Top 10 Matcha Lattes in Manila

(SPOT.ph) No one can deny that the local coffee scene is booming, fueled by people who can’t start their day without caffeine coursing through their veins. While cafés are mushrooming left and right, offering their own take on a Spanish latte and concocting oat milk-based drinks, the matcha scene is keeping up—keeping up with the demand of those who don’t drink coffee but want a caffeine alternative, or in some cases, the demand of a person missing the act of sipping a cup of the green tea latte while shrine-hopping in Japan.

Matcha has come a long way from being a niche drink for the few. These days, it's practically a staple in coffee shop menus, sitting comfortably right beside cappuccinos, right under the “non-coffee” category. There are even small matcha specialty shops (also called matcha slow bars) opening in and around the Metro for a new breed of more dedicated matcha sippers.

The only (good) problem? With so many options, it’s hard to know where to start. So we took on the delicious task of finding the best matcha latte in town. We judged each cup by taste, preparation method, flavor balance, accessibility, and yes, price. After all, while matcha carries a reputation for being a premium drink (especially the ceremonial-grade kind), this, we found out, is not always an indicator that the matcha is good.

All SPOT.ph Top 10 lists are researched, paid for, tested, and selected by the writers and editors. They are discreetly conducted without any notice made to the establishments or their owners.

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Here’s where you can get the best matcha latte in Metro Manila:

10. Iced Matcha Latte from Starbucks

Every future matcha lover needs to start somewhere, and Starbucks with their Iced Matcha Latte is often the gateway order for many. It's been on the menu for as long as we can remember, preceding the trend of grabbing a cup of matcha way before it was even considered cool.

Creamy, milky, and almost buttery, the coffee chain's rendition of the green beverage is straight to the point with the matcha flavor, and can be purchased for P175 for a Tall cup. It's your best bet if you're trying to satiate a thirst for matcha, especially since there are numerous Starbucks branches dotting the Metro. Can't down full-cream milk? Starbucks has milk substitutes your stomach can handle.

See a list of Starbucks branches.

9. Matcha Latte from Matcha Mama

At just P140, the small cup of matcha from Matcha Mama is the most affordable on our list. But don't let appearances fool you—this tiny but mighty vessel packs a strong, earthy punch. What was once pre-made matcha sold in bazaars, fairs, and stalls now has a permanent home in White Plains, Quezon City, with more options added to the menu.

Matcha Mama's default Matcha Latte leans more on the floral side compared to other cups of green we've included in our ranking—which could be the ideal cup for some, and something to avoid entirely for others. Still, we appreciated the welcome bitter aftertaste after the initial milky, sweet notes that hit the tongue. Matcha Mama uses cafe-grade matcha for their basic latte, but you have the option of paying extra for their baristas to use ceremonial grade matcha.

Matcha Mama is at Matcha Mama Clubhouse, White Plains Avenue, Quezon City.

8. Matcha Latte from Cooper's Coffee Haus

We understand that, sometimes, you just want a little bit of that earthiness that matcha brings, but just enough that you don’t lie awake until 5 a.m. the following day, questioning your (matcha-related) life decisions. Should that be the case, Cooper’s is a great choice—convenient too, since they’re now expanding to different parts of the Metro.

Cooper’s Matcha Latte (P195) translates more like a rich, drinkable dessert, and this is mainly because they add a huge amount of matcha-infused sweet cream on top of the actual matcha latte. When you stir everything, it results in this thick, creamy, pastel green-hued drink. We could taste a stronger grassy taste during the first few sips, but if you are a slow drinker and let the ice melt and the cream lose its structure, the latte turns into a melted matcha ice cream.

See a list of Cooper's branches.

7. Iced Uji Matcha Latte from Ujisan

Another joint along White Plains offers a good matcha that sits in the middle of the spectrum. Sweet without being cloying, and earthy without being overpowering, Ujisan's Iced Uji Matcha Latte (P220) is a good baseline option for matcha lovers looking for a refreshing drink to down. They're very respectful of the balance required in a good cup of matcha—resulting in a drink that checks all the boxes for milkiness, sweetness, and the signature earthy flavor for their Level 1 drink. As a matcha-focused establishment, they take their whisking very seriously, even if you're starting at a relatively low level.

Matcha veterans can up the ante by paying extra for more ceremonial-grade matcha in their cup, which can go up to a whopping Level 10—called "God-Tier" here. This is the coffee equivalent of asking for more shots of espresso, and we're sure matcha pros will love this option.

Ujisan is at 2/F WPF Building, White Plains Avenue, Quezon City.

6. Local Matcha Latte from Chotto Matcha

Chotto Matcha has two types of lattes: Authentic Matcha Latte and Local Matcha Latte—both priced at P205 each. The only difference between the two is that the former is unsweetened and the latter has additional whipped cream on top. Our contender for this list? The Local Matcha Latte, so we stay consistent with the rest of the sweetened lattes on this roundup. Perhaps true to the "local" part of its name, this is how we think most Filipinos would prefer their matcha: on the milkier and sweeter side but not cloyingly sweet that the matcha is completely undetectable.

Chotto Matcha makes a great matcha latte—but is it worth a special trip to Makati's Little Tokyo? We say stop by if you’re already in the neighborhood, maybe after a Japanese food crawl or for merienda. Or if you feel completely desperate for a matcha and believe you have no other choice. Chotto Matcha has only one branch, and has limited seating as the cafe is tucked inside Edoya restaurant.

Chotto Matcha is at 2227 Fernando Street, Legazpi Village, Makati City.

5. Signature Matcha Latte from Matchanese

Matchanese’s Signature Matcha Latte (P190) stands somewhere in the middle of all the strong, well-balanced matcha lattes and those that have a more sweetness stirred in. It’s the kind of drink that doesn’t pick a side—it’s just a smooth drink with a bright green hue and a flavor that’s not too milky, not too bitter, and juuust sweet enough without overwhelming the matcha itself. Matchanese also lets you customize your drink by dialing up the sweetness level and the matcha strength, the latter for an extra charge.

And hey, props to the Matchanese peeps for knowing how times have evolved. At their Podium branch, they’ve set up a mini photo studio just for your drink—complete with a flat surface (to keep your drink from spilling), a faux-forest backdrop, and plenty of lighting. Snap your photos, post them on the ’Gram, and dive into your latte while the ice hasn’t melted.

Matchanese has branches at G/L The Block, SM North Edsa, North Avenue corner Epifanio de los Santos Ave, Quezon City; and at The Corner Market, The Podium, 12 ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City.

4. Matcha Latte from Niseko Coffee

Niseko Coffee’s Matcha Latte is a great choice for those who may have commitment issues in other aspects in life but not when it comes to their love of matcha. Niseko uses a Kurasu Matcha Blend for its drinks, sourced from its partner Japanese coffee shop, Kurasu Kyoto. It’s bitter, earthy, and leans toward a more floral profile—specifically a bouquet of red roses.

What we particularly love about Niseko is that they are not one to shy away from the grassiness of matcha, or lasang damo as how other people would (badly) put it. This specialty coffee and matcha shop does a matcha latte that has an unapologetically strong matcha base, with only a little bit of milk and sugar added to the mix. Sure, its matcha-ness may sound a bit intimidating but there’s no need to worry. It’s not so intense that things taste out of balance or unpleasant. Niseko Coffee adds enough milk and sweetener to keep the drink approachable, perhaps with the diehard matcha lover in mind.

Niseko Coffee has branches at Ayala Malls Cinemas, Alabang Town Center, Theater Drive, Muntinlupa City; and Greenhills Promenade, San Juan.

3. Iced Matcha Latte from The Matcha Tokyo

Matcha lovers have no doubt spent a lot of time poring over The Matcha Tokyo's extensive menu. Among all the drinks we've tried, their Iced Matcha Latte had the strongest first sip, with the earthy, leafy flavor landing a jab that will jolt you awake. At P295 per cup, it's also the most expensive latte in this list, but we're willing to spend extra just to chase that matcha-forward taste that whittles down to a rich, bitter aftertaste.

We expect no less from this matcha-centric cafe, and we also appreciated the layers to this drink—dark and intense at the bottom, and growing light and milky at the top, evenly blended by a quick stir to yield a vibrant green shade. The Matcha Tokyo also has several branches in the city, so you'll be able to grab a cup from a few locations when the craving strikes.

See a list of The Matcha Tokyo branches.

2. Matcha Latte from Tsujiri

There are commonly held views in the universe of matcha: 1. Pre-made matcha is a big no-no, and 2. Tsujiri is one of the best matcha shops there is.

So, you might need to sit down, take a deep breath, and brace yourselves: their Matcha Latte (P235/Large and P250/Grande) uses a pre-mixed concentrate from a container, whisked with milk to give it that frothy texture.

While we’re still in disbelief over this revelation, we put Tsujiri in a higher ranking only because, despite them using pre-mixed matcha, their Matcha Latte still hits an impressive balance of sweetness, earthiness, and milkiness. Theirs is the best matcha latte that uses pre-mixed matcha; we'd even say theirs tastes better than some lattes that use freshly whisked matcha. Use of premix aside, we think they nailed the base (which is just as important as the method of preparation!) by using a great ceremonial matcha from Uji—the prefecture in Kyoto, Japan that's famous for producing the vibrant green powder. 

See a list of Tsujiri branches.

1. Matcha Kumo from Matcha Later

Where do we even start? We thought we knew matcha. We came inside the store arrogant, even. Surely, Matcha Later's offerings would be just like all the other ones we've tried, right? Wrong. And we've never been happier to kick our preconceived impressions aside. Their Matcha Kumo drink, priced at P250, is their take on the classic matcha latte and we're still thinking about it days later.

Ceremonial grade matcha is whisked in front of you, while milk is being frothed into tiny clouds on the side. Full-cream milk hits the ice in the glass first, followed by the frothy cloud, and then the finale: the thick, green matcha poured over. Displacement causes the light milk layer to rise and keep its shape, resulting in a drink that resembles artistic renditions of Mt. Fuji.

The whole thing is a a ceremony from start to finish, and the taste is even better. Creamy, earthy, and umami, this joint's version of the matcha latte is no joke, and it was so good we just had to try out other drinks and offerings from the menu. It was pretty clear from the first sip that Matcha Later's cup was the top dog, and we can only hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Matcha Later is at 5385 Don Pedro Street, Poblacion, Makati City.

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