For more than two decades, Tokyo-born Nana’s Green Tea has been a staple of Japan’s ever-growing matcha scene. The chain has more than 80 stores in the east Asian country and is often dubbed the Japanese Starbucks. It first arrived in Australia with a store in Chatswood, Sydney. Now the chain has opened its first Melbourne outpost – just as Melbourne’s matcha scene booms with specialty drinks, cosy matcha cafes with hour-long waits and fan accounts.

“We’ve wanted to bring Nana’s here for many years,” says Julie Fong of JC Hospitality Group, which is also behind the Melbourne outposts of Martabak Pecenongan 78 & D’Bakmie and D’Penyetz & D’Cendol. Along with Andy Indra, she led the effort to bring the brand to Melbourne. “It’s a space where people can study, relax, and spend time, and we saw that there was nothing quite like it here,” she adds.

The pair flew staff to Japan for intensive training with Nana’s team in Yokohama. Matcha quality is paramount – the cafe sources its leaves from a farm in Uji, Kyoto, a region renowned for producing some of Japan’s best green tea. Nana’s president Kazuto Kutami even developed what he calls the 360 Kyushu tea brewer, designed to extract the most delicate flavours from each leaf.

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The drinks menu is extensive, with a staggering 50 options, including slow-brewed iced matcha and ceremonial-grade matcha topped with vanilla soft serve. Plus, there’s a matcha soft serve latte with chocolate crunch, which Fong says was an “unexpected favourite.”

Despite the number of drinks, the real showstoppers are the eight signature parfaits. These layered desserts feature matcha jelly, nama chocolate (ganache), sweet adzuki beans and warabi mochi (softer, chewier mochi made using starch from bracken, rather than glutinous rice flour, and known for its pannacotta-like wobble). The visually striking treats balance bitter and sweet flavours with a creamy texture.

On the savoury side, the Nana’s has nanban chicken, sukiyaki beef don and ochazuke (a Japanese dish with a tea-based broth poured over a bowl of rice and toppings), all served with a small bowl of miso soup.

Open until 11pm on Friday and Saturday, Nana’s Green Tea is part of a broader shift in Melbourne’s dining culture, where dessert cafes are staying open late and becoming an alternative to bars for those looking to hang out and get a late-night treat without alcohol.

“In Japan, Nana’s is a place where people meet, work, and unwind,” says Indra. “That’s exactly what we want to create here: a space where people can slow down and enjoy good food.” The fit-out reflects this philosophy with its washi paper ceiling, counter seating and charging stations for students and remote workers.

“It’s been incredibly popular,” says Indra. So much so that JC Hospitality has already signed the lease for a second location on Swanston Street. “Melbourne has really embraced matcha culture, and we’re just getting started.”

Nana’s Green Tea
165A Bourke Street, Melbourne
No phone

Hours:
Mon to Thu 11am–10pm
Fri & Sat 11am–11pm
Sun 11am–10pm

@nanas.greenteamelbourne