What exactly determines a “good” matcha latte? To all the matcha lovers out there, I prefer matcha that is ceremonial grade, rich in flavour, with a perfect milk-to-matcha ratio. So with that in mind, here are my top five absolute favourite spots to grab matcha in Ottawa! Whether you’re going for a hot girl walk, running errands, going to class or just finishing up a workout, be sure to check out these spots!
1. THE HUB MARKET and Cafe
Located right in the heart of the ByWard Market, The Hub Market and Cafe is widely known for having incredible matcha. It has an incredibly vibrant, electric green colour and a strong earthy taste. It is the absolute perfect spot to hit if you’re wandering downtown and need a delicious pick-me-up drink.
My personal favourite: The strawberry matcha latte. I love that it isn’t overly sweet from artificial fruit flavourings. Instead they use fresh fruit in their house-made syrup. It delivers a beautiful balance of strawberry, creamy milk and rich matcha.
Location: 9 Byward Market Square, Ottawa, ON K1N 9B8
2. Undergrounds
If you’re looking for a spot that is anything but basic, Undergrounds cafe in Little Italy is exactly where you need to go. It’s specifically known for unique globally inspired flavours and specialty lattes. One of my favourite things about Undergrounds is their cloud foam toppers. Instead of standard vanilla cold foam, they use thick house-made flavoured cold foams poured over top of the cloud matchas.
My personal favorite: The ube cloud matcha latte. This drink is a true hand-crafted masterpiece. It features a thick ube cold foam, vibrant green matcha, topped with coconut shavings.
Location: 769 Gladstone Ave, Ottawa, ON K1R 6X4
3. Sisters Mart
Sisters Mart is located in the Glebe, which is conveniently close to Carleton’s campus. Sisters Mart is dedicated to holistic nutrition and specializes in wellness ingredients. They have a ceremonial matcha and cacao bar. They only use organic sweeteners and premium milk options in their matcha, including Jersey milk, house-made nut milk, and organic grass-fed A2A2 dairy. This is a great place to try if you’re looking for gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free or clean ingredient options. It is a bit more pricey but definitely worth it! Â
My personal favourite: The vanilla bliss. This drink includes cymbiotika magnesium L-threonate, organic reishi powder, local maple syrup and pure vanilla extract. Sisters Mart designed this drink to help calm your mind and reduce stress. To level up your matcha game, you can customize your drink with the wide variety of different supplements that Sisters Mart offers.
Location: Â 793 Bank St, Ottawa, ON K1S 3V7
4. ahh!!! Coffee
Located in Hintonburg, Ahh!!! Coffee is inside the Urban Art Collective. It’s a fantastic destination if you love local art and want to sip on a matcha while browsing beautiful art pieces, graffiti and prints.
The matcha itself is a perfectly smooth velvety texture with a umami flavour.Â
My personal favourite: The Jesus juice. This drink is like nothing I’ve ever tried before, layering ceremonial-grade matcha with soursop juice, passionfruit syrup and lime. All of those punchy tropical flavors pair well with the earthy taste of matcha.
Location: 50 Bayswater Ave, Ottawa, ON K1Y 2E9
5. Moo shu Ice Cream
Moo Shu is located in Hintonburg and is both a cafe and ice cream shop. If you’ve had their ice cream, you must give their matcha a try! They nail the milk-to-matcha ratio. When it’s served, you can literally see the vibrant green matcha poured over the milk. With your first sip, you can immediately tell it’s good-quality matcha.
Moo Shu’s commitment to traditional matcha is the real deal. They’ve even hosted specialized matcha-making workshops led by Reina Sakao, a certified matcha master. It just goes to show how much care and authenticity they pour into every single drink.
Bonus points: if you order a hot matcha “for here,” they often serve them in cute cat branded mugs.
My personal favorite: The vanilla bean matcha latte. Instead of artificial vanilla sweeteners, Moo Shu uses genuine vanilla bean in their recipe. The real vanilla bean flavour pairs beautifully with their bold matcha, making it one of the best iced vanilla matcha lattes in Ottawa, in my opinion!
Location: 1130 Wellington St. W Unit 1, Ottawa, ON K1Y 2Z3
After visiting many matcha spots in Ottawa, these locations are always my go-to. From fruity to rich, sweet to umami, each of these unique matchas is carefully crafted to make your day a little brighter. Next time you’re craving a matcha, use this list as your guide and go find your new favourite spot!