Tokyo is a paradise for coffee drinkers and cafe enthusiasts. With its abundance of coffee shops, it can be hard to decide which one is the best. Each of these coffee shops have their own distinct and unique features, so it’s time to figure out which are considered the best coffee shops in Tokyo.
Coffee shops in Tokyo can range from fancy and luxurious to traditional and quaint. Some are continuously looked for by tourists while some remain hidden gems. It’s up to you to decide which one you’d like to try out!
Whether you’re looking for a cosy cafe, a bustling espresso bar, or just a place to grab a quick cup of joe, Tokyo’s coffee shops deliver on all fronts. So, sit down and grab a cup of coffee as you explore the wonder of Tokyo’s coffee scene!
Bongen Coffee
Tucked behind the back streets of Higashi-Ginza is a tiny cafe called Bongen Coffee. However, don’t be fooled by its size; this specialty coffee shop offers a premium coffee experience that both locals and visitors are willing to line up for. Don’t worry about the long lines, though, because Bongen Coffee is definitely worth the wait. The Ginza flagship opens daily from 10:00 to 17:00, a four minute walk from Exit 3 of Higashi-Ginza Station.
Known for its clean and minimalistic interior, Bongen Coffee proudly reflects the Japanese principles of simplicity and harmony. Its calm and welcoming atmosphere invites visitors to sit back, relax, and enjoy their expansive menu of coffee. Plus, their living bonsai tree and other traditional Japanese centrepieces found inside their restaurant are what make Bongen so popular.
Bongen Coffee focuses on coffee that has a soft and mild taste but still offers lighter and darker roasts. They serve drip coffee, americanos, mochas, and matcha-infused drinks. Customers usually pair their drink with small sweets including mochi and wafers.
If you want to experience a lifestyle of sophistication in Japan, do drop by Bongen Coffee in Ginza, one of Tokyo’s most luxurious neighbourhoods. After a long day of exploring Ginza’s luxury boutiques, department stores, and other establishments, wind down for a coffee break at Bongen Coffee.
Location: 2 Chome-16-3 Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo 104-0061
Café de L’Ambre
In Japan, there is a popular term called kissaten (kee-SAH-ten) which translates to “tea-drinking shop,” referring to establishments that are tearooms but also serve as coffee shops. Modern kissatens are heavily inspired by the classic jazz music scene; think of dark polished wood, moody amber lighting, and other vintage motifs. In Tokyo, Café De L’Ambre fully captures the essence of a classic kissaten.
Image Credit: Café de L’Ambre
A pioneer of Japanese coffee culture, Café De L’ambre was established in 1948 by Sekiguchi Ichiro. Sekiguchi was known as the “Japanese Godfather of Coffee,” establishing a legendary spot that remains a must-visit for coffee lovers. Although Sekiguchi passed away in recent years, his remarkable legacy continues to shape the cafe. An engineer by trade, he invented (and patented) a superior kettle for hand-drip coffee.
Aside from his kettle, Café De L’ambre still uses his customs: the grinder and the internal mechanics of the roaster. You can tell how much tradition matters in a kissaten like Café De L’ambre. They even pour strictly. The cloth filters filled with coffee are moved in a circle while the kettle with the water is kept in a fixed position, contrary to how modern cafés do it.
The craftsman’s personal touch carries through from the brewing technique to the cup itself. Traditional coffee is served in very thin ceramic cups which Sekiguchi believed felt better against your lips. When entering, be sure to savour a peek into the front office where the roasted beans are kept. Behind the scenes, raw coffee beans are stored for decades in a room built to Sekiguchi’s specifications.
Location: 8 Chome-10-15 Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo 104-0061
Fuglen Tokyo
Image Credit: Fuglen Coffee Roasters Tokyo
Fuglen (‘bird’ in Norwegian) hails from Oslo, Norway. The first café opened in Oslo in 1963 and has been offering quintessential Nordic coffee and atmosphere ever since. The first Fuglen Tokyo shop, established in 2012 by Kojima Kenji, is nestled behind Shibuya Scramble in Tomigaya. Initially, the locals of Tokyo didn’t get the flavours of Fuglen, its coffee was too fruity and acidic. They were not used to light roasts and preferred dark-roasted blends. Not being used to this, even Kojima didn’t like it the first time he tried!
Eventually, Tokyo locals grew curious about this foreign oddity in the middle of their city. The popular Japanese men’s magazine Brutus drew attention to the unique little café. Tokyo dwellers flocked to the place because the coffee was made by the novel AeroPress. Today there are four branches in Tokyo: Tomigaya, Asakusa, Hanegi Kōen and Sangūbashi.
With its nice and relaxed atmosphere, Fuglen Tokyo is an excellent coffee spot to escape the hustle and bustle of Shibuya City. Its retro Scandinavian interior feels purposeful and authentic. The shop has many perks for customers, from free wifi to card payments. It’s the perfect place for coffee lovers who need to do remote work, as no calls are allowed indoors.
The menu of Fuglen leaves an impression that they only do ‘real’ coffee, implying that there are no seasonal frappés and lattes. Instead, they simply serve just classic and minimalist espresso pulled on a Slayer espresso machine. If you prefer filtered coffee, you can choose how it’s made: hand drip, AeroPress or batch brew.
When visiting Fuglen Tokyo, be sure to ask the staff if they have any events on. They host live jazz and food events, Christmas markets and more. At 7pm, Fuglen transforms into a cocktail bar, offering Norwegian craft beer and a diverse menu of cocktails.
Location: 1 Chome-16-11 Tomigaya, Shibuya, Tokyo 151-0063
Haute Couture Nakameguro
When people think of Japan, they are often reminded of Japan’s iconic Sakura cherry blossoms that bloom in Spring. Sakura Season is arguably the most popular time to visit in Japan, causing tourist overpopulation. However, you can still experience the beauty of Sakura Season any time of the year through Haute Couture Nakameguro, one of the best coffee shops in Tokyo.
Image Credit: Haute Couture Cafe
True to its name, Haute Couture Nakameguro is influenced by the world of Tokyo fashion and design, creating a cafe atmosphere that feels more like an art gallery or fashion boutique. The shop is filled with faux Sakura flowers that matches the cafe’s elegant aesthetic of soft lighting, chic motifs, and minimalist design.
However, what makes Haute Couture Nakameguro one of the most visited coffee shops in Tokyo is how their shop’s atmosphere changes with the seasons. For every season, Haute Couture offers a seasonal selection of food, drinks, and treats that match the colours of the current season. It doesn’t matter if you aren’t able to visit in Spring. Haute Couture dresses for every floral occasion in Japan, whether it’s majestic wisteria in August or cosy maple leaves in October.
Their menu mainly revolves around the afternoon tea concept, serving macarons, crepes, and Mont Blanc desserts. Of course, expect the cafe to serve a variety of high-quality tea and coffee drinks. It is reservation only, with two-hour seatings starting at 11:00, 13:30, 16:00 and 18:30, and there is a second branch in Omotesando. With its luxurious and fashionable atmosphere, Haute Couture Nakameguro showcases the diversity of coffee shops and how you can enjoy good coffee in a fun and vibrant atmosphere.
Location: 1 Chome−16−9 east２F サクラガーデン, Aobadai, Meguro City, Tokyo 153-0042
Koffee Mameya Kakeru
Have you heard of Kiyosumi-Shirakawa, Tokyo’s iconic coffee town? What was once an Edo-era downtown is now a modern coffee district filled with Tokyo’s best coffee shops; one of them proudly called Koffee Mameya Kakeru. Eiichi Kunitomo, founder of Koffee Mameya Kakeru, believes in quality over quantity and the philosophy of kodawari, pursuing perfection through passion and persistence.
Image Credit: IDREIT
What makes Koffee Mameya Kakeru unique is that it offers a kaiseki-style coffee experience, showcasing seasonal coffees with the same care as Japanese haute cuisine. Guests can choose from an extensive menu or participate in coffee-tasting courses starting at ¥2,500. These sessions explore different brewing styles, allowing visitors to experience the full depth and complexity of coffee.
Customers are not only served exceptional coffee but also gain insights into the origins of beans, roasting techniques, and brewing methods. Kunitomo, along with his trusted partner Miki Takamasa, travels to different countries to meet baristas, roasters, and coffee experts from all over the world, learning more about the global coffee scene and bringing what they learn back to Koffee Mameya Kakeru.
When visiting Koffee Mameya Kakeru, not only should you try their delicious coffee, but check out their innovative coffee cocktails infused with Japanese shochu and sake! Watch their bartenders craft them right in front of you, as this cafe offers counter seating. Enjoy your drink with their Koffee Kashi, small sweets paired with your designed brew.
Location: 2 Chome-16-14 Hirano, Koto City, Tokyo 135-0023
Cafe Reissue
Harajuku is one of Tokyo’s favourite districts, serving as the house of Japanese pop culture and fashion. Within this vibrant area lies Cafe Reissue, a trendy and stylish coffee shop that has garnered attention, both from the city and from the world for its unique 3D latte art.
Image Credit: Reissue
Known to serve the best latte art in Tokyo, this coffee shop makes sure that each latte art they serve is Instagram-worthy. You can choose your latte art design with choices including animals, anime characters, or even your own photo! Their lattes are available with flavours like caramel, mocha, and honey.
While the cafe is famous for its latte art, they also serve a variety of high-quality coffee drinks and tea. This shop captures the energy of Tokyo through their modern and minimalist interior design. Their concrete walls are often decorated with art and music albums.
Certainly, Cafe Reissue is highly recommended for tourists who want to experience something unique in Tokyo. Over a cup of coffee here, customers get to appreciate the artistry and craftsmanship that goes into every drink. The cafe sits on the second floor of the Tanji Building in Jingumae and opens from 10:00 to 19:00, with lunch served from 11:00 to 15:00.
Location: 3 Chome-25-7 Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo 150-0001
Little Nap Coffee Stand
If you happen to be strolling around Yoyogi Park, you may discover a tiny little coffee nook called Little Nap Coffee Stand. Like most coffee shops in Tokyo, this cafe takes pride in its high-quality coffee, with their coffee beans sourced and roasted locally.
Image Credit: Little Nap
Little Nap Coffee Stand is exactly how it sounds like, a small space designed for customers who want to grab a coffee before or after exploring the city. The cafe has a small counter seating facing the park itself, so you can sit down and enjoy your hot or iced coffee while viewing the park’s beautiful trees.
Besides coffee, Little Nap offers a small food menu, from homemade cakes and muffins to gelato. Their servings are filling yet small enough to request for takeout so you can stroll around Yoyogi Park while enjoying your Little Nap to-go.
Over the years, Little Nap has been featured in various travel guides and magazines as one of Tokyo’s top coffee spots, making it a bucket-list destination for coffee lovers.
The owner, Daisuke Hamada, chose to set up his little coffee shop here to encourage locals and tourists to drop by for a break during the day. He believes that Little Nap is meant to be a place for friends, which is why he made his small space of a coffee shop as comfortable and welcoming as possible.
Location: 5 Chome-65-4 Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo 151-0053
Unlimited Coffee Bar
Unlimited Coffee Bar is a coffee shop that doubles as a cocktail bar! Known for experimenting with coffee cocktails and mocktails, Unlimited Coffee Bar frequently pushes the boundaries of what coffee can be.
Image Credit: Time Out
Unlimited Coffee Bar is the lovechild of owners Rena Hirai and Daichi Matsubara who established this coffee shop after getting married. It focuses on showcasing the art and science of coffee. The wide range of specialty coffee Unlimited Coffee serves is made up of beans that are carefully selected, roasted in house, and prepared to highlight their unique flavour profiles.
Unlimited Coffee Bar’s menu consists of classic coffee options like hand-drip coffee, cold brew, lattes, and cappuccinos. Plus, the shop’s refreshing signature cold brew tonic with orange slices is a definite must-try! For their cocktail menu, they have their espresso martini, hot buttered rum with coffee, black gimlet, and more.
One of the most unique features of Unlimited Coffee Bar is that it falls under Unlimited Coffee, an organisation that is deeply committed to spreading knowledge about coffee. They have the Barista Training Lab; a training centre that teaches aspiring baristas the basics of coffee to extensive coffee knowledge.
Location: 1 Chome-18-2 Narihira, Sumida City, Tokyo 130-0002
Glitch Coffee & Roasters
To get to really know Japan’s coffee scene, Glitch Coffee & Roasters brews their coffee with only the best single origin beans from coffee farms around the world. This coffee shop puts its emphasis on light roasts, highlighting the delicate yet complex flavours of each origin.
Image Credit: Glitch Coffee & Roasters
Located in Tokyo’s booktown, Jinbocho, Glitch is a popular hangout spot for those who are both coffee drinkers and bookworms. The owner, Kiyokazu Suzuki, spent a decade as a chief barista and head roaster at Paul Bassett before setting up Glitch Coffee & Roasters in 2015, so it’s no doubt that Glitch only serves the best coffee drinks.
The cafe’s roastery is central part of its operation. They roast their beans in-house using advanced techniques to ensure precision and consistency, bringing out the distinct characteristics of each coffee variety.
The shop always has more than ten types of single origin beans in its lineup, offering customers a chance to explore different regions and roasting methods every time they visit. They also sell their coffee beans online, so you can make your own cup at home!
Most visitors enjoy the cafe’s interior design, intertwining traditional Japanese architecture and modern Japanese minimalism. At the same time, Suzuki and his staff are always ready to share the knowledge about their coffee, from their beans to their production techniques.
Location: 3 Chome−16 香村ビル １階, Kanda Nishikicho, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0054
Nem Coffee & Espresso
Considered a Tokyo hidden gem for great coffee, Nem Coffee & Espresso is located on the ground floor of an old, renovated house situated on a quiet street near Hiroo Station. Owned by Takumi and Akiyo Watanabe, this married couple built this tiny coffee shop as a modern interpretation of the traditional kissaten.
Image Credit: Nem Coffee & Espresso
When visiting this cafe, you will notice a silk tree at the front of the shop, with widespread branches that welcomes its customers. Further inside, the store’s interior is filled with plants and flowers for an ambience that is filled with tranquility, peace, and harmony. An interesting fact about this shop is that the owners live right above it on the second floor of the house.
Opened in 2016, Nem Coffee & Espresso serves a simple menu of drinks split between “black” and “with milk.” They have espresso-based drinks, lattes, green tea, and hot chocolate, plus a food menu of cakes and toast. Nem Coffee also offers a wide range of milk-alternative products for those with dairy allergies.
To ensure that their customers have the best experience in their cafe, the Watanabe couple have a “no photography” rule. As much as customers would want to take pictures of their beautifully designed cafe, Takumi and Akiyo believe that the best way to experience coffee is simply sitting down, sipping from your cup, and enjoying the company of your companions.
Nem Coffee & Espresso is one of those coffee shops in Tokyo that prioritise the need for sustainable initiatives through their products and services. This cafe’s straws are eco-friendly, using stainless steel or plant-based materials instead of plastic. They use 100% natural electricity for their house and shop through renewable sources such as sunlight and wind power. It opens from 8am to 5pm on weekdays and 9am to 5pm at weekends and on holidays, and closes on Tuesdays and the first and third Monday of the month.
Location: 4 Chome-5-6 Minamiazabu, Minato City, Tokyo 106-0047
Coffee Zingaro
For a quirky coffee experience, Coffee Zingaro is a cafe known for its artsy retro theme. Situated in Tokyo’s Nakano Broadway, a shopping complex famous for its manga and anime shops, Coffee Zingaro is recommended for art and gaming enthusiasts who would like to sit down and drink coffee as well.
Image Credit: Kaikai Kiki
Takashi Murakami, a world-renowned contemporary artist, decided to open this coffee shop as one of his projects under his Kaikai Kiki art collective, blending his signature style with the comforting aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Think of Coffee Zingaro as a house of Murakami’s creativity and eccentricity.
Even Murakami’s art is found in his food and drinks, with latte art and desserts inspired by his iconic designs. Besides their hot and iced coffee drinks, they have soda floats as well. Other menu items include flower pancakes, flower salmon burgers, and flower puddings. They also have a seasonal selection of drinks, so be sure to check those out when you can.
Without a doubt, the main reason why customers visit this cafe is its pizzazz and retro kissaten vibes. Coffee Zingaro has small tables that double as gaming consoles, with classics such as Xevious, and yes, you can play them! It opens from 12:00 to 19:00 on weekdays and until 20:00 at weekends, and closes on Tuesdays. Coffee Zingaro is truly the embodiment of Murakami’s legacy and style.
Location: 5 Chome−52−15 2F, Nakano, Nakano City, Tokyo 164-0001
Tokyo Coffee Culture from Kissaten to 3D Latte Art
The culture of coffee found in Tokyo continues to expand day by day, offering a remarkable range of coffee experiences. These coffee shops offer something for everyone, whether it’s in their high-quality beans, relaxing atmosphere, or in the way they serve their customers.
Together, these coffee shops showcase the love and passion Japanese people have for coffee, finding new ways to create different kinds of blends, drinks, and more. Exploring them lets you taste some of the best brews in Tokyo and experience the city’s blend of modernity and tradition.
Next time you’re in Tokyo, make sure to visit these top coffee shops and immerse yourself in the city’s thriving coffee culture.
