Tea shops · Washington, DC, United States
The tea company that has been pouring loose leaf in Washington since 1996, with a retail shop two doors from its Penn Quarter teahouse.
Illustrative image
The house
Teaism was founded in 1996 by Linda Neumann and Michelle Brown, with the stated aim of making loose leaf tea accessible to everyone. The first room was at Dupont Circle, 2009 R Street NW, and it is still there. Two more followed, at Lafayette Park on Connecticut Avenue and at Penn Quarter on 8th Street. Service is fast-casual and no reservations are taken, which is unusual for a tea business of this age and part of why it became the default answer to where to drink tea in this city.
The retail Tea Shop sits two doors from the Penn Quarter room and is the part worth planning a visit around. Loose leaf is sold in six sizes, from two ounces to two pounds, so the same tea can be a trial or a year's supply. The list is organised the old way, by type: blacks and chai, greens, oolongs, whites and tisanes, with gifts, samplers, teaware and brewing equipment alongside. Handmade ceramics and art share the shelves with the tins.
Two details are worth knowing before ordering. The ceremonial matcha is a fixed 40 gram tin and the page names its producer, Marukyu Koyamaen of Uji in Kyoto, which very few American shops bother to do. And the rewards programme only counts purchases made in person: the shop says plainly that mail orders earn no points. If you live in the city, that is an argument for walking to 8th Street rather than clicking.
Washington, DC · United States
400 8th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Published hours: 11:00–18:00, seven days a week
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 · Oolong tea
The cheapest two ounces on the shelf and a rolled oolong from the county that invented the style, which makes it the easiest first oolong in the city.
from US$ 9.50· 2 oz
Explore this tea →02 · Green tea
A Japanese green in a shop that also sells the kyusu to brew it in, and the one tea here that most rewards buying the small size and drinking it fast.
from US$ 17.50· 2 oz
Explore this tea →03 · White tea
An organic white sold as one fixed two-ounce pack rather than by chosen weight, which keeps it fresher than the bulk bins other shops use.
US$ 10.50· 2 oz
Explore this tea →The one worth the trip
The tin names Marukyu Koyamaen of Uji as the maker, and that single line is the reason to buy matcha here rather than anywhere else in the city. Most shops sell matcha with no producer at all, which leaves you guessing about the harvest and the grind. Forty grams is also about as much as one person should own at a time.
US$ 38· 40 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Anxi | Oolong tea | from US$ 9.502 oz |
| Earl Grey - organic | Black tea | from US$ 10.502 oz |
| Bai Mu Dan - organic | White tea | US$ 10.502 oz |
| Sencha | Green tea | from US$ 17.502 oz |
| Chai - organic | Chai | from US$ 17.504 oz |
| Matcha Ceremonial Grade | Matcha | US$ 3840 g |
Indicative prices, with each product’s pack size. Prices may change; check with the shop. Price verification dates: 2026-09-15.
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Images are cropped to fit the layout. The generic cover, when used, is illustrative and does not show this shop.
