I drink a slightly unreasonable amount of matcha, so these are the Vilnius cafés I actually return to — from proper Japanese matcha and tea tastings to beautifully creamy lattes, seasonal strawberry matcha and a few cups I’d probably skip. And I’m not going to be particularly diplomatic about it.
I’ve tried matcha all over Vilnius, and there is a huge difference between a beautifully whisked, intensely green matcha latte and what is essentially a cup of warm milk that once met something green. This isn’t an alphabetical list of cafés that happen to have matcha on the menu. These are places I actually visit and spend my own money in, ranked according to my personal taste. I live in Vilnius and have been to most of these cafés repeatedly. I like my matcha creamy and beautifully foamed, but I still want to actually taste the matcha.
I should also disclose something important before we begin: I hate coffee. I love the smell of it, but I don’t drink it. At all. So although several places on this list are known primarily for excellent specialty coffee, you’ll have to ask someone else about their espresso. This guide is strictly about matcha.
And if you only have time for three places? Go to Raštinė, Yugen Tea and Café de PACAI.
The Best Matcha in Vilnius at a Glance
My favourite matcha in Vilnius: Raštinė
Best for serious matcha lovers: Yugen Tea
Best for matcha and spectacular desserts: Café de PACAI
Best quirky Old Town café: Circus
Best matcha with pea milk: BREW
Best takeaway matcha in Žvėrynas: Espresinė
Best vegan café: Kiras
Best for stronger matcha: Taste Map
Good matcha, but I order something else: Huracán
Now for the important part.
1. Raštinė — My Favourite Matcha in Vilnius
If you ask me where to find the best matcha latte in Vilnius, my answer is easy: Raštinė. There are several Raštinė locations in Vilnius, but my favourite is on the corner of J. Basanavičiaus and Pylimo streets. And it’s worth going inside even if, for some incomprehensible reason, you don’t want matcha. Raštinė is part café, part beautiful stationery boutique. It’s filled with carefully selected stationery and gifts, including beautiful things from Japan and Korea: fountain pens, notebooks, books, educational games and crafts for children you didn’t know you needed.
But mostly, I keep coming back for the matcha. For me, their matcha latte is pretty much perfect. The colour, texture, foam and, most importantly, the actual taste of matcha are exactly what I want. They use high-quality ceremonial-grade matcha, and it shows. It’s also surprisingly affordable compared with some specialist matcha places, and I appreciate that they don’t charge extra for plant based milk.
Don’t Miss Raštinė’s Strawberry Matcha in Summer
This deserves its own section. Their summer strawberry matcha isn’t made with some vaguely strawberry-flavoured syrup. They blend actual strawberries into a purée, combine it with coconut milk and matcha, and the result is dangerously drinkable. I could probably drink ten. One of the genuinely disappointing things about summer ending in Vilnius is knowing that strawberry-matcha season at Raštinė is ending with it.
2. Yugen Tea — The One for Serious Matcha Lovers
If Raštinė is my everyday favourite, Yugen Tea is where I’d send someone who really wants to explore matcha. Yugen is tucked away in Užupis, Vilnius’s wonderfully creative and slightly eccentric art district, in a little passage dedicated to Lithuanian-American filmmaker Jonas Mekas. The only reason I don’t visit more frequently is geographical. It isn’t particularly close to where I normally spend my time, so getting there means either driving or committing to roughly a 30-minute walk. Uphill, mind you.
If Yugen were around the corner from me, I’d probably be there constantly. Unlike a coffee shop that happens to offer matcha, tea is the whole point here. The owner, Giedrė, is deeply passionate about Japan and tea, and the menu lets you explore different Japanese teas and preparations rather than simply choosing between “matcha” and “matcha latte”. You can drink matcha traditionally, without milk or sweetness. I’ve tried it and liked it. But I’m a latte person at heart. My personal favourite at Yugen is the black sesame matcha with vegan coconut whipped cream.
Try a Matcha Tasting in Vilnius
This is also where Yugen becomes particularly interesting for travellers. I attended one of their matcha workshops, where Giedrė introduced us to different Japanese green teas, explained the leaves used to produce matcha, talked about where the teas are sourced and told us about the Japanese farmers behind them. Then came the best bit. We got to prepare it ourselves. We whisked the matcha, added milk, tasted different preparations and enjoyed it with a little dessert selected to accompany the tea. If you’re interested in matcha beyond simply drinking a latte, it’s a lovely experience. The tastings need to be booked in advance, so don’t expect to walk in and join one spontaneously.
If you’re already exploring Užupis, absolutely stop here. But even if you weren’t planning to visit Užupis, serious matcha lovers should make the detour.
Japanese Tea and Dessert Tasting Experience at Yugen Tea BOOK HERE
3. Café de PACAI — Matcha With Desserts That Look Like Works of Art
Café de PACAI is where I go when I want matcha to feel a little more indulgent. Located inside the beautiful Hotel PACAI on Didžioji Street, it’s right in the heart of Vilnius Old Town and incredibly convenient if you’re sightseeing. The matcha is excellent. But I have to admit that the desserts are at least half the reason I keep returning.
The pâtisserie is led by Lithuanian pastry chef Evaldas Juška, and calling some of his creations cakes almost feels inadequate. They’re tiny, extraordinarily precise works of art. I genuinely sometimes feel sad about putting a knife through them. I get over it. I’ve now worked my way through essentially the entire cake selection, and the cardamom cake is my favourite.
Can’t Decide? Taste Several
One of the best things about Café de PACAI is that you don’t necessarily have to choose just one cake. They offer little tasting versions, so you can order a selection of smaller cakes, sample different flavours and then decide which one deserves the full-sized treatment. There are also chocolates, sweet pastries and a few savoury options. From the pastry selection, look out for Little Monkeys, another of my favourites. And then, obviously, order the matcha.
One More Reason to Bring Kids
My daughter has developed her own reason for loving Café de PACAI: the ice cream. There are currently pistachio and vanilla flavours. They can be ordered separately, but she orders both and gets a very cute swirl in her glass. Her review is considerably less complicated than mine: Amazing.
And here’s possibly the strangest recommendation in this entire Vilnius café guide: Go to the bathroom. Yes, really. Head downstairs into the historic brick basement. The old masonry and beautiful historic details make even going to wash your hands feel like a little exploration of the building.
4. Circus — Matcha in Mismatched Cups
Circus in Vilnius Old Town has a completely different personality. It’s cosy, eclectic and slightly quirky. There’s a piano, mismatched cups and glasses, and ceramic tableware where seemingly nothing quite matches anything else. I love that. There’s something particularly satisfying about getting matcha in a slightly imperfect ceramic cup rather than an identical café-chain mug.
Most of the matchas I’ve had here have been very good. On my most recent visit there was someone new preparing the drinks and mine wasn’t quite as good as usual, but everyone has to learn, so I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt. Circus is also useful if you want something to eat. There’s normally a small selection of savoury snacks and sandwiches, although the sweet selection is considerably larger. You’ll find things such as yoghurt, overnight oats and desserts, including tinginys, a classic Lithuanian no-bake sweet made with biscuits, condensed milk, butter and cocoa. If you’re exploring Vilnius Old Town and want good matcha somewhere with character, Circus is one I’d happily return to.
5. BREW — Consistently Good Matcha With Pea Milk
I go to BREW for matcha, and I particularly like ordering mine with pea milk. It gives the drink a slightly different flavour from the usual oat- or coconut-milk matcha latte. They foam it beautifully, and so far I’ve had consistently good matcha here. BREW also makes a lovely ginger tea with honey and lemon, which is one of my favourite alternatives to matcha during a Vilnius winter. And apparently they make very good coffee. I have to say apparently because, as established, I absolutely hate coffee. About 15 years ago, I decided to investigate what all the fuss was about. My logic went something like this: People drink coffee to wake themselves up. I don’t drink coffee and I’m already awake and full of energy. Imagine what will happen if I drink an espresso.
So I drank one. And it was disgusting.
No offence whatsoever to espresso lovers, but I spent the rest of the day burping espresso flavour and concluded that the experiment had provided sufficient evidence. Coffee hasn’t touched my lips since. Unfortunately, this prohibition also extends to coffee ice cream, coffee desserts and tiramisu.
My mom and sisters are serious coffee drinkers, however, and they rate BREW highly. So if you’re travelling with the unfortunate sort of person who wants coffee while you want matcha, BREW keeps everybody happy.
6. Espresinė — Properly Prepared Matcha in Žvėrynas District
Espresinė is tiny. And I mean tiny. It’s tucked away in Žvėrynas, one of Vilnius’s greenest neighbourhoods, and although there are a few places to sit, I almost always get my matcha to take away. This isn’t really somewhere I’d arrive with my laptop intending to stay for three hours. But it is somewhere I’d happily make a detour for good matcha. I particularly like how seriously they take its preparation. The matcha powder is carefully weighed and properly whisked rather than treated as an afterthought. They use high-quality matcha, and plant-based milks are available too. Espresinė is best known for specialty coffee and has also received recognition from Falstaff, including recognition for its roasting.
Get the Marzipan Potato
Please don’t leave with only the matcha. If it’s available, get the marzipan potato. It might not have the most glamorous name in the world, but it’s one of my favourite little treats here. For me, Espresinė is less about lingering for an entire afternoon and more about excellent matcha prepared properly, grabbed on the way through Žvėrynas.
7. Kiras — Matcha, Chai and Vegan Cake in a Fairy-Tale House
Kiras presents me with a problem almost every time I walk through the door: Matcha or chai latte?
There are several Kiras cafés in Vilnius, but my favourite is on Totorių Street, housed in a tiny wooden building that looks as though it belongs in a fairy-tale book. Kiras specialises in vegan food and desserts, so you’ll find plant-based cakes, sweet treats, sandwiches and a variety of drinks. Plant-based milks are available without an extra charge and their matcha is very good.
But Kiras is also the one place in Vilnius where I’ve found a chai latte I genuinely love, which creates my usual dilemma. I’ve developed a completely arbitrary system. Morning or early afternoon – matcha. Evening – chai. Or sometimes both.
Another reason I love coming here with my daughter is the old domino set. We often play while sipping our drinks and working our way through the sweet treats. The dominoes must be more than 30 years old, and playing with them takes me straight back to my childhood. A few pieces have disappeared over the years, which somehow only adds to their charm. It’s such a simple thing, but it has become one of our little rituals whenever we come here.
Also, if you’re visiting with children, order a “kids’ cappuccino” — it comes with an adorable teddy bear face. And four-legged visitors aren’t forgotten either: bring your furry friend along and they’ll get a bowl of water and, sometimes, a little treat too.
Kiras Used to Be Chaika
If you’ve visited Vilnius before or come across an older café recommendation, you might recognise this place under a different name. Kiras was previously known as Chaika. Chaika means “seagull” in russian, while kiras means “seagull” in Lithuanian. So although the café changed its name, the bird survived.
Don’t Leave Without Cake
For my daughter’s birthdays, I usuallt order Kiras’s banana and raspberry cake. It’s divine. It’s also one of the birthday cakes I feel least guilty about eating because it isn’t overwhelmingly sweet; much of the sweetness comes from banana and fruit. We’ve also had their cakes personalised with little decorative details, including my daughter’s name and age on tiny flags. So even without the matcha, Kiras is somewhere I’d happily recommend to vegan travellers looking for desserts in Vilnius.
8. Taste Map — For People Who Like Their Matcha Strong
Taste Map is another Vilnius café where I’ll happily order matcha, but there’s something worth knowing before you do: Their matcha is on the stronger side. I tend to prefer mine creamy and beautifully foamed, with the bitterness softened somewhat by milk. At Taste Map, the matcha flavour comes through more prominently. If you want a mild, milky introduction to matcha, this might not be your favourite. But if you’re the person who complains that most matcha lattes taste like vaguely green milk, Taste Map might be exactly what you’re looking for.
Another advantage is that they serve proper savoury food rather than relying entirely on cakes and pastries. I’m particularly fond of their salmon roll, so it’s a useful stop when you’re actually hungry rather than simply looking for something sweet. ( I’m not claiming salmon and matcha are the world’s great undiscovered food pairing. I just like both).
9. Huracán — Good Matcha, But I’m Ordering the Hot Chocolate
Huracán Coffee is a popular Lithuanian café chain with several locations around Vilnius. Their matcha is good and I’ll happily drink it. But if you put me inside Huracán and tell me I can order whatever I want, I’m probably not ordering matcha. I’m getting their hot chocolate with oat milk. It’s wonderfully thick and has a strangely nostalgic effect on me. When I was little, I remember going to performances at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre and looking forward to the interval partly because I knew I’d get an incredibly thick hot chocolate. I’m not entirely sure appreciating the performing arts was actually my main motivation for attending.
Huracán’s version reminds me of it. They also have a good selection of plant-based milks, which I appreciate, alongside plenty of coffee options, desserts and other drinks. So I certainly wouldn’t avoid Huracán for matcha. It’s just that their hot chocolate wins.
What About Caffeine and VERO CAFE?
If you’re visiting Vilnius, you’re almost certainly going to encounter Caffeine and VERO CAFE. Both serve matcha, but neither makes my personal list of places I’d specifically seek out for it.
Caffeine — My Matcha-Emergency Option
I’ve tried Caffeine’s matcha twice. Both times I was outside Vilnius and it happened to be the only place around where I could find matcha. I should probably admit that both purchases were made more out of matcha desperation than genuine enthusiasm. It did the job, but it wasn’t a matcha latte I particularly loved, and if I’m in Vilnius surrounded by the places above, Caffeine wouldn’t be my choice. Its big advantage is convenience. You’ll encounter Caffeine in plenty of places around Lithuania, so if you’re travelling around the country and suddenly find yourself facing a matcha emergency, it’s useful to know it’s there.
VERO CAFE — Come for Brunch, Not the Matcha
VERO CAFE is slightly different because I actually like going there — just not particularly for matcha. They have an excellent brunch menu, and I’m particularly fond of their Eggs Benedict. The cafés are pleasant, the people are nice, and I’ll happily stop there for food. But their matcha? For my taste, it’s simply too mild. Both the colour and flavour remind me more of greenish milk than the rich, distinctive matcha I’m looking for. If you prefer a very gentle, milky matcha, you may completely disagree with me. But if you’re specifically hunting for excellent matcha in Vilnius, I’d start somewhere else.
So, Where Is the Best Matcha in Vilnius?
After drinking my way through a fairly unreasonable amount of matcha in Vilnius, my top three are Raštinė, Yugen Tea and Café de PACAI. But I’d choose each for a slightly different reason.
Raštinė is my overall winner. It’s the matcha I drink most frequently and the one I keep returning to. It’s creamy, properly green, reasonably priced and consistently good. And when strawberry matcha appears in summer, I’m even more devoted.
Yugen Tea is my choice for serious matcha lovers. If you’re interested in matcha beyond simply ordering a latte, this is where I’d go. You can explore Japanese teas, drink matcha traditionally and book a tasting to learn more about how it’s prepared.
Café de PACAI is my choice when I want matcha to feel like a treat. The surroundings are beautiful, the service is excellent, and those exquisite desserts turn stopping for matcha into a proper little occasion.
But I’d happily return to every café in my main ranking. Some make stronger matcha, some creamier. Some are perfect for sitting with a laptop, while others are better for grabbing a takeaway. Some I’d visit specifically for the matcha; others tempt me with cakes, chai or hot chocolate. That’s why I don’t think there is one objectively best matcha in Vilnius.
But if you make me choose just one? I’m sending you to Raštinė.
FAQ: Drinking Matcha in Vilnius
Where can I get the best matcha in Vilnius?
My personal favourite is Raštinė, particularly its café on the corner of J. Basanavičiaus and Pylimo streets. For a more specialised Japanese tea experience, I’d choose Yugen Tea in Užupis, while Café de PACAI is my favourite for combining excellent matcha with beautiful desserts.
Can I do a matcha tasting in Vilnius?
Yes. Yugen Tea in Užupis offers bookable tea and matcha experiences. I’ve attended one myself, and it’s a particularly good choice if you want to learn about Japanese tea and matcha preparation rather than simply order a latte.
Where can vegans drink matcha in Vilnius?
You’ll find plant-based milk at many Vilnius cafés. Kiras is particularly good for vegan visitors because its food and desserts are plant-based as well. Several of my other favourites, including Raštinė, Yugen Tea and Espresinė, also offer plant-based options.
Where can I drink matcha in Vilnius Old Town?
Café de PACAI and Circus are two of my favourite options in Vilnius Old Town. Raštinė’s J. Basanavičiaus/Pylimo location is also within easy walking distance of the historic centre.
Where should I go for matcha in Užupis?
Go to Yugen Tea. It’s my favourite place in Užupis for matcha and the best option in Vilnius if you’re interested in Japanese tea and matcha tastings.
