Kagurazaka’s mix of old and new Japan with a touch of European influence leads to an interesting mix of cafés and coffee shops in the area. From tea served in a traditional Japanese house to an Italian café on the canal, these are the best cafés in Tokyo’s historic Kagurazaka district.
Shimada Cafe is a bar and café combo, featuring rustic European décor punctuated with greenery and terrace seating on nice days. By day it’s a bright and sunny café, but in the evenings the candles and lanterns come out and the mood eases back a bit. Their claim to fame is the secret Kagurazaka French toast recipe, which can sell out fast when they get busy.
One of Kagurazaka’s most well-known eateries, Canal Cafe is located on a large manmade canal. It has a picturesque, European feel, and the menu is Italian inspired. Because of the desirable setting, the café is available for special events like weddings and work functions, too.
Located west of Kagurazaka’s center, this cozy, casual café is perfect for spending an afternoon curled up with a book. The name Kiitos means thank you in Finnish. As well as great coffee, they have a changing selection of tasty homemade treats for sale.
Mugimaru2 calls itself the Kagurazaka Manju Cafe. As such, the specialty is of course manju – steamed cakes, traditionally filled with red bean paste (anko), but now in all kinds of flavors from savory to sweet. The café is located in an old Japanese house, and the unique atmosphere is worth the trip in and of itself.
If you’re looking for coffee on the go, Kagurazaka’s Guild Coffee should be the first place you check out. With very limited seating space, there’s a noticeable service charge on dine-in drinks. But less than 300 yen can get you Guild’s house blend, which changes regularly, to go.
Book Cafe Sundries is a spacious, modern café with that perfect combination of bookstore and coffeehouse. Fittingly, the walls are lined with books for sale, which creates a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere for reading and relaxing with a hot drink.