The Tao of Tea

This is one of the first places I visited in Portland and I fell in love with this place instantly! I adore everything about this place. It’s so tastefully done. Not so loud. Good food! What else do you need!
We had the Bhel puri, the puffed rice crunchy and the sauces perfect. Not too spicy nor bland. Best accompaniment for the tea
The biscotti and the honey complement each other so beautifully that I can never imagine
We had the Peanuts, Samosa and the 500 mile chai. On a cold evening this place is a paradise really!
I have also had the dumplings and paratha and some moon cake. From my memory, nothing was a disappointment
Ll keep coming back again and again. Must try in Portland!

I loved the ambiance and atmosphere created by the owner. There were so many varieties of teas to choose from. The descriptions were excellent and helped in making the right choice. I tried the samosas. They were very authentic. I will definitely recommend this place to tea lovers.

Super disappointed after being really excited to try this place, and the 2 stars are not because of the tea but because of the crazy slow service. The waiter (man-​bun, didn’t catch his name) took 5 minutes to acknowledge my existence in a half-​full café, then gave me a menu that was so frayed and in such bad shape it literally fell apart in my hands. I let him know I had a friend joining me, thinking he’d come back with a second menu, but it was 10 more minutes before I could finally flag him down and order myself something while I waited (something one should always ask a customer!). My friend arrived 5 minutes later and another 10 – 15 minutes went by before he bothered to come back to our table — funny as it’s a small quiet place, so not too hard to check on all six tables that had customers (and you don’t want to shout across the room when you’re doing that ‘catch the waiter’s eye /​raising your hand’ thing we all do). We got our tea and my miso fairly quickly (non service-​related notes: the honey came in one of those old maple syrup containers like you see at IHOP… stuck out like a sore thumb, the miso was VERY very salty, and only 2 tables had real comfy chairs, everything else were these hard wooden stools that wobbled), but he never came back to ask how everything was or if we wanted anything else, we again had to flag him down to ask for our check.
Bummer :(

I really enjoyed tao of tea. It’s a small but very peaceful/​zen place to enjoy a very wide variety of tea. They have a tremendous selection of tea from all over the world (Chinese, Indian, Japanese, etc). I also liked their small yet diverse selection of food/​appetizers. If your’e looking for a place to catch up with a good friend or a place to relax and enjoy a cup of tea, Tao of tea’s a fantastic place. They also sell their tea varieties by the oz next door. I will definitely come back next time I visit Portland.

Great tea! I recommend the mint chai.

Very intentional space with great food — this is now one of my favorite places to get tea. I hadn’t been here in a long time, and all I really remembered was the extensive range of tea options: greens, blacks, whites, oolongs, blends, and warm memories. But wow. I should have explored this place more thoroughly then.
All of the tea snacks and bites are vegetarian (with many being vegan, gluten-​free, or both) and very tasty. The menu revolves around traditional tea foods eaten in Asia. You’ll find gyoza and bao, rice and dal, soan papdi, moon cakes, vegetable dishes, as well as things like dolmas, flatbreads, and lemon bars just for a change of pace.
The décor is organic and peaceful, with waterfall fountains, wooden furniture, and pottery lining the walls. Tea is served in a variety of styles with different types of cups and teapots. It’s a good place for a slow, contemplative teahouse experience by yourself or with friends. The prices are quite reasonable too, with items ranging from 2 to 8 dollars.

I would definitely visit this teahouse and light meal house in the future. Patronized the Belmont location on a whim. Needed something to soothe my belly ache. The woman working the front was very helpful in narrowing a selecting for this purpose.
The atmosphere inside is very zen. Tables and booths are available. Most of the décor is very earthy grays and browns, and in fact the booths have large boulders as the backrests.
The selection of tea here is vast and one can be sure to find what they are seeking. The flow is seat yourself and someone will come by to serve you. The space isn’t tight, but it is quaint and comfortable. A handful of small tables are available outside. I didn’t try any of the food options during my visit, but can recommend the hibiscus/​mint Ayurvedic tea which definitely helped to soothe my stomach ache.

I’ve been there several times and am looking forward to taking friends and family there for another visit for tea. It’s such a calming atmosphere and it has lovely décor and friendly, informative service.
Tall people beware: the seating here is not meant for you. But if you like tea, you’ll get over it and you will enjoy :)
I love the matcha smoothie and jade ice matcha tea, which both come in a bowl. The tulsi chai tea is also delicious and just perfectly sweet (i.e. not very sweet). The lotus anciens is another good one for hot earthy tea.
Be sure to visit their merchandise shop next door!
If I lived closer, I’d be here every day.

I am extremely dissatisfied with the service I am given. I purchased a «iron» tea can which is now starting to chip off pain and I am extremely concerned. I thought that I did purchase a 100% pure iron tea can/​pot but it certainly does not look like it. I spent well over $ 100 for the iron can and warmer.
I have tried several times to get help from them but being simply ignored.
Why would their iron tea can’s be treated with paint??? I do not want to consume paint while trying to enjoy a «healthy» cup of tea.
At least give your customers the decency and respond to their concern and not just ignore.
I assume they do not know what to respond as they know it is wrong what they are selling!!! Stay away from purchasing their iron tea ware!

Great place, relaxing small plates and tea on one side, great tea selection on tbd other. Amanda was extremely nice explaining their teas. Bought a few, can’t wait to try

The tea selection is phenomenal with their accompanying descriptions. Seating arrangement is comfortable and cozy with an aesthetically pleasing sense of calm.
I say Yes to this place.

Delicious food & tea, wonderful ambiance & great staff. What’s not to like about the Tao of Tea?
I personally love the Chai here both sada chai & 500 mile (masala) chai are great.

Awesome tea choice, great knowledge of the teas, paneer was delicious, I got the Vatta tea for my dosha, my friend mango Black and I’m buying the Eight treasures after! Yum. Parking by the park in the back.

A lovely spot to relax with a pot of tea. The ambiance and menu are Asian, this isn’t a little British tea shop. I’ve been coming here for a few years and I love how the food menu has expanded.
They offer a lovely list of black and green teas, pu-​erh, some white, and to my surprise a very interesting herbal selection that you can mix up a blend of your own for them to make you.
I love coming in here on a rainy day and relaxing with a friend to catch up.

Wow! I know my Indian chai and this place made me nostalgic. Perfect cup of chai and they customized it to be with no sugar for me. The ambiance is very peaceful. The samosas are very very good. The pastry covering of the samosa should be very thin which most of the places screw up. This place had the perfect covering with perfect potato filling. One thing though. I think the samosas were not very fresh which they should work on.

I’ve been to this place a few times and this is definitely one of the nice little places that’s so unique to Portland. Love their 500 mile chai! I love the ambiance and their food too.

I visited this place with a couple of friends because we wanted to try the chai, and we absolutely loved it. We had the 500 mile chai and found it delicious! One of the friends who was with me was raised in India, and he even said that this was almost as good as a chai he can get in his home town. I definitely recommend going there for masala chai!

If you’re a true tea connoisseur this is the place for you!
I was able to try several varieties — My favorites of the selection are below.
Brown Rice Tea (Genmaicha) — It had a vegetal, toasty, almost whole wheat bread taste with a hint of grass as a finish. This one i remember they served to me in the brown cast iron pot.
500 Mile Chai — STRONG! but i loved it. Its authentic, with strong ginger notes balanced some cinnamon.
Definitelyu worth a visit.

The tea is nothing special. The service? Horrendous.
It’s as if the server was ignoring my table on purpose. My friend and I waited so long to order, and had to go to the counter to ask for the bill and pay after realizing the server wasn’t going to come near us. Even though there were only two other customers there! (He made a mistake on our bill, which was fixed when I pointed it out).
Don’t overpay for the used mugs they sell there. My friend bought one with a Pier 1 sticker on the bottom, and another with a very scuffed bottom and scratches of wear and tear. He only realized this after he brought them home.

I give this place 4 stars only because the wait staff isn’t so attentive to when you want to order & when you want to get your check & leave! Luckily, my friend & I are patient & we just used the waiting time to chat.
The teas are so wonderful! I had the rose hip tea & my friend had the Moroccan mint (excellent!) We also ordered their Indian biscotti… OMG. SO good! I hate biscotti & didn’t want to try it. In glad I did! Highly recommend this tea house! Just be patient, service is slow! Maybe for our own good – slow down & enjoy your company.