Stone-milled, twice daily
Traditional granite mills imported from Aichi Prefecture grind ceremonial leaf at a slow, cool pace that protects aroma and colour. No machines, no shortcuts.
Melbourne CBD · Stone-milled in-house
The art of
authentic matcha.
Ceremonial-grade tea from Uji, Kyoto — milled fresh on traditional stone mills twice a day, then whisked to order in a chawan. One of the only houses outside Japan to do it.
4$20,000 stone mills from Aichi, Japan
UjiCeremonial tea, sourced by farm
90Seats + a quiet tatami room
2–3minEvery cup whisked to order
As featured in Broadsheet · What’s On Melbourne · Concrete Playground
The Kōbō difference
A workshop, not just a café.
Kōbō means workshop. Ours is built around four hand-carved ishi-usu stone mills — each turning for 24 hours to make a single kilogram of matcha. We mill twice daily, in small batches, so the tea in your bowl was powder this morning.
Single-origin from Uji
Every tea is ceremonial grade from the gardens of Uji, Kyoto — listed on our menu by farm so you can taste one region against another.
Whisked to order
Each bowl is prepared by hand with a chawan and chasen, with care for water temperature and technique. It takes a couple of minutes — and it’s worth the wait.
抹茶Uji · Kyoto
Our story
Reverence, in a calm green room.
Matcha Kōbō was born from a simple obsession: to serve matcha the way it is meant to be tasted — fresh, ceremonial, and made with intention. Founders Stella Dong and William Guo built a 90-seat teahouse in the heart of Melbourne where the stone mills sit at the centre of the room, in full view.
Our pastry kitchen, led by a chef formerly of Adriano Zumbo Patisserie and Koko Black, marries French technique with Japanese flavour. The mochi, the hojicha spread, the red bean — all made in-house, all designed to sit beside the tea rather than shout over it.
Read the full storyIn the room
A quiet, green sort of beautiful.
Word of mouth
Melbourne’s matcha pilgrimage.
★★★★★
“Probably the best matcha in Melbourne so far. You can taste how fresh it is.”
★★★★★
“A huge, calming space with obsession-worthy drinks — perfect for slowing down. The Pink Coconut Matcha is unreal.”
★★★★★
“Watching them mill the tea in front of you, then whisk it by hand, makes the whole thing feel like a ritual.”
★★★★★
“The triple matcha tart alone is worth the trip. Beautiful design, friendly team.”
Good to know
Before you visit.
What makes Matcha Kōbō different from other matcha cafés?
We are one of only a handful of venues outside Japan to stone-mill ceremonial-grade matcha in-house. Four traditional ishi-usu stone mills, handmade in Aichi Prefecture, grind fresh batches twice daily — and every cup is whisked to order with a chawan and chasen.
Where do you source your matcha?
All of our matcha is strictly ceremonial grade, sourced from tea farms in Uji, Kyoto. Each tea is listed on our menu by its farm region so you can taste the difference between gardens.
Do I need a booking?
We are a 90-seat teahouse and welcome walk-ins. During busy periods there can be a short wait, as every drink is freshly milled and hand-whisked, which takes two to three minutes per cup.
What is on the menu besides matcha?
Alongside ceremonial matcha we serve hojicha, genmaicha, a matcha and yuzu soda, our signature Pink Coconut Matcha, and matcha gelato. Our pastry kitchen makes everything in-house, including the signature triple matcha tart, hojicha chestnut tart, mochi and red bean paste.
Is there a tatami seating area?
Yes. Our calm, minimalist space includes a traditional tatami-mat room where you sit on the floor — shoes off — for a quieter, more ceremonial experience.
Where are you located and when are you open?
You will find us on Level 2, 258 Lonsdale Street in Melbourne CBD. We are open every day from 11am until 9pm.
Find us
Level 2, on Lonsdale.
Level 2, 258 Lonsdale Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Open every day, 11am–9pm
Come sit with a fresh bowl.
No booking needed. Take a seat — or the tatami floor — and we’ll mill, whisk and plate the rest.