Samovar Tea Lounge, Castro

No varietal excites obsessives more than pu-erh. The yunnan province tea is oddly complex, especially when prepared in shou form: leaves are fermented and aged for up to 50 years. Try it at the new Samovar tea bar in San Francisco’s Mission District.

Growing up in a household filled with healthy food, Samovar Tea Lounge founder Jesse Jacobs was “that kid who brought tofu sandwiches and seaweed wraps to school lunch,” and was introduced early on to different cultures and the diverse varieties of teas that came with them. Years later, Jacobs left his unsatisfying job in the corporate world to open Samovar Tea Lounge. With four locations in San Francisco—in the Mission, Yerba Buena, the Castro, and Hayes Valley—Samovar is a place to relax, unplug from the constant stream of technology, and take in the moment with a cup of tea. Reserve a table online at the Castro location and spend an evening with friends (and not staring at your smartphone) sipping tea sourced from China to Hawaii. The Castro Samovar is open daily from 10 am to 10 pm.

A Samovar by an Asian statue? A large assortment of great teas you can enjoy at Samovar Tea lounge. They have several locations in San Francisco.