Best Matcha Lattes in Portland: 15 Great Spots to Try

Portland’s matcha scene has gone from niche to seemingly everywhere, with specialty matcha shops, coffee shops and even doughnut spots serving bright green lattes hot, iced, sweetened, unsweetened and creatively flavored. Here are 15 great places to find a matcha latte in Portland, plus a few bonus chains worth considering when convenience is key.

For more information and interesting facts about matcha, keep scrolling past the list. The focus here is WHERE to get a good matcha latte in Portland.

🍵 TL;DR: Top 5 choices

1. Best overall: Project Matcha in NE Portland and Beaverton

2. Best matcha-focused chain: Premium Matcha Cafe Maiko in SE Portland

3. Best matcha downtown: Mako Matcha Mill in downtown/NW Portland

4. Best matcha with pastries: Keeper Coffee in SE Portland

5. Best creative matcha latte: Pip’s Original Doughnuts & Chai in NE Portland

🍵 How I judge a great matcha latte

• Could I taste the tea? I like it on the strong side.

• Was it too sweet?

• Was the texture smooth or grainy?

• Would I go back and order it again?

• Was it worth the price?

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🍵 15 great matcha places in Portland

Without further ado, here is the full list by category.

Best matcha-only shops in Portland

• Project Matcha: My favorite matcha spot in the city. They pour a great “double matcha” latte and offer ube drinks for anyone — like my wife –– who doesn’t enjoy matcha.

• Premium Matcha Cafe Maiko: Yes, this is a national chain, but it’s probably my second most visited matcha-only place in Portland. They offer a very good latte and matcha soft serve ice cream if you’re inclined to indulge.

• Mako Matcha Mill: This cute downtown shop offers premium options for those who really care about specific grades of matcha.

• Yunomi Matcha: A small shop serving a wonderful matcha latte. Their jasmine cream matcha latte is the standout and worth ordering if you like a richer, slightly floral drink.

Coffee shops with great matcha lattes

• Keeper Coffee: Come for the amazing baked goods; stay for a solid matcha latte. They also have good coffee and tea options for non-matcha drinkers.

• Case Study Coffee: I really enjoy their Jasmine Matcha served hot or iced.

• Fetch Coffee: Just a simple, solid matcha latte. It’s also a nice spot to meet a friend or colleague.

• Kaleido Coffee PDX: Portland’s “Thai coffee” spot offers lots of unique drinks and great matcha.

Restaurants and other Portland spots for matcha

• Café Behind the Museum: This is an interesting little Japanese restaurant behind the Portland Art Museum. You can get matcha lattes and other drinks to go. This is also the spot for a real matcha tea ceremony.

• Blue Star Donuts: I go for the doughnuts, obviously, but I usually add a matcha. I’ve never been disappointed.

• Pip’s Original Doughnuts & Chai: So good! There is often a line, but it’s always worth it. The best chai anywhere, great mini donuts and an unusual twist on matcha: The Japanese Garden, which Pip’s bills as the “world’s first green tea matcha chai latte.” I can’t verify that claim, but it’s a favorite of mine.

• Glimpse Coffee Cart: This is a fun pop-up option that operates around the Portland metro area. Follow them on Instagram to find out where they’re going to be. Great matcha lattes with creative flavor combinations.

Bonus: Three national chains in Portland with good matcha

• Din Tai Fung: I know we all come here for the food, but the drinks are good! The jasmine matcha latte is excellent.

• Junbi: Lots of options and the ability to customize your matcha latte. Other tea and juice drinks for non-matcha drinkers. Solid choice in the Sellwood neighborhood.

• Starbucks: If you’re stuck in an airport or hospital and craving a matcha, it’s nowhere near as good as my top choices above, but it’s decent. Like all their drinks, the matcha is overly sweet so I recommend having them go easy on the added syrup. Most other national chains I’ve tried are just terrible at making matcha. It’s green milk at best.

That’s it. That’s the list. I hope you try them all!

🍵 OK. So just what is matcha?

Matcha is powdered green tea, traditionally made from shade-grown tea leaves that are steamed, dried and ground into a fine powder. Unlike steeped green tea, you drink the whole leaf, which gives matcha its vivid color, earthy flavor and caffeine kick. Matcha originated in Japan, but is now being produced in other countries, including China.

If you want to go deeper, The New York Times has a helpful article covering the current matcha craze and why demand has grown so quickly.

🍵 How to order the best matcha latte (according to me!)

My bias: I like matcha that still tastes like tea, not just sweet green milk. Here is what I’ve learned from ordering a lot of matcha lattes.

• Ask for it lightly sweetened and skip added flavors if you want to taste the tea.

• Try oat milk if you like a creamy texture, but watch for added sweetness.

• Order iced if you’ll drink it quickly; order it hot if you want the flavor to hold longer.

• If the shop can’t adjust sweetness, it may be using presweetened powder. These are best avoided.

🍵 Parting thought

Portland has no shortage of great coffee, but the city’s matcha scene deserves more attention. If you’re already a matcha fan, these are great places to start. If you’re matcha-curious, order one lightly sweetened and see what you think.

And if I missed your favorite Portland matcha spot, I want to know — because I’m always willing to keep drinking more matcha!