Tasting Matcha Across London

By Leah Gabriella Cardenas

As a self-proclaimed matcha enthusiast, upon landing in the UK, I was immediately curious to see how the more recent matcha craze hit London and how it compares to my personal taste. Back in Seattle, Washington, my favorite matcha spots are Nana’s Green Tea, Grean Matcha and Phê. However, I most often make my own matcha at home with powder that my roommate bought in Japan. I like my matcha lattes best with oat milk and maple syrup as a sweetener. Some people claim matcha tastes like grass, but I think you just have to find the right place for it. So, I went on a mission to try matcha from different places around London in search of a new favorite.

The very first matcha I had in London was from Costa Coffee, the largest coffee chain in the UK. I ordered a medium iced matcha latte with vanilla syrup because the barista asked if I wanted to add any sweetener. I couldn’t see how it was made behind the counter, but it came out pretty quickly. The color was a pale green which is often telling of a not-so-good matcha. Still, I gave it a try. It mostly tasted like vanilla which may be my fault for getting the added syrup. However, if I hadn’t, then I imagine it would have been like drinking a glass of milk.

I had high expectations going into Blank Street because a friend of mine recently visited London and absolutely raved about this place, suggesting I give it a try. It actually first opened in New York, but I haven’t been before. Of the many locations across London, I stopped by the one in Notting Hill Gate. I ordered a classic iced matcha latte. The vibrant color was deceiving because when I gave it a sip, the matcha taste was very subtle. It wasn’t a bad matcha per se, just not what I was looking forward to based on things I’ve heard. However, I will go back to try the blueberry and white chocolate matchas with lower expectations.

Molly Tea in Chinatown was my next stop. As a Chinese tea chain specializing in jasmine tea, they offer two kinds of matchas. I tried the premium jasmine matcha with a regular sweetness level. It was fairly crowded in the tiny shop, but my drink was ready within five minutes. The color and texture looked immediately promising. I personally enjoy jasmine tea and didn’t mind that this drink’s flavor profile leaned more to jasmine than matcha. It was a little sweeter than I was expecting so I should have gotten 70% sweetness instead of regular. Still, it was a delicious matcha.

Then, I went to Matchado in Bloomsbury but they have four different locations. On top of the variety of drink options, Matchado offers many matcha flavored sweets like brownies and Japanese pancakes. I ordered a regular iced matcha latte with brown sugar syrup. It was ready almost immediately, so I’m assuming a matcha concentrate was pre-made. Still, it looked like good quality matcha. The brown sugar part was not overpowering as I could still taste the umami of the matcha.

On my first day in London, I heard someone say that Pret a Manger is the “Starbucks of the UK” so I had to give it a try. I wanted a guava iced matcha latte because I was intrigued by the flavor combination, however, the location I went to was out of guava. I settled for an iced blueberry matcha latte which comes with coconut milk. The blueberry syrup was quite nice and not too sweet, but it was somehow still overpowering. I couldn’t taste even a hint of matcha. I tried drinking from the top or mixing it better, but it was all blueberry. 

Next, I visited Jenki in Spitalfields. They emphasize how their matcha is sourced from Japan and whisked to order, so I was looking forward to both the taste and texture. I tried the iced matcha latte with maple syrup which would be the closest to how I make it myself. They do in fact whisk it to order and right in front of you, but they had an electric attachment to speed up the process. Though I got maple syrup, the matcha was still very bitter. I prefer a balance of sweet and umami so having paid the extra pound for syrup, I feel like it could have been better.

The last place I tried for this list is Tsujiri, a matcha dessert and tea house. I visited the Camden Market location and ordered a sweetened iced matcha latte. It was prepared quickly and the worker mixed it for me so I didn’t get to see the color of the matcha alone. Still, it tasted great. There was that balance of sweet and umami that I prefer. It also had a creamy texture, better than the rest of the matchas on this list. I definitely want to go back to try their matcha sundaes. 

Overall, the matcha scene in London is not all that different from what I’m used to in the states. There are some exceptional matcha places, some just ‘alright’ matcha, and some coffee shops with inconsistent matcha. I would also say the pricing is comparable to Los Angeles and Seattle with a few places here being slightly cheaper. My favorites from this list are by far Matchado and Tsuijiri. I would still try all of these places again as sometimes the quality depends on the location and barista. I suggest you give these places a visit too to see how you like the matcha for yourself.