Stonemill Matcha Arrives With Stunning Pastries and So Much Matcha

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Stonemill Matcha is almost ready to usher in a new era at the 561 Valencia Street space that was previously Bar Tartine. After a thorough remodel by Studio BBA, SF’s first premium matcha cafe opens Saturday, May 12, with plenty of original pastries and viennoiserie that will be familiar to Tartine bakery fans — collaborations between Stonemill and Tartine like a green matcha croissant and a kinako and orange morning bun. Stonemill pastry chef Mikiko Yui (Statebird Provisions, Coi) has a whole case full of her own sweets, spiking everything from mochi to tea cake and cream puffs with bright green matcha. Gaze longingly at the whole thing below.

With Stonemill Matcha, founder and CEO Eijiro Tsukada hopes to expose San Franciscans — a group typically buzzed on coffee — to top notch matcha. At the new cafe, customers can get their stone-ground, powdered green tea leaves any which way, from hand-whisked to cold brewed. Matcha lattes, sparkling matcha (seltzer water and matcha shots) and even matcha affogatos (matcha over ice cream) are available. Whisks, bowls, and tea are also on sale, for customers who want to enjoy their matcha at home.

For a full dining experience, chef Keisuke Akabori (Delage, Saison) has a savory menu of warm Japanese comfort food at Stonemill. That includes shokupan toast with matcha butter and anko jam, a pork katsu sandwich on traditional Japanese white bread, and seasonal salads and veggie bowls. Other highlights are chicken okayu, a soothing, savory rice porridge, and matchazuke, a salmon rice bowl doused with a chicken dashi and matcha broth. And for those who don’t want to choose between the pastry case and a savory item, Tartine and Stonemill collaborated on chashu pork danishes with mustard greens, and furikake everything-spiced croissants stuffed with cream cheese.