Matcha has been popping up in more and more cafes around Melbourne in the last few years, and we've been delighted at some of the offerings around town. Everything from Matcha lattes, green tea ice cream, matcha flavoured waffles and sweets can be found on cafe menus around Melbourne.
We've compiled a list of the top cafes around town to satisfy that matcha craving. It's not just limited to Starbucks any more.
Ps. Just looking to buy matcha powder? You can shop our matcha range here.
Australians are always early to jump on superfood trends, So, there’s no surprise that Matcha has made its way west to the great city of Melbourne.
Let’s explore the best spots to try matcha out in Melbourne, together!
This spot isn’t a specialty matcha café but remains one of Melbourne’s best brunch venues, and you bet that they sell matcha alongside other coffees and teas.
While they don’t specialize matcha they certainly have a lot of matcha related items on their menu such as matcha waffles, matcha granola as well as their own ‘Kaya Matcha Latté’
Not only is this a great place to get coffee and matcha, but the location of Operator 25 is a heritage listed building on Melbourne’s Willis Street.
The venue is the original telephone exchange building, connecting history and coffee into one enjoyable experience.
At Journeyman, they are built on history and tradition but with a keen eye for the future.
We mean this rather literally as Journeyman lives in the building that also used to house Dukes Coffee Roasters, a name the Melbourne veterans may notice.
Journeyman takes the old and adds the new, expect classic coffee as well as modern takes on matcha as well as other teas.
Not only does Journeyman offer one of the most favored matcha lattés in the area but also has other caffeine free favorites such as turmeric lattés which evidence Australia as global leaders in health food markets.
This is a Japanese café that has been part of the south Melbourne community since 2015. Alongside matcha, they serve a whole host of other Japanese classics that are authentic with a modern twist.
This is a great place to practice KUU’s mantra of ‘healthy balance’ and dine on some classic Japanese cuisine or indulge in some sweet drinks and desserts.
Pertinently, their matcha latté is hailed across south Melbourne, and if you feel a little more adventurous they also serve other matcha dishes like matcha affogato and matcha rocky road.
Their menu will often change as different ingredients come in so they always have some new matcha stuff depending on when you go in. Domo Arigato!
This matcha crazy café is the perfect place for any matcha lover as well as the vegan and vegetarians of Australia. There is food for meat lovers, vegan and vegetarians.
They put matcha in everything here in the buns of their burgers, smoothies, acai bowls, and even quinoa infused with matcha. Moreover, they have what they call ‘the perfect matcha’ which is their ‘matcha maiden’ drink.
This matcha maiden offer is seriously customizable too, which we love. You can get salted caramel, iced matcha latté, and more, with a whole host of non dairy milk.
Kyo Tea House is a Japanese tea house in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD. Kyo Tea House is themed specifically around Japan’s Kyoto city where matcha is another favored drink by the locals.
Kyo Tea is a play on the word Kyoto, and the decor reminds us of the tranquil peace that watching blossoms fall in a Kyoto garden may bring.
Basically any matcha tea invention you can think of you can order here. Their menu is focussed around matcha as well as houji-cha, another tea drink from Japan.
Think matcha milkshakes, matcha tea, matcha floats, iced matcha latté, matcha soft serve, matcha gelato, matcha everything! If you want a matcha experience go to Kyo Tea House.
Just outside the idyllic Victoria Park rests this little coffee shop on the corner. Fourth Chapter is known for being great coffee as well as tea, and they have brought their hand to matcha tea also.
If anything you should consider this shop purely for its location and vibe. The whole thing screams a sunny Victoria afternoon spent chatting during your caffeine high.
There’s no better smooth caffeine rush than the matcha tea which the baristas at Fourth Chapter have mastered.
The Seedling Café is one of those on the front line in the Central Business District keeping the Australian economy ticking by feeding the bankers and businessmen of Melbourne their great coffee as well as their matcha.
An ice cold matcha brew could just be what our economists need on a hot day in Melbourne.
Being the self proclaimed ‘health food destination’ there is no doubt that the baristas at Seedling will make a great matcha brew.
They serve all their drinks with non dairy milk to support their sustainability philosophy as well as remaining healthy!
Matcha remains high in a catechin called epigallocatechin gallate, many scientists believe this can have cancer fighting qualities.
This catechin is what some hermetic medics ascribe as giving a matcha high, but there is no real evidence to suggest you can be intoxicated from the catechins present in matcha.
Moreover, many studies suggest that green tea in any form, beyond matcha as well as including it, have been linked to heart disease prevention, curtailing type 2 diabetes as well as cancer.
Some believe that green tea leaves can also help encourage weight loss by increasing metabolism.
You bet, matcha has around 70 mg of caffeine in one serving. Your standard green tea will have around 28 mg and your black tea will contain around 47 mg. So matcha can be almost double the caffeine of ‘normal tea’ and green tea.
Coffee still contains more caffeine than matcha, so matcha can be a healthier way to get caffeine in the morning.
Another reason that some people prefer matcha over coffee, beyond the health benefits of matcha, is that matcha doesn’t actually stain your teeth like coffee does. This is great because green teeth could be worse than coffee teeth.
This requires both a yes and no answer.
On the one hand, matcha is terrible for anxiety and stress as it is high in caffeine, higher than most other teas.
Caffeine will induce stress and anxiety in these higher doses, so if anxiety is something you experience with coffee then you may also have some side effects from matcha.
Yet, matcha does actually contain quite high levels of L-theanine, higher than most other green tea drinks. Theanine is reported to improve anxiety, stress, and other mental impairments.
Whether there is enough of this amino acid present in matcha to have this effect is unclear, as are the true effects of theanine. Theanine can be dangerous in large amounts.
Matcha is a truly great drink and as an alternative to coffee it can be really great for some people. Matcha could be great for the health conscious Aussie as the drink doesn’t change the flavor that much when cold.
Sometimes iced coffee is just too different to what we are used to. Matcha iced latté is truly amazing on a hot Melbourne morning.
You are not only cooled down but the caffeine in matcha provides the kick you need to complete your day without burning yourself too hard in the sun.
There are many health benefits to matcha and many reasons why people decide to choose it over coffee, health benefits or not.
Matcha is spreading slowly across the world and matcha cafés are bound to become as frequent and globalized as boba tea has become.
At least there are lots of sustainable and healthy elements to matcha that make it a great alternative to coffee. Try some matcha today to see if it is for you.
