10 To Try: Melbourne’s Best Signature Matcha Drinks

Despite the ongoing matcha shortage, it seems the Japanese staple is more prevalent than ever in Melbourne. Cafes and dessert shops are getting more creative and pumping out matcha with ingredients like coconut, fruits and even other desserts to create signature drinks much like we’ve seen in the coffee space. From a Mont Blanc spin-off with white chocolate and coconut milk, to a play on tiramisu, here are the 10 best matcha specialty drinks in Melbourne right now.

Strawberry matcha ice-cream float, Hareruya Pantry, Carlton

Hot-Listed venue Hareruya Pantry has combined Japanese-inspired gelato with tea lattes to create a summer special. “We’ve had customers wanting floats since forever. There were even customers who would buy a latte and a gelato and make a float themselves,” manager Haruka Yamamoto tells Broadsheet. The most popular flavour is a classic combo – matcha latte with a scoop of strawberry. There’s also a double green tea float (genmaicha latte with matcha gelato) and an extra nutty one (hojicha latte with sesame gelato, a staff favourite).

Yuzu matcha spritz, Tori’s, CBD

This zesty number was invented by this Hot List venue’s first head barista Lizzy Sim, who enjoys fruity specialty coffee and wanted to do something similar with matcha. The result was a refreshing summer special – made by pouring a yuzu matcha brew over passionfruit syrup and sparkling water – that has become a year-round fixture on the menu.

Iced strawberry matcha, Moon Mart, South Melbourne

Melbourne has no shortage of iced strawberry matcha, but the team at Hot-Listed Korean and Japanese cafe Moon Mart make an exceptional one. There are three layers to the drink – a house-made strawberry compote on the bottom, milk, then matcha cream on top.

Banoffee matcha affogato, Osoi, Brunswick

Osoi is the most recently opened venue on this list, but it’s already gained a following for its specialty coffee and matcha drinks. There’s also a matcha affogato where banoffee gelato from Luther’s Scoops is served in a mini silver goblet with hot matcha on the side. The team says the flavours of caramelised banana and toffee pair well with the bitterness of the matcha. There’s also a vegan-friendly almond option with chewy almond bits.

Malted milk matcha, Raya, CBD

Horlicks, a malted milk drink, was a staple in Raya founder Raymond Tan’s childhood home. At his bakery, he nods to this nostalgic drink with a malted milk matcha. It’s a blend of toasty sweet Horlicks and earthy matcha, elevated with a pinch of sea salt. Tan also recently created a malted milk strawberry matcha latte, which is available at his new Collingwood bakery Dua.

Coconut matcha, Matcha Mate, CBD

Made with a generous dollop of coconut matcha cream atop a coconut water base, the coconut matcha here draws from co-owner Chian Ting’s favourite dessert back home in Malaysia, cendol: a crushed ice dessert topped with coconut milk, palm sugar syrup and a variety of sweet condiments. “When mixing everything together, it becomes this light and creamy coconut drink that is similar to cendol. It feels like you’re literally drinking cendol without the condiments.”

Blueberry matcha latte, Meet Forest, South Yarra

This cafe is coffee-focused (there’s single origin batch and cold brews, and a raspberry-candy-flavoured milk coffee) and only has two matcha items – the staple matcha latte and a blueberry version – but the blueberry is an interesting alternative to the more common strawberry and contains house-made blueberry jam.

Matchamisu, Balibola, CBD

This takeaway spot on Collins Street has a repertoire of innovative matcha and coffee concoctions. One of them turns matcha tiramisu – also sold in slices at the counter – into a beverage. The cutely named Matchamisu is a matcha latte topped with matcha mascarpone cream and comes with a sponge ladyfinger for dipping. Plus, there’s a coffee version for those after a more traditional tiramisu drink.

Matcha Mont Blanc, Faraday’s Cage, Fitzroy

This recording-studio-turned-cafe on Gore Street serves all-day breakfast and lunch hits, like a Korean barbeque pork eggs benny and maple popcorn granola. Its take on the viral Korean Mont Blanc coffee swaps out the cold brew for coconut milk and features a thick layer of white-chocolate-matcha cream on top.

Matcha Milk Punch Cocktail, Beneath Driver Lane, CBD

The matcha milk punch at underground bar Beneath Driver Lane is a boozy night-time option. It’s made with silky Republic of Fremantle vodka, an anise-flavoured spirit, an earthy matcha cordial, plus an oat and milk wash. The cocktail is lush and smooth in texture, thanks to the use of clarified milk.