Whenever I am too poor to travel to India or Morocco, which is pretty much each week after I look at my paycheck and the sobbing subsides, I go to Spice-Topia to purchase some spices or teas so I can feel like I’ve had a getaway. The spice scents provide aromatherapy as you walk in the door and the variety is incredible. There are also nice gifts — unusual stuff from far away and local vendors, so you get a unique mix. Great teas too. They also have classes and the staff couldn’t be nicer. The prices aren’t cheap, but for the quality and variety you get, they’re on par with what one would expect.
Kalisha D.
Tu valoración: 1 Santa Paula, CA
This review is for the cooking class only. I like the store and go there for their great selection of herbs and spices. The cooking class was okay. The food we sampled was all good, but they need to inform you better on how much you’ll be eating. When I stopped by the store to inquire about the classes I was told dinner was included. When I took the class I was given four Costco sized samples of food and some dessert. I left starving. And there was still food left over in all their containers, so I guess they’re saving it for later? The chef was nice and I appreciated some of her recipes, but I won’t pay for a class again. For $ 35 I can buy some great food and watch the cooking network at home.
Kelli H.
Tu valoración: 5 Petaluma, CA
Stopped in here after passing through Ventura. Unfortunately my husband was sick on our trip but luckily we found Spice-Topia. We had fun smelling all the tea displays and decided to buy the Jasmine Plum Green Tea. It smells amazing! I can’t wait to brew this stuff. We also picked up some Fleur de Sel. We saw that they brew tea there for you so we asked the woman working if she could blend something that would soothe a sore throat. I’m not sure what she made but she blended it with licorice, spearmint, and honey. My husband said it was the best tea he’s ever had. He was super impressed and best of all it helped soothe his sore throat. We’re sad we don’t have store like this closer to us. I’d definitely recommend this store to any tea drinker or someone who loves interesting spices.
Elaine D.
Tu valoración: 5 Oxnard, CA
Came across this shop while walking around dt Ventura. Friendly service with a wide array of fresh tea spices.
Jenny S.
Tu valoración: 5 Manhattan Beach, CA
Amazing. We stopped in tonight to have a peek. Very organized and easy to navigate… SO many spices and teas. They have jalapeño salt, amongst many many other spices and variations that are so inspiring. What a great find. What a great idea. I can’t wait to go back and really take my time and make some delicious purchases.
Elaine M.
Tu valoración: 5 Valencia, CA
What a great find! We had friends from Australia that wanted us to send them some spices and sauces from America so we stumbled upon this amazing shop online and stopped by. The store is beautifully arranged, very user friendly and appealing to walk through. We were immediately greeted and asked if we needed help. From there we had our own personal shopper with us the whole time giving us samples and telling us about all the various lines they carried. Prices are reasonable and we left with a shopping bag full of goodies! Great staff! Will definitely go back!
Brenda F.
Tu valoración: 5 Thousand Oaks, CA
I came here with my daughter and was blown away by the incredible variety. The service was exceptional and the ability to taste everything put me in the poorhouse after I staggered to the checkout counter with my overfull basket. I will definitely be back. Prepare with a fistful of quarters to pay for street parking.
Suz-Anne S.
Tu valoración: 5 Port Hueneme, CA
The staff is so helpful and knowledgeable about spices and teas. Every time I go in and have a special request, they direct me to the right products. I bought spices, tea, mustard and gift certificates for my family at Christmastime. The prices are reasonable and they carry locally made products. Ashley the owner is a great person.
Roxanne M.
Tu valoración: 5 Simi Valley, CA
Truly a treasure of Ventura. If you need a unique gift, want a healthy treat for yourself or want to check out the best creative spins in the culinary world, you have to come here. If your visiting downtown and don’t check in here you’re making a mistake! They have wonderful people working here too. I’ve put together so many gifts here by making a spice set and I love when people ask me about a different item I have in my kitchen and I get to tell them I found it at Spice-topia.
E C.
Tu valoración: 5 Oxnard, CA
Spice-topia is one of the most accurately named businesses I’ve come across. Simply put, it’s spice Utopia. A few years back I stumbled upon it and bought some great sugars, and I’ve been a few times since. I’m definitely going to stop by more often. They have a large selection of infused salts, infused sugars, and loads of different spices, herbs, and rubs. A lot of then are interesting ones you wouldn’t find in a regular store, or are harder to find, like nigella seed or porcini mushroom salt. They also have a very large selection of loose leaf teas, and fun tea related paraphernalia. The employees are always great. I wish I’d gotten the name of the girl who was there today, she was fabulous. She helped me put together a great gift set of spices. Honestly this place is one place I can’t find any flaws with. Great atmosphere, great product, wonderful employees, good prices and it even smells great!
Jennie T.
Tu valoración: 4 Carpinteria, CA
Awesome selection of teas! I had a great time just touring their sniff jars to smell all the amazing tea fragrances. The owner kindly blended two of my favorites together for me into my own special blends. The only downside was that the tea water was not fully hot. Fun place though. I’d revisit.
Ami T.
Tu valoración: 5 West Los Angeles, CA
Such a cute store! I wish I lived closer because I would be here all the time. It’s a pretty roomy shop that sells teas, spices, other cute little accessories, cooking stuff, jams, etc. They also seem to have cooking classes too and I think you can also buy cups of tea from them as well. They had a pretty large selection of spices and teas and had little jars where you could smell what you’re going to be buying. Their tea runs about 6 bucks for an ounce which I thought was pretty standard for loose leaf tea places. Great place if you’re looking for gifts for the holidays. Very nice people that work there as well. Oh and they have an area where you can sample some of their nut butters, mustards, jams, etc
Elle B.
Tu valoración: 5 Philadelphia, PA
Awesome little shop if you love to cook, or love someone who does. :) I came in for one spice, and walked out with two shopping bags. I got some really awesome looking teas for my mama, some local YUUUUMMMY looking salsa for my husband, and a bunch of spices to get him more interested in cooking me some fancy chicken! :) lol, let’s see if it works. Cute little curation of home goods and gifts. She sources a ton of local in here, which I love. Think beautiful hand-carved wooden cutting boards, tea drinker gifts, specialty jams and olive oils. Oh and they have cooking classes! The owner and her girl she had working there were so friendly and helpful that we’re definitely going back for one of those.
Janelle O.
Tu valoración: 5 Camarillo, CA
They have hot tea to sample and often are cooking up something delicious in the back as part of a demo or class! You’ll find bulk spices and tea here, including spice blends and unusual types of tea. They’re delicious! Lots of great gifty items as well.
Matt R.
Tu valoración: 5 Santa Barbara, CA
Very nice spice store. Not a coffee shop– it pulled up in Unilocal under coffee shops. Technically I guess they do sell teas, but it’s a store not a sit down coffee shop. Unilocal may need to recategorize this under shops
Vivian N.
Tu valoración: 4 Ventura, CA
Such a cute little mom and pop shop located in downtown Ventura. Had a lot of spices to offered from different types of salt and sugar to pepper and herbs. Very creative. We ended up buying a bag of habanero salt, lemon salt, and vanilla bean sugar. We tried the habanero salt with some soy sauce as a potsticker dip at home and it was fantastic. I mean to try the lemon salt with maybe some fruits like watermelon or cantaloupe and the vanilla bean sugar to add to my coffee. Enjoyed browsing the store but price were a bit high. One small bag of spice will cost you about $ 2 – 3. Not sure how long it will last us either but overall, worth a visit since the shop is so unique.
Jo S.
Tu valoración: 4 North Hollywood, CA
We stopped by Spice-Topia while walking around the Main Street. It got my attention before, but we never checked it out. I like the layout and the merchandise. It’s a cute place, great store to buy interesting gifts. They do sell interesting spices, but also tapenades, spreads, jellies, teas, olive oil, all different, all made locally, in Ventura, Ojai and Santa Barbara area. They also have cookbooks and cute local pottery, decent prices, great for your house or as a gift. Nice store, decent customer service, fits perfectly on the Main Street where there are mainly indie, local businesses — a major plus for me. It makes strolling around and shopping more fun.
Gel D.
Tu valoración: 5 Santa Barbara, CA
This place is great I bought some wine jelly that was so good! The owners are great people. Everyone should go here for their spice needs So many choices and variety! I can’t wait to visit again!
Valarie G.
Tu valoración: 5 Camarillo, CA
I came here for a cooking class but stayed for the amazing spice selection. Anything and everything you could ever want when in the kitchen. Forget the heavy sauces and creams, learn your spices and cook healthier & better dishes! They also sell many local products from local artisans. Check out the cutting boards, olives, and other fresh from your local farmer’s market goodies. Oh, and tea too! Yay!
CC C.
Tu valoración: 5 Burlingame, CA
I was finishing my workout when I walked by here and decided to walk in. This place is soo adorable! You walk in and just inhale all the delicious spices. I’m no cook and I want to buy all the spices just so I can smell them all the time. They have an assortment of loose teas, which I love! On top of that, they also have cooking/kitchen ware. Stuff that would make great gifts even if you’re not a cook. They have cooking demos once or twice a month by a chef Amy. I decided it wouldn’t hurt to try it out even if I never cook anything. $ 35 for the demo and you get to sample the food and you get a cookbook. Something fun to try in the area.