As surprising as it sounds, I had never tried matcha until a few weeks ago, when I took a short trip to the recently opened matcha cafe, Bliss Matcha, in West Hartford Center.
Amid all of the chaos and construction on the streets and sidewalks of West Hartford, if you pass by the welcoming, sunny, yellow awning that resides next to the former Francesca’s and the open-concept, artsy pizza bar Sparrow, you’ll notice Bliss Matcha.
It’s a cafe that stands out from the established restaurants in the center that can feel almost identical in terms of atmosphere. As you walk into the store, the first thing you notice is their AI posters that make the drinks look delectable. With their smooth, pastel purple ube lattes and their Caribbean teal aqua dream refresher, their vibrant soft green matcha-flavored drinks and soft serve, and their cheese latte…
The second thing that catches your eye is the wall-sized mirror that sets the aesthetic of the whole quaint cafe, along with a few wooden tables and window seating, finished with pastel pink, blue, or yellow flowers. I think that the main reason why I found this cafe to be appealing, besides the AI posters, was how the soft green paint on the walls exactly matched the color of my strawberry matcha and matcha ice cream, plus their signature milk soft serve ice cream, which they recommended I should try.
Since it was my first time drinking matcha, I was quite hesitant to try it because of all of the rumors about this drink: how it tastes like grass, how it tastes like the earth, and how it just looks “performative,” just like how the cafe was presented. But eventually, after gathering the courage to take a sip of my matcha, I tried it. Honestly, the strawberries did it for me. The strawberries cover up the earthy, milky taste people say you get when drinking matcha by adding texture with their seeds and a tart-yet-candy-sweet flavor.
Coming from someone who doesn’t order or drink matcha and is skeptical when it comes to drinks that have that milk taste, I would rate Bliss Matcha’s strawberry matcha latte a 6.5/10. I truly do appreciate the experience the additional fruit incorporated into the drink was able to provide for me.
The second item I ordered was the matcha soft serve ice cream. Now, compared to the drink, the matcha flavor was extremely subtle, and there were times when I forgot what I was even eating, which for me was a good thing. It almost had this very slight hint of white chocolate mixed in with the matcha. In my opinion, I would rate their matcha soft serve an 8/10. It’s not my favorite ice cream ever, but it’s one of those rare addictive ice creams because of how subtle the flavor can taste.
Lastly, my favorite item that I tried was their signature milk soft serve ice cream. I know that this is surprising and a bit contradictory, because I stated how I hate drinks or food that taste like milk earlier, but let me tell you, that ice cream is better than the $3 giant-sized soft serve that you can buy at Costco; it’s better than the soft serve at McDonald’s, and I might even consider it better than the soft serve at your local beach town. With its semi-stretchy, easily melting, smooth texture, Bliss Matcha’s milk soft serve sets the standard for soft serves; it is the exemplary 10/10 soft serve. It tastes like vanilla with a sparkly, soda-like taste to it, and I think that subtle bubbly taste is the cherry on top.
Overall, Bliss Matcha’s environment fosters this peaceful, soft, pastel atmosphere that’s perfect for studying, and the mirror and flowers for decor paired with the light oak colored wooden cube-looking Japanese chairs and stools are perfect for taking pictures.
In all honesty, I have never been a big fan of matcha, so in a way, that contributes to my review of this cafe. I have always been a coffee girl, and you should know that no matter how many matchas you give a girl who’s loyal to coffee, whether it’s black, iced, or a Dunkin’ latte, she just won’t be a huge fan of matcha; at least that’s true in my case. But as someone who doesn’t choose matcha as her first choice, overall, I would rate Bliss Matcha an 8.5/10 for ambiance and an 8/10 for their items.
So if you’re looking for a place to study or just hang out with friends in the center, I would suggest trying out the different flavored matchas and refreshers that Bliss Matcha has to offer; it’s truly a cafe worth visiting.
