The new coffee is tea. Or at least tea flavoured coffee. At Bibble & Sip on west 51st street, the most popular trendsetting beverage is Matcha Jasmin Latte. That is, green tea jasmine-infused hot milk. And people think flat whites are strange! But while this combination may seem a little esoteric, there are visible signs that the cafe has hundreds of happy followers. The wall behind the expresso machine is completely covered with fully stamped reward cards. Hundreds of customers, thousands of purchases. So in the short time the cafe has been opened, tea coffees have become steeped in popularity. Unless of course the crowds have really come for the tea cake…

Tea cakes at Bibble & Sip are far from the traditions of the CWA. More literal than the classic Jubilee or sponge, earl grey and matcha are signature flavors transforming cream puffs and panna cotta. Not to mention earl grey infused banana bread and spiced pear scone with earl grey glaze. According to the owner, these delicacies define ‘bibble’ which means to ‘eat indulgently’. At another time of day I may have been tempted by an indulgent but tea-less pastry – the almond chocolate hazelnut croissant with salted caramel drizzle to be precise. But swinging past at cocktail hour last night I paused only to pick up a chocolate dipped, mousse filled puff for Sean and to see the latest in latte art. Matcha has provided an interesting new color palette for baristas, and I imagine that green swans are only just the beginning…