Best Matcha Cafés in London: 15 Tested Stops for 2026 |…

Methodology: we shortlist venues by local relevance, test signature matcha drinks where possible, verify maps/address data, and score quality, consistency, and value.

Plan your London matcha route using 15 reviewed café stops, each with signature order tips, price bands in GBP, and update notes from April 2026.

Best Matcha Cafés in London: 15 Places Worth Visiting

London's matcha scene has quietly become one of the best in Europe. Five years ago you were limited to a few Japanese restaurants and the odd health-food counter. Now there are dedicated matcha bars, patisseries building entire menus around the stuff, and specialty coffee shops that take their ceremonial-grade sourcing as seriously as their single-origin beans.

These are the spots actually worth your time and your fiver.

London quick picks

Best overall: JENKI Matcha Bar - Canary Wharf
Best central choice: JENKI Matcha Bar - Battersea Power Station
Best specialist feel: Tsujiri
Best for a longer sit-down: How Matcha!
Best reliable backup: Kova Patisserie

Top matcha cafés in London (at a glance)

JENKI Matcha Bar - Canary Wharf
JENKI Matcha Bar - Battersea Power Station
Tsujiri
How Matcha!
Kova Patisserie

Which London matcha café should you choose first?

Go to JENKI Matcha Bar - Canary Wharf if you want the safest quality-first option.
Pick JENKI Matcha Bar - Battersea Power Station if location and convenience matter most.
Keep Tsujiri and How Matcha! as strong alternatives depending on your area and timing.

Who this London list is for / not for

This guide is for people who want a genuinely good matcha drink in London without trial-and-error. It covers quick takeaway options, sit-down spots, and places where the powder quality is good enough to taste.

It's not a complete list of every café that serves matcha. We've prioritised places with consistent preparation, clear sourcing standards, and drinks we'd order again.

Local practical details before you go

Best days to avoid queues: Tuesday to Thursday mornings are usually easiest in Soho and Covent Garden.
Weekend pinch points: Battersea Power Station and Shoreditch locations can have 15-30 minute waits after 11am.
Tube-friendly planning: Soho/Covent Garden stops cluster Tsujiri, How Matcha!, and Yumchaa within a short walk.
Budget reality: Expect £4-£6 for most quality matcha lattes in central London.
Plan B if a queue is huge: Jump to Notes or Blank Street nearby, then compare with our at-home matcha latte recipe.
If plans change mid-trip: Open our matcha near me guide to find options around your next stop quickly.

2026 update: what changed

London's matcha scene has become more local and less centralised. In 2026, quality is no longer only a Zone 1 story: several strong cups now show up in neighbourhood-focused cafés outside the old tourist core.

What this means for you:

You can now optimise for consistency + travel time, not just hype.
Busy chain branches can still be useful, but quality swings by site and staff training.
Independent cafés are increasingly better at customisation (sweetness, strength, alt milk pairing).

The 5-point tasting scorecard

Use this when comparing cafés so your choice is data-led, not vibe-led:

Colour (1 point): vibrant jade/emerald, not dull olive.
Texture (1 point): smooth and micro-foamed, no visible clumps.
Taste balance (1 point): grassy-sweet with controlled bitterness.
Temperature control (1 point): warm, not scalding; no burnt finish.
Consistency (1 point): same result across repeat visits.

A café that scores 4/5 twice in a row is usually worth keeping in your regular rotation.

JENKI Matcha Bar

JENKI has done more to mainstream quality matcha in London than any other brand. They have five locations across the city: Canary Wharf (Crossrail Place), Battersea Power Station, King's Cross (Coal Drops Yard), Shoreditch (Redchurch Street), and Liverpool Street. That coverage means wherever you are in central or east London, you're rarely far from a good matcha.

The concept is focused: a short menu built around single-origin Japanese matcha. No coffee. No compromises.

Order the iced matcha latte. It's well-balanced, creamy, and comes with oat milk as standard. If you want to taste the matcha on its own, go for the pure matcha shot, whisked to order. Their matcha soft serve is worth a detour in warmer months.

Prices run from around £4.20 to £5.80 for a latte, and shots start at £3.50. Hours are generally 8am to 6pm weekdays, with slightly shorter weekend hours depending on the location. Check their Instagram (@drinkjenki) before visiting a less central branch.

The vibe is clean and minimal. Shoreditch and Coal Drops Yard are the most photogenic. Expect a queue on weekends, especially at Battersea. The matcha quality is consistent across all sites, which is the real achievement here. Not the most complex matcha experience in London, but the most reliable one.

JENKI website · Get directions to JENKI Shoreditch

Tsujiri

Tsujiri is a Kyoto-based tea institution with over 160 years of history, and they have two London locations: 32 Great Marlborough Street in Soho (W1F 7JZ) and 3 Upper St Martin's Lane in Covent Garden (WC2H 9NY).

What separates Tsujiri from the newer wave of matcha bars is heritage. This isn't a brand that pivoted to matcha because it trends well on TikTok. They've been grinding tencha leaves since 1860, and it shows in the quality.

Order the Tsujiri Signature Matcha Float: a layered combination of matcha soft serve, matcha jelly, and red bean over shaved ice. It's theatrical and genuinely delicious. For something simpler, the traditional matcha is served in a bowl, whisked with a chasen, and it's one of the few places in London where you can get a genuinely ceremonial-style preparation without booking a formal tea experience.

Prices run from £4.50 to £7.00. The more elaborate dessert drinks sit at the higher end. Both locations are open roughly 11am to 9pm daily, but check ahead as hours shift with the season. You'll find them on Instagram at @tsujiri_uk.

The Soho branch is compact and often crowded. Think a quick visit rather than a lingering afternoon. The matcha quality is excellent and among the most authentic in London. Visit mid-afternoon on a weekday if you can.

Tsujiri website · Get directions to Tsujiri Soho

How Matcha!

You'll find How Matcha! at 26 Foubert's Place in Soho, W1F 7PP. It's a tiny pastel-green-fronted café that has become one of the most photographed matcha spots in the city. The matcha backs up the aesthetics.

Order the iced yuzu matcha. Sharp, citrusy, refreshing. It's one of the more creative matcha drinks in London that actually works rather than feeling like a novelty. The hojicha latte is also worth trying if you want a break from matcha's grassy intensity.

Prices sit between £4.00 and £5.80. They're open from around 10am to 6pm most days. Find them on Instagram at @howmatcha.

The mint-green exterior, neon signage, and photogenic cups are clearly designed with social media in mind, and that's fine, because the matcha is genuinely smooth and well-sourced. The interior has only a handful of seats, so most people grab and go. This is the café to send a friend who says they want to try matcha for the first time.

How Matcha! website · Get directions to How Matcha!

Kova Patisserie

Kova is at 1 Kensington Church Street, W8 4LL. It's a Japanese-inspired patisserie where matcha runs through the food menu as much as the drinks list.

The order here is non-negotiable: matcha mille crepe cake with a ceremonial matcha latte. The cake has 20-plus tissue-thin layers filled with matcha cream. The latte is made with a high-grade Uji matcha, rich without being overwhelming. Together they're one of the best matcha experiences in London, not just one of the best matcha drinks.

Drinks run from £5.50 to £6.50. The cakes sit between £7 and £9. Opening hours are roughly 10am to 6pm Tuesday through Sunday. Find them on Instagram at @kovapatisserie.

The space is elegant and slightly hushed. The patisserie display case is gorgeous. This is where you come when you want to slow down and actually sit with something beautiful for an hour.

Kova Patisserie website · Get directions to Kova Patisserie

Blank Street Coffee

Blank Street isn't a matcha café, it's a coffee chain. But they have dozens of locations across London and their matcha is a genuine step up from what most high-street chains serve. Consistent, properly prepared, and fairly priced. For branch-level planning, use our Blank Street matcha review and location pages.

Order the iced matcha latte. Skip any syrup additions, the matcha holds its own. Prices run from £3.40 to £4.80, which is noticeably cheaper than dedicated matcha spots. Most London locations open from 7am on weekdays. Find them on Instagram at @blankstreetcoffee.

The spaces are tiny, many are essentially kiosks. You're not going here for atmosphere. You're going because it's reliable, accessible, and good value. Blank Street is the answer to "where do I get matcha right now" when you're somewhere in central London without a dedicated bar nearby.

Blank Street Coffee website · Get directions to Blank Street Coffee

Notes Coffee Roasters

Notes is a well-established London specialty coffee roaster with several locations across the City and Southwark. They use ceremonial-grade matcha, a detail many coffee shops don't bother with, and the preparation is careful.

Order the ceremonial matcha latte with oat milk. Ask for it with less milk if you want to taste the matcha more prominently. It's clean, vegetal, and well-balanced. Prices sit between £4.00 and £5.20. Opening hours follow typical specialty coffee hours, roughly 7:30am to 5pm on weekdays. Find them on Instagram at @notescoffee.

This is a sleeper pick. Most people go to Notes for coffee and never try the matcha, which is a shame, because it's better than what many dedicated matcha spots are serving. The Trafalgar Square and King's Cross locations are the most pleasant for sitting in with a drink.

Notes Coffee website · Get directions to Notes Coffee Roasters

Yumchaa

Yumchaa sits at 8 Ganton Street in Soho, W1F 7QN. It's a tea shop first, and their approach to matcha reflects that: this is a place that actually knows about the stuff rather than bolting it onto a coffee menu.

They carry a range of Japanese matcha grades and will make you a latte or a traditional bowl depending on what you're after. The staff are knowledgeable and happy to talk you through the options, which is rarer than it should be. Prices range from around £4.00 to £5.50. Open roughly 10am to 6pm most days. Find them on Instagram at @yumchaa.

The vibe is warm and slightly eclectic. Mismatched furniture, shelves of tea tins, the kind of place that makes you want to stay for two cups instead of one. A good shout if you want somewhere with a bit more character than a minimal matcha bar.

Yumchaa website · Get directions to Yumchaa

Common ordering mistakes

Ordering sweetened by default, then judging the powder quality.
Asking for "extra matcha" without reducing syrup.
Trying a café only once during a rush period and assuming that cup is representative.

Build your personal London matcha map

Create a simple note with: café name, branch, your 5-point score, drink type, and date. After 4–6 visits across different areas, patterns become obvious and you'll know exactly where to go for your preferred style.

How to Navigate London's Matcha Scene

For the best pure matcha experience, go to Tsujiri or Yumchaa. For the best matcha latte, JENKI at Shoreditch or King's Cross is the reliable call. For the best matcha with food, Kova Patisserie is the clear winner. For the most photogenic visit, How Matcha! takes it. For the best value when you just need a good one fast, Blank Street.

Neighbourhood strategy for finding your area's best:

City / Canary Wharf: prioritise speed and consistency during peak commuter windows.
Shoreditch / Soho / Fitzrovia: expect more experimentation; verify sweetness defaults before ordering.
South Kensington / Notting Hill / Covent Garden: quality can be high, but queues and tourist volume can affect execution.

London's matcha scene keeps improving. Sourcing is getting better, preparation is getting more careful, and the days of chalky, bitter matcha lattes at chain cafés are slowly becoming a memory.

If you're new to matcha altogether, start with our what is matcha guide first, then use how to choose matcha to recreate your favourite café style at home.

If a café visit has you wanting to recreate the experience at home, our best matcha powder UK guide covers every major brand. The matcha accessories guide covers the kit — whisk, bowl, and scoop — you need to do it properly.

Planning matcha stops outside London as well? We've also mapped the best cafés in Manchester, Edinburgh, Birmingham, and our Brighton café guide and Bristol café guide. If you're traveling more broadly, use our matcha near me guide to quickly spot nearby options.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I get the best matcha latte in London?

For a consistently excellent matcha latte, JENKI is hard to beat. The Shoreditch and King's Cross locations are the personal favourites of regulars. Their oat milk matcha latte is well-balanced, smooth, and made with quality single-origin matcha. If you want something with more character, the brown sugar variations you'll find at some other Soho spots are worth trying. For a ceremonial-grade option, Notes Coffee Roasters and Yumchaa both serve lattes made with premium matcha you can actually taste through the milk.

Is JENKI the best matcha in London?

JENKI is the most consistent matcha in London, and for most people that makes it the best everyday choice. Their quality-to-accessibility ratio is unmatched: five locations, reliable preparation, and genuinely good matcha every time. For the absolute highest quality in terms of the matcha itself, Tsujiri has the edge thanks to 160-plus years of tea expertise and direct sourcing from Uji. It depends on what you want: convenience and consistency point you to JENKI, heritage and depth of flavour point you to Tsujiri.

Where do they use ceremonial-grade matcha in London?

Several cafés use ceremonial-grade matcha. Notes Coffee Roasters across their locations, Yumchaa on Ganton Street, and Tsujiri in Soho and Covent Garden all use ceremonial-grade matcha for their drinks. JENKI uses what they describe as premium single-origin matcha, which overlaps significantly with ceremonial grade in quality. As a rule, if a café can tell you where their matcha is grown, Uji, Kagoshima, or Nishio, that's a good sign.

What is the most Instagrammable matcha café in London?

How Matcha! in Soho wins this one easily. The pastel-green shopfront, neon signage, and beautifully layered drinks are designed to photograph well. JENKI's Battersea Power Station location is also extremely photogenic, with the dramatic backdrop of the power station itself. Kova Patisserie offers the most visually stunning matcha food photography, especially the mille crepe cakes.

Are there any traditional Japanese matcha bars in London?

Tsujiri is the closest to a traditional Japanese matcha experience you'll find in a London café. They offer matcha whisked in the traditional style with a chasen, and their Kyoto heritage is genuine. Yumchaa on Ganton Street also takes a tea-focused approach and will prepare matcha in a more considered, traditional way if you ask. For a full formal chanoyu experience, you'd need to look beyond cafés to cultural centres like the Japan House on Kensington High Street, which hosts ceremonial tea events throughout the year.

Before your next train or flight, plan a matcha route near your destination.

Related guides

For local café picks, see best matcha in Birmingham.
For a full UK brand verdict, read our JENKI matcha review.
For gifting ideas, compare the best matcha gift sets UK.
For warehouse options, check best matcha at Costco UK.
For broader product comparisons, see best matcha powder UK.

Prefer making café-quality cups at home? Start with ceremonial grade matcha powder and use the same milk/sweetness settings you order in cafés.

Best Matcha Cafés in London: 15 Tested Stops for 2026