Channeling wabi-sabi style, Matchaful’s new Ritual Bar in Brooklyn offers tea drinkers a moment of zen in a bustling city. In the expanded space, carved from an apartment building near the Williamsburg café, curious minds can take pause to learn about the craft of Japanese tea through guided tastings, matcha whisking ceremonies and more. As these intentional experiences unfold, the intimate atmosphere keeps guests grounded in the present.
‘We realised most people never get the chance to hear the stories behind what they're drinking or learn how it's traditionally prepared,’ Matchaful founder Hannah Habes tells Wallpaper*. ‘The Ritual Bar gives us the opportunity to bring those stories to life.’
Habes enlisted Now or Never (NoN) Studio, a Brooklyn-based interior architecture and design firm, to seamlessly expand the original café, which first opened in 2024 and is one of the brand’s many locations in New York.
The Ritual Bar marks the expansion’s crown jewel. With seating for eight, the cosy space features paper pendant lights by Troy Lighting that produce a soft glow and textured limewash walls that absorb sound. Natural maple and oak wood warm up the space, from the custom bar stools to floating shelves that display ceramics made by local artisans. The green-veined counter, made of Cipollino Verde marble, further mirrors nature.
‘We were drawn to natural materials and textures that feel warm, calming and timeless because we wanted the space to reflect the same care that goes into the teas we source,’ says Habes.
Beyond the Ritual Bar – where walk-ins can also grab a seat across from a tea educator and order from a season menu when reservation-based classes aren’t in session – the café now includes a larger outdoor space. The landscaped patio beckons visitors to settle in during warmer months. A matcha grinder room, where customers can view the traditional stone matcha grinding technique in action from behind a glass window, will also open inside of the café later this year.
Throughout the café, minimal decor leaves room ‘for the guest to notice’ everything, says NoN Studio founder Jamie McGlinchey, from ‘the shadow of daylight’ and ‘the grain of the wood’ to the tea-making processes occurring around them. ‘The design prioritises presence, ritual and ambiance over decoration, allowing the experience and the act of making matcha to remain the focus,’ she says.
‘Above all, we want people to feel welcome,’ Habes adds. ‘Our hope is that wherever someone spends time, they leave feeling more connected.’
Matchaful is located at 92 Berry St, Brooklyn, NY 11249