De La Luce is a unique spot in the heart of Montpellier that brings together a ready-to-wear showroom and a Japanese canteen and tea room. The whole place is arranged in the spirit of the kissaten — Japan's traditional tea houses — creating a calm, low-table setting that feels like a genuine journey to Japan. At its heart is a fine selection of Japanese green teas, from premium matcha and gyokuro to sencha, genmaicha, hojicha, and caffeine-free soba cha, served with the same care and precise brewing you'd find at a proper tea ceremony.
The pastries are made fresh in the kitchen each morning, drawn from timeless and family Japanese recipes, with a special mention for the anko (red bean paste) the team prepares in-house. Everything is gluten-free, and the lineup includes daifuku and mini-daifuku mochi, ice cream mochi, dorayaki (Tokyo's famous bean-filled pancakes), Hokkaido cheesecake, and matcha, sesame, yuzu, and angel cakes — plus melon pan, a sweet, crisp-topped brioche, available on Fridays and Saturdays only. Drinks range from matcha lattes (with cow's or plant milk) to yuzu juice, ginger-lemon honey, Japanese ramune lemonade, and even sake and Asahi beer.
For something savory, a "petit salé" of seasoned rice onigiri with soup is served, and a savory afternoon menu starts from 3pm. The canteen and tea room welcomes you Tuesday to Saturday from noon to 7pm (last orders at 6:15pm), with no reservation needed — a relaxed place to slow down, taste, and discover Japan one bite and one cup at a time.