It has long been the connoisseur of tea, but now Tokyo is setting the Asian bar for awesome artisan bean brews too. Our favourite caffeinated go-tos include this fivesome for whiling away a morning. Feel the buzz!
Little Nap Coffee Stand
Ideal for a post-Yoyogi kick (as it’s just across from the park), Little Nap Coffee Stand is styled like a boot repairman’s workshop. This laidback haunt has a few stools inside and out, or take away a paper cup of house-roasted goodness, from single-origin drips to iced lattes.
5-65-4 Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku. +81 3 3466 0074. littlenap.jp
The Roastery by Nozy Coffee
Swish mod Shibuya/Harajuku ship The Roastery by Nozy Coffee looks like an industrial-chic concrete-n-wood club, but these hipsters know how to roast and brew espressos, americanos and lattes. Score a pineapple Danish, buttery croissant or fresh-baked muffin to accompany.
Jingumae 5-17-13, Shibuya-ku. +81 3 6450 5755. tysons.jp
Café de l’Ambre
Ginza classic Café de l’Ambre has been serving cracking coffee in a tricky-to-find alley since 1948 (look for the ‘Coffee Only’ sign). Choose between 30-odd single-origin varieties, and even aged beans. With its English menus and chintzy cups, this accessible oldie doesn’t demand geek-level brew knowledge.
8-10-15 Ginza, Chuo-ku. +81 3 3571 1551. cafedelambre.com
Coutume Aoyama
Bright white Coutume Aoyama, one of Paris’s hottest craft cafes, brings a chic vibe to the Tokyo scene, with sleek contempo tables and parasols outside and tasty sandwiches, eclairs, cookies, pancakes and vegetarian galettes within. Baristas whip up light drip-style coffees and espressos.
5-9-15 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku. +81 3 6418 5325. coutume.jp
Satei Hato
Quaint little Satei Hato is a favourite Shibuya haven for caffeine-lovers, serving old-school brews with a punch. A marbled entrance, formal service, art, plants and fancy tableware add to the quality quaffing. Zing!
1-15-19 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku. +81 3 3400 9088.
A version of this article originally appeared on Pencities Tokyo.
