Any international student (or performative male) will know that it can be surprisingly hard to source a good matcha latte in Oxford. In January 2025, Cherwell provided some guidance on this issue by offering the student body a definitive ranking of Oxford matcha. Since then, however, there have been some new developments. NEPA café opened its doors on St Clement’s Street last year, and recently opened a new location on Cowley Road too. Having heard reports that their matcha gave all other cafés a run for their money, I decided to venture to both locations to find out.
My outlook when seeking out new matcha is often pessimistic. Too many times I have spent upwards of £6 only to be given a large cup of green milk. So, when I walked through the doors of NEPA on St Clement’s Street, I tried not to get my hopes up. Still, my friend’s raving made it hard not to. To start, my fears were abated by the bright, clean atmosphere, and the hospitality of the staff. However, the tables were slightly too small, and the size of the café was limited. My friend and I were welcomed by low-volume pop music, which provided a nice atmosphere without being intrusive to those working. After we seated ourselves, it was time for the moment of truth – the matcha tasting.
As a starting point, I ordered an iced matcha latte with soy milk (my preferred milk alternative for matcha). As I saw the barista hand-whisking the bright green powder, even my most cynical thoughts quieted down. I was certain that I was in for a good beverage – and I was right. The tea was pleasantly strong, with a very prominent matcha flavour from the first sip. It provided the perfect balance of earthiness, bitterness, and astringency for my taste, and it was nicely mellowed out by the milk. And since I appreciate that the drink comes unsweetened, my focus was on the flavour of the tea. Crucially, it was bright green and did not taste watered down at any point. Although the prices are far from cheap (£4.50 for a normal matcha latte, £5.10 with soy milk), the size and flavour of the drink did make up for it.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that NEPA not only had a standard matcha latte on offer, but a fairly extensive summer menu, which includes strawberry, lychee, and mango matcha lattes. I must admit that, since my first trip, my friends and I have managed to cover all of the flavours on offer. NEPA’s summer matcha menu steals the show in my opinion and offers some of the best fruit-based matchas I have ever tried. Previously, I hadn’t ever tried a lychee matcha, and I was pleased to find that the syrup in NEPA’s version was not too sweet, as some lychee-based drinks tend to be. I thought that the slightly floral flavour of the fruit provided a nice contrast with the earthy matcha, and formed a unique flavour that I had never experienced before. The mango matcha, which included a mango purée rather than a syrup, tasted sweet and fresh, with the richness of the mango flavour pairing well with the notes of the matcha. However, my favourite always has and always will be the strawberry matcha latte. The perfect pink swirl paired with bright green makes for a beautiful beverage, with a purée that makes the latte taste like fresh strawberries rather than jam. For me, this was a near-perfect execution of a strawberry matcha latte.
A few days after my first visit, I ventured to the NEPA on Cowley Road to see if there were any significant differences between locations. There, I found a much larger space with a few outdoor tables. While the size of the St Clement’s location occasionally risks feeling cramped, in the Cowley location, I had ample room to find seating and to set up my work. I perched on one of the stools facing Cowley Road, which offered me the perfect opportunity to people-watch in between readings. I was disappointed to find that the summer menu was unavailable on the day that I went, but the plain matcha latte I got was characteristically delicious. Where the St Clement’s location was perfect for a quick stop before a walk, or for a chat with a friend, the Cowley location was the ideal afternoon study spot. Combining a lovely setting with delicious tea, NEPA truly was the perfect cure to my previous matcha blues.
