2510 E Fort Lowell Road, Tucson, AZ 85716
Tucson, AZ 85716
*Disclaimer: We were not paid for this review. All opinions are our own and based on our personal experience. Your experience may be different.
Seven Cups is a wonderful authentic Chinese tea house in the historic Sam Hughes neighborhood of Tucson. Everything about this tea shop is just perfect, from the delicious & extensive loose leaf tea selection, to the wonderful service and presentation, to the beautiful decor. It is no surprise at all that it was rated one of the top 6 tea shops in the U.S. by Travel & Leisure. I really love everything about this place: the quiet vibe, the beautiful fish tank, the amazing tea.
Seven Cups is a traditional relaxing Chinese tea house. Most of the tea shops around Tucson are quite noisy, modern, and crowded, and thus, about the furthest you could get from an authentic tea house experience. If you are looking for a nice relaxing place to enjoy a pot of amazing tea, there is no better choice in Tucson than Seven Cups. After trying a number of noisy, mediocre tea shops in the area, I can say that Seven Cups by far offers the best vibe and highest quality tea in the area.
You can buy their loose leafs online, although visiting the tea house in Tucson for a traditional tea drinking experience is definitely the way to go. There are over 80 loose leaf selections to choose amongst - greens, whites, oolongs, yellow, puers, and herbals. On Fridays, they offer a free tea tasting from 3-3:30pm. Update: As of 2025, tea tastings are now offered on select dates - check the event calendar.
I highly recommend trying the Eight Treasures Tea, both for the wonderful taste and exciting presentation. Eight Treasures is a caffeine free mixture of several healing Chinese herbs, each known to benefit different systems in the body. It's light and refreshing and does not contain any caffeine, which is definitely a benefit in dry Tucson, where you really should not be dehydrating yourself further with extra caffeine!
Eight Treasures is served in a glass teapot and the visual presentation is as wonderful as the tea itself. This tea was so delicious that I bought a bag to take home with me!
Update: There are a number of new selections for 2025. A few highlights include: Yu Qian Anji Baicha (Spring Rain Harvest Anji), Guzhu Zisun (Purple Bamboo Shoot), and Ming Qian Mogan Green.
Service at Seven Cups was wonderful, very attentive. Our server constantly refilled our pot with extra water so we got to enjoy several infusions. With the quaint relaxing setting, we ended up enjoying our tea for over an hour. It was the perfect escape on a 100+ scorching summer afternoon.
The ambiance is so quiet and relaxing, you really could lounge around here all afternoon testing out a bunch of different teas. The decor is beautiful with unique teapots everywhere (which you can purchase) and a beautiful colorful saltwater fish tank. The music is relaxing and low enough so you can still hold a conversation or simply relax and enjoy your tea. The quaint setting perfectly complements the traditional tea drinking experience. Update: This tea shop used to be located on 6th Street. The new cafe is more modern in design.
Seven Cups is your best bet for quality loose leaf tea in Tucson. I recommend visiting the tea house as opposed to simply buying the tea online as the setting is fabulous and the service wonderful. During Tucson's brutal summer season when you really cannot bare the heat, relaxing in Seven Cups for an hour or 2 is the perfect way to beat the heat.
