Holy Matcha — San Diego, USA

The saying goes, that pink and green should never be seen, but at Holy Matcha, San Diego’s first matcha café, all caution has been thrown to the wind, pairing bubblegum pink walls, tiles, floors and velvet banquettes with tropical wallpaper and plenty of potted plant life that echo the colour of the healthful Japanese green tea powder that the café’s drinks are laced with.
After travelling to Japan in 2014, owner and founder Geraldine Ridaura, found the powder a great replacement for coffee, and returned to San Diego energised to bring it to the masses. Working with San Francisco-based design firm Homework, on the petite space’s design, Ridaura paired playful colourways with brass fixtures and quartz countertops.
In addition to a menu featuring matcha lattes, lemonade and horchata – a creamy and nutty Mexican drink served with ice – there are matcha-infused pastries and snacks, and a curated retail section offering health-focused items from Moon Juice, leather goods and custom made ceramic matcha bowls by Tsuchikara Pottery.
‘I’ve become a passionate advocate of matcha,’ says Ridaura. ‘I’ve received so much feedback already from the community looking for a delicious coffee alternative — of which there are many — but matcha is absolutely one of the most health positive of them all.’
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
3118 University Avenue
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
Discover a futuristic bar in Shanghai with mad-scientist energy
Penicillin opens in Shanghai with a clinical steel and concrete design by LC Studio alongside its trailblazing, sustainable cocktails
-
This cardboard and rope chair seeks to redemocratise design with ‘joyful frugality’
Wallpaper* speaks to architect Nipun Prabhakar of Dhammada Collective about the studio’s latest project, ‘Paper Tube, an open-source chair made from discarded cardboard tubes and rope
-
The Sinclair name is back, attached to a pocket-sized games console with an educational edge
Grant Sinclair’s name is freighted with early computing history. Wallpaper* tapped up the British inventor to find out more about his new GamerCard console and other innovation
-
Beloved sushi restaurant Sōgo Roll Bar comes to Highland Park
The sushi hangout begins a new chapter in its second location, becoming the perfect spot for a quick grab-and-go or a relaxed tasting experience in east LA
-
Los Angeles’ best bars for craft cocktails and A-list design
From glamorous old Hollywood haunts to trend-setting neighbourhood hangouts, these hotspots serve excellent drinks in an atmosphere unlike anywhere else
-
A local architect’s guide to Joshua Tree
Mirtilla Alliata di Montereale shares her favourite things to do to slow down, look closely, and discover Joshua Tree through a more intentional lens
-
Meet artist Michael McGregor, using hotel stationery as his canvas
Michael McGregor unveils an exclusive postcard set made with notepads from The Luxury Collection properties in Minneapolis, San Francisco and Savannah
-
Home is where Beethoven Market is – a joyful Italian restaurant in LA’s Mar Vista
In Mar Vista, a historic space is reborn as a modern-day gathering spot, an Italian-infused restaurant where rotisserie chicken, handmade pasta and tableside tiramisu welcome you like family
-
Aman New York unveils exclusive US Open-themed experience
Aman’s ‘Season of Champions’ pairs Grand Slam action with personalised recovery and performance treatments designed by Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova
-
Caribbean cool meets mid-century glamour at this new LA hotspot
From golden mirrored chambers to jerk-spiced tomahawk steaks, Lucia reimagines Afro-Caribbean dining and design
-
Classic New York restaurants for delicious food and inspired design
From Michelin-starred fine dining to reimagined retro diners, these are the most emblematic (and easy-on-the-eye) places to eat in the Big Apple