Tea, teaware & gifts · Grant Ave from Bush St (Dragon Gate) to Broadway
Chinatown
Grant Ave and Stockton St.
The oldest Chinatown in North America, with tourist-facing Grant Avenue for tea houses, kitchenware, silk and souvenirs, and Stockton Street where residents buy produce, bakery goods and dry goods. It suits tea buyers, cooks after a proper wok and anyone shopping for Lunar New Year gifts.
Grant Ave · Tea & teaware · Kitchenware
Photo: Derek Jensen (Tysto) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
- In our directory
- 21 shopseach one verified
- Where
- Grant Ave from Bush St (Dragon Gate) to BroadwayTea, teaware & gifts
- Right now
- Typical hours11am–6pm
- Getting here
- California Street cable carStops on Grant Ave. Muni buses stop at Stockton and Washington streets.
Insider guide
Shopping Chinatown.
The story
San Francisco's Chinatown is the oldest in North America. Grant Ave, from the Dragon Gate at Bush St up to Broadway, is the tourist-facing strip for tea houses, kitchenware, silk and souvenirs. Stockton St, from Sacramento St to Broadway, is where residents buy produce, bakery goods and dry goods.
It suits tea buyers, cooks after a proper wok and anyone shopping for Lunar New Year gifts. Shop Stockton for lower prices and fresh produce, and Grant for gifts and tea.
What to Expect
Tea is the specialty. Vital Tea Leaf runs free tastings of green, black, oolong and rare teas from China and Taiwan, Red Blossom Tea is the focused stop for serious loose-leaf buyers, and Ten Ren Company is near the Dragon Gate. For the kitchen, The Wok Shop stocks carbon-steel woks, cleavers and bamboo steamers.
For gifts, Canton Bazaar is a large emporium of jade, porcelain, silk robes, tea sets and mahjong sets, and Old Shanghai (645) has lacquer cabinets and bronze incense burners for larger pieces. Kim + Ono (729), run by sisters Renee and Tiffany Tam, sells hand-painted silk kimonos and robes, a step up from the souvenir silk elsewhere. Min Ngai and Asian Trends are worth comparing for a full mahjong set, Chinatown Kite Shop (717) has kites and toys, and Jade Chocolates sells chocolate a few doors from Canton Bazaar. For red envelopes before Lunar New Year or a wedding, go to Asia Star Fantasy on upper Grant or Lian Hua Trading on Stockton.
Best Time to Visit
Grant Ave shops generally open around 10 or 11am and close at 6 or 7pm daily. Red Blossom Tea and Ten Ren both close on Wednesday, so plan a tea-buying trip for another day; Jade Chocolates lists Wednesday to Sunday only. The Wok Shop closes at 5pm. Bring cash, since several Chinatown spots don't take cards.
If You Only Have an Hour
Enter through the Dragon Gate at Bush St and walk up Grant: Ten Ren Company, Canton Bazaar, The Wok Shop and Kim + Ono. Detour half a block into Ross Alley to watch fortune cookies folded by hand at the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory, then finish with a tasting at Vital Tea Leaf.
Where to Eat
Good Mong Kok Bakery on Stockton St sells takeout dim sum such as char siu bao and har gow, a cheap lunch on the street where residents shop. Z & Y at 655 Jackson St is a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand, and Mister Jiu's at 28 Waverly Pl holds one MICHELIN star.
The directory
21 shops, all in one place.
Tap a shop or a dot on the map to see it.
Gifts9 places
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Large Grant Ave emporium selling jade, porcelain, silk robes, sake and tea sets, Buddhas and some furniture, plus mahjong sets and toys. Worth a full browse for gifts at several price points.
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Long-running Grant Ave shop for kites, toys and games, listed in the Chinatown community directory and open daily. A good stop for families and kid-friendly gifts.
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Art and decor gift shop in the middle of the Grant Ave strip, open early and later than most of its neighbors. Stocks Chinese decorative pieces and souvenirs.
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Art and decor gift shop on Grant Ave listed in the Chinatown community directory, open daily. Stocks Chinese decorative items and souvenirs.
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Art and decor shop at the north end of the Grant Ave gift strip, listed in the Chinatown community directory. Browse for Chinese decorative items and gifts.
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Souvenir store selling discounted jewelry, silk kimonos, paper lanterns and Chinatown keepsakes. A budget stop for small gifts in bulk.
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Low-price shop near the Dragon Gate end of Grant Ave selling traditional clothing, shoes, fans and trinkets. Good for inexpensive souvenirs and dress-up pieces.
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Gift shop on upper Grant Ave listed by the Chinatown Volunteer Coalition as a source for red envelopes. Handy before Lunar New Year or a wedding.
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Toy and game shop on lower Grant Ave listed in the Chinatown community directory, open daily. A pop-culture stop among the traditional gift shops near the Dragon Gate end.
Home4 places
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Kitchen supply shop on Grant Ave stocking carbon-steel woks, cleavers, bamboo steamers and other Chinese cooking gear. The place to buy a proper wok and the tools that go with it.
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Chinese arts and crafts shop on Grant Ave listed for decor, mahjong sets and tea sets. Good for traditional decorative pieces and game sets to take home.
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Grant Ave shop listed in the Chinatown community directory for mahjong sets and tea sets. A useful comparison stop if you are shopping for a full mahjong set.
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Art and decor shop on upper Grant Ave listed in the Chinatown community directory. A smaller, quieter alternative to the big bazaars for Chinese decorative objects.
Specialty4 places
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Specialty tea shop on Grant Ave listed in the Chinatown community directory under tea and tea sets. A focused stop for loose-leaf tea buyers rather than souvenir tins.
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Tea shop with tasting counter selling green, black, oolong and rare teas from China and Taiwan, plus herbs, ginseng and teapots. Has several Grant Ave storefronts; this is the north-end shop.
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Tea shop on lower Grant Ave listed in the Chinatown community directory for loose tea. A convenient tea stop near the Dragon Gate end, a block from Canton Bazaar.
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Stockton Street shop listed by the Chinatown Volunteer Coalition for red envelopes and festival goods. Sits on the residents' shopping street rather than the tourist strip.
Food & drink2 places
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Chocolatier on lower Grant Ave that the Chinatown Volunteer Coalition lists among the neighborhood's tea shops. An edible gift option a few doors from Canton Bazaar.
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Takeout-only dim sum counter on Stockton St selling steamed char siu bao, har gow and other dim sum to go. A cheap lunch on the street where residents shop.
Furniture1 place
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Antiques and home decor shop with lacquer cabinets, bronze incense burners, silk clothing, mahjong sets and tea sets. One of the better Grant Ave stops for larger decorative pieces.
Boutiques1 place
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Boutique run by sisters Renee and Tiffany Tam selling hand-painted silk kimonos and robes. A step up from the souvenir silk sold elsewhere on Grant Ave.
No shops in that category here yet.
This week
In Chinatown this week.
Typical hours
Most shops keep the hours below.
Hours vary by individual store. Always check with specific retailers.
Eat, drink, stay
Between shops, close by.
Ratings are the scores saved in our directory and are not live. Check the listing for the current score.
Getting here
Parking and transit.
- PParkingPortsmouth Square Garage and St. Mary's Square Garage; no rates were posted.
- SCalifornia Street cable carStops on Grant Ave. Muni buses stop at Stockton and Washington streets.
The Portsmouth Square Garage and St. Mary's Square Garage are the practical places to park.
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Guides for Chinatown
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