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A clay bowl filled with bright green liquid
Northeast Tea House mills its own matcha with a mill imported from Japan for drinking on site, or to purchase and bring home.
Northeast Tea House/Facebook

Where to Find the Best Hot Matcha Tea Around the Twin Cities

From froth lattes, to traditional tea, to fresh-milled powder

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Northeast Tea House mills its own matcha with a mill imported from Japan for drinking on site, or to purchase and bring home.
| Northeast Tea House/Facebook

As winter approaches, a cup of velvety, nutty matcha latte sounds better and better. Matcha comes from the same plant as other green teas, but the plants are shaded for a few weeks prior to harvesting, triggering higher chlorophyll levels and allowing for a stronger concentration of antioxidants in the leaves. The entire leaf, called Tencha, is then ground into a fine powder, leading to greater caffeine and antioxidant content than other types of green tea. Matcha is credited with several health claims, but mostly, it’s delicious.

Matcha tea is available in all its green glory in many coffee shops around town, and span a wide spectrum of flavor, from the ultra-sweet varieties found at chains to the perhaps acquired taste of grassy, earthy flavor profiles. While some argue that matcha grades, such as ceremonial or culinary, are a Western invention used mostly for marketing purposes, the flavors culled from each variety are distinct, much like levels in coffee roasts.

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Cafe Astoria

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The St. Paul shop sources organic Rishi Tea Matcha powder, a popular choice in the Twin Cities. For the fall, look for a pumpkin pie matcha using house made pumpkin spice with cloves, cinnamon, turmeric and ginger. Another strong contender is Leah’s Happy Place, with lavender and pistachio.

A white bistro coffee cup holds a vaguely green, frothy beverage with floral foam art. It’s photographed just below a few leaves of a pothos plant and on the blonde hardwood floor of the cafe.
Green goodness
Cafe Astoria/Facebook

Wesley Andrews Coffee & Tea

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Known for careful curation of coffees and teas, the Minneapolis shop uses Spirit Tea matcha out of Chicago. Spirit works directly with farmers in Japan, allowing for the freshest selection of leaves with each batch. Try the traditional unsweetened tea, whisked into a froth, or a matcha latte for smooth sipping. 

A man in a blue jean colored apron holds a green matcha latte in a bistro cup
Wesley Andrews offers matcha in three ways, natural, latte, and neat
Wesley Andrews Coffee & Tea/Facebook

Five Watt Coffee, Kingfield

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Five Watt can always be counted on for a unique spin on any beverage. Just like the coffee “cocktails” on the menu, Five Watt’s matcha latte, the Hokai Amplifier, is treated more like a complex dish than a simple beverage, with a splash of basil syrup and a dash of fennel.

Northeast Tea House

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Northeast Tea House is the only shop in Minnesota, and possibly the country, to mill its own matcha powder using a stone mill imported from Japan. The process is mesmerizing, as is the shop itself. Owner Simon Perish recently transformed a former coffee shop into a peaceful, inviting oasis in the heart of Northeast Minneapolis. No lattes here, just the best sourced matcha whisked into elegant bowls and sipped slowly and mindfully. 

A vibrant grass green powder in a clay bowl on a wooden table
Milled right on sight, Northeast Tea House takes matcha seriously
Northeast Tea House/Facebook

Fairgrounds Coffee & Tea

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The small Chicago chain’s only Minnesota location offers three Rishi matcha grades in its lattes ranging from Organic to Imperial. Just as in light to dark coffee roasts, the higher the grade, the deeper the flavor. Included in the new menu introduced last week, the Maple Sea Salt Matcha latte tastes like autumn. 

A bright green matcha latte on a marble counter
Fairgrounds Coffee & Tea in the North Loop has three matcha grades
Rebecca Slater

Caydence Records & Coffee

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Catch fleeting daylight with an iced matcha on the new extended patio at Caydence on Payne Avenue in St. Paul. Staff favorite is the iced matcha latte with oat milk, house-made vanilla syrup and a touch of maple syrup for a dolce leche, autumnal vibe.

Misfit Coffee

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Located in Uptown, Misfit is usually a popular hangout offering some of the most unique coffee and tea concoctions in town, along with actual spirited cocktails. During COVID, Misfit has pivoted to window service only, offering a luscious latte with matcha from Mizuba Tea out of Portland, OR. Try it with coconut milk for extra richness. 

Cafe Astoria

The St. Paul shop sources organic Rishi Tea Matcha powder, a popular choice in the Twin Cities. For the fall, look for a pumpkin pie matcha using house made pumpkin spice with cloves, cinnamon, turmeric and ginger. Another strong contender is Leah’s Happy Place, with lavender and pistachio.

A white bistro coffee cup holds a vaguely green, frothy beverage with floral foam art. It’s photographed just below a few leaves of a pothos plant and on the blonde hardwood floor of the cafe.
Green goodness
Cafe Astoria/Facebook

Wesley Andrews Coffee & Tea

Known for careful curation of coffees and teas, the Minneapolis shop uses Spirit Tea matcha out of Chicago. Spirit works directly with farmers in Japan, allowing for the freshest selection of leaves with each batch. Try the traditional unsweetened tea, whisked into a froth, or a matcha latte for smooth sipping. 

A man in a blue jean colored apron holds a green matcha latte in a bistro cup
Wesley Andrews offers matcha in three ways, natural, latte, and neat
Wesley Andrews Coffee & Tea/Facebook

Five Watt Coffee, Kingfield

Five Watt can always be counted on for a unique spin on any beverage. Just like the coffee “cocktails” on the menu, Five Watt’s matcha latte, the Hokai Amplifier, is treated more like a complex dish than a simple beverage, with a splash of basil syrup and a dash of fennel.

Northeast Tea House

Northeast Tea House is the only shop in Minnesota, and possibly the country, to mill its own matcha powder using a stone mill imported from Japan. The process is mesmerizing, as is the shop itself. Owner Simon Perish recently transformed a former coffee shop into a peaceful, inviting oasis in the heart of Northeast Minneapolis. No lattes here, just the best sourced matcha whisked into elegant bowls and sipped slowly and mindfully. 

A vibrant grass green powder in a clay bowl on a wooden table
Milled right on sight, Northeast Tea House takes matcha seriously
Northeast Tea House/Facebook

Fairgrounds Coffee & Tea

The small Chicago chain’s only Minnesota location offers three Rishi matcha grades in its lattes ranging from Organic to Imperial. Just as in light to dark coffee roasts, the higher the grade, the deeper the flavor. Included in the new menu introduced last week, the Maple Sea Salt Matcha latte tastes like autumn. 

A bright green matcha latte on a marble counter
Fairgrounds Coffee & Tea in the North Loop has three matcha grades
Rebecca Slater

Caydence Records & Coffee

Catch fleeting daylight with an iced matcha on the new extended patio at Caydence on Payne Avenue in St. Paul. Staff favorite is the iced matcha latte with oat milk, house-made vanilla syrup and a touch of maple syrup for a dolce leche, autumnal vibe.

Misfit Coffee

Located in Uptown, Misfit is usually a popular hangout offering some of the most unique coffee and tea concoctions in town, along with actual spirited cocktails. During COVID, Misfit has pivoted to window service only, offering a luscious latte with matcha from Mizuba Tea out of Portland, OR. Try it with coconut milk for extra richness. 

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