Kulture Kaiwa

I’ve always thought it ridiculous to claim you know the ‘top’ anything of a city when you haven’t experienced them all, that’s simply too much unknown for there to be any certainty. So while these aren’t the bible truth top cafes of Tokyo, they are my top 5 from my time living there and are 100% worth your money and stomach space.

The preference for these places is based on a few factors: quality of food, ambience of the space, and wait times. My ideal cafe serves a good quality coffee, delicious bites, and has enough space with a relaxed vibe for me to comfortably open up a book or my laptop for an hour or two without feeling the pressure of crowds or getting distracted by cackles of patrons. So if you’re after the top 5 meals or coffee around Tokyo, this list may not serve you, but if you’re after some cafes with peaceful vibes and top notch eats, then read on traveller.

Bread, Espresso, &

First up is Bread, Espresso, & – a decently popular cafe with two locations in Shibuya, one in Miyashita Park and the other in Omotesando. The latter is my personal preference as it’s a much less busy area and I enjoy the stroll through the indie streets of Omotesando filled with cafes and niche stores to gander.

I first visited the Omotesando branch to meet with some friends for breakfast and one of them recommended the French toast, or pain perdu to satisfy the French audience. I’m not always a fan of pain perdu. Often too soggy with a strong taste of egg yolks, I tend to avoid ordering it to save my disappointment, but I was curious to take up the recommendation. Boy oh boy I did not regret it. In fact, I enjoyed the thick, vanilla-scented slab so much that I came back a couple of weeks later to have it again, a very rare occurrence for me as I tend to want to try something new any time I go out.

The pudding-like bread is served with pickled carrots and a prawn & broccoli sesame salad. On my second visit I opted to add a side of cold meats for ¥300 to make it a well rounded meal in true Japanese fashion. The best part, though, is the jar of fragrant acacia honey that you can drizzle as you like over the bread. Or your salad or meats, I don’t judge. The baristas here also serve a mean cappuccino, a luxury that is still far and few between in Tokyo.

Between 8-11am you can order the French toast as a morning set with the salad and drink included for ¥1200. If you’re to take advantage of any meal deals in Japan, the morning sets served at many cafes are for sure the way to go. As long as you avoid peak hours on a weekend morning you shouldn’t have to wait to be seated, although I cannot speak for the Miyashita Park location.

Emilie Flöge

Even though this cafe is located all the way out in Tachikawa, I went out of my way to visit several times for their luscious desserts and stylish vibes. Every single cake on the menu was a winner for me, especially the ‘Saint-Marc’ – a cake made up of vanilla mousse, chocolate mousse, almond sponge, and a brulee’d top. How could you not fall in love? My favourite item by far, though, was the comté financier. The subtle nutty notes of comté cheese marry so well with the buttery flavours of a financier, it was an unusually impressive flavour combo that I couldn’t walk out the front doors without.

If you come during lunch hours you can take advantage of their Prix Fixe Patisserie Lunch. For ¥1800 you get a salad & soup starter, your choice of a BLT, egg, or ham & cheese sandwich, a cake of your choice from the cabinet, and a drink – incredible value as far as Tokyo goes! You can also peep at their Instagram for the times of the day that they are baking off fresh batches of financiers – @emiliefloge.1980

While you’re in the area, I suggest checking out Showa Memorial Park for some seasonal blooms and a relaxing bike ride. And if the weather isn’t fitting for a day outdoors then wander across the road to the upstairs Bookoff Bazaar where you’re guaranteed to find unique designer items at bargain prices.

2 Chome-5-1 Akebonocho, Tachikawa, Tokyo 190-0012, Japan

Open daily 10am – 8pm

Kagurazaka Saryo

This has gotta be the most popular cafe on the list, but a worthwhile visit in my opinion. I visited both the Kagurazaka and Shibuya branches and both had lines that were 20-30minutes long. The Shibuya branch is probably my choice for location since they have a ticket machine with a QR code to indicate when it’s your turn to enter. It’s also located in the top of the Shibuya Sky Scramble building, so not only do you get a great view of the skyline from the dining table, you can also peruse the many stores within the building while you wait – a much better alternative to the standing wait on the street I experienced in Kagurazaka in the steamy summer heat.

While this isn’t a cafe I’d sit with my books in, due to the pressure of other customers awaiting their turn, it is a lovely and calm experience once you’re inside. The Kagurazaka store has an especially traditional Japanese vibe with gorgeous dark woods and earthy decor. The Shibuya location takes a more modernised, stylish approach but maintains the overall peaceful Japanese atmosphere that I love. The word 茶寮 (saryo) refers to a tea ceremony room, so it’s no surprise that this cafe emulates this kind of ambience.

My favourite style of meal is teishoku, consisting of a main dish plus multiple side dishes like rice, miso soup and pickles, and this is the kind of meal that Kagurazaka Saryo specialise in. With plenty of healthy options to choose from, I really loved the duck dumpling soup written as こりこり京鴨団子の柚子香る出汁お椀御膳 on the menu. But the real stars here are the desserts and selection of local teas.

Parfaits have gotta be one of my favourite form of desserts – full of different textures and flavours, it’s like getting a whole bunch of different desserts rolled into one. Since this cafe specialises in tea, almost all of the desserts contain either matcha or hojicha elements with such a wonderful depth of flavour. The matcha mont blanc is a particularly beautiful item and we had such a fun time watching them coating each plate in endless strings of matcha flavoured chestnut paste like an old school play-dough dispenser. Every dessert comes with your choice of tea from the detailed menu, my go to being the genmaicha varieties – a mix of green tea with roasted rice that has a flavour reminiscent of popcorn to me.

There are a few other locations, as well as some international ones in Milan, Canada, and Thailand! Take a peep at their site for a full list here.

Kagurazaka branch

Japan, 〒162-0825 Tokyo, Shinjuku City, Kagurazaka, 3 Chome−１

Open daily 11:30am – 10pm

Shibuya branch

Japan, 〒150-6114 Tokyo, Shibuya, 2 Chome−24−12 スクランブルスクエア １４Ｆ

Open daily 10am – 11pm

Guririn Cafe

I happened upon this sweet little cafe while I was living in Kokubunji and decided to pop in since it was near my city hall. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much, but Guririn exceeded my expectations. The gapao rice was so flavourful and satisfying, and the hamburger was as juicy as you want burger meat to be. The coffees and frappes here are also a real delight, especially in the summer, and the women working were very kind and casual that it created a relaxing environment.

Guririn seems to have changed locations since I visited to a space in Kunitachi. It’s easily accessible from the Chuo line but still a bit of a ways out from the main city spots. However, I think some of the best areas of Tokyo to be explored are those in the outer suburbs that aren’t completely crawling with tourists and bombarded with city noise.

The new space appears to be more monochromatic and modern than the homey style of the Kokubunji store but if it’s anything like the original, then it’s definitely a place you can comfortably whip out a book or quietly get some work done with some tasty goodies to keep you going.

Japan, 〒186-0002 Tokyo, Kunitachi, Higashi, 1 Chome−6−24 新プリンスビル 3階

Open daily 11am – 10pm (closes at 3pm on Thursdays and 7pm on Sundays)

Iriya Plus Cafe

When it comes to vibes, this one’s gotta be my top choice of the five. An unassuming cafe with two locations not too far from Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa, Iriya Plus Cafe was completely free of crowds (not sure if we were just lucky that day) and had plenty of space for patrons to get cosy in. With ceiling high bookshelves along the wall and wooden beam interiors throughout, this place has a real homey touch that my cafe dreams are made of.

The menu highlights have got to be the soufflé style pancakes that the owners pride themselves on keeping additive-free. I normally have a stronger inclination towards American style pancakes but the soufflé options here are truly done to perfection. Incredibly fluffy and jiggly without feeling like you’re simply eating air, and not hint of that undesirable eggy-ness that some other pancakes of this variety have. Surprisingly, my favourite was the savoury option that basically comes covered in a salad and thin slices of glistening prosciutto. It was the perfect accompaniment to the cloud-like rounds of batter and left me wanting more.

Each pancake flavour comes in at a different price and you can order any of them as a set with a drink. The prosciutto option set me back ¥1800 with a coffee and there’s often a seasonal option available too. I would love to revisit Iriya Plus Cafe to try other items on the menu as they do have more regular meals and a selection of delectable looking cakes too, and this time I’d bring a book.

2 Chome-9-10 Shitaya, Taito City, Tokyo 110-0004, Japan

Open Tuesday to Sunday 11am – 6:30pm

Closed Mondays

Second location

4 Chome-7-11 Kotobuki, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0042, Japan

Open Wednesday to Sunday 8:45am – 5pm

Closed Mondays & Tuesdays