Tea shops · Saint Paul, United States
The Grand Avenue branch of a Twin Cities tea bar, where nearly every loose tea on the list starts as a one-ounce bag.
Illustrative image
The house
Sencha Tea Bar started in Uptown Minneapolis in 2002 under another name, Tea Garden, and by its own account was one of the early homes of bubble tea in the Twin Cities. It became Sencha Tea Bar in 2015, as direct-sourced loose leaf moved to the centre of the business. The Saint Paul bar is at 1692 Grand Ave, one of the group's tea bars alongside Uptown, Woodbury and Madison, Wisconsin. Since 2024 the company has been part of Amplified Experiences, formed when it merged with Five Watt Coffee.
The loose leaf list is built for trying. Almost every tea is sold first as a one-ounce sample and then in larger bags, so the entry point is low: the Indian Assam is the cheapest black, the Taiwanese Iron Goddess of Mercy costs a dollar more, and the Chinese Dragon's Well sits just above it. At the top of the ladder are Silver Needles, made from early spring buds from Fujian, and a ceremonial matcha from Japan that skips the sample and starts at two ounces.
It is a bar as much as a shop. At the counter you can order bubble tea, tea lattes and freshly brewed loose leaf, and the same teas are sold online and shipped anywhere in the United States, free on orders over forty-nine dollars. The house says it buys directly from growers and from importers it trusts. For a first visit, the practical move is to leave with three or four one-ounce bags instead of a single large one.
Saint Paul · United States
1692 Grand Ave, St Paul, MN 55105
Hours are not recorded for this location. Check with the house before visiting.
Directions to this location →Check with the house before visiting. Published hours may include appointments, seasonal schedules or temporary closures; live status, where available, applies only to the named location and does not account for exceptional closures.
The FindMeTea edit
01 · Black tea
A robust Northern Indian black with a malty, creamy body, the cheapest ounce on the black tea list and strong enough to take milk.
from US$ 3.99· 1 oz
Explore this tea →02 · Oolong tea
A Taiwanese Tie Guan Yin with a moderate roast, made twice a year, that the shop describes as chestnut and dried apricot in the cup.
from US$ 4.99· 1 oz
Explore this tea →03 · Green tea
Longjing, the pan-fried Chinese green, with a light grassy profile and a pale yellow-green cup: the reference point for the rest of the green list.
from US$ 5.99· 1 oz
Explore this tea →The one worth the trip
Black Dragon Pearls is a hand-rolled black tea from Yunnan, shaped into pearls that open as they steep, with a naturally sweet taste and cocoa notes. Four to six pearls make a cup, so the one-ounce sample goes further than its size suggests. It is the tea on this list that least resembles what a supermarket shelf sells as black tea.
from US$ 9.99· 1 oz
Explore this tea →Prices
Prices are indicative. Each price keeps its currency and pack size; this selection does not necessarily cover the house's complete range.
6 prices
| Tea | Type | Price / pack |
|---|---|---|
| Assam | Black tea | from US$ 3.991 oz |
| Iron Goddess of Mercy | Oolong tea | from US$ 4.991 oz |
| Dragon's Well | Green tea | from US$ 5.991 oz |
| Black Dragon Pearls | Black tea | from US$ 9.991 oz |
| Silver Needles | White tea | from US$ 14.991 oz |
| Ceremonial Matcha | Matcha | from US$ 19.992 oz |
Indicative prices, with each product’s pack size. Prices may change; check with the shop. Price verification dates: 2026-09-25.
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Images are cropped to fit the layout. The generic cover, when used, is illustrative and does not show this shop.
