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
-
Highlights from the transporting Cruise 2026 showsThe Cruise 2026 season began yesterday with a Chanel show at Lake Como, heralding the start of a series of jet-setting, destination runway shows from fashion’s biggest houses
-
Behind the design of national pavilions in Venice: three studios to knowDesigning the British, Swiss and Mexican national pavilions at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 are three outstanding studios to know before you go
-
Premium patisserie Naya is Mayfair’s latest sweet spotHeritage meets opulence at Naya bakery in Mayfair, London. With interiors by India Hicks and Anna Goulandris, the patisserie looks good enough to eat
-
Ghanaian cuisine has a story to tell at Washington, DC restaurant ElminaThe new restaurant is chef Eric Adjepong’s colourful ode to the recipes he grew up loving
-
Fancy a matcha-beer cocktail? Visit this dashing new LA restaurantCafé 2001 channels the spirit of an American diner with the flow of a European bistro and the artistry of Japanese cuisine
-
Visit this Michelin-star New York restaurant that doubles as an art galleryArtist Mr.StarCity is exhibiting his emotionally charged yet optimistic ‘Bloomers’ portrait series at Frevo, a Greenwich Village hidden haunt
-
With glowing honeycomb-shaped booths, this futuristic Japanese restaurant is ramen heavenAfter a successful U.S. expansion, Kyuramen touches down in Los Angeles.
-
Tour the best contemporary tea houses around the worldCelebrate the world’s most unique tea houses, from Melbourne to Stockholm, with a new book by Wallpaper’s Léa Teuscher
-
Seven things not to miss on your sunny escape to Palm SpringsIt’s a prime time for Angelenos, and others, to head out to Palm Springs; here’s where to have fun on your getaway
-
At Linden Los Angeles, classic New York comfort food gets its dueThe restaurant, inspired by a stretch of boulevard bridging Brooklyn and Queens, honors legacy, community and pleasure
-
This atmospheric New York restaurant was designed to be a ‘beautiful ruin’At Leon’s, classic Italian fare comes with a North African accent and with a side of family history
