As one of the most influential fashion capitals in the world, Tokyo is a universe where clothing, art, culture, and self-expression in all forms collide. From Harajuku’s hodgepodge of subcultural bliss to the elegant silhouettes that grace Ginza, the wave of alternative style that has overtaken Shibuya, the vintage and eclectic nuances of Shimokitazawa, and beyond, every district across Tokyo’s borders can be classified under a dominating sense of style.
It’s only natural that brands have flocked to Japan’s most visited city, first establishing themselves as fashion powerhouses, and then later connecting more closely with their audience through a language that builds connection: food. Here are some must-visit brand-aligned cafés and restaurants to experience some of your favourite labels through coffee, cakes, and decadent lunches and dinners.
Must-Visit Brand Cafés in Tokyo
Ralph’s Coffee
Image Credit: Annie Fairfax
While Ralph Lauren had taken a backseat during the rise of athleisure in the mid-2010s, it recently reemerged as a trendy label when a preppy fashion renaissance swept the globe. From vintage-esque sweaters featuring the brand’s iconic bear mascot to polo shirts that have become a staple in the “quiet luxury” obsession of the 2020s and cable-knit silhouettes that breached the Japanese market like a storm, Ralph Lauren found itself at the center of relevance once again.
As such, Ralph’s Coffee has taken on a fittingly trendy image that resonates with the love for all things vintage, with a green-and-white colour palette that rivals Starbucks, but with a brand identity that screams old-school Manhattan. The small café, strategically situated at the heart of Omotesando, offers an intimate atmosphere with approachable price points, making it a popular spot for the young and trendy. During peak hours and on weekends, it’s not rare for there to be a long line of fashionable groups of friends waiting to be seated. The café is connected to the large Ralph Lauren store in Omotesando, with some in-store seats available for those who like to shop and dine.
Image Credit: Stripes Japan
Ralph’s Coffee offers a classic brunch and pastry menu with cakes, cookies, and sandwiches. The coffee selection covers all café essentials from espresso beverages to matcha, western-style tea, hot chocolate, and juices. The Ralph Lauren bear is used as a motif in latte art (although it is not always drawn, from our experience), cookies, and some desserts. Ralph’s Coffee also offers an extensive merchandise line with everything from tote bags to mugs, aprons, and even coffee, all of which have been tastefully designed to evoke the feeling of a vintage café at the centre of New York.
- Visit Ralph’s Coffee in Omotesando, Tokyo
Café Dior by Anne-Sophie Pic
Image Credit: Dior
Dior was one of the first brands to bring the concept of high-fashion cafés to Asia, first opening a cafe by Pierre Hermé in Tokyo’s Ginza SIX before relaunching as Café Dior in collaboration with three-Michelin-starred Anne-Sophie Pic. The café is attached to the Dior store in Ginza, offering an elevated dining experience that blends the world of haute couture with Anne-Sophie Pic’s vision of epicurean cuisine.
Image Credit: WWD
Café Dior’s menu is an incredible reflection of the fashion house’s signature styles, with confectionery laced in iconic patterns that have made their mark in fashion history. Only in this café will you find houndstooth-printed chocolates, cakes in the shape of Dior’s iconic cannage (best known for its presence in the Lady Dior line), and macarons with the modern CD logo, making them look like Dior Beauty’s ever-popular cushion foundations.
Every detail in the café takes you to the elegant yet playful universe of Dior, from beautifully curated tableware to seasonal flower arrangements and incredible food presentation, all while being adorned in fun pastels, breaking away from rigid neutrals. The menu consists of a large variety of confectionery and a few savory options, afternoon tea sets, espresso beverages with a choice of beans and Dior-inspired latte art, and an extensive alcohol menu. Standard pastries and cakes average at around 4,000 yen and up.
- Visit Café Dior by Anne-Sophie Pic in GINZA SIX, Tokyo
- Website: Dior Café
Gelato Pique Café
Image Credit: Pique Café
Gelato Pique is a cult-favorite brand known for its incredibly soft and fuzzy loungewear made with a comfortable pile texture. The brand curates a mix of delicate and cute designs, bringing an air of fun luxury to at-home apparel and sleepwear. Since its establishment 15 years ago, the brand has expanded its line to include accessories, casual handbags, and loungewear for kids, babies, men, and even pets. It has also collaborated with brands to bring popular characters, including Snoopy and the Sesame Street Cast, into various loungewear collections. In 2014, Gelato Pique leaped into the culinary space by opening their first café crêperie, which primarily sold adorable French-style crêpes that continue to be enjoyed today.
Image Credit: Pique Café
Gelato Pique’s brand identity is centered around a dessert-like image through the use of soft pastel palettes reminiscent of macarons, while also targeting an audience of café-goers, so their entrance into the café sphere only felt natural. They offer three café concepts: café, crêperie, and bio concept. There is little difference in the food offered across these stores, with crêpes and galettes at the forefront of their menu. Bio concept stores notably serve brunch staples, including salads and savory plates.
Gelato Pique’s cafés are known for their seasonal crêpes, which are usually decorated in all forms of cute animals and Instagrammable designs. In addition to crêpes, the café serves gelato and offers a basic beverage menu. The coffee selection is not extensive, with only standard blend coffee and basic lattes. There are no explicit espresso-based beverages, so this café is best visited by fans of some of the cutest crêpes in Tokyo.
- Visit Gelato Pique Café, Crêperie, and Bio Concept stores all over Tokyo
Coffee Zingaro (Louis Vuitton x Murakami Café)
Image Credit: TimeOut
Coffee Zingaro is a unique café situated at the heart of Nakano Broadway. With neon lights, a quirky atmosphere, and an even quirkier menu, the café offers a uniquely stylish environment that is clearly defined by Tokyo’s fashion culture. It was produced by renowned designer Takashi Murakami and his collective gallery, Kaikai Kiki, which are best recognised by the floral characters in the infamous Louis Vuitton x Murakami collaboration. Despite being designer-aligned, Coffee Zingaro shies from the rigidness of high fashion, instead fostering a trendy and comfortable environment with reasonable price points, while offering a highly involved and thematic menu.
What sets Coffee Zingaro apart is the incredible retro-themed ambiance that was tastefully executed with pixelated Murakami artwork on walls, leather seating, and tables that double up as playable arcade machines. The neon lights, which complement the colours of Murakami’s rainbow flower faces, tie in the overall atmosphere, taking you across a portal to the stylish ‘60s and ‘70s.
Image Credit: Travelr
Coffee Zingaro’s entire menu is Murakami-themed, with smiling flower faces plastered onto desserts, latte art, and even the tableware. They offer a range of desserts, from pancakes to cookies and cake, savory options like burgers, and a range of standard café drinks. Their coffee is made kissaten-style, so the flavour profile can be a little different from conventional espresso-based drinks, but they do offer matcha, latte, and frappuccino options. They also provide exclusive Takashi Murakami merchandise that can only be purchased in the café. Before heading to Coffee Zingaro, we highly recommend checking their opening hours posted on Instagram, as they sometimes change month over month.
- Visit Coffee Zingaro in Nakano, Tokyo
- Instagram: @cafe_zingaro
Onitsuka Tiger Café 75
Image Credit: Onitsuka Tiger
The Onitsuka Tiger Ginza Red Concept Store stands out for the red-tinted glass that creates a vampiric point of interest from the building’s otherwise neutral facade. Inside, shoppers can step into an even redder world, with red walls and lighting contrasted only by the black shelving and rows upon rows of well-loved and exclusive Onitsuka Tigers, some of which can only be purchased from this flagship store. Head upstairs to find the Onitsuka Tiger Café 75, the brand’s first and only Tokyo café that could pass as a high-end bar in Ginza. The same red-and-black interior offers a feast for the eyes and an ambiance unlike what you would expect from Onitsuka – but that’s exactly what makes this location feel especially charming.
Contrary to Onitsuka Tiger’s connection to streetwear and sports, the café offers an elevated experience that strays from the usually more carefree imagery of sneakers. The contemporary interior has large seating spaces, perfect for groups of friends to hang out. They offer a simple menu with a selection of hand-drip and espresso-based coffee, as well as juices, smoothies, and kakigori (shaved ice). The one-page menu is just as minimalistic as the interior, but nevertheless offers a refreshing escape after a day of shopping, especially in the summertime. Onitsuka Tiger Café 75 is not usually full, but do keep in mind that weekends and holidays can affect the crowd. The price point is relatively reasonable at the 1,000 yen mark for beverages and 2,000 yen for kakigori.
- Visit Onitsuka Tiger Cafe 75 in Ginza, Tokyo
Café Kitsuné
Maison Kitsuné has interesting roots as a music label started by Gildas Loaëc and Masaya Kuroki in Paris, before eventually entering the fashion space a few years later. The brand focuses on luxury streetwear with wearable styles that combine Tokyo’s creative spirit with Parisian silhouettes. The wide range of styles, from more form-fitting and elegant cuts to comfortable and vintage-esque fits, and elevated athleisure, all harmoniously exist in carefully branded capsules in Maison Kitsuné’s world.
It was almost a decade after its explosive entry into the fashion industry when Maison Kitsuné further expanded to the café scene, cementing its position as a cultural and lifestyle brand. Café Kitsuné was opened in Tokyo in 2013—the first of many stores around the world.
Image Credit: Maison Kitsuné
Café Kitsuné offers a relaxing ambiance with wooden interior and calm lighting. The branding is minimal, which ties into Maison Kitsuné’s overall design sense. The brand’s iconic foxes are rarely seen around the shop, and even the food and beverages are not overly embellished, instead focusing on offering quality café drinks and meals. The menu consists of espresso-based drinks, a selection of sodas, juices, and alcohol, gelato, pastries and cakes, and casual brunch items like avocado toast.
Café Kitsuné fosters an environment reminiscent of an independent café, rather than one that is brand-attached, so the price points are approachable and the ambiance makes it a great place to work and hang out. The café doesn’t typically draw lines of crowds, but is frequented by café-goers during the usual rush hours, weekends, and holidays. Here you can buy minimally-branded merchandise from coffee cups to tote bags, which make great souvenirs for Maison Kitsuné fans.
- Visit Café Kitsuné in Aoyama, Tokyo and Shibuya, Tokyo
Le Café V
Image Credit: The Japan Times
One of the most recognisable brands in the world, Louis Vuitton has timelessly captured the hearts of generations of fashion enthusiasts with the all-too-familiar monogram printed canvas goods to more modern silhouettes and iconic collaborations with contemporary artists like Yayoi Kusama and Takashi Murakami.
Over the years, LV never shied away from exploring bold new concepts, from incorporating an array of colours into its collections to making itself known in the realms of streetwear enthusiasts, collectors, and timeless style lovers alike. In 2020, it joined an army of designer labels that partnered up with acclaimed chefs to open the first Le Café V in Osaka, and then later expanded its footprint into Tokyo.
Image Credit: Daniel Food Diary
Situated inside the iridescent Louis Vuitton flagship store in Ginza, Le Café V is a collaboration with acclaimed chef Yosuke Suga of Sugalabo. With his incredible knack for French cuisine, he crafted the café’s sophisticated menu, which combines high-quality Japanese ingredients with French culinary techniques. Le Café V offers a wide range of desserts, espresso-based beverages, alcohol, as well as proper lunch and dinner sets at higher price points, ranging from 2,000 to 15,000 yen and up. The café also sells thematic LV merchandise, including the popular Louis Vuitton chocolates.
Despite being a brand-aligned space, Le Café V’s visual identity is relatively minimal, with a contemporary interior that is surprisingly print-free, instead choosing to use bold pops of colour reminiscent of Louis Vuitton’s epi leather goods. The monogram products on display across products and on latte art are some of the only indications of branding, fostering a calm and intimate space for an elegant culinary escape. Do note that this café only accepts walk-ins.
- Location: Visit Le Café V in Ginza, Tokyo
- Instagram: @lecafev
Gap Café
Image Credit: Tokyo Cafe 365 Days
In the 2010s, Gap went out of style, falling from relevance after years of being a household brand known for its quality and reliability. But over the past couple of years, Gap has resurfaced in relevance thanks to the vintage craze powered by the fashion-forward Gen Z crowd, further fueled by influencers like Ruby Lyn and Devon Lee Carlson who have worn and promoted the brand on multiple occasions. Now people are flocking to thrift stores to find vintage Gap and are exploring newer collections to pick up styles inspired by some heritage classics and contemporary trends. The brand has even collaborated with Madhappy on a collection of clothing and accessories designed with the iconic Gap typography.
Gap’s ability to stay relevant stems from its willingness to connect with younger, newer audiences. One standout example is the launch of the world’s first Gap Café at their Shinjuku Flags store—a playful pop-up designed to pull shoppers deeper into the brand’s universe. The café serves a mix of classic Japanese staples and features Gap-themed latte art, along with Krispy Kreme donuts. While seating is limited to a simple bar counter, it’s an ideal pit stop after a long shopping session or while waiting for your customised Gap apparel.
- Visit the Gap Café in Shinjuku, Tokyo
Little Cloud Coffee
Image Credit: Around Tokyo
Little Cloud Coffee is a café run by Visvim, a Japanese apparel brand that takes inspiration from vintage Americana, focusing on casual, laid-back silhouettes that use a thoughtfully curated mix of colours and prints. Their lookbooks are practically blueprints for fans of vintage fashion, and form the image of what you would imagine as NYC street style from the ‘70s to ‘90s, or Shimokitazawa today. As a brand, Visvim explicitly appeals to the fashion-forward youth who stray from rigid, contemporary silhouettes, instead focusing on utilitarian clothing with a touch of refined Japanese design.
With such a careful brand aesthetic, one can expect Little Cloud Coffee to be similarly artistic in every sense, combining a store and café into a curated space. The Nakameguro store is a restored Japanese tea house with minimal seating and a zen interior, overlooking a traditional Japanese garden. The Omotesando store, in contrast, has a more Western interior reminiscent of small European cafés and a romantic terrace seating. The menu primarily consists of espresso drinks, matcha, juices, and pastries at reasonable price points, usually at under 1,000 yen. They also consistently offer a range of seasonal food and drinks, and sell their coffee beans for you to enjoy at home.
Image Credit: OMOHARAREAL
What really makes Little Cloud Coffee stand out is their incredible selection of coffee cups and tableware, all of which are designed with vintage patterns that make the dining experience feel more intimate and curated. They also sell a range of beautifully-designed merchandise, including coasters, tote bags, T-shirts, coffee canisters, and even original-designed cup and saucer sets. It’s worth a visit, even for just the merch. Do note that the café’s opening hours can be a little inconsistent, so make sure to check their Instagram stories before heading in, as they post a reminder of their opening hours daily.
- Location: Visit Little Cloud Coffee in Omotesando, Tokyo and Nakameguro, Tokyo
- Instagram: @littlecloudcoffee_visvim
agnès b. Café
Image Credit: agnès b.
agnès b. is a sustainable French fashion brand that embodies the effortless Parisian style, with collections that range from fun summer prints to timeless staples. They have a strong footprint in Japan, where they are loved for their high-quality craftsmanship and understated style full of European influences. Over the years, agnès b. has cemented itself as a key figure in fashion culture by supporting young artists through exhibiting their work in the Galerie Boutique on the second floor of the Aoyama store. The brand continued to expand its presence by engaging with the community through the agnès b. Café, a trendy space where European fashion and food culture unite at the heart of Tokyo.
agnès b. Cafés take on many forms depending on their location. In Shibuya, it’s a stylish lifestyle and fashion hub with terrace seating and a bar that serves alcohol-based drinks. The more classic Ginza Rue du Jour location, named after the brand’s first boutique in Paris, offers an intimate space to enjoy café staples, from espresso-based drinks, matcha, chocolate, and an array of incredible pastries and desserts. The price range is approachable at under 1,000 yen for most menu items. In addition to the delicious food and drink menu, the agnès b. Café also sells a variety of merchandise, including a popular matcha set and beautifully decorated mugs and tumblers.
- Visit the agnès b. Café in Shibuya, Tokyo and Ginza, Tokyo
Uniqlo Coffee
Image Credit: Today Online
Uniqlo is one of Japan’s most recognisable brands, known for its high-quality basics and collaboration tees, introducing Japanese craftsmanship with affordable pricing to global markets. With over 700 stores across the country and thousands more around the world, Uniqlo is a reliable place to fill a wardrobe with practical pieces that never go out of style. While the brand primarily positions itself as a clothing store, it has made a plethora of lifestyle-focused efforts in Japan, including the opening of Uniqlo Coffee in Ginza.
Uniqlo’s Ginza flagship store spans a whopping 12 floors of endless styles and exclusive collaborations. Amid the dizzying retail madness, head to the 12th floor to find Uniqlo Coffee, a small space with bar counter seating a minimal menu featuring drip-style coffee, matcha, juices, and snacks. They also sell original blend beans, drip coffee, gift boxes, and a mug and tumbler that make great souvenirs for braving through the unforgettable flagship shopping experience. Prices are incredibly affordable at 200 to 500 yen per drink. It’s not a spot to intentionally visit as a space to hang out, but it makes for a great post-shopping reprieve.
- Visit Uniqlo Coffee in Ginza, Tokyo
MUJI Café&Meal
Image Credit: Japan Travel
MUJI was a pioneer in the no-brand product space, bringing minimalist and functional products across fashion, beauty, lifestyle, food, interior, and housing categories. Removing the confusion of choice associated with brand names, MUJI offers minimal SKUs and caters to shoppers looking for affordable and stylish products that seamlessly work together to form a recognisable brand aesthetic that has been attributed to Japanese minimalism. Over the years, MUJI has expanded its products and services across a multitude of categories, including Café&Meal, an affordable dining option attached to MUJI stores across Tokyo and the rest of the world.
MUJI Café&Meal specialises in serving healthy and simple meals that use seasonal ingredients. They offer a minimal drip-style coffee and juice line-up, hearty lunch options from noodles to curry and lasagna, decadent side dishes inspired by cuisine from all over the world, and customisable set meals. Most cafés are open adjacent to MUJI stores and are designed with the same wooden and minimalistic interior that the brand is known for. They are popular lunch spots, especially in areas near office spaces, so expect some crowds during peak hours.
- Visit MUJI Café&Meal in various locations across Tokyo
Q-pot Café
Image Credit: @QPotCAFE on X
Q-pot is a Japanese jewellery brand that specialises in creating whimsical and patterned clothing and accessories primarily inspired by sweets, often using motifs of macarons, madeleines, and cakes to bring an air of fun into alternative fashion, cementing its relevance in the Harajuku fashion scene. They pride themselves on crafting handmade jewellery, bringing Japanese artisanship to the world through a growing international presence. Because of the brand’s focus on using motifs of sweets, it was only natural for them to open Q-pot Café, a magical space that reimagines their jewellery design sense into real-life sweets.
Q-pot Café is embellished from floor to ceiling with the same whimsical aesthetic that defines the brand. From tables shaped like chocolate bars to macaron-printed walls and giant upside-down teapots on the ceilings, the inside of the café is divided into various sections that make you feel like you’re Alice in Wonderland.
The café boasts an impressive menu of beautifully designed sweets. The coffee selection is kept to a basic minimum, as they are more known for their afternoon tea sets and seasonal menu items that frequently rotate on an event basis, so there is always something new to try. Prices range from 800 to 4,000 yen. Q-pot Café doesn’t typically get crowded, but reservations are recommended during weekends, holidays, and when popular collaborations are ongoing.
- Visit Q-Pot Café in Shibuya, Tokyo
Must-Visit Brand Restaurants in Tokyo
Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura
Image Credit: Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura
Following the wave of high fashion houses that have expanded the world of haute couture beyond fashion, and toward hospitality, the Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura opened in the brand’s flagship store in Ginza Namiki, the third of its kind in the world. The high-end restaurant focuses on bringing a playful take on Italian cuisine through a fusion of Italian culinary perfection with seasonal Japanese ingredients, earning it one Michelin star.
Image Credit: The Japan Times
Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura was carefully curated to reflect the vision of Maison Gucci, taking guests to a world of botanical-printed walls through a series of intimate yet avant-garde settings, elevating the dining experience with carefully crafted details that evoke Gucci’s design sense. The elevated menu includes à la carte, afternoon tea sets, and lunch and dinner courses, with prices that start at 4,000 yen and go upward to 30,000 yen. Reservations are required. Do note that the lunch and dinner courses posted on the website are available only on certain days of the week.
In addition to a visually enchanting culinary experience, Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura also sells souvenirs that you can take home. These include cookie tins, chocolate bars, balsamic vinegar from Modena, and extra virgin olive oil, all of which make wonderful gifts for yourself or others.
- Visit Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura in Ginza, Tokyo
- Website: Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura
BEIGE Alain Ducasse Tokyo
Image Credit: BEIGE Alain Ducasse Tokyo
BEIGE Alain Ducasse Tokyo is the prodigal collaboration between Chanel and world-renowned chef Alain Ducasse, whose French cuisine is marked by a low-fat and low-sugar philosophy, and a creative use of vegetables. It’s headed by executive chef Hideaki Nagaya, whose use of seasonal Japanese vegetables and ingredients allowed traditional French cuisine to transform with an unpredictable array of flavour profiles, earning the restaurant a Michelin star.
Nestled at the top floor of the Chanel flagship store in Ginza Namiki, BEIGE Alain Ducasse Tokyo reflects the brand’s design sensibilities, from plush seating to clever use of textiles, neutral tones, and panoramic views that breathe life and light into the space. The elegantly designed interior allows the food to truly shine. From incredible lunch and dinner courses to beautifully presented desserts, some bearing familiar Chanel motifs, the restaurant offers a gastronomic experience that blurs the lines between the culinary and fashion universes. Reservations are required to secure seating due to high demand.
- Visit BEIGE Alain Ducasse Tokyo in Ginza, Tokyo
- Website: BEIGE Alain Ducasse Tokyo
Armani / Ristorante
Image Credit: Armani
Armani / Ristorante is the culinary sensation in the incredible Armani Tower in Ginza, which was built with a deep sense of Giorgio Armani’s aesthetic, encompassing the entire Armani universe in a glass-and-steel facade with intimately presented collections. Armani, in all of its forms, has always been hailed as a true luxury brand, boasting super craftsmanship and timeless style that has been loved over generations.
Its expansion into the culinary space was carefully positioned with the same timeless elegance, with an upscale interior that merges neutrals with gold and dark tones, and a curated dining experience that brings the best of Italian cuisine into central Tokyo. Armani / Ristorante specialises in Italian cuisine, with a wide selection of afternoon tea, aperitif, and à la carte options, as well as beautifully designed lunch and dinner courses that capitalise on seasonal Japanese ingredients. Reservations are highly recommended, up to two months in advance.
- Visit Armani / Ristorante in Ginza, Tokyo
- Website: Armani / Ristorante
