The city guide · United States
The city guide · United StatesTea shops inPortland.
Portland, Oregon is where American specialty tea grew up: the man who co-founded Stash and created Tazo started his last company here in 2009, and the city's oldest teahouse has poured on SE Belmont since 1997. Today the map runs from a blending works on the Central Eastside to a shop on NW 23rd that began as Tea Chai Té in 2003, a Pearl District tea bar, and a small house off Mississippi Avenue devoted to Chinese teas and pu-erh cakes. Four of the five sell by the 2 to 3.5 oz tin or pouch and ship nationwide.
Illustrative tea photograph
5 places we’d send a friend to.
Our Portland shortlist
Good tea is worth knowing where to look.
Places to explore, each with a different reason to stop by. See what to bring home before you go.
Showing 5 of 5 places
- 01Loose-leaf specialist
Smith Teamaker
Central Eastside (SE Washington St); also NW 23rd Ave and PDX airport
6 prices listedSmith Teamaker
110 SE Washington St, Portland, OR 97214
The blending works and tasting room of Steven Smith's last company, founded in Portland in 2009 after Stash and Tazo.
In storeShips onlineSince 2009SE Washington St: daily 9am–7pm · NW 23rd Ave: daily 9am–7pm · PDX airport: daily 4am–7pm
Read the full shop note
The company Steven Smith founded in 2009 in a Northwest Portland blacksmith's shop, after co-founding Stash and building Tazo. The teaworks at 110 SE Washington St is where the small batches are blended and dispatched, with a tasting room at the front; a second tasting room at 500 NW 23rd Ave serves lattes, flights and pastries, and a third sits past security at PDX. Everything comes in tins: Lord Bergamot at $14.99 the 2.5 oz, Assam from $16.99 the 3 oz, Sencha $21.99 the 3 oz, a Bai Mu Dan white $21.99 the 1.5 oz, a Keemun at $29.99 the 3.5 oz and a 40 g matcha at $34.99. Free ground shipping from $55.
What to bring home
Website: smithtea.com 
02Loose-leaf specialistThe Tao of Tea
Belmont (SE Belmont St)
6 prices listedThe Tao of Tea
3432 SE Belmont St, Portland, OR 97214
Portland's oldest teahouse, on SE Belmont since 1997, with a retail Leaf Room of more than 200 teas, herbs and spices next door.
In storeShips onlineSince 1997Leaf Room (shop): daily 11am–7pm · Teahouse: Wed–Sun 11am–6pm
Read the full shop note
Portland's oldest teahouse, serving on SE Belmont since 1997, with the retail Leaf Room at number 3432 and the teahouse next door at 3430, built with bamboo, reclaimed wood and raw stone. Founder Veerinder S. Chawla left management consulting for tea after travelling in the Himalayas, and the shop now holds more than 200 teas, herbs and spices sold in bulk by the ounce or in the house tins: English Breakfast $11 the 3.5 oz, Golden Tips Assam $13.50, Dragonwell $14 the 3 oz, Jasmine Pearls $24, a Da Hong Pao at $10 the 2 oz and a ceremonial matcha at $32 the ounce. Free shipping from $80.
What to bring home
Website: taooftea.com
03Loose-leaf specialistPortal Tea
Northwest District (NW 23rd Ave); also Sellwood Caboose
6 prices listedPortal Tea
734 NW 23rd Ave, Portland, OR 97210
The NW 23rd shop that opened as Tea Chai Té in 2003, with a second shop inside a 1920 railroad caboose in Sellwood and a hundred numbered teas.
In storeShips onlineSince 2003NW 23rd Ave: daily 10am–9pm · Sellwood Caboose: daily 9am–8pm
Read the full shop note
The shop that opened on NW 23rd Avenue in 2003 as Tea Chai Té and took the name Portal Tea at its twentieth anniversary in 2023, run by Dominic and Angela Valdes. More than a hundred numbered teas, chai blended from scratch, nitro teas and kombucha, with courtyard seating at 734 NW 23rd Ave and a second shop inside a red 1920 railroad caboose at 7983 SE 13th Ave in Sellwood, open since 2011. Prices are flat by the 2 oz: Northwest Breakfast #1, Assam #5 and Lapsang Souchong #3 at $9, Dragonwell #30, Iron Goddess of Mercy #40 and Sencha Fukamushi #105 at $15.50; free shipping from $40, same-day pickup in store.
What to bring home
Website: portaltea.co
04Loose-leaf specialistTea Bar
Pearl District (NW Northrup St)
6 prices listedTea Bar
1055 NW Northrup St, Portland, OR
A Pearl District tea bar founded by a Portland native who learned Mandarin in China, selling its hojicha, matcha and chai in 20 to 70 g pouches.
In storeShips onlineDaily 10am–6pm
Read the full shop note
A Pearl District tea bar at 1055 NW Northrup St, founded by Portland native Erica Indira Swanson at 23 after living in China, where she had moved at 16 to learn Mandarin; the leaf comes from organic and fair-trade farms and the drinks are made without powders or artificial flavours. The retail pouches are small and priced accordingly: Hojicha and a Daily Matcha at $15 the 20 g, a Ceremonial Matcha at $50 the 50 g, London Fog $26 the 30 g, Peppermint Hibiscus $26 the 50 g and a Cardamom Chai $26 the 70 g.
What to bring home
Website: drinkteabar.com
05Loose-leaf specialistFly Awake Tea House
North Portland (N Beech St, off N Mississippi Ave)
2 prices listedFly Awake Tea House
909 N Beech St, Portland, OR 97227
A small tea house at 909 N Beech St, tucked in an alley just off N Mississippi Ave, devoted to Chinese teas and above all to pu-erh cakes, raw and ripe. Only two products on its site publish a pack size, so only two prices are listed here: Wizard's Eyebrow, a Wuyi Big Red Robe, at $20 the 2 oz, and a three-year aged white tea mini cake at $40 the 100 g; the rest of the shelf, from dan cong to aged sheng, is priced per container and best asked about at the counter.
In storeShips onlineDaily 12pm–7pm
What to bring home
Website: flyawakepdx.com- Da Hong PaoWizard's Eyebrowfrom US$ 20 · 2 oz
- White teaHealer's Hope (aged white tea mini cake)from US$ 40 · 100 g
Prices keep each product’s listed currency and pack size. Check current prices and hours with the shop.
A good cup, closer than you think
Find your tea in Portland.
These teas have an exact or close match in the local catalogue. Open a tea to see who sells it and at what price.
Matcha
Matcha
See local availability
Green tea
Sencha
See local availability
Black tea
Earl Grey
See local availability
Black tea
English Breakfast
See local availability
Browse 15 teas you can find in Portland
Also worth a visit
Qi Fine Teas
Pearl District
Website: qifineteas.comA Chinese tea specialist with dan cong, wild greens and raw pu-erh by the 25–50 g and readable prices online, but its own site publishes no street address or hours for the Pearl District shop it mentions.
Ask for prices in storeThe Jasmine Pearl Tea Co.
Northeast (NE Oregon St) · 2222 NE Oregon St, Suite 107, Portland, OR 97232
Website: thejasminepearl.comThe retail shop and tasting room closed permanently in 2020; what remains is a warehouse with weekday pickup and the online shop.
Ask for prices in storeA little local knowledge
Before you head out.
Currency, grams & tea bags
Each price keeps its original pack size. A box of bags and a pouch of loose leaf aren’t a like-for-like comparison.
Check the right location
Hours and visiting conditions can differ between branches. Use the address and details for the location you plan to visit.
Pickup and appointments
Some sellers operate pickup offices or showrooms. Read the shop note and check its visiting conditions before setting out.
A guide with a point of view
Tea specialists lead the discovery. Other retailers keep their own category, for familiar blends and everyday essentials.
Keep following the tea
Where to next?
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Photography & credits
Tea photographs are illustrative unless identified as a photograph of the shop. Images are cropped or framed to fit the layout.
- 五玄土 ORIENTO · Original photograph · Unsplash License