Five of the Best Matcha Spots in Cape Town
- BY NAWAILAH MAHOMED
- Nov 8, 2024
- 7 min read
Updated: Dec 9, 2024
We visited five must-try matcha spots in Cape Town, each a local gem bringing their own twist to this green tea favourite. Keep reading for our full review on these must-visit cafes.
Editor’s Note: “In this issue, we’re diving into Cape Town’s emerging matcha scene, spotlighting five matcha destinations that have become local favourites. Known for its wellness benefits and distinctive flavour, matcha has found a home in these cafes, each crafting it with quality and care. We’ve explored each location in-depth to bring you an honest review of the flavours, ambiance, price and unique experiences they offer, making them perfect for your next matcha moment in the Mother City.”
Summer is around the corner, and I am all for the iced coffees and cold pressed juices served in quaint and tucked away coffee shops dotted all around Cape Town. From the commencement of spring, I actually tried matcha for the second time in my life. The first time, I was not the biggest fan. It is an ‘acquired taste’, as many avid drinkers have testified.
The second try was definitely more pleasant and I surprisingly enjoyed it. Since I am now living in Cape Town, and there are many, many matcha-serving cafes, I decided to embrace the change of season, whilst also hunting down the best spots for a matcha latte within the city.
Let’s first take a look at matcha as an ingredient, its benefits, and how it has become not only a trendy food, but a staple in many peoples’ diets.
What is Matcha?
Matcha comes from Japanese tea leaves that are finely ground, and used as a powder in drinks, desserts and varied foods. It may only be sourced from Japan, and is a staple to medicinal and traditional Japanese rituals.
When mixed and incorporated into different dishes, the concoction becomes a bright green colour due to the intensity of chlorophyll located in the tea leaves. The powder is used for green tea, matcha lattes, matcha desserts, such as ice-cream, and various different food products, where applicable.
Matcha naturally possesses a bitter, umami taste, and is more often than not best enjoyed with sweeteners such as syrups, sugar and oat milk.
Matcha as an ingredient has also become increasingly popular over the past decade, and this is mainly due to its nutritional and health benefits that are not only impactful short-term, but in the long-run too. Its natural sources of caffeine and L-Theanine enhances productivity and overall well-being.
Some benefits include:
Natural antioxidants.
Calming of nerves and anxiety.
Provides alertness and concentration without jitters from standardised caffeine products.
Detoxes the body, and boosts the immune system.
Matcha in South Africa
Matcha drinking and culture has expanded into South Africa, with varied spots existing, trading drinks and related products most especially in the City of Cape Town. Over the past week, I have ventured across the city, and tried out a few of the most highly raved and recommended spots, based on trial and error, and of course, TikTok reviews.
At each spot visited, I ordered an iced matcha latte, with oat milk and no sweeteners. At some of them, I tried flavour combinations alongside the standard order.
Here’s my breakdown of each matcha café, rated out of ten for experience, flavour, and price.
Plato is a chain café, dotted with various branches across South Africa. Unfortunately, they only serve matcha in the Western Cape.
Specifically in accordance with Cape Town, Platō possesses stores at Sea Point, de Waterkant, Rondebosch, Canal Walk, Brackenfell and Stellenbosch, to name a few. Each café is made up of clean lines, bright pastel colours and a deep forest green, making for a complementary and pleasing aesthetic.
A large ice matcha latte with oat milk costs R62.00. To replace regular milk with oat milk, an additional R12.00 is charged, making it a total of R74.00.
The portion is generous, despite the ice, making it enjoyable on the go, or can be sipped intermittently, depending on the context. The matcha itself is smooth and refreshing. At times, the grains are not blended finely enough, creating lumps at the bottom. Since the matcha is blended, as opposed to being hand-whisked, a foam layer is created, preventing maximum drink from filling the cup.
Overall, a delicious and pleasant experience, but the additional charge for oat milk is hefty. The micro foam is also unappealing and disrupts the overall enjoyment of the drink.
Likes | Dislikes |
|---|---|
Incredible vibes | Micro foam |
Friendly staff | Oat milk charge is exorbitant |
Drink is worth the price | Grainy towards the end due to blending |
Norfolk Deli is a quaint coffee shop located in Sea Point. It is a sit-down café, with a menu and variety of savouries, pastries and bites that can be purchased on the go. The vibe is a perfect blend of rustic charm and cozy warmth, always buzzing with a mix of positivity and productivity. .
A standard ice matcha latte costs R60.00, with an additional charge of R8.00 for an oat milk replacement, making it a total of R68,00. The portion is substantial, but I did feel there was quite a bit of ice, which took up the majority of the space in the cup.
The matcha itself was smooth, refreshing and light on the system. The aftertaste was slightly bitter, in comparison with other matcha spots. Although delicious, it was not my favourite latte.
Norfolk Deli is nevertheless a great spot for breakfast, brunch, coffees, and morning hangouts with friends and family.
Likes | Dislikes |
|---|---|
Ambience and aesthetics | Too much ice in the drink, which takes up drink space |
Friendly and accommodating staff | Limited seating available |
Minimal additional charge for oat milk replacement | Taste is slightly more savoury than creamy |
Okja is a café and food brand that is oriented towards sustainable and plant-based eating. Their mission statement indicates their passion in, ‘guid[ing] good people on an easy, smooth and delicious journey towards a more plant-based diet’.
Their menu is simplified, consisting of staple coffees and beverages. They have two branches in Cape Town: one in Gardens, and the other in Camps Bay. Aside from their cafes, they stock various cafes and supermarkets across Cape Town with specialty oat and soy milk.
The interior of the café is vibrant and energising. It makes one feel alive, and succeeds in brightening up your mood and overall demeanour upon arrival.
As usual, I ordered the iced matcha with oat milk, priced at R55.00. A massive bonus here, was that there was no additional charge for the oat milk, and the drink itself was delicious. I almost ordered another one to go!
The cherry on top was the fact that their ice cubes were frozen oat milk, which concentrated, rather than diluted the drink as they melted. An absolute 10/10, that I would highly recommend! Aside from matcha, Okja also serves speciality coffee, and a range of fresh pastries to enjoy sit down, or on the go!
Pauline’s is another chain coffee shop with two branches located in the City of Cape Town. One is in Greenpoint, and the other located in Sea Point. Both cafes are gorgeous in their design and interior aesthetics.
Sporting minimalism, clean lines and earthy undertones, Pauline’s prides themselves on ‘conscious community’, successfully reflected in their upkeep and customer service.
Their Sea Point café was quite busy for an early Tuesday morning! The staff were nevertheless eager and ready to serve their customers, both sit down and takeaway. Aside from the matcha lattes on offer, there are a variety of drink options, and pastries for customers to enjoy.
My ice matcha with oat milk was R55,00, with an additional R13,00 for the oat milk replacement, making it a total of R68,00. I thought this was fair, and the portion was quite substantial. The drink itself was divine!
The matcha was blended perfectly, leaving no grain towards the end. The texture was smooth and easily enjoyable over time. The ice was also minimal, making it easy to sip and enjoy the drink without worrying about it melting and diluting the matcha flavour. 9/10! This drink was most definitely worth the price.
Likes | Dislikes |
|---|---|
Simplistic, yet clean aesthetic | Seating is quite limited, and makes the café cramped, especially for takeaway orders |
Friendly staff | Sea Point café is located on the main road, so parking is paid, difficult and subject to availability |
Realistic add-on charge for oat milk replacement | Can be a long wait time depending on orders going through |
Minimal ice added that prevented dilution |
|
Bootlegger is not only a franchised coffee shop in the Western Cape, but has become widespread nation-wide. From the onset of this week, Bootlegger introduced signature matcha drinks, which are not only exclusive to the Western Cape, but every store located across South Africa.
In terms of aesthetics, Bootlegger uses dark colours, moody interiors and warm lighting to set the atmosphere and ambience of their cafes. It is a great spot for morning coffee, brunch with the girls, or when you need to get out of the office, and be productive in a public space.
Some cafes are also halal, catering to varied palettes and dietary requirements in Cape Town. Aside from an extensive drink menu and food options available, Bootlegger offers two matcha drinks: ice matcha with white chocolate, and a matcha green juice.
I opted for the iced matcha with white chocolate, and an oat milk replacement, which was priced at R39,00, and an additional R5.00, a total of . As always, the portion was generous, and it was interesting to have the matcha in combination with something else. The white chocolate was sweet, but balanced incredibly well with the savoury notes of the matcha.
Quite enjoyable, and perfect for sipping at over longer periods of time with friends and family, as opposed to getting a quick fix on an early morning.
Likes | Dislikes |
|---|---|
Incredible aesthetic and café vibe | Matcha specialty is still being introduced, making production inconsistent |
Minimal oat milk replacement charge | Matcha was grainy, and not blended properly throughout the drink |
Drink is delicious and enjoyable | Parking can be limited or inconvenient depending on the location |
Cape Town offers a wealth of options for matcha enthusiasts, and this list only scratches the surface. For me, Okja stands out as the top choice—the quality and taste are outstanding, and their inclusive pricing for various milk options was the cherry on top.
Of course, these picks reflect my personal taste, so I invite my fellow matcha lovers to explore the city and discover their own favourite spots for the best matcha in town.
