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.
Lavish Spanish restaurant backed by Pep Guardiola announces shock closure
Daisy Jackson
Tast, the luxury Spanish restaurant in Manchester that was launched with the backing of Pep Guardiola, has announced its sudden closure.
The beautiful restaurant in King Street, led by acclaimed executive chef Paco Pérez, said that it’s taken the ‘difficult decision’ to close the doors for the ‘very last time’ this week.
Tast opened back in the summer of 2018, taking over the site that was previously home to restaurants like Quill and Suri.
It had a much better run of things than those previous occupiers, thanks to its menu of Catalan-style rice dishes and traditional but refined tapas.
Sadly, Tast Cuina Catalana has now decided that it’s reached the end of the road, and will be closing its doors for good on Saturday 20 December.
They cited a number of factors leading to the closure, including ‘exceptionally challenging trading conditions’ and ‘increased costs’, stressing that the restaurant’s ‘shareholders and the dedication of our team’ have seen the restaurant through the last seven years.
Tast wrote in a statement: “We are proud to have been able to share some of Catalunya, our beloved country, with the people of Manchester.
Tast will close for good on 20 DecemberTast on King Street launched in 2018 with backing from Pep Guardiola
“Between now and our final service on 20 December, we look forward to welcoming you and celebrating what Tast has always been about: great food, great people and memorable moments shared around the table.”
Other restaurant owners in Manchester have been sharing their messages of support with Tast, including Beeswing, who wrote: “This is so sad to read. Such lovely food and thoughtful service — a real reflection of how hard things are for hospitality right now. Manchester will miss you.”
Mary-Ellen McTague, the renowned chef at Pip, said: “Really sad news! Sorry to hear it.”
Tasts’s full statement reads: “After much consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close Tast’s doors for the very last time on 20 December 2025.
“Tast has been built on the passion, talent and commitment of an exceptional team, and we want to begin by thanking every single person who has worked with us over the years. Your creativity, care and professionalism have been the heart of Tast.
“To our loyal customers: thank you for choosing to dine with us, celebrate with us and support us. Your belief in Tast has kept us alive for seven years and it has been a privilege to welcome you through our doors.
“We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to our suppliers, producers and partners. Your quality, reliability and collaboration have played a vital role in shaping what Tast stands for.
“Like many in the hospitality sector, we have faced exceptionally challenging trading conditions and increased costs. But the unwavering support of our shareholders and the dedication of our team have seen us through these past seven years.
“Above all, we are proud to have been able to share some of Catalunya, our beloved country, with the people of Manchester.
“Between now and our final service on 20 December, we look forward to welcoming you and celebrating what Tast has always been about: great food, great people and memorable moments shared around the table.
“Thank you for being part of our journey. With gratitude, Tast Team.”
Anyone with vouchers to dine at Tast will be automatically refunded if they can’t be spent in the next few days.
Tast will officially close on Saturday 20 December.
Inside Mollie’s Motel and Diner in Manchester as beautiful new hotel opens with rooms from just £109
Daisy Jackson
Mollie’s Motel & Diner has arrived in Manchester, with beautiful hotel rooms from just £109 plus a retro diner serving American classics.
The space has taken over five floors of the iconic Old Granada Studios down at St John’s, with interior design that celebrates the building’s history.
Mid-century modern details like dark woods, textured upholstery, and retro lamps abound in this stylish new opening for Manchester.
Soho House Design has worked on the build of Mollie’s Motel to preserve the modernist facade of Old Granada Studios and make playful nods to the building’s vibrant history.
This is particularly obvious downstairs in Studio IV, a cocktail bar with a live music stage, where vintage TVs have been inserted over the bar and guests sink into plush couches for pre-dinner drinks.
You can already check out Mollie’s Diner, which is open now (with a decent discount for its launch – more on that below), with the Mollie’s Motel bedrooms set to launch early 2026.
The hotel rooms at Mollie’s Motel Manchester
A bunk room at Mollie’s Motel ManchesterA Mollie’s Motel suiteAnd a tub with a viewThe bedrooms are all beautifully designed
Hotel rooms at Mollie’s Manchester start from an incredibly reasonable £109, with different size and spec bedrooms and suites for guests.
There are cosy bunk rooms where up to four guests can tuck into their own bunk pods, suites that have their own Peleton room, and cosy double bedrooms with gorgeous views of the southern side of the city.
Regardless of the level (or price) of your chosen room, you’ll have the same design detailing (dark wood panelling, terrazzo and aged brass finishes), plus rainshowers, a super king bed, Dyson hairdryers, GHD straighteners and Cowshed toiletries.
Mollie’s Diner in Manchester
Mollie’s Diner is open nowBreakfast dishes at Mollie’s DinerBurgers and fried chicken at Mollie’s DinerClassic thick milkshakes
The diner space itself looks like it’s been lifted straight out of Hollywood’s Golden Age, with deep burgundy leather banquettes, counter seating, and globe pendant lights.
It’s all been inspired by the interior of a vintage Cadillac, and has space to 110 diners plus private dining for 30.
As for food and drink, you can expect everything from waffles and French toast to huge burgers and steaks, with thick milkshakes to wash it down.
You can get 50% off food if you book Mollie’s Diner HERE.
The rest of the spaces in Mollie’s Motel & Diner, Manchester
Studio IV cocktail barStudio IV cocktail barThe library snug
As you enter this reimagined building, you’re plunged straight into its design-led vision, with couches and cosy corners everywhere.
The communal reception space has a library snug, coffee counter, and beautiful bar, but you head downstairs you’ll find the real treat – Studio IV.
This beautiful bar is built around a magnificent central bar, with retro TV screens above it and scalloped leather bar stools surrounding it.
There’s a mid-century-era stage, too, which will host live entertainment to a crowd gathered on couches before it.
You can get 25% off signature cocktails in Studio IV if you pre-book HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
28th March 2025 
