Take a Sip Inside Beverly Hills' Refreshed American Tea Room

American Tea Room has re-opened its flagship shop in Beverly Hills today. The thoughtful, unique, luxury tea boutique that originally opened in 2003 and has been under renovation since 2015, showcases more than 200 premium teas from around the world, including the country’s most rare/exclusive matcha (usually reserved, quite literally, for the Japanese emperor himself—and not available anywhere else in the U.S.) as well as high-end tea ware, accessories, and gifts.

Additions include a new coffee bar will allow customers to take advantage of any retail tea brewed by the cup, tea-based beverages (like Thai teas), artisanal coffee, and grab and go sweets by Cake Monkey. There are also plans to roll out a rotating, pop-installation that will bring various tea regions from around the world to life

“Simply put, we’re thrilled to return to the neighborhood,” said CEO & Tea Master David Barenholtz, who opened two additional locations of American Tea Room in Downtown Los Angeles and Newport Beach while the Beverly Hills shop underwent its remodel. “After shifting gears to focus on expanding and experimenting with different formats, it became clear that – beyond anything else – our founding core in retail tea continued to resonate most with our customers. I hope they’re as excited as I am to return to our roots.”

Sourced to create a distinctly American tea experience, American Tea Room’s teas include a range of premium varieties and blends carefully chosen by Barenholtz, who travels up to four times per year to meet with growers around the globe. Tea enthusiasts can expect to discover rare matcha teas, whimsical rooibos blends, and vintage pu’er teas, among many others – several of which can’t be found for purchase anywhere else. Enhancing the shopping experience is the availability of unique, design-centric tea ware, such as Japanese cast iron teapots and custom glassware, as well as customizable gifts.

Designed by Barenholtz – who also touts a background in art and design – the 2,400 square foot store offers shoppers a luxe, contemporary atmosphere to shop for, sip on, and learn about tea. Shelves of meticulously curated tea bags and tea ware provide the focal point of the space, and a rotating, pop-up installation has been added in order to bring specific tea regions to life.