ICHA TEA — Restaurant in Toronto

Drinks: 3 Stars Service: 3 Stars Ambience: 3 Stars Value: 2 Stars Sanitary: 1 Stars Overall: 2.4 Stars

Tried Icha Tea for the first time after hearing mixed things, and overall, it was a pretty underwhelming experience.

The atmosphere is actually quite cute and cozy. There’s a study area tucked away in the back, which could be great for students or remote work, though I didn’t check it out myself. Service was decent—nothing overly warm, but polite and efficient.

I asked the barista for a recommendation and went with the strawberry matcha latte. Unfortunately, the drink didn’t live up to the hype. There wasn’t enough strawberry flavour, and it mostly tasted like a regular matcha latte. I kept waiting for that fruity layer to come through, but it never really did.

The biggest disappointment, though, was the washroom downstairs. I went to use it quickly while waiting, and honestly—it was rough. The smell of sewage hit me the second I walked in. It was bad enough to make me question the overall cleanliness of the space. That alone really impacted the experience for me. It’s something they seriously need to fix.

After grabbing my drink and heading out, I couldn’t help but feel like the whole visit was just... meh. It’s cute, sure, but nothing about it stood out enough to make me want to return.

xx...

Matcha latte was good. Not sure I understand why some say it's the best in Toronto, but maybe they're talking about the flavoured ones? It was over 9$ with tip, which felt too high. I'm pretty sure my matcha at home is better quality. And since I had a bit left over, I fridged it and next day, milk bits were floating on top like the milk was older (unless they add cream but I don't think they do). So if they're using older milk for a latte, that isn't great, but I know it sometimes can happen just from sitting around, so that's not necessarily their fault.

Service was fine. Not friendly, but it got the job done. If it weren't Toronto and weren't so expected, it wouldn't have been worth tipping.

Bit of a random complaint though. When I told the worker their plant by the door was in need of water (poor peace lily was completely wilted), he could not have shown less interest. It's obviously not his job, but also he could pretend to care for the sake of customer service, or, you know, being polite? Or else why have a dying plant on display that clearly no one has watered in several weeks? 😂 The poor thing...

Icha Tea is a well-rounded cafe with its extensive and thoughtfully curated drink menu, offering something for every palate. Among all of that, a very popular standout is the Strawberry Matcha Latte. It consistently delivers in quality regardless of rush hours or the barista.

This particular location is a bit tucked away, making it quieter and less crowded than the other branches. I personally appreciate the calm atmosphere, though I completely understand why it has gained such popularity. If you walk to the far back, inside is a cozy seating area with beautiful artwork and wooden tables. It’s the ideal space for getting some work done or catching up with a friend while enjoying your drinks.

A little more on the Matcha Strawberry Latte is that without a doubt I’d say it's the best in the city. Regardless of being a matcha lover or not, if you’re simply looking for a high quality drink, coming here is worth it. I’d like to put a huge emphasis on the portion sizes which are perfect considering quality and price, something that has become increasingly rare....