Sophie's Cuppa Tea — Restaurant in Oakland

Stepping through the door of this beautifully curated spot in Montclair, is essentially stepping into another world, a world of beautiful art, rare porcelain, and even finer teas. Lovingly tended by John and Sophie, Tea masters, who have a deep knowledge tea based on regular travel to Fujian as well as other ancient tea sources in China, I was treated to simply the best large glass of simply Wu Long, (Their spelling, I have no knowledge whatsoever of Mandarin) that I've ever had, and was also treated to a rare sight. I have seen tea wheels but none larger than the one I was presented with At Cuppa Tea, easily 30 inches in diameter,, with a specially made tea wheel stand you will only find here, because they had it made especially for their tea wheels. The decor and mood in the place was an absolute oasis of calm and tranquility in a ever-maddening world, (Even in Montclair) and is now on my to-do list every time I am in the neighborhood. I'd try the Wu Long, however, their green tea selection, ( I am a Jasmine pearl fanatic) is simply a marvel of tea curation, and John, was a gracious and knowledgeable host, with an affable manner sometimes missing in high level tea establishments, and I ended up leaving with a rare Jasmine, as well as a vastly improved attitude, as will you when you visit John and Sophie's Cuppa Tea in Montclair. Treat yourself to...

Tea selection and quality are good, far above what you'd get at a Peet's etc. However, I wasn't amazed with my wulong, having had better experiences at e.g. Imperial Tea Court or ordering from Red Blossom. Perhaps the comparison is unfair, and it's certainly the best tea you'll find in a walk-in store for at least a 6-mile radius.

Presentation is a little westernized receiving the brewed tea in a mug with no possibility to experience the progression of flavor as a gaiwan would offer.

The real downside though is the noise. It was impossible to focus on my tea with a ridiculous conversation going on a few feet away. By comparison, Peet's down at Lakeshore has a moderate hubbub going on at times, but is far easier to ignore and read, or participate if so inclined. I'm not sure if this could be solved with decor / sound-muting panelling or similar.

Unfortunately the overall verdict is it's not worth the trip just to buy tea to take home when there are so many other high quality options in Berkeley & San Francisco, and it's not a pleasant environment to spend time in contemplation or reading unless at an unpopular time. If I lived in the neighborhood I might...

I was excited to try the tea as I’m a tea not coffee person. As I entered with my small service dog, several things happened:

1. it felt disheveled- Where does one order Why are all the tables crowding the entry Behind the counter saw a bunch of tea leaves appearing as if no container available, etc
2. as I oriented, a person sitting in the middle of the cluster of tables told me dogs were not allowed. I indicated she was a service dog and I was interested in a cup of tea to go. I asked if he was the owner (my thought was, why is an owner sitting in the muscle of the cafe working). He told me the owner was behind the counter. This person came off condescending and rude.
3. I turn to the counter and an Asian woman said, “no dogs!”. Again I indicated she was a service dog and very rudely said “buy tea and leave” in a very rude and obnoxious manner.

I decided I didn’t care to spend 1 cent in this shop, and there must be a reason the newest reviews were 2 months ago.

Between the chaotic set up, mess behind the counter, lack of ADA understanding, rude (patron?) and owner, it was a massive...