Matcha is whisked to order at the centre of JENKI’s new bar in Soho, which opened on 3 September at 100 Berwick Street with an interior designed to recall the tea fields of Japan.
It is the brand’s first site in Soho. Drinks are made with JENKI’s first-harvest matcha, sourced directly from Japan, at a whisking station placed so customers can see their drink being prepared, an approach also taken at JENKI’s redesigned Selfridges London matcha bar earlier this year.
Clay, timber and dappled light
London studio KAI Interiors, whose hospitality projects include Tamila and Lucy Wong, built the design around the repetition and rhythm of tea fields. Natural clay, timber and fibres are combined with industrial stainless steel to reflect the patterns, curves and changing light associated with tea cultivation.
Curved wood grain across the floor echoes the rows of tea planting, and the movement continues through the natural curves of the clay walls. Fabric lighting sails hang overhead to give a softer, dappled light, a reference to the shading of tea plants before harvest. Dark greens, natural clay, timber and natural fibres make up the main palette, with stainless steel across the working areas of the bar.
A bespoke wallscape by Sow Embroidery Studio uses embroidery to depict Japanese tea fields, adding another tactile surface to the room.
“The starting point was the tea fields themselves – their shapes, colours and the way light moves across them. KAI have brought those references into the space while keeping the matcha and the way we prepare it at the centre.”
Claudia Boyer, co-founder of JENKI
Somewhere to sit and shop
Seating alcoves away from the main counter create smaller spaces within the bar, conceived as a contrast to the pace of Soho outside. There is also a dedicated retail area for JENKI’s matcha, preparation tools and new lifestyle collection, set alongside the drinks offer rather than apart from it.
KAI Interiors handled concept and interior design, with Storey as project manager and Box3 as contractor.
Claudia and Otto Boyer founded JENKI in 2020, and the brand has grown from market stalls and pop-ups into a network of London matcha bars. It aims to reach 11 locations across the capital by the end of 2026.
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