Earthy, vibrant and endlessly customizable, matcha has found a happy home in Santa Barbara. Across town, local cafés are whisking the finely ground Japanese green tea into everything from quietly excellent lattes to fruit-forward sips crowned with velvety cream. Whether you prefer yours clean and unsweetened or dressed up with strawberry, coconut or ube (really, the possibilities are endless!), these Santa Barbara spots deserve a place on your matcha crawl.
Cajé Coffee Roasters
When the mood calls for a matcha that doubles as a small work of art, Cajé Coffee Roasters delivers. The locally grown coffee company is known for elaborate specialty drinks layered with house-made syrups, fruit and floral garnishes. Its matcha offerings vary by location and season, but past creations have included combinations of strawberry, elderflower, pomegranate and rose. Visit one of Cajé’s atmospheric Santa Barbara cafés and ask what matcha special is currently in rotation. Caje’s newest Hollister Avenue location has a signature sip all its own: the Paper Crane. Bright with lemongrass and dressed up with a basil-sugar rim, white orchid and vegan marshmallows, it’s equal parts refreshing, whimsical and almost too pretty to drink.
Try this: The iced rose matcha latte (available at all locations) or the Paper Crane!
Dune Coffee Roasters
Although best known for its carefully sourced coffee, Dune Coffee Roasters gives its tea program the same attention. Its matcha latte is made with Mizuba Tea Co., a Santa Barbara-based company that works directly with small family-run tea farms in Japan. The result is balanced and pleasantly grassy rather than overly sweet. With several cafés around Santa Barbara, Dune is also one of the easiest places to work a quality matcha into a day of exploring.
Try this: A Mizuba matcha latte with oat milk and a touch of honey.
Kin Bakeshop
For matcha with a playful streak, make your way to Kin Bakeshop near Goleta. The Asian American bakery and café builds an ever-changing menu around thoughtful flavor combinations, pairing matcha with ingredients such as strawberry, banana and house-made cream tops. Check the bakeshop’s Instagram page for weekly menus and wait times, and be sure to arrive early!
Try this: One of the rotating iced matcha cloud drinks paired with a chewy mochi doughnut, offered on weekends only.
Dart Coffee Co.
At Dart Coffee Co. (in the Funk Zone and along the waterfront), a well-made matcha comes with one of the neighborhood’s loveliest places to linger. Pick up a latte at the café, then cross the street to Dart’s lush community garden, where shaded tables and colorful plantings offer a quiet pause. Or, take your matcha to-go and stroll along the breakwater if you opt for their waterfront location. Dart’s an especially good choice for matcha purists — or anyone who believes a drink tastes better with a garden seat.
Try this: A hot or iced matcha latte, enjoyed in the garden or along the bustling waterfront.
Mother Dough Bagels
Come for the naturally fermented bagels; stay for a matcha with an imaginative twist. Mother Dough Bagels has earned a following for flavored matcha drinks that complement its hand-rolled sourdough bagels. Offerings rotate, but combinations such as strawberry, lavender and Earl Grey have appeared on the menu. Since both hours and specials can change, check the shop’s Instagram before setting out — and arrive early if a particular bagel-and-matcha pairing has your name on it.
Try this: One of the rotating flavored matchas alongside a furikake bagel with gochujang cream cheese.
Seoulmate Kitchen
Inside the Santa Barbara Public Market, Seoulmate Kitchen treats matcha as a starting point for some of the city’s most creative café drinks. Its ceremonial-grade matcha is imported from Japan and paired with house-made syrups, teas and cloud-like toppings. Keep it simple with a Matcha Oat Latte sweetened with kuromitsu, a Japanese brown sugar syrup, or branch out with the Strawberry Matcha Cloud (seasonal). The Yuzu Honey Matcha Fizz brings sparkling water and citrus into the mix for a lighter, especially refreshing take.
Try this: Strawberry Matcha Cloud or the Yuzu Honey Matcha Fizz.
Make It a Multi-Day Matcha Crawl
For an easy downtown route, begin with Dart in the Funk Zone, continue to Cajé or Mother Dough, then finish with a cloud-topped creation at Seoulmate Kitchen. Matcha enthusiasts willing to venture a little farther can add in Kin Bakeshop in Goleta. Just remember that specialty drinks and seasonal flavors change frequently, so check current menus and hours before visiting. And don’t forget to take advantage of this third night free offer during your stay to squeeze in more matcha time!
