It’s official; London has gone crazy for matcha, and in 2026, you’ll struggle to walk down a London street without tripping over a coffee shop advertising board showing off their latest matcha concoctions.
Once consumed mainly in small, formal tea ceremonies, TikTok and Instagram have rocketed this vibrant green tea into the stratosphere, a trend that shows no sign of abating. Gen Z are shunning the pre-flight pint for matcha green tea, according to the Guardian, a trend we respect rather than want to replicate, admittedly, and the ubiquitous Blank Street even dropped ‘Coffee’ from its name in a rebrand that felt decidedly matchacore.
Yep, matcha is everywhere, and its distinctive earthy sweetness has captured the city’s imagination. However, all over London you’ll find spots serving over-sweetened milky drinks that may or may not actually contain matcha (more likely batcha). So how does one find the best matcha drinks and treats in London?
We’ve done the hard work and nearly turned ourselves a Shrek colour of green in the process. From dedicated matcha bars and flaky, matcha-loaded croissants to luxury hotel matcha cocktails and even a matcha burger, here are the best spots to get your fix of matcha in London.
We should mention that, worryingly for enthusiasts, talk is brewing of a worldwide matcha shortage, so consume your matcha mindfully, just as it was originally intended.
Sumi, Notting Hill
Ideal for possibly the best matcha mille crepe cake in London….
It’s impossible to claim that anything is definitively the best in London, but we reckon Sumi’s matcha mille crepe cake comes close. The origins of this particular creation remain debated, but the marriage of French patisserie with Japanese culinary meticulousness makes perfect sense. At Sumi, that union is faultlessly executed.
Earthy and sweet, the cake arrives as a bright and beautiful stack of delicate crepes layered with whipped cream and flavoured with savoury matcha. The colour alone is striking – that deep, almost mossy green signalling quality powder rather than the lurid hue of lesser versions. Each crepe is light and airy without losing structure, while the cream between them is restrained rather than cloying. The balance here is everything: the gentle bitterness of the matcha tempers the sweetness, and as you work through each forkful that earthy flavour develops even more.
Topped with a dollop of creme fraiche and finished with a shower of matcha powder, cutting through those layers is deeply satisfying – there’s a quiet pleasure in watching your fork glide through that precise geometry. A mainstay on the menu since the restaurant’s opening, and one we hope never comes off.
Website: sushisumi.com
Address: 157 Westbourne Grove, London W11 2RS
Jenki, Canary Wharf
Ideal for experiencing 100% ceremonial grade matcha…
Husband-and-wife duo Claudia and Otto Boyer founded Jenki after growing frustrated with matcha being an afterthought on London menus. They went to Uji, Japan’s birthplace of matcha and benchmark for quality, to source the best, learned the art of making matcha, then opened their first bricks n mortar store in Spitalfields in 2021. Jenki comes from the Japanese word “genki”, meaning full of life, and they’ve certainly breathed new life into London’s matcha scene.
Skip forward a few years and Jenki has just been awarded Matcha Brand of the Year 2025 at the European Coffee and Hospitality Awards in Berlin, which definitely speaks for something given all the shops selling subpar matcha. Now with five locations including a recent Canary Wharf opening, Jenki serve thousands of matchas daily across the city. The Canary Wharf site, designed by Studio Rain Wu, features floor-to-ceiling glass and sustainable surfaces made from upcycled materials. It might just be our favourite of the lot.
Only 100% ceremonial grade matcha from Japan is used in their drinks and everything is whisked to order. The Flat Green (their take on the flat white) is a bestseller and if you only come here once, this is the one you should try. It has less milk than a matcha latte, meaning a more concentrated flavour, allowing the tea’s earthy notes to shine.
Seasonal specials are worth a return visit – their winter immunity smoothie combines ginger and turmeric for warmth and anti-inflammation, matcha for sustained energy, and manuka honey for its antibacterial, soothing qualities – colds beware.
Since you’re in London, not Japan, the JENKI London Fog – Earl Grey Matcha Latte is another must try. A homemade syrup of black tea with notes of bergamot and citrus, and vanilla bean is stirred into your milk of choice and topped with ceremonial grade matcha for that extra punch. It’s quite possibly London’s best matcha drink.
If you’re a banana bread fanatic, pick up a slice of their Matcha Banana Bread. It’s baked fresh in-house and made with JENKI Matcha, dark chocolate, and perfectly ripe bananas, all of which lend it a spuriously healthy air. If you further want to legitimise its consumption – you’ll need to replace those calories you’ve just burned standing in line for 30 minutes.
Website: jenki.co.uk
Address: Unit 92, Lower Mall, Jubilee, Canary Wharf Estate, London E14 5NY
Read: The IDEAL recipe for whipped white chocolate matcha latte
Dinings SW3, Knightsbridge
Ideal for matcha Dorayaki dessert….
Chef Masaki Sugisaki’s Chelsea restaurant continues to push boundaries with its fusion of Japanese techniques and European ingredients. The setting – a converted Victorian building off Walton Street, once an artist’s studio – features a striking quartz bar, an elegant Victorian fireplace, and an intimate mews courtyard for al fresco dining. But it’s the dorayaki that brings matcha lovers here.
These Japanese pancakes take weeks to develop; the batter alone required three weeks to perfect in the r&d phase. The result is impossibly light and fluffy, a cloud-like vessel for some thoughtful fillings. The Matcha and Jasmine Dorayaki is a thing of quiet beauty. Velvety matcha and jasmine tea white chocolate ice cream sits between ethereal pancakes, finished with kuromitsu Chantilly and genmai white chocolate crunch.
Don’t be heartbroken if that particular Dorayaki isn’t on the menu though. Things change with the seasons but the craftsmanship remains constant. A previous favourite featured white chocolate matcha ice cream with plum wine compressed strawberries and Okinawa shikuwasa dango mochi.
For those wanting to extend the experience, there’s a fine tea selection including the Organic ‘Green Velvet’ Matcha, vibrant green with a bold aroma. This is matcha with refinement.
Website: diningssw3.co.uk
Address: Walton House, Lennox Gardens Mews, London SW3 2JH
Tsujiri, Chinatown
Ideal for sweet treats from a 155 year old teahouse legacy…
One of the oldest matcha brands in the world, Tsujiri has been crafting green tea since 1860 when founder Riemon Tsuji dedicated himself to the art in Kyoto. Fast forward 166 years and that heritage has landed in London, with outposts serving ceremonial grade O-Matcha from Uji alongside a parade of Instagram-worthy desserts. It’s a heady combination.
They know how to make a destination-worthy treats. The matcha soft serve sundaes draw queues at all three of Tsujiri’s sites, piled high with red bean paste, mochi and crispy toppings in various combinations. The Matcha Bubble Sundae is a particular highlight: chewy tapioca, crunchy cornflakes and smooth, creamy matcha ice cream creating a riot of textures in a single glass.
Bring a friend who shares your obsession and order the matcha crepe cake too – soft, delicate layers filled with perfectly balanced matcha cream that dissolves gently on the tongue. The matcha basque cheesecake offers that same melt-in-the-mouth quality, while the matcha tiramisu latte brings something a little different to beloved Italian classic. In warmer months, the warabi mochi and shaved ice desserts come into their own.
Before you leave, browse Tsujiri’s retail selection: matcha powder, Tsujiri Matcha Nama Chocolate and matcha madeleines all available to take home, making this a one-stop shop for the matcha-obsessed. There are branches in Camden and Westfield Stratford, but it’s the flagship store in Soho’s Chinatown we love most.
Website: tsujiri.co.uk
Address: 33 Newport Court, London WC2H 7PQ
Katsute 100, Angel & Brick Lane
Ideal for slowing down and savouring that matcha moment…
Katsute means ‘once’ in Japanese – a word that represents nostalgia, history, and moments in time. It’s a fitting name. The original Angel site sits among the antique dealers of Camden Passage, all floral wallpaper and vintage pendant lighting with Japanese touches woven through. Once you’ve tried what they do here, you’ll find yourself weaving through again and again – the name becomes less about the past and more about that first, formative taste while losing yourself in the moment.
At the Brick Lane branch, you’ll need to remove your shoes to sit in the traditional tatami-style space downstairs. Don’t miss the matcha mille crepe cake, which has become something of a cult favourite across the capital: layers of delicate crepe encasing lightly whipped matcha cream, executed with the kind of precision that makes you pause mid-bite. It’s our second favourite in London after Sumi, and if you’re properly smitten, you can buy a whole cake to take home.
You’ll also find matcha hot chocolate, matcha affogato, and a superb selection of loose-leaf teas imported from smaller Japanese producers – the sort of carefully sourced leaves that reward slow steeping and close attention. Beyond Angel and Brick Lane, you’ll also find outposts inside Uniqlo in Covent Garden (complete with a roof terrace) and at Broadway Market. Katsute, you’re really spoiling us.
Website: katsute100.com
Address: 100 Islington High Street, London N1 8EG
Address: 147 Brick Ln, London E1 6SB
Omotesando Koffee, Fitzrovia
Ideal for Japanese minimalist vibes…
Named after the famous tree-lined avenue in Tokyo where the original shop gained cult status, Omotesando Koffee now has outposts across the globe. Luckily for London, the Fitzrovia branch brings Japanese minimalism just a few doors off Oxford Street. It’s a world away from the chaos just outside.
Coffee is the main attraction here, and thank goodness: their signature blends, made from beans sourced worldwide, are exceptional. But the matcha latte has earned its place at the table, made with high-grade powder from Uji and served with the same precision as those coffees.
The matcha latte itself is a study in balance – grassy and vegetal with a gentle bitterness that lingers, the milk softening the edges without masking the tea’s complexity. For those who crave a creamier finish, there’s the Matchaccino. This is matcha for the connoisseur; not at all sweet, just rich, earthy and silky. Pair your drink with their signature kashi – a baked custard cube with a caramelised crisp exterior and gloriously gooey centre.
The light wood interior feels contemporary and effortlessly cool, the kind of place where you can feel quietly smug about your excellent taste. It’s small, with just a handful of window-bar seats, so come prepared for standing room at peak times. There’s sometimes a queue, there’s no toilet, but none of that seems to matter when the sip is this ethereal.
Next time you’re on the Elizabeth Line take a detour toTottenham Court Road and exit via Dean St – it’ll drop you practically on the doorstep of Omotesando Koffee. Thank us later.
Website: ooo-koffee.com.
Address: 8 Newman St, London W1T 1FB
How Matcha! Marylebone
Ideal for inventive matcha drinks…
Since Gen Z caught on to matcha in a major way, a line is almost guaranteed outside How Matcha!. But long before the hype, this community-driven cafe has become one of London’s most beloved matcha destinations, a Marylebone mecca for all things matcha. The ceremonial grade matcha is sourced directly from farms in Kagoshima and forms the base for inventive creations like the Wasabi Matcha Shot, the Dirty Matcha (a celebrity favourite, we’re told), and the Immune, blending matcha with cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, black pepper, bee pollen and honey.
At the Marylebone branch, DJ pop-ups and events happen; it’s certainly a scene. Baristas wear shirts that don’t quite match the energy of a tea ceremony with slogans like ‘F*** Coffee, Drink Matcha’ and ‘Will you Matcha Me’. That said, the baristas love their craft and have a very chill vibe, talking passionately, and always eager to show you the process and recommend drinks to suit your tastes. The menu can seem a little overwhelming, but if you’re as indecisive as we are, you can’t go wrong with the Spanish Blossom iced matcha.
The original Marylebone site built such a devoted following that they expanded to a three-floor flagship on Ledbury Road in Notting Hill, complete with oak-panelled walls, a basement Kintsugi Room for rituals and quiet moments, and a sun-drenched courtyard garden. It’s pretty and serene.
Website: howmatcha.com
Address: 47 Blandford Street, London W1U 7HQ
WA Cafe, Covent Garden
Ideal for matcha desserts and a quiet escape in Covent Garden…
This independent Japanese patisserie has been putting out some of London’s best matcha pastries for years, all made with decadent, pure green tea from Kyoto.
The matcha Swiss roll is the one to beat – light sponge wrapped around gently whipped matcha cream and dotted with sweet red bean, each slice restrained and assured. The matcha croissant, topped with a grassy ganache, runs it close.
But don’t stop there. WA’s matcha tiramisu layers sponge dipped in intense matcha syrup with light mascarpone cream, all set on a chocolate sablé base that stops it tipping into cloying territory. And the matcha milk roll – soft, swirly bread with rich matcha dough, baked until creamy and scattered with crunchy almond slices – lingers in the mind long after. It’s still lingering there now, come to think of it. For special occasions, whole matcha rolls and 16-inch matcha tiramisus are available to preorder.
Sure, most come for the desserts, but the savoury options mean you can make a meal of it at WA Café. We’re particularly taken with the homemade vegetable Japanese curry wrapped in soft dough, coated in breadcrumbs and baked until golden.
Indicative of the success of matcha across the city (and, as with many of the entries in our rundown), there are now several branches of WA Café across London. The Covent Garden branch on New Row offers a calm retreat from the crowds, while the Ealing Broadway original has a loyal local following. A newer Marylebone site has extended their reach further.
Arrive early for the best selection – popular items sell out by mid-afternoon. Before you leave, pick up a pot of their matcha rusks: crisp, delicate biscuits made from the edges of their signature milk loaf and infused with that same fine-grade Kyoto matcha.
Locations: 5 New Row, Covent Garden; Haven Green, Ealing Broadway; Marylebone
Website: wacafe.co.uk
Address: 5 New Row, London WC2N 4LH
Tab x Tab, Notting Hill
Ideal for nitro matcha and a west London brunch…
Tab x Tab, the husband-and-wife-run brunch cafe on Westbourne Grove, has become a west London institution. Industrial-chic interiors and a seasonal menu draw weekend crowds for dishes like truffle scrambled eggs, loaded avocado toast, and French toast with grilled peach, lemon thyme mascarpone and orange blossom syrup. But the drinks are where our attention falls today.
Premium loose-leaf teas from Lalani & Co form the base for their matcha, served hot or iced with precision. They sit alongside specialty coffees, making this an excellent destination for those who cannot quite decide between caffeine camps.
Come summer, the Floral Fizz is worth seeking out: osmanthus green tea with refreshing tonic, topped with a creamy matcha foam. Everything here feels considered, right down to the gorgeous crockery. A place to linger.
Website: tabxtab.com
Address: 14-16 Westbourne Grove, London W2 5RH
Nobu Hotel London, Portman Square
Ideal for matcha cocktail concoctions…
Can earthy green tea powder make a ceremonial-grade cocktail? The answer, it turns out, is yes. The five-star Marylebone hotel Nobu has partnered with Jenki to create what they claim are the world’s first matcha cocktails. Served on their summer terrace, they’re proof that matcha has ambitions well beyond the teacup.
The Yuzu Jenki Punch blends Roku Gin with ceremonial grade matcha, yuzu, vanilla and coconut water. It’s light and refreshing, vibrant and zesty, with a delicate vegetal sweetness that complements the citrus rather than fighting it. The vanilla arrives as a subtle surprise at the finish, rounding everything out.
Those avoiding alcohol should order the Minted Matcha, mixing matcha with mint, shiso, lime and soda to crisp, clean effect. They serve a matcha latte too, for the semi-purists, but the cocktails are the real draw here.
The collaboration extends beyond drinks. The terrace menu includes a selection of mochi, including a Raspberry Jenki Matcha, alongside their Kakigori – traditional Japanese shaved ice in strawberry and matcha as well as the usual cantaloupe and watermelon. Perfect for warmer days spent watching Marylebone drift by.
For afternoon tea, expect matcha scones with raspberry shiso jam, yuzu curd and clotted cream. It’s a refined setting for what might be matcha’s most glamorous outing in the capital.
Website: nobuhotels.com
Address: 22 Portman Square, London W1H 7BG
Café Kitsuné, Belgravia
Ideal for a fashionable matcha pit stop…
The French-Japanese concept born from fashion brand Maison Kitsuné has been a matcha pioneer since it first opened in Paris in 2014. Café Kitsuné’s London outpost – the UK’s first – occupies the ground floor of the Pantechnicon, a striking Grade II listed building in Belgravia that houses five storeys of Nordic and Japanese dining and shopping. The matcha is sourced directly from Uji, and the space itself feels calm and considered amid the polish of Motcomb Street.
The matcha latte is excellent, made even better when you dip the brand’s signature fox-shaped cookies into it (kitsune translates as ‘fox’ in Japanese). The iced strawberry matcha latte is worth seeking out too; sweet, slightly tart and dangerously easy to drink. But it’s the pastries that really shine.
The double-baked matcha croissant is exceptional. It’s shatteringly crisp on the outside, the layers giving way to a mellow, creamy matcha frangipane laced with caramelised lemon and topped with flaked almonds and a dusting of powdered sugar. The matcha and raspberry cookie is generous and satisfying: buttery with a soft, cakey texture, the matcha subtle rather than overpowering, the raspberry adding a gentle tartness. A matcha and lemon marble cake rounds out the selection.
Order from the small hatch on the ground floor and collect your drink before finding a seat – there’s more space upstairs on the first floor.
Website: maisonkitsune.com
Address: Ground Floor, Pantechnicon, 19 Motcomb Street, London SW1X 8LB
SACHI, Belgravia
Ideal for matcha tiramisu and rooftop drinks with a view…
Sharing the Pantechnicon building with Café Kitsuné, SACHI offers a more refined kappo-style dining experience blending Japanese and Nordic influences.
The dessert section features a matcha tiramisu that has become something of a signature and is a must-try. Beautifully light vanilla mascarpone cream sits atop matcha-soaked savoiardi biscuit, the bitter-vegetal notes of the green tea playing off the creamy richness. It’s darn delicious. Pair it with the Ura Gasanryu Koka Honjozo, a clean, restrained sake whose dry finish cuts through the cream without competing with the matcha’s earthy bitterness. This rooftop bar provides panoramic views and draws on Japanese garden aesthetics for a contemplative setting to really think about those flavours.
Come just for dessert and cocktails or make a meal of it. Executive Chef Chris Golding, formerly of Nobu and Zuma, oversees an ambitious menu that spans sushi, robata and tempura. Lookout for specials like their matcha soba noodles with ikura, shiso and a creamy bottarga butter sauce.
Website: sachirestaurants.com
Address: Second Floor, Pantechnicon, 19 Motcomb St, London SW1X 8LB
Matcha Bar at The Salad Project, Notting Hill
Ideal for a morning pick-me-up and health-conscious matcha fans…
When healthy fast-casual chain The Salad Project opened its Notting Hill site at 110 Westbourne Grove last October, it came with an unexpected addition: a dedicated matcha bar. It serves hot and cold matcha classics alongside playful creations inspired by their signature salads – think miso maple walnut matcha, hot honey matcha, and a spritzy green goddess. Light breakfast bites turn the space into an all-day destination, making it a welcome addition to W11’s neighbourhood dining scene.
Website: saladproject.co.uk
Address: 110 Westbourne Grove, London W2 5RU
Boxcar, Marylebone
Ideal for a justifiably viral matcha croissant…
The popular Marylebone bakery Boxcar generates real enthusiasm (both actual and virtual) for its matcha croissant. Head chef Zisis Gkalmpenis and executive pastry chef Liza Kermanidou oversee the pastry programme at both the original Baker & Deli on Wyndham Place and the newer Bread & Wine in Connaught Village, turning out hand-laminated pastries fresh each morning to the denizens of W1.
The matcha croissant has become something of a cult classic- and one look tells you why. It’s a circular swirl of hand-laminated pastry, the golden layers rippling around a vivid green centre of delicious creamy high grade matcha pastry cream. The shape alone has earned it viral status, but the eating is just as good: flaky, buttery pastry giving way to a soft, yielding matcha-filled heart that’s sweet without being cloying. It sits alongside other standouts from the morning selection – cinnamon rice pudding danish, orange blossom brioche – but this is the one people queue for.
Pair it with a matcha latte and find a seat facing St Mary’s Church in Bryanston Square. The interior is cosy and sleek, and there’s a no-laptop policy at weekends, making this a place to luxuriate in your own company.
P.S. At the Bread & Wine venue in Connaught Village, stay into the evening for their Matcha Margarita – tequila, matcha and agave, unexpectedly good. A neighbourhood bakery done right.
Address: 7A Wyndham Place, Marylebone, W1H 1PN
Website: boxcar.co.uk
Japan Centre, Leicester Square
Ideal for Japanophiles who want it all under one roof…
London’s largest Japanese food hall occupies a prime spot just off Leicester Square, and for anyone who wants to combine their matcha fix with a proper browse through Japanese groceries, snacks and homeware, this is the place.
The Japan Centre’s basement depachika-style layout – modelled on the beloved food halls found beneath Japanese department stores – wraps around open kitchens and a central courtyard where you can sit and eat. And if you’re here to eat matcha, you’re in for a treat.
The in-house bakery turns out matcha roll cakes, matcha muffins and matcha custard-filled dorayaki alongside seasonal specials like sakura-dusted doughnuts. Head to the Mochi Donut Bar for hand-decorated matcha and raspberry mochi donuts paired with fruity bubble teas, or grab a matcha latte from the ground floor counters – look out for seasonal specials like the adzuki matcha latte.
For the full experience, the supermarket stocks an impressive range of premium matcha powders, Japanese teas and matcha-flavoured snacks you won’t find elsewhere – perfect for stocking up before heading home. It gets busy at lunchtimes, so arrive early to grab a table.
Website: japancentre.com
Address: 35b Panton Street, London SW1Y 4EA
The Bottom Line
London’s matcha scene has matured well beyond the basic latte. Whether you want ceremonial grade whisked to order, a boundary-pushing cocktail, a gorgeously laminated pastry, or simply a budget-friendly drink to nurse on your commute, the capital now has options across every price point and neighbourhood. Kanpai!
Hey, let’s stick around Soho a little longer, as it’s home to several of our favourite bowls of ramen in London. Care to linger, too?
