multiple to go (if only they had a loyalty card, haha). My favorite is their black sesame matcha latte — perfect ratio of matcha richness with the nuttiness of sesame. Their uji matcha is also great and strong. If you prefer matcha with a bit of sweetness, their genmaicha matcha is great. Their Hojicha latte is also my favorite outside of Japan; their version with maple syrup is smooth and creamy. Looking forward to trying their black sesame Hojicha on my next visit.

Snow Go

This matcha shop has been on my list for a long time, finally I have time to visit today! The matcha with rose flavor is my favorite, I believe is the best matcha I have had so far in the Bay Area! The design is neat and comfy. I will stop by again for my matcha when I go to Berkeley again ☺️☺️

Phuong Luong

Unfortunately the genmaicha matcha latte is one of the best matcha beverage I've had: so perfectly balanced, not too sweet, good quality matcha that really shines alongside the genmaicha. They absolutely do take their time whisking the matcha for that "zen" appearance (imo most of it seems performative - but who am I to say?), so only come here if you have the extra time to appreciate it. There wasn't many people when I went and it still took 15 minutes to come out, and the cup is about 2/3 the size of other places so it's definitely on the pricey side. Didn't want to love the drink as much as I did, so that really said something. Probably wouldn't come back here too much still

Candice Gu

Tried Forest Tea Bar recently and it’s such a nice spot. The genmaicha latte was my favorite—rich, roasted and earthy without being heavy. The black sesame hojicha latte was also excellent, multilayer taste and fragrant. Great place if you appreciate well-made tea drinks!

Laura VanVliet

Best matcha bar in Berkeley - no, the world!!! Legit matcha with plant milk with varieties including rose, sesame, hojicha, and maple syrup sweetener. Amazing branding, calming music, and it's just very zen. L

Lucas Cantor

Delicious, not too sweet, not overpriced, and no up-charge for plant-based milk make Forest Tea Bar a winner. Good bike racks right out front as well.

Sel Sel

Got a hot matcha rose latte which had a full bodied good quality matcha. The iced hojicha latte was excellent. Took us back to Japan.

Moby

All the matcha drinks were delicious!! Smooth, not too sweet—just really balanced. The immunity boost was especially good. The raw honey paired perfectly with the matcha, adding a touch of sweetness and spice in a way that was perfectly mixed. Also, you can tell they use quality ingredients. The black sesame was super smooth and nutty, and it complemented the matcha. The rose matcha was also amazing—fragrant and not overpowering. The interior was stylish and modern, with a calm, relaxing vibe that made it a great place to hang out or get some work done. Definitely coming back!

Todra Payne

What a lovely, chic little shop. The matcha is so delicious. The matcha runs between $6.75 and $8+ per cup. The black sesame is my favorite.

Brigitta Nguyễn

I got the hojicha and it was hands-down the BEST hojicha I’ve ever tried in the bay!!! The hojicha was so rich and my drink was sweetened perfectly—not too sweet, which didn’t steal the thunder away from the hojicha’s notes and flavor! I do want to disclose that they did take over an hour for my drink to be ready, BUT I went for their soft opening weekend, so that may be why many people were there (there were around 25 orders ahead of mine). They whisk the hojicha and ceremonial matcha right in front of you, which was a blast to see. The ambience was great! I’d definitely go again at a time where there aren’t as many customers there. Update: my friend went a few weeks after me, and their wait is still just as long (about 40-50 minutes). Definitely place your order, explore downtown Berkeley, then come back for your drink. There aren’t a lot of seating options available in the tea bar.

Very high quality and delicious matcha. We got the strawberry and the hojicha, both very tasty and good balanced flavors. The cafe was very clean, chill, and relaxing atmosphere. I probably wouldn't wait over 30 minutes for two drinks again, but it was a fun experience and delicious drinks.

Great matcha, actually worth spending this much money on! My only critique is no dairy milk option. You can only cheese between oat and one other nondairy. I do like oat milk but I don’t prefer to have it. Seating is small and limited but good place to chat 1:1.

Jagroop Kaur

Great matcha, actually worth spending this much money on! My only critique is no dairy milk option. You can only cheese between oat and one other nondairy. I do like oat milk but I don’t prefer to have it. Seating is small and limited but good place to chat 1:1.

Zhou

Very high quality and delicious matcha. We got the strawberry and the hojicha, both very tasty and good balanced flavors. The cafe was very clean, chill, and relaxing atmosphere. I probably wouldn't wait over 30 minutes for two drinks again, but it was a fun experience and delicious drinks.

This is a good spot, but definitely not somewhere I’d do a long drive just to visit. The matcha is very fresh and well prepared, and the carbonated drink was tasty. That said, the drinks are small, you’re realistically done in 3–4 sips (or two if you take big ones). The cups are very small and they serve a looooot of ice, which makes the portion feel even smaller. Service was friendly and the quality of the drinks was good, but paying $7+ for what feels like a cup of ice with very little liquid doesn’t feel worth it to me. I’m giving it 3 stars: good service, good drinks, but the value just isn’t there for the price.

Pros: High quality matcha, service was excellent and friendly, atmosphere was a vibe. Cons: immediately enter in through a door that swings into the shop (instead of out to the street), which cannot be opened with more than 4 people in line inside because they placed the ordering kiosk facing the door. Got the iced matcha latte and the iced black sesame matcha latte - both were watery and lacking body and depth, albeit the black sesame was tastier and more complex. You have to pick up your drink at the bar where customers are sitting so you have to walk through the line of people ordering and the people at the counter then you have to go to the end of the counter to get a lid and a straw. The flow of the shop is quite terrible and not accommodating. Waited over 30 minutes for two drinks (wait to order and a longer wait for your drink). Had high hopes but disappointed. Social media aesthetic trap. Far more tasty shops that serve delicious matcha.

Joanie

If you don’t like Matcha or matcha that doesn’t taste like Matcha come to this place. I get that they’re still in their soft opening phase, but waiting 50 minutes and then continuing to let customers order without that warning is terrible. Nothing is worth 50 minutes of waiting time. I got the Rose Matcha and my friend got the Horjicha and both were watery as heck. I will not be coming back. When I asked them to post a sign up about the wait time, they apologied but looked at me crazy. Dead.

Jessica Le

Pros: High quality matcha, service was excellent and friendly, atmosphere was a vibe. Cons: immediately enter in through a door that swings into the shop (instead of out to the street), which cannot be opened with more than 4 people in line inside because they placed the ordering kiosk facing the door. Got the iced matcha latte and the iced black sesame matcha latte - both were watery and lacking body and depth, albeit the black sesame was tastier and more complex. You have to pick up your drink at the bar where customers are sitting so you have to walk through the line of people ordering and the people at the counter then you have to go to the end of the counter to get a lid and a straw. The flow of the shop is quite terrible and not accommodating. Waited over 30 minutes for two drinks (wait to order and a longer wait for your drink). Had high hopes but disappointed. Social media aesthetic trap. Far more tasty shops that serve delicious matcha.