Tea shops · San Diego, United States
A La Jolla shop that dropped its drinks menu in 2024 to sell single-origin leaf, matcha milled in house and classes.
Illustrative image
The house
PARU sells tea at 7441 Girard Ave, in La Jolla. Its co-founders, Amy Truong and Lani Gobaleza, met in 2010 on a study-abroad trip to Japan, went back to travel through the country's tea regions, and started the business in 2017 with pop-ups around San Diego and a monthly subscription. San Diego Magazine named it Best Tea in 2018 and again in 2019. In 2024 the shop stopped serving drinks over the counter and gave the room over to retail leaf, matcha and teaching.
Most of the collection comes from family-run gardens in East and Southeast Asia, bought direct in Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and China, and Amy is the shop's buyer and blender. The format follows the tea: 85 g of Mainichi sencha for everyday drinking, 56 g of the Dong Ding 12 reserve or of a blend such as Earl Grey Lavender or Coconut Chai, 28 g of the Misty Shou ripe pu-erh, and a 30 g tin for the ceremonial matcha, which is stone-milled in house on a mill from Kyoto.
Next to the leaf there is gongfu teaware, tea pets, filter bags and a small pantry shelf, plus tea subscriptions and a calendar of sit-down experiences: a tea tasting, a traditional bowl of matcha, a Japanese tea ceremony and a tour the shop itself runs to Suruga, in Japan. The room opens Wednesday to Sunday, ten to five. On Sundays a farmers' market takes over the street outside, so parking on Girard is harder than on any other day.
San Diego · United States
7441 Girard Ave, Suite B, San Diego, CA 92037
On Girard Ave in La Jolla; on Sunday the street holds a farmers' market and parking gets harder.
Published hours: Wed–Sun 10:00–17:00
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 · Green tea
The everyday Japanese green of the shelf, and the largest bag PARU sells here: 85 g instead of the usual 56.
from US$ 24· 85 g
Explore this tea →02 · Oolong tea
The house reserve lot and the one oolong in this selection: a Taiwanese Dong Ding sold in 56 g at a fixed price rather than as a range.
US$ 24· 56 g
Explore this tea →03 · Pu-erh tea
A ripe pu-erh in the smallest bag the shop uses, 28 g, which is the low-commitment way into a fermented tea.
from US$ 18· 28 g
Explore this tea →The one worth the trip
This is the tin that comes off the shop's own stone mill from Kyoto: PARU grinds its matcha in house instead of buying it already ground. It is the ceremonial grade, in a 30 g tin, and the most expensive item the shop lists with us.
from US$ 45· 30 g
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Earl Grey Lavender | Black tea | from US$ 1856 g |
| Misty Shou | Pu-erh tea | from US$ 1828 g |
| Coconut Chai | Chai | from US$ 1856 g |
| Mainichi (Everyday) Sencha | Green tea | from US$ 2485 g |
| Dong Ding 12, PARU Reserve | Oolong tea | US$ 2456 g |
| 10K Ceremonial Matcha | Matcha | from US$ 4530 g |
Indicative prices, with each product’s pack size. Prices may change; check with the shop. Price verification dates: 2026-09-11.
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Images are cropped to fit the layout. The generic cover, when used, is illustrative and does not show this shop.
