A Café guide for Tokyo has been a long time coming on this
blog. To think that I’ve been to Tokyo over a dozen times and never bothered to
assemble a café guide is a bit of a shame. Perhaps it’s because Tokyo has
always been too big and too spread out and I always have too much to do and too
many people to see each trip to be able to compile a guide. That is why I did
some in depth research and made a concentrated effort to see as many cafes as
possible in this city.
By my own criteria, I have separated them into categories and
ranked them in ordered of personal preference. Ii is notable that, on this
trip, there is no café I visited more than once. This is regrettable. I
strongly believe in experiencing a place multiple times to get a true sense of
it, and I believe in having a special devotion to one café in each city I
frequent, hence my go-to café posts:
However my schedule did not allow for multiple visits, nor
did I find a special attraction to any one particular cafes. There were ones I liked
but they were too busy, too small, too far, or had some other barriers that
made me hesitate to return. One day, I will find that special café in Tokyo that
will become a place of my own.
Third Wave
These are the coffee shops that showed up once coffee got
cool. They didn’t exist when I lived in Japan but blew up all over the city
once cafes became the new place-to-be. They are all quite different from each
other. Some serve alcohol, some have full menus of food. Some are tiny, some
are huge, some are chains, and some are architectural marvels.
Fuglen
My milky latte was among the best I had in Tokyo.
This mid-century Scandinavian café really sets the bar high, and is a favorite
among locals, expats, and tourists alike.
Lattest
The caramel Lavender latte was in season when I
visited this sparse industrial place.
Brooklyn Parlor
This place is booming and thumping every night
of the week. This trendy restaurant-café-bar-bookstore is hyped and worth a
visit
Streamer Coffee
This local chain features interesting concoctions
like the white mango latte (seasonal). I visited their Shibuya shop, which is
located in a shipping container turned on its head.
The Roastery
This hip café with a global feel located on
the main shopping drag in Shinuya.
Monkey Café
This Daikanyama café-cum-art-gallery is famous
for its unusual architecture. I ordered the black honey green tea latte which
was splendid.
Original
These were the cafes that existed before coffee was a thing
in Japan. To me, these places are quintessentially Tokyo for reasons that are
unique to each store. They’ve been in the city a long time and are not going
anywhere.
Aoyama Flower Market
This place usually has a line down the street
within minutes after opening. This smart café in the back of a florist shop
provides a green ambiance that acts as a sanctuary in Tokyo’s concrete spread.
February Café
An old school establishment right off of
kitchen street in Ueno that provides comfort and quality.
Wired Tokyo 1999
A café on the top floor of Tsutaya Books
in Shibuya. The windowless room provides yet another escape from the city,
where time seems to stand sill amidst an array of art magazine. I ordered the white
chocolate matcha latte.
Imported
This is a list of coffee shops and roasters that have moved
to Tokyo from other countries. They have retained some of their foreignness,
but also have adapted to the Japanese market. They came in at the peak of the
fad and will likely stick around for a while, competing with the likes of
Starbucks and others.
Blue Bottle
My favorite Los Angeles export has made it to Tokyo
and their flagship café in Shinjuku station is a popular meeting place.
Verve
My second favorite LA export features
Japanese-original creations like the chocolate Valencia latte.
Roasted
This popular café from Australia also had local
creations such as the matcha latte with jelly.
Allpress
An architecturally stunning café in the middle of
a quiet residential neighborhood.
Hipster
I classify these as small, one-off cafes with a lot of hype
and almost no seats. Though they are all new, they have a grungy
been-here-forever atmosphere. Ironically, these are the places most likely to
not be there when I return to Japan. These small shops are easy to open and
will close once the owners get bored and decide to take on a new venture.
Glitch
Popular among expat in the business district of Meguro, this café is frequent features is
coffee magazine.
Switch
With seating for only two people, Switch was a tiny
wonder.
Turret Café
Names after the Turrets, the automized carts
that are used to move around fish at Tsukuji fish market, this sweet little
café featured some truly unique creations such as the caramel sea salt latte
mocha and natural mint latte.
Little Nap
This teeny café off the main drag in Harajuku
is packed with local hipsters all day. I enjoyed their butter caramel sandwich
with my latte.
Perch Coffee by Woodbury
With seating for one, this tiny
café is just the latest example of small independent cafes cropping up through
the city. I ordered a Valencia latte, which had the flavor of orange and
cinnamon.
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