Why go
Every cup is whisked to order, and the powder in it comes from Hadong and Jeju rather than Japan. Tokkia is a Korean matcha house in Covent Garden, billed as the first in Europe, and its name means roughly “hey bunny!” in Korean, which explains the rabbit running through the room.
Korean matcha, whisked to order
The drinks list stays narrow. Korean matcha, malcha at home, meaning powdered tea, is bought directly from Hadong, the birthplace of Korean tea, and from Jeju Island. Staff in sage-green jackets whisk each drink behind the counter, which sets the pace of the queue as much as it sets the texture of the cup.
The Long Matcha is the clearest expression, hot or cold and served without distraction. The iced matcha latte with agave is the softer, more familiar route through the same tea. Hojicha holds the roasted end of the menu, and the peanut hojicha is the one worth trying for its salty, pleasantly earthy character. Nothing on the board is blended or theatrical.
A modern burrow
The interior was designed to feel like a modern burrow, tying the room back to the rabbit. Walls are lightly lime-washed, the matcha-making stations are tiled in terrazzo tones, and the entrance sign is hand-painted timber. Above the counter a ceiling floral installation threads flowers through geumjul, the traditional Korean straw rope, which puts Korean craft overhead as well as in the cup.
The service objects carry the same intent: Bangjja Yugi bronze spoons and teapots, and ceramics from a local maker. Queues form often, and only people ordering are allowed inside, a rule that keeps a very small café quiet, unhurried and close to meditative.
Order the Long Matcha, then the salt bread
Start with the Long Matcha for the tea itself, since it is the drink the house is measured by. Follow it with the iced latte if you want milk in the picture, or with the peanut hojicha if you want the roast instead.
Food is deliberately narrow and built on salt bread, the Korean bakery item of the moment, in the classic version and in matcha- and hojicha-filled ones, baked daily. It goes early, so if bread is part of the plan it is worth ordering at the same time as the drink rather than after. There is no wider kitchen behind it: the pairing the house wants you to have is one whisked cup and one salt bread, in a compact, design-led room.
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Frequently asked questions
What should you order at Tokkia?
The Long Matcha, which is the house's clearest tea expression, hot or cold and served without additions. The iced matcha latte with agave is the softer route if you want milk, and the peanut hojicha covers the roasted side of the menu with a salty, earthy character. Add a salt bread while they last.
Where does the matcha come from?
Korea rather than Japan. The powder is bought directly from Hadong, the birthplace of Korean tea, and from Jeju Island, and it is known at home as malcha, meaning powdered tea. Every drink is whisked to order behind the counter rather than pulled from a pre-mixed batch, which is why the queue moves at the speed it does.
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