Pasadena has a matcha scene worth a dedicated trip. The big arrival was nana's green tea, the Tokyo café chain, which opened in Old Pasadena in May 2026. But the scene was already strong: Mandarin Coffee Stand serves ceremonial matcha sourced from Kettl, Motto Tea Cafe builds desserts around it, Danbi Coffee does cream-top matcha, and Pillow Talk pairs it with Japanese chiffon cake. Most are in Old Pasadena or along South Lake Avenue. All five are verified open as of September 2026.
The Tokyo matcha café chain opened its Pasadena location on May 9, 2026, and it is now the most traditional matcha experience in the city. The menu is built around Japanese matcha and hojicha: drinks, Japanese parfaits, and rich matcha and hojicha soft serve, alongside Japanese bites. It sits on Raymond Avenue in Old Pasadena, easy to combine with the rest of the neighbourhood. If you only visit one matcha place in Pasadena, this is the one that shows what matcha tastes like in Japan.
A small, woman-owned AAPI coffee stand in the Burlington Arcade serving Chinese specialty coffee and ceremonial-grade matcha. Since winter 2026 it has sourced its tea and matcha from Kettl, the Brooklyn importer known for working directly with Japanese farmers and for its single-cultivar matchas. It is a morning spot: open 8:00 to 15:00 every day. There is a second location, Mandarin 2, on East Colorado Boulevard.
A tea café in Old Pasadena where matcha is as much a dessert as a drink. The two signatures are a matcha crème brûlée soufflé and a matcha yuzu chiffon crepe cake, and both are worth the trip on their own. There is a wider tea menu for drinks. Motto has over a thousand reviews on Yelp.
A café specialising in cream-top coffees and ceremonial-grade matcha drinks. The menu is long and playful: the Matcha Rain is the signature, and there are cream-top matcha variations including banana cream matcha, alongside Einspänner coffee. It is a good choice if you like sweeter, layered matcha drinks with a rich cream top rather than a plain latte.
A women-owned, AAPI, Japanese-inspired café opened in 2019, best known for its handcrafted chiffon cakes and Japanese-style egg sandwiches. The matcha shows up in both drinks and cake: the Matchamisu layers matcha chiffon, raspberry jelly and matcha mascarpone, dusted with ceremonial-grade matcha, and the matcha yuzu drink is a regular favourite. There is a dirty matcha latte too. Closed on Tuesdays.
Make Matcha at Home
Inspired by what you tasted? These are the essentials for recreating café-quality matcha in your own kitchen.
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Tips for drinking matcha in Pasadena
- Two clusters — nana's and Motto are in Old Pasadena; Mandarin and Pillow Talk are a short walk apart on South Lake Avenue.
- Go early for Mandarin — it closes at 15:00 every day.
- nana's for the classic — it is the closest thing in Pasadena to a Tokyo matcha café.
- Save room for dessert — Motto's soufflé and Pillow Talk's Matchamisu are the best matcha desserts in the city.
- Pillow Talk is closed Tuesdays — plan around it if you are visiting midweek.
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