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512 reviews for Japanese Tea Garden
Review Highlights
"You won't see koi fish in the ponds, but little craw-fishes."
(in 23 reviews)
"The garden is located right next to the de young museum."
(in 8 reviews)
"What a beautiful place - and free admission after 5 p."
(in 17 reviews)
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511 reviews in English
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Review from Ursula U.
1/27/2012 29 photos
I'm in love with this place!!!
If your life seems too hectic, too insane, just too much please find your way over to this place and just find a good spot to your liking and sit, just sit and look.
I guarantee a feeling of peace will instantly fill your overworked soul.
This Japanese Tea Garden is absolutly gorgeous!!!!
The Garden isn't huge but all of it so well maintained and the atmosphere is exactly what a hectic chaotic soul begs for!!!!
So many photo opps- just take a look of some my pics - I had to narrow it down cause easily I took over a hundred pics....
Gift shop has cute stuff but over priced so aside from a magnet I'd save my money to shop elsewhere in the city - it's not like you are limited in the city for your shopping needs!!!
I can't remember what time it was - either 8:am or 9:am on a certain day (or days) you can get in for free - please check on that cause it's so worth it (sorry I can't remember- we took advantage of that offer but my inlaws who live in the city knew when to go)
Every time I go to SF visiting the Japanese Tea Garden is a must - I never get tired of it - I never have that feeling of "Oh, I have already seen that place so let's do something else" - Nope I'm always up to visiting the Japanese Tea Garden. -
Review from Charles S.
La Jolla, CA
1/15/2012
Is there a more perfect Japanese garden in the US?
The Japanese Tea Garden is well worth the entry fee. Every blade of grass, every twig, every rock is in the exactly right spot. The bridges, the water fall, the teas house, the statues, the pagodas, and the Buddha are perfectly placed.
Golden Gate Park is a wonder. The Japanese Tea Garden is the epicenter of its wonderfulness. -
Review from Nick L.
San Francisco, CA
1/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
Even though SF residents get a discount, this place isn't worth the admission to me. There are some reasonably well maintained gardens and a few Japanese styled buildings here.
Beyond that it's about 15 mins. to walk around completely.
Save your money. Not worth it. -
Review from Britt B.
San Francisco, CA
2/2/2012
This place reminds me of the secret garden because it's a whole 'nother world once you step inside. It is very serene and I always forget how big it is. The tea is decent and they have a lot of snack options. I really love all those little cookies. They are soooo yummmmmy! I like to walk around first then end with the tea and cookies.
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Review from L A H.
Pacifica, CA
11/20/2011
I have so many nice memories from here. It's always a fun time exploring.
When you walk in, there are plenty of pathways leading to different areas of the garden. Each area has beautiful plants, sublime flowers, ponds and bridges. You'll get a feeling of relaxation from coming here. It's a pleasant place to go to if you need to collect your thoughts and unwind. I enjoy coming here to catch up with a friend or two as well as take photos.
They have a neat little area where they'll serve you a tea of your choice, with crackers and yummy cookies. You can sit down at a small table and chat with a friend while enjoying the wonderful scenery. It's especially nice when it's a sunny, warm day. I'd recommend ordering the green tea; it's amazing.
The tea garden is located at a great spot. There's street parking as well as garages. The museums are right around the corner so you can make a day of touring.
I had to knock off a star due to the ticket fee. It's a tad pricey.Listed in: Wham Bam Thank You Ma'am.
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Review from Aliela L.
Fremont, CA
1/20/2012
Place is quaint and peaceful. Small and sometimes loud with all the tourists, only complaint. Some people need to respect the atmosphere! Tea house has awesome mochi, expected more a traditional tea setting but it was more like a fast food place with a nice setting. I was looking forward to sitting on the floor and watching them do the green tea match ceremony but I was disappointed. Worth a visit but onece you've seen it once, you've seen it all!
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Review from Hollie W.
11/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Amazing small garden. The tea house is what really takes the cake! Venturing around the garden was really great but i wished i could have shooed everybody away and had the garden all to myself :) It would have been much more calming without screaming children running all over the place. I think the sign out front said that there was no entry fee if you arrive between 9am-10am so bonus if that is accurate (and maybe the garden would not be as busy).
The tea house was beautiful with a good variety of affordable delicious tea and snacks. I could have sat in the tea house, drank tea, and stared at the peaceful surrounding all day! -
Review from Debby F.
Monterey, CA
1/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
Why do people complain about paying a fee to go here? How else will the grounds keeping be funded? Sure, free is always my preferred payment. But, we paid the $7 each, and I thoroughly enjoyed visiting this place, for my first time. Photography opportunities about here. As an added bonus, we had some tasty Udon Soup and tea at the small restaurant, overlooking a lovely koi pond. Lunch, plus admission cost less than if we had stopped in any other San Francisco restaurant. This was well worth the stop.
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Review from Mariya K.
San Francisco, CA
12/20/2011
I love this place, but I wish the entrance was free for San Francisco residents
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Review from rachel t.
Garden Grove, CA
10/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Oh emmm geeee! Such a gorgeous garden! Peaceful and well groomed plants, and ponds.
We came here on Tuesday morning; we paid $7 pp since we are non-residence. With proof of SF residency, it's $5. However this place is free on Mon, Weds, and Friday before 10 am I believe.
My bf and I came here and was able to get many picture opportunity.
Their gift shop was pricey; however we sat down to get a light snack at the tea garden. My bf had their miso soup and I tried this calpico non-carbonated soft drink. Taste pretty damn good; I would imagine it would taste pretty bomb with vodka (oh the alcoholic in me!)
Gorgeous garden; must visit if you're in SF. -
Review from Ninette C.
Seattle, WA
10/1/2011
I was the loner here. My friend whom I was visiting had class so I walked around the park. There is an admission fee...I don't remember how much but someone said $7.
I've been to Japan so obviously this wasn't super new or amazing to me, but it was nice enough. It wasn't very crowded since it was a Friday morning so I had a nice leisurely stroll and took some photos. It reminded me of Japan!
It probably isn't even one of the best parts of Golden Gate Park. The admission is a little steep for what is is, but I just considered it admission for the entire Golden Gate Park and it seemed a little less painful that way!
3.5 stars -
Review from Nell A.
Los Angeles, CA
12/31/2011
It's a small paradise, west of San Francisco. A serene and beautiful place, where the air is clean and fresh, and where a lot of tourist with cameras hold their cameras pridefully everywhere, flashing photos. Yes, my family was one of them tourist, but this tea garden was so peaceful even with the tourist. Exotic plants and a lovely atmosphere.
Definitely something you should do in San Francisco to experience Japan's culture.
The bummer:
The shop is pretty pricey. Simple little souvenirs for retail price, when I'm used to Chinatown souvenirs and such.
The restaurant was also pricey. Though we didn't order the tea, which was 3 dollars, we ordered Tea Sandwiches and Udon. The Udon was pretty good, very simple though. Just the soup, noodle, and fishcake, which costed about 7-9 dollars. The tea sandwich was 6-8 dollars. It comes with around 8 sandwiches, with 4 types of sandwiches. It didn't taste very good. The tuna tea sandwich was too salty in my opinion. The vegetable egg thingy sandwich was too sticky. My mouth was slobbered with mushes of sandwich, The ham sandwich was pretty good, but it was just two pieces of bread with mayo and ham. Not worth my dollars.
You have to pay a small price to get admission. I would prefer free (because we are cheap :P) but it's just a few dollars per person.
Summary:
I would really recommend this place to anyone, it's an amazing sight to see. -
Review from Kuanyu C.
Driving 2,700 miles across country to SF, I demand the best sights to see in the short days that I am here; my guide, and personal friend, has suggested coming to Golden Gate Park after our morning coffee. The pair of us, one from out of town, one live in SF but rarely venture out, found that even during weekday (Thurs) road side parking can fill up quite quickly. It's all fine because the weather was good enough for a short walk to the Garden.
First thing I noticed was the free entry sign, but didn't know it was only for Mon/Wed/Fri, so I had to pay $7 to get in. Okay. I'll bite. But you better be worth it.
Within a few minutes, I realized the entrance fees was sort of justified. The garden ground and vegetation and buildings were kept in neat and good shape. Since it's still week day, we didn't meet a lot of foot traffic, which made the visit peaceful and tranquil. Almost feel like growing up back home oversea. I could have sit pond side looking at koi swimming for HOURS, and I almost did! We ran into some people that were using the Garden to do some photo shoot, with a toilet(?). Also met a really friendly couple that let me took a shot of them sitting on the high arc bridge. I forwarded them the picture later, totally loved it.
The Tea Garden also has a gift shop and a tea shop, mostly for the Asian-fawning tourists, but I digress. So overall, I love the visit. Was it worth $7? perhaps. I will visit again next time I'm in SF, but perhaps on the free visiting hours.Listed in: Cross Country Travel, Show and Yelp
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Review from Melanie B.
Milwaukee, WI
9/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
To me, the most beautiful site in San Fran! Not only is Golden Gate Park amazing but this little gem of greenery is simply tranquil. We went at 9:30AM on Friday and it was peaceful and quite. The fog was just starting to roll out. It was FREE and there was a tour guide who knew quite a bit about the place and it was a great tour.
We dropped off after about an hour and got a cup of tea and a treat. LOVE this place. So happy we made it part of our trip since it was the highlight. -
Review from Renita R.
Ewa Beach, HI
10/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
I have been coming to SF for years now and this was the first time I have been to the Japanese Tea Garden. There is actually a tea house in the garden. The entrance fee is a bit much for what it is, $7. I wish the garden was bigger than it is. You can be in and out in 10-15 minutes (or less).
Also, they do not have a student or military discount. :( My favorite part was the giant Buddha statue and the little squirrels running around. :)
The garden is located right next to the de young museum. -
Review from Sunghi m.
San Francisco, CA
12/27/2011
It is a treat to have a cup of tea sitting at such a gorgeous garden! I had no idea there was a cute little tea house inside of the garden. They serve tea sandwiches, udon soup, rice dish, japanese sweets, and tea. Better to go early. Gets very crowded by noon with all the children and tourists.
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Review from Britt R.
Seattle, WA
12/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
For about $10 you gain entrance and a lovely pot of tea. If it's around lunchtime, you can also grab a reasonably priced bowl of udon. This place had always been a fond childhood memory and returning as an adult, did not disappoint.
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Review from Sean M.
San Jose, CA
7/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Came here after a trip to the deYoung. I hadn't been in over a decade. At first, I was somewhat surprised by the price to enter. If you walk in with a large group it can be a bit pricey. But, I figured why not.
It is quite well kept up. I love the design. It's really quite a small area in reality, however with the way the path and garden is set up, you can really walk around for quite a while enjoying it. Very zen. I love the huge Buddha.
Plenty of photo ops. Plenty of chill time to catch up with an old friend or a new one and just chat. Lots of tourists, but just ignore them and relax.
The gift shop has some fun things but nothing that you couldn't find at a good Japanese store or market probably.
Overall something fun to do if you haven't, Or a fun place to take someone if they've never been.Listed in: Get out of your box, hit the…
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Review from Carrie O.
9/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
I'm fairly sure that visiting the Japanese Tea Garden was the best thing we did on our San Francisco trip.
It's really quiet here in the early morning, which I love. We came on a Monday, so it was free to enter (before 10am). They have this deal on Wed & Fri as well.
After spending awhile looking through the garden, we had some tea and mochi, and it was also fantastic (albeit a bit pricey, but I expected it to be).
Unfortunately, this place got a bit noisier around 10-10:30 when lots of people with their kids & entire families in tow came in...
But it'd still be worth seeing, just not as peaceful! :) -
Review from dennis p.
Vallejo, CA
8/24/2011 2 photos
I probably would have ranked this place a little higher had I not come on a crowded Saturday afternoon. Trying to find parking in the streets of Golden Gate park on a weekend is challenging. You have to get lucky to find a free spot that's close to the Tea Garden. I parked in the underground garage for the Academy of Science which cost around $3 an hour to park.
There was a minimal line getting into the Garden; the entrance fee for adults on the weekend is $7. The cost feels steep when you take into account the grounds itself isn't that large. Even with taking pictures and visiting the gift shop, my family spent less than 45 minutes there.
The garden is very well kept and the scenery breath taking. Again, I would advise to go on a weekday as large crowds tend to detract from the scenery and ambiance of the place. There is a small gift shop in the middle of the Garden but as you would expect the items are over priced. There was also a small tea house but it was crowded and we didn't feel like waiting for a seat.
All in all it's a good place to visit but I will probably come back on a weekday to have a more enjoyable experience. -
Review from Kate M.
6/19/2011
I think the Japanese Tea Garden was my favorite part of my visit to San Francisco. It's beautiful, relaxing, green, quiet, green (did I mention that already?), and serene.
It's not a very large venue, but it is exceptionally maintained and landscaped. The bridges, pagodas, ponds, streams, and statues are all beautiful. In the middle of the afternoon on a Friday it was not busy at all. There was plenty of room to stroll through the gardens, hop across the stone bridges, and have a seat on a fence for a bit.
There is admission to the garden ($7) which just gets you in the gate, but it's worth it. Certain times of the day are free, before 10 am on certain days I believe. You could spend anywhere from 15 minutes (speed-walking) to a couple hours here (taking some time to soak up the greenery). -
Review from Cat V.
7/11/2011
Decided to take a day off and take a trip out to SF to spend the day.
We really had our day set on going to MOMA but to our dismay found it to be closed :( So we ended up here at the Japanese Tea Garden and am I sure glad we did.
The garden is breathtakingly beautiful: so green and just lush with ripe vegetation all throughout. I found myself literally stopping to "ooh and aah" at almost every crazy oddly-shaped bamboo plant, bonsai and fountain. I felt like a kid again.
Before leaving we stopped off at the Tea House. Can't imagine a trip to the Japanese Tea Garden being complete without experiencing it. We ordered from a list of teas that were available and each had a dessert to enjoy along with the tea. It was absolutely perfect. Definitely coming back again. Oh, and admission was free! It's free M/W/F before 10am...a total sign our day was intended to be spent here ;) -
Review from Monique N.
Westminster, CA
6/23/2011 12 photos
I treked an 8 hour drive to SF to go sight seeing and eat. One of my MUST GO-TO places was this--Japanese Tea Garden. I had high expectations but.. I hadn't realized how almost un-Japanese this is!
I went during my spring break from school with a few other friends and drove from Westminster (part of Orange County) to San Fran. It was rainy the day we came so we went a day after. (Long ago review but I remember it like it was yesterday.) We came on a Saturday and scourged for parking. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU COME SUPER EARLY. Parking was IMPOSSIBLE. People were even parking illegally because there was not enough room to park!
The garden entrance fee costs 7$ for non-SF residents and 5$ for those who are. The fee booth looks pretty similar to the toll booths in Japan but slightly modern--this is speaking about parks that is. I've honestly never seen so many rude, misinformed and irresponsible parents and tourists in my life. Actually I have but this REALLY bothered me.
First off, the water in the supposedly koi ponds was copper yellow. Which in returns mean, probably many years ago they had fish. Until the idiot who threw pennies and coins into the pond came along. You don't do that! A traditional Japanese garden will have fish in it, and because people are so.. "LETS THROW PENNIES IN BODIES OF WATER" there aren't any. I was looking forward to seeing hundreds of koi fishes. Shot down.
The walk ways became packed and parents can't seem to watch their kids. There was trash in a couple of places that I saw and it really irked me. So being a person that I am I picked it up. Only to see the parents littering as well (F word).
There stone garden was well-kept for such a busy place as were most of the greenary that most tourist didn't touch or have their kids throw things there.
The tea-house itself is pretty much mediocre. The tea is soaked in such hot water that the tea tasted bitter (which means improper preparation of tea). Ordering was a hassle because you never knew who was taking your order and didn't know if the person taking your order knew what you wanted. Pricy tea as well. I'd prefer you go when it is nearly dead-early morning- or on a weekday... early morning.
Bah it saddens me to see such a beautiful garden not in it's pristine condition; however, there are some good photoshoot opportunities here. There's a few replica "castles" in the garden as well as a kick-ass bridge.
Next time in SF.. I won't come back. I would love to but... that experience really left a sour taste in my mouth. :(Listed in: Japanese nomz
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Review from Tony L.
6/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
I came to the Japanese Tea Garden last weekend with my girlfriend, her brother, and her dad. Her dad loves trees. So this wasn't a bad place to go. It's also got a few beat up pagodas and a ton of tourists. A few gorgeous koi in the pond. Memorial Day weekend probably wasn't the best time to visit, but what can you do.
My previous visit must have been something like 25 years ago. It only cost 50 cents to get in. And everything seemed so much bigger. I remember coming here with my dad. I can't remember if it was once or a bunch of times, it was that long ago. Now, the high arch bridge doesn't seem as high. And the little nooks and crannies feel more like a photo op than a hike. But this could still be a nice place to come on one of the days with free admission, when there aren't so many people around. -
Review from Dominic C.
Pickerington, OH
12/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great place to visit while you are in SF! This is a beautiful and serene place that is well maintained. It is a small place not real big but a beautiful sight to see and great for pictures. They also have a tea house where you can get some food in drinks. It also have a cool gift shop with some great gift ideas. There is a charge ($7) to visit this. I think it is a little high because the garden is small but it is worth it for a first time visitor.
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Review from Joseph Z.
Woodland Hills, CA
9/18/2011
The tea garden is fantastic. The grounds are beautiful an the rose garden was a nice touch. Melanie and I also loved the unique bridge in which you have to climb up and climb down, and the large goldfish swimming in the ponds.
The only downsides for me were the large crowd (not relaxing) and that it's not very big. After experiencing the huge Tea Garden area in the Huntington Gardens in Pasadena, I was a bit surprised that we saw everything there was to see in about an hour.
With that said, we really had an enjoyable time here. The jasmine tea was awesome. -
Review from DeAnna H.
Sacramento, CA
10/26/2011 1 photo
I am truly in love with the Japanese Culture and have lived in the bay area my entire life but have never been here. I now live in the Sacramento area and decided to play tourist with my kids one day in SF. First stop: Japanese Tea Garden. I was so excited I could hardly drive. We get here and pay like $7 a person to get in plus parking. In and out in like 15 minutes. Wait ... thats it? We are done? Noooooo ... what a bummer. It was nice and all and the tea was good but I guess I just expected alot more than what it was. It was beautiful and all that but again... not much. humph!
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Review from Stephanie M.
San Francisco, CA
10/17/2011
I want Makoto Hagiwara to come to my house and make me a Japanese Garden. Established in 2011, welcome to the newest Japenese Garden with "Turning Japenese" playing on repeat, ducks, swans, plants, trees, cherry blossoms, ponds, little bridges for oompa loompas, and squirrels. It's only $5 for locals and $7 for tourists, and little ones FREE, but warning to children: don't kick the furry little animals, throw rocks at them, and step on the plants. Tourists: if you can't climb, don't get on the wheel bridge and tumble down, arigatou. Come enjoy an afternoon of sencha and miso soup for $6.75.
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Review from Laura C.
6/8/2011
It was really nice, but WAY too expensive for what you pay for. It's $7 per person, and seems like it should include maybe the botanical gardens next door. However, Mon, Wed and Fri before 10am it is free.
The garden is beautiful but I did expect more. At least a 30 min - 1 hr visit. You could stroll through the whole thing in 15 mins.
It is very serene and read the plaques that tell you more about the things you see, like the Drum Bridge, the Buddha and The Pagoda.
However, with a huge Run happening in the park the peacefulness was overpowered by loud shouting in a megaphone.
Worth a visit, but only when it's free. The rest of the park is beautiful and free as well. -
Review from Eric B.
5/11/2011
The Japanese Tea Garden has been on my sight seeing list for as long as I've visited or lived in San Francisco. I love the relaxed feel and the oasis that temporarily protects me from the outside world.
The Japanese Tea Garden was originally built as part of a sprawling California Midwinter International Exposition of 1894. It's the oldest facility of its kind in the US and is apparently where fortune cookies were first introduced in North America. This quaint 5 acre complex features many paths, ponds, tea house features, sculptures, bridges, as well as various native Japanese and Chinese plants. You'll never really see it all in a single visit and I certainly learn something new each time that I return. -
Review from Caitlin S.
San Francisco, CA
9/21/2011
This is a very nice garden, but it isn't worth the 7$ admission fee. I'd pass it by unless you can get in during one of their free admission time periods; then by all means, go for it.
As I said before, the garden is quite nice. It's very neat, lots of water features, well put together, and a few interesting sculpture-like installations throughout. It's not very large though, and the cheesy pseudo-Japanese tower thing at the top is a bit much. The place can also get very crowded, which kind of destroys the peaceful nature that it's supposed to have.
I don't know about the prices for either the tea room or the gift shop, but I did notice that the gift shop had some very nice trinkets. You would probably be able to find these in most Japantown/Chinatown shops though, so don't come just for that. -
Review from Akvile H.
8/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
What a beautiful garden within Golden Gate Park!
Entrance is about $3 for adults, but come here on a less busy day (weekday) and you can spend a good amount of time inside. I was pretty surprised that you have to pay to get in since all other Japanese gardens I've been to around the country have been free and open to the public. Don't forget your camera since it's really pretty in there! The pagoda's are beautiful, the garden is well taken care of, and it's nice if you are strolling through the park and spending the day in there. -
Review from Brenda P.
7/20/2011 14 photos
If I lived in San Fran, this would be a frequent stop for me. It was incredibly beautiful, pristine and aesthetically beautiful to look at. I was with my husband so our visit was shorter than it would have been had I been by myself (not a whole lot of patience).
I would love to go back and quietly stroll through it at my own pace and take three times the amount of photos. Not too big and I got lucky since it was not too crowded and the weather was perfect!
We stopped in the little shop and brought back some kitschy stuff that I actually still have!
If in town for a short time, I would make room to visit the garden for sure! -
Review from Nicole D.
Monterey, CA
7/7/2011 2 photos
Lets get all the cons out of the way first (a forewarning). Yes, the tea garden is rather small, there is an admission fee ($7.00, free before 10 a.m. certain weekdays) and it can get pretty crowded. I was a little surprised about the admission fee -- but it also makes sense. Keeps the weirdos at bay and the money is used for upkeep, preservation and maintenance.
The Garden is a sight to behold. It is the oldest public Japanese garden in the United States and has quite a history behind it. The garden is very picturesque -- very peaceful, calm and naturey. There are native Japanese plants, ponds, statues, bridges, pagodas and koi fish throughout. Stone walkways wend there way through the serene garden and take you to a large buddha, tea house and gift shop.
Tried to get into Golden Gate Park on a Sunday and it was nuts and left. Went again the following Friday and it was great -- parking available and much lighter crowds.
I definitely plan on strolling through again and want to check out the tea selections. -
Review from Lemon C.
Washington, DC
10/13/2011 1 photo
The beauty of the gardens is so exquisite. Lots of pretty koi fish. They have free admission times. I enjoyed the view from the little restaurant and sipped on jasmine tea (wasn't offered any options to sweeten it with), edamame, and sushi. I learned from a tour guide there that Golden Gate Park is larger than Central Park in NYC!
Listed in: San Francisco
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Review from Virlie B.
Portland, OR
5/24/2011 2 Check-ins Here
$7.00 for adults. Very relaxing atmosphere. Very polite servers. Tea is not overpriced. Lots of tourists but still plenty of space to move around. There's a little store where you can buy variety of Japanese stuffs from tiny key chai to extra large yukata (summer kimono) to japanese slippers to chopsticks, and oh yes, fork chop. Fun!
Great tea. Great service. Great view. -
Review from Justin C.
7/26/2011
What a beautiful garden. It's quite peaceful here even at it's busiest weekends. Try avoiding weekends if your looking for more solitude.
Check out the cool bridges and architecture and enjoy the cherry blossoms.
If you have tree allergies, avoid spring. -
Review from Anna W.
San Leandro, CA
6/19/2011
I basically begged the boyfriend to take me to the Japanese Tea Garden because, in my head, I pictured beautiful sprawling grounds filled with flowering cherry blossom trees, stylized pagodas and koi ponds. The reality didn't exactly fit my highly romantic fantasy image, but it's still a beautiful place to visit. I would definitely recommend that people go visit during the free hours (between 9AM-10AM, Monday/Wednesday/Friday) rather than pay full admission though ($7/adult).
It's relatively small (the boyfriend and I walked the entire thing within about 30 minutes, and that was at an extremely leisurely pace with plenty of stops to take photos). The ponds are filled with beautiful (and extremely well-fed) koi fish, there are a few large and weathered pagodas scattered amongst the trees, little stone shrines tucked away in every corner and a large Buddha statue. There is also a tiny gift shop filled with Japanese knick knacks -- everything from chopstick holders to wind chimes to kimonos. We chose not to buy anything (tourist traps, man, they overcharge you on EVERYTHING).
We did, however, check out their little tea shop -- we each chose a different tea to try out (the Genmai and the Sencha; both of which were delicious but not exactly worth their $7-9 price tag) and they came along with your choice of salty rice crackers (looked straight out of a bag of Japanese trail mix) or mochi cakes (delicious but sticky). We also got the miso soup (nothing special) and a spam musubi (large, but also nothing special). I had wanted their cookie platter initially, but had been told that they were out of cookies that morning. The tea shop is lovely overall, with the open-air dining experience and all that, but it's not really worth the price tag they stick on it (though we were surprisingly full afterward).
I would go again, but not until the cherry blossoms are in bloom and definitely only during their free admission hours as well.Listed in: Kick Back, Have Fun
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Review from Stephen H.
Overland Park, KS
4/24/2011
Went here with my sister and have three recommendations:
1. Give yourself time. We were here for about 90 minutes right after our exhibit window at the de Young. It was a nice block of time to just relax.
2. Take the tour. You are going to learn so much more about the history of this garden, which is of course tied up with our unfortunate history of Japanese internment, but in turn you are going to be so much more grateful for what you see and experience.
3. Stop at the cafe. Leave your tour a little bit before it ends so you don't get caught in a bit wait, as the seating space is limited. Order all kinds of Japanese tea, sandwiches, ramune....you name it. I got stuffed.Listed in: Must-Dos in San Fran
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Review from Renuka V.
Los Angeles, CA
10/12/2011
Beautiful garden-a pity about the $7 per person charge - so it was $28 4 of us on top of the cost of tea! They should offer an option of cheaper( or free) entrance fee IF you get the tea at the little restaurant in the garden. The tea was good although it's strange that they only offer tea for one person - you cannot order a pot for 2 or more people!Also, had the assorted biscuits which came with fortune cookies since the family who ran the garden in the 40s were the ones who invented the fortune cookie. Good place to visit if you time it to coincide with the free entry times!
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