From traditional kissaten to afternoon teas, Tokyo is full of cafés waiting to be discovered. But it can be difficult to pick out the perfect café when there seem to be so many on every corner. We’ve made your job easier and selected some wonderful cafés around Tokyo, all with their own unique charm and menu offerings that go beyond the average latte.
Urn Chai and Tea
Urn Chai and Tea (stylized as uRn.chAi&TeA) is every tea-lover’s dream. Urn Chai and Tea has three locations, including in Ebisu, Lumine Shinjuku and Coredo Muromachi 3, a shopping complex full of enticing eateries. Urn’s original chai uses a blend of uva and assam tea, as well as six types of spices and brown sugar for a perfect balance of sweet, aromatic and spicy.
The cafe also has fun twists on the classic chai, like matcha chai and Amazon cacao chai, and perfectly blended teas and tea lattes as well as sandwiches and tea cakes for those who are feeling peckish. Each location has its own special menu items as well, with the Coredo location offering cake sets, chai floats and seasonal beverages like a fragrant orange citrus tea.
Guàng
If you’re looking for a relaxing spot with beautifully presented meals and cakes, you’ve met your match with Guàng. Located in Nihonbashi, Guàng has an affordable, hearty lunch menu, including curry, omurice and sandwiches, served alongside a generous helping of vegetables. Guàng is also known for its picture-perfect cakes and ice cream floats, and its dessert menu changes throughout the year, taking advantage of the fruits and flavors that are in season.
Happy Lemon
With over 800 stores in 10 different countries, Taiwanese tea brand Happy Lemon (Stylized as HAPPY LEMON) has been a smashing success since it opened its doors in 2006. Happy Lemon is popular for its lemon teas and salty cheese foam, but also has classic items like bubble milk tea, and all their drinks can be topped with fun ingredients like red beans, pudding, nata de coco and whipped cream. Happy Lemon’s Coredo Muromachi location has ample seating available, so you can sip and savor to your heart’s content.
Café Kitsuné Shibuya
Presented by French lifestyle fashion brand Maison Kitsuné, Café Kitsuné Shibuya elevates your afternoon coffee break. With wooden furnishings and warm lighting, the café is an inviting spot nestled in Shibuya’s Miyashita Park. With its trademark fox-shaped cookies to accompany fantastic coffees and teas, as well as ice creams and pastries for those with a sweet tooth, Café Kitsuné Shibuya provides a lovely space to treat yourself in the heart of one of Tokyo’s busiest areas.
Bread, Espresso and Machiawase
Machiawase means “meet up,” and Bread, Espresso and Machiawase is a perfect spot to do just that. The Shibuya location is half bakery, half café, so you can enjoy the store’s selection of fresh baked breads with delicious coffee and your favorite company. This spacious and stylish location has enough room to spread out with friends; it’s also the first café in the “Bread, Espresso” chain to have a menu centered on eggs. Dig into a luxurious omelet or French toast, which the staff broils in front of you, alongside the shop’s signature cappuccino or banana espresso smoothies.
