Montreal's Green Drip Cafe, known for matcha and Vietnamese coffee, plans Toronto opening

A Montreal café that serves both Japanese matcha and Vietnamese coffee is coming to Toronto. Green Drip Cafe plans to open its first Toronto location in November, at 283 College St., blogTO reported on October 26, 2026. The café has not announced an exact opening date.

Here is what we know so far. We also explain what "ceremonial-grade" matcha means, since you will see the term on a lot of menus in Canada.

What we know about the Toronto opening

According to blogTO, the new café will sit where Kensington Market meets Little Italy. The outlet says the area already has a strong coffee culture. It gives the address as 283 College St. but says the opening date is still undecided.

The café's menu is built around two drinks: Vietnamese Robusta coffee and ceremonial-grade Japanese matcha. blogTO says both go into a wide range of lattes, iced drinks and treats.

The Montreal café has been open for about a year and a half. In that time, blogTO says, it built a large local following, helped by photogenic iced lattes in flavours such as strawberry matcha and banana bread. The café posts about the Toronto project on Instagram as Green Drip Toronto (@greendripcafe).

The table below sums up what has and hasn't been confirmed:

The report calls the matcha Japanese but doesn't say which region of Japan it comes from. We could not confirm that detail, so check with the café once it opens if you want to know.

What does "ceremonial-grade" matcha mean?

A lot of café menus outside Japan divide matcha into two grades. Naoki Matcha says the split between "ceremonial" and "culinary" grades is mostly something matcha buyers outside Japan use. In this framing, ceremonial grade is the higher quality and meant for drinking. Culinary grade is more bitter and better suited as a cooking ingredient.

Tea sellers usually point to three differences: which leaves are used, when they are picked and how they are processed. Matchaeologist says ceremonial matcha comes only from the spring first harvest, using young leaves from the top of the plant. Culinary matcha can include leaves from a later, second harvest.

The same source says ceremonial matcha leaves out the stems and veins, which can taste bitter. It also describes ceremonial matcha being ground slowly on granite stone mills, while culinary matcha is generally ground by machine with metal balls.

Pure Matcha describes the result: ceremonial matcha is bright green, sweet and smooth, while later-harvest culinary matcha has a bolder, earthier taste with more astringency.

Is ceremonial grade "better" in a latte?

Tea companies don't fully agree on this. Fellow says the main difference is how the matcha is meant to be used. Ceremonial matcha is usually whisked with water and drunk on its own. Culinary grade is made to hold its flavour in lattes, smoothies and baked goods.

Naoki Matcha takes a different view. It recommends its ceremonial blends for lattes because they are less bitter than typical culinary matcha. It also notes that it calls any blend meant for drinks "ceremonial." That second point matters: the label has no single agreed standard, and different brands use it differently.

Our view: "ceremonial-grade" on a menu tells you the café is aiming for a smoother, less bitter matcha. It is not a guarantee of a particular farm, harvest or grind. If that matters to you, ask staff where the matcha comes from and what grade it is.

Why this matters for matcha fans in Toronto

Green Drip's mix of Japanese tea and Vietnamese coffee shows how Japanese ingredients are now part of Canadian café menus, often alongside drinks from other cuisines. blogTO also points out that Toronto never seems to tire of matcha lattes and iced coffee.

For Japanese speakers in Toronto, a new matcha spot is an easy topic to share with friends. Once the café opens, you could compare its drinks with what you remember from home, or ask other community members what they think. You can share tips and first impressions on the DOJI community board.

We'll keep watching for a confirmed opening date. Until the café announces one, treat "November" as the plan, not a promise.

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