Matcha fever has the nation gripped at the minute – it feels like half the country has turned its back on flat whites in favour of the popular green tea drink.
This pretty Japanese beverage might have been around for centuries, but it’s having a bit of a new moment here in Manchester and finding a whole new wave of fans.
With the global success of brands like Blank Street, you can barely walk down the street without passing someone sipping something green.
So we’ve decided to pull together five local spots in Manchester who are doing the very best matcha in town, from the very traditional to the very playful.
Know of somewhere we’ve missed? Drop us a DM on our The Manc Eats Instagram page HERE.
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Ohayo Tea, Chinatown
Matcha bubble tea and soft serve at Ohayo Tea in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
This adorable bubble tea cafe in Chinatown has a Shiba Inu dog as its mascot, and you’ll find his face carved into the walls, waffles in the shape of his head, and a giant dog statue bursting out of the wall.
Ohayo Tea serve a complex take on a matcha drink that plays into their bubble tea expertise – expect your matcha to come layered with tapioca pearls, cheese foam, pistachio foam, and plenty more options too.
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These drinks come with instructions – tilt your branded cup (the Shiba is back) it to at least 45 degrees to get every layer at once, or, if you insist, use a thick straw to mix it all together.
You can also get matcha soft serve here with shards of honeycomb stuck to it. Delightful.
Just Between Friends, Ancoats and Northern Quarter
Matcha drinks at Just Between Friends, Ancoats. Credit: The Manc Group
If you’re someone who actually likes matcha to taste of matcha, rather than of all sorts of syrups and other add-ons, turn to one of the city’s best coffee shops.
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At Just Between Friends – which has locations tucked into an old mill in Ancoats as well as right on Tib Street in the Northern Quarter – matcha is whisked properly with a traditional bamboo whisk, before being added to steamed or chilled milk.
The result is either a warm, smooth drink served in an earthenware cup, or a refreshing iced matcha.
You can wedge yourself into a window seat or even sit on the cobbled archway outside and imagine you’ve transported yourself to a Tokyo backstreet.
We’d love to tell you the opening hours and location of this pop-up matcha hotspot, but it tends to shift around Manchester a bit.
It’s worth tracking down though – Matcha Kyoto is importing speciality ingredients all the way from Kyoto and doing everything as authentically as possible.
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With matcha whipped cream, matcha lattes, matcha desserts and matcha toppings it’s a dream come true for matcha lovers… Is the word matcha starting to sound like gibberish to anyone else at this point?
Track their latest movements on their Instagram HERE.
Sipp, Ancoats and Deansgate Square
Sipp matcha in Ancoats. Credit: The Manc Group
If you’re new to matcha, or just know that you like yours with a little sweetness and fun, you must get a sip of Sipp’s.
These guys are based in General Stores around town, with their own coffee shop soon to open in Chorlton, and they have a whole list of ‘Matcha Cloud’ drinks.
Their best-seller is the raspberry and coconut, which tastes exactly like a lamington, or there are always specials cropping up (currently, it’s a mango and passionfruit).
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This is gateway matcha – and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Tsujiri, Chinatown
A selection of matcha items at Tsujuri in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
Not satisfied with simply serving matcha you can drink, Tsujiri is a Japanese tea house using this powerful ingredient in cakes, ice creams, cheesecakes and more.
Tsujiri was founded all the way back in 1860, before bringing the finest matcha lattes and infused desserts to British shores.
In Manchester, you’ll find them in the heart of Chinatown, tucked up an anonymous flight of stairs, where there are cabinets full of green sweet treats like a matcha basque cheesecake, matcha sundaes, and classic iced lattes.
Costa unveils 2025 Christmas menu – with NEW festive lattes, sweet treats, and much more
Emily Sergeant
Costa has unveiled its festive food and drink menu for 2025.
Can you believe it’s that time of year yet again? We’ve been noticing the Christmas spirit creeping in for a few weeks now, but it definitely feels like it’s here now.
The popular coffee shop chain is known and loved for its limited-edition seasonal menus each year, and now, with the countdown to the big day officially on, Costa has given fans what they’ve been waiting for as it’s unveiled its festive food and drink offering for 2025 – with a whole host of brand-new treats, as well as some returning fan favourites on the lineup.
It’s absolutely packed full of hearty soul foods and indulgent goodies to get you properly get you in a festive mood.
Costa has unveiled its 2025 Christmas menu / Credit: Costa
The star of this year’s festive drinks is the all-new Butter Pecan Cookie Latte – which is described as being ‘a delicious seasonal twist’ on a normal latte, topped with light whip and butter pecan cookie pieces to transform every coffee break into a little celebration.
Other festive drinks on the menu this year include the comebacks of three absolute Costa Christmas classics – the Gingerbread & Cream Latte, the Terry’s Chocolate Orange Hot Chocolate, and the Black Forest Hot Chocolate.
Also returning is last year’s newest addition – the Caramel Nutcracker drinks range, available as a Hot Chocolate, Latte, and Iced Latte.
Loads of new and returning festive drinks are on the lineup / Credit: Costa
If you fancy tucking into a festive feast to go along with your limited-edition drinks, then this year’s food lineup is packed with hearty toasties and irresistible sweet treats.
For lunchtime bits, plenty of festive favourites are returning for 2025, such as the much-loved Turkey & Trimmings Toastie, Pigs & Blankets Toastie, Brie & Cranberry Toastie, Turkey Feast Sandwich, and the Brie, Bacon & Cranberry Panini.
For those with a sweet tooth, there’s some new indulgent cakes and biscuits too.
For those with a sweet tooth, some real fan-favourite treats are also back this year / Credit: Costa
These include the new Dubai Style Pistachio, the new Caramel Nutcracker Cookie Sandwich, and new Festive Spice Muffin, alongside classics like the Iced Penguin Gingerbread Biscuits, Berry Red Velvet Mini Loaf, Chocolate & Caramel Nutcracker Cake, Gingernut Loaf Cake, and the Festive Bakewell Tart.
Oh, and don’t forget both the All Butter Mince Pie and the Gluten-Free Vegan Mince Tarts are already back for another year too, as is the Terry’s Chocolate Orange Muffin.
The 2025 Christmas menu will be available at all Costa branches and Costa self-serve machines nationwide, and will begin its roll-out from this Friday 24th October 2025 – with some items launching in early November.
Featured Image – Costa
Eats
The Head Of Steam to move into site of short-lived Northern Quarter gastropub
Daisy Jackson
Well-known pub group The Head Of Steam has revealed plans to take over a prominent Northern Quarter site.
The craft beer brand will move into the Grade II-listed building that was (very briefly) home to the Lamb of Tartary gastropub, which sadly shut down after just six months.
Prior to that, the landmark building was the home of Cottonopolis.
It’s been empty since Lamb of Tartary shut down more than a year ago, but now The Head of Steam is swooping into Manchester city centre to bring it back to life.
Their plans include 30 beer lines (24 keg and six cask), augmented reality darts, live sports across six screens, and a dedicated pop-up kitchen from a local operator, also making its debut in Manchester City Centre.
Spanning 2,800 sq ft, there’ll be space for 180 guests, with a design that will mix ‘industrial character and Northern warmth’.
It sounds like there are changes in store from the Lamb of Tartary days – there’s talk of a striking circular central bar, surrounded by exposed brickwork and restored original features.
Behind that bar you’ll be able to enjoy a UK craft beers, plus a vast collection of Belgian beers, alongside a rotating selection of cans and bottles, as well as a fresh cocktail menu and quality spirits range.
The Head Of Steam to move into site of short-lived Northern Quarter gastropub. Credit: Supplied
The Head of Steam was established back in 1995 and is part of Camerons Brewery. The group already has 15 venues across 13 cities, including an existing Manchester pub out in Didsbury.
Mark Connor, Head of Operations & Brand for The Head of Steam, said: “We’re excited to be joining the Northern Quarter community and to bring our favourite UK brewers, alongside classics from our extensive Belgian range, to this vibrant part of the city.
“The location is incredible, and being able to offer something new and exciting to the area is fantastic for us.
“We can’t wait to open our doors later this year, meet our neighbours, and become a part of this iconic area of Manchester.”
The Head of Steam will open at 16 Newton Street in the Northern Quarter later this year.
Daisy Jackson -
28th March 2025 
