Caffeine is often nonnegotiable as a college student. While UM has plenty of matcha, coffee and tea options on campus, these five Coral Gables matcha spots are worth venturing out for, due to their drink quality and ambience.
Taking the No. 1 spot is Navi.
With indoor and outdoor seating, Navi has plenty of space to work on schoolwork, catch up with friends or go on a coffee date. The space is light, airy and effortlessly beautiful, with seasonal flower arrangements throughout the store that are also available for purchase.
But a pretty café can only get you so far. The matcha itself is just as good.
The Iced Matcha Latte with Taché Pistachio Milk and Pistachio & Date Cold Foam was a 10/10. The flavor pairing was excellent without overpowering the matcha, and it may have also been the most aesthetic drink of the five.
Navi earned the top spot for its combination of a high-quality matcha with an atmosphere worth revisiting.
Coming in at a very close second was STAND.
STAND has a nice ambience, with seating available to work, study or just hang out, although there is not as much room as in Navi.
The matcha tasted as if it came straight out of Japan, with one of the cleanest and smoothest finishes of all five spots.
The Signature Matcha with Kyoto strawberry purée and mascarpone cloud is worth reordering. The strawberry tasted fresh rather than artificial, and the mascarpone cloud brought everything together.
If Navi had not taken the top spot, STAND easily would have.
By far the cutest cup of the search goes to Nonno’s, where the matcha came bedazzled in gems.
The family-owned café, run by two father-daughter duos, offers a full food menu in addition to its drinks.
The standard matcha with cold foam was smooth and sweet. Between the vibrant drink and its impossible-to-ignore cup, Nonno’s delivered an experience that was just as fun as the matcha itself.
If you’re looking for a beautiful café where your laptop stays closed, Façade may be your spot.
With a no-Wi-Fi, no-screen policy, natural lighting and benches surrounding long tables, Façade prides itself on being a community space. Located a little farther from campus than the other spots on our list, it is still worth the roughly 10-minute drive.
The standard matcha with almond milk and homemade vanilla syrup tasted natural rather than overly sweet or artificial and paired nicely with the matcha without completely masking its flavor.
It may not be the place to grind out an essay, but it is a great option when you want to put the laptop away.
Located on the same street as STAND, Neoklasik is your go-to if you’re looking for a great pastry and a unique baklava matcha.
While the baklava matcha was smooth and good quality, the cold foam is what completes it.
There is also plenty of seating and ample room to spread out, making Neoklasik a great work or study environment.
Whether you’re looking for a new study spot, a change of scenery or just a really good matcha, these five cafés are definitely worth the trip. Your next caffeine fix might be just a short off-campus trip away.