Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and charged at ¥500 per hour, with an order from the
menu mandatory: drinks run ¥500-1000, with meals a
little dearer. There's another good one in Shibuya.
Daily
10am-11pm.
Mai:lish
ϚΠϦγ
2F FH Kowa Square, 3-6-2 Soto-
Kanda, Chiyoda-ku
T
03 5289 7310,
W
mailish.jp;
Suehirochō station; map p.56.
Akiba's famed maid
cafés come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and styles; this is
one of the originals, a relaxed venue in which costumed
girls pander to their customers' every whim. It's ¥500 per
hour, and you're obliged to order something from the
menu: drinks cost from ¥550.
Daily 11am-10pm.
Mu'u Mu'u Diner
ϜʔϜʔμΠφʔ
3-14-3 Kanda-
Ogawamachi, Chiyoda-ku
T
03 3518 6787; Jimbōchō
station; map p.56.
Swap the dusty books of Jimbōchō for
a sunny Hawaiian vibe at this café-restaurant, decked out
with surfboards and hibiscus garlands. Besides Hawaiian
Kona coffee, it also serves Kona beer as well as a few dishes,
such as deep-fried octopus (¥880), hamburgers and pizza
(¥980).
Daily 11am-11pm.
Sabōru
αϘʔϧ
1-11 Kanda-Jimbōchō, Chiyoda-ku
T
03 3291 8404; Jimbōchō station; map p.56.
Appealingly rustic
kissaten
tucked away on the alley
running parallel to Yasukuni-dōri. Once a popular hideaway
for school kids skipping lessons (the nearby bookshops
presumably functioned as an excuse), this three-level,
tree-house-like establishment now attracts an older, more
cosmopolitan clientele. You may hear crickets singing by
the entrance; they were raised here for over two decades
by the owner of a nearby hardware store. Coffee from ¥400.
Mon-Sat 9am-11pm.
BAYSIDE TOKYO
Starbucks
ελʔόοΫε
Venus Fort, Kōtō-ku,
T
03
5500 5090; Aomi station; map p.81.
Recommending a
Starbucks
might be terribly uncool, but while the coffee
here's the same old same old, this Venus Fort branch is
nestled into a faux-Italian piazza, sitting under a
permanently twilit “sky” like something out of
The Truman
Show
- twee, but somehow rather satisfying, especially
on a rainy day.
Daily 9.30am-9pm.
AKASAKA AND ROPPONGI
Ì
Eat More Greens
ΠʔτϞΞάϦʔϯζ
2-2-5 Azabu-
Jūban, Minato-ku
T
03 3798 3191,
W
eatmoregreens.jp;
Azabu-Jūban station; map pp.90-91.
Taking its inspiration
from urban US vegetarian cafés and bakeries, this appealing
place mixes random pieces of wood furniture, good organic
food (¥1000 for a set meal) and a street-side terrace, along
with seriously good doughnuts (from ¥220).
Mon-Fri
11am-11pm, Sat & Sun 9am-11pm.
15
EBISU, MEGURO AND THE SOUTH
Irving Place
ΞʔϏϯάϓϨʔε
Adam et Rope Biotop,
4-6-44 Shiroganedai, Minato-ku
T
03 5449 7720,
W
www.biotop.jp/irvingplace; Shirokanedai station;
map pp.100-101.
This rustically chic café-bar above a
boutique has a sunny terrace surrounded by greenery.
Part of the complex is taken up by a charming tree house
designed by the same folk as the one at Harajuku's
Hideaway
(see p.162). Try the delectable cheesecake
(¥630).
Daily 11am-11pm.
Kissa Ginza
٤ۜ࠲
1-3-9 Ebisu-Minami, Shibuya-ku
T
03 3710 7320; Ebisu station; map pp.100-101.
Serving standard café dishes and drinks, the draw here is
the retro-cool 1960s-style decor. By day it's a café (coffees
from ¥450), and popular with a slightly older crowd, but in
the evening it morphs into a DJ bar complete with glitter
ball.
Daily 10am-late.
ASAKUSA
Ì
Gallery éf
ΨϥϦʔΤϑ
2-19-18 Kaminarimon,
Taitō-ku
T
03 3841 0442,
W
gallery-ef.com; Asakusa
station; map p.70.
The
kura
(traditional storehouse) at
the back of this appealing café provides an intimate venue
for an eclectic mix of concerts, performance art, and
exhibitions that cover most of the space - the rest is taken
up by the café's collection of retro goods. Drinks, meals
(mostly Western-style, like chilli beans and spaghetti),
and desserts are served using vintage tableware, and they
carry a few import beers as well. Choose from four different
types of blended coffee (¥550), or plump for a tasty fruit
juice (¥630).
Daily except Tues: café and gallery 11am-
7pm, bar 6pm-midnight.
Kappabashi Coffee
߹Ӌڮίʔώʔ
3-25-11 Nishi-
Asakusa, Taitō-ku
T
03 5828 0308,
W
kappabashi
-coffee.com; Iriya or Tawaramachi stations; map p.70.
Chunky wooden furniture offset against white walls lends
a sophisticated air to this café, serving a wide range of
coffees (from ¥450), teas (from ¥600), infusions and juices,
as well as cakes and light meals.
Mon-Fri 8am-9pm, Sat
& Sun until 8pm.
HARAJUKU, AOYAMA AND SHIBUYA
24/7 Coffee
̎̐ʗ̓ίʔώʔ
1-19-8 Jin'nan,
Shibuya-ku
T
03 3463 3323;
Shibuya Station; map
p.115.
Artists and art lovers hang out at this trendy café,
which is decorated with work from an adjoining gallery.
Coffees (from ¥500) are professionally made and served in
delightful vessels; come evening they offer beers, including
a nice stout. Snacks and tasty cakes also available.
Daily
10am-midnight.
A Piece of Cake
ΞϐʔεΦϰέʔΩ
6-1-19 Minami-
Aoyama, Minato-ku
T
03 5466 0686; Omotesandō
station; map pp.108-109.
Looking out onto the small
sculpture garden in front of the Okamoto Tarō Memorial
Museum (see p.114), this laidback place has some
interesting options, including traditional Indian
chai
(¥650).
Daily except Tues 10am-6pm.
