Best Matcha Lattes In Chicago

Hey dudes!! Happy humpday!

I am SO excited to write this post today because it’s about a passion of mine that is almost on par with my enthusiasm for avocado toast… Which is saying somethin’.

I’m talking about matcha lattes, and yes, I am aware of the basic-ness within this fact about myself. At home, I drink matcha strait up. I do about a 1/2 tsp of  ground matcha powder, use a mini little sifter to sift it in to avoid clumps, and use a bamboo whisk to stir it into the hot water, because apparently the components in silverware somewhat cause the matcha to lose its pureness in flavor. I’m freakin LEGIT yo!

Anyway, out in the real world I’m a sucker for a matcha latte. I love the taste, I love the color, I love how they photograph. Seriously. I totally seek them out and am DL on a mission to try as many as I can in Chicago.

And quickly for anyone wondering what the heck these green coffee looking drinks are…

Matcha is green tea in its most concentrated form. Just one serving of matcha has the nutritional equivalent of 10 cups of regular green tea. It provides a longer lasting and more stable form of caffeine than coffee, so no crash or jitters. It has a ton of benefits, including boosting your metabolism, delivering a huge dose of antioxidants, and aiding in concentration. Of course, you’ll get the most of these benefits if you’re having matcha in its natural form, without the added sugars and milk.

As a latte, matcha is normally added to either milk or almond milk and often is sweetened.

Today I’m rounding up my favorite places to get matcha in the city! For all my Chicago babes and anyone visiting the city, definitely give these places a try. I love the vibes at all these little spots; they’re actually kind of a better Sunday hangout spot than your couch. Super fun and chill and hip, I promise!

1) Le Pain Quotidien

First up because it’s one of my fave places evaaa! I was first introduced to Pain by my sister (Kate) and my mom, when I visited Kate at school in the OC area. It’s a chain, and there are a ton of locations just in Chicago. Each feels like a little French cafe; there’s a counter up front with an incredible spread of baked goods. If you can only stop for a second, you must order one their pain au chocolat (chocolate croissant). They are almost as good as the ones in Paris!

Their matcha lattes are served with almond milk unless otherwise unspecified. They also can have a shot of vanilla added to them, which makes them sweet and super delicious. When I am trying to cut down on sugar I order it without the syrup, and it’s still really good. You also can’t beat that frothiness on top!!

Also, pro tip: If you’re in the business of adding flavor shots to your caffeinated hot beverages, add a shot of PEPPERMINT to your matcha latte. I know, it sounds ludicrous. But it will bloooow your mind, guys. It is the most complimentary flavor pairing!!

2) Real Good Juice Co.

Okay, so first, RGJ is the cutest space. It has potted succulents, a little wagon filled with plants, and long wooden communal tables. We were sitting at one that had this fun little wooden toy on it… that Francis and I may or may not have gotten really into.

Their matcha only comes served ice, which I have to admit, is kind of weird. But it is incredibly refreshing. I’m known to get it on Sundays when I’m hungover, ha. It definitely is more on the earthy side of the taste spectrum, and they don’t seem to have a way to sweeten it. That said, if you enjoy the taste of pure ground matcha, then this might be up your alley. Overall, I’m a big fan and I think I will definitely be frequenting this place over the summer.

3) Left Coast

Oh, be still my heart, Left Coast. I actually wrote an entire brunch post about Left Coast, that you can read here if you are so inclined. It is the bomb!!!! I wish I could eat every meal here.

I’m just going to focus on their matcha lattes here.

SO. These are absoluteeely my favorite in the city!! They are just slightly sweetened, and are oh so frothy and comforting! I don’t particularly like the overly sugary ones and want to actually be able to taste the matcha. I think you can with these ones. Honestly, I can’t really put into words why these are so great. You just need to see for yourself!

4) Beatrix

Right smack in the middle of River North! That honestly is one of the things I love best about Beatrix; I love feeling like I’m right in the middle of a big city, and am apart of all the action and motion. The restaurant also has an internal coffee bar and bakery. The coffee bar offers a TON of different kinds of drinks. They have great smoothies and house made juices, as well as seasonal things like the pumpkin cinnamon cappuccino. They also have great matcha lattes! You can asked to have it sweetened or unsweetened, as well as request your choice of milk. Francis gets one a there every morning on his way to work. Which is hilarious because he used to think they were super gross and weird before I inevitably turned him on to them. Can’t make this stuff up.

5) Sawada Coffee

Located in Chicago’s ultra hip West Loop neighborhood, somewhere I too often frequent over the weekends, is Sawada Coffee, one of the coolest coffee spots I’ve ever been to! It was pretty packed when we went here and we had to wait a decent amount of time for our lattes, but there was ample seating. We managed to snag a couple chairs at the wood bar up front by the windows, perfect place for people watching by the way.

Francis and I agreed these were some of the best green tea lattes we’ve had! As I’ve mentioned before, I’, a stickler for getting the sweetness ratio just right… They definitely nailed it here. On top of serving matcha lattes, Sawada is generally just a really cool coffee shop. They did a great job with decorating and adding in art inspired by the shop’s founder’s Japanese background. There’s a pinball machine, ping pong tables, and a punching bag just for kicks, so you’ll definitely never get bored here. They also have a rotating menu of donuts, which looked seriously unreal. Have to try next time!

…

I hope to make this a growing post and update as I matcha-cha my way around the city (dear God did I really just write that hahaha).

Stay tuned!

Until next time…