uni
Situated inside the MVRDV-designed GYRE, one of Tokyo’s most uniquely designed shopping complexes, uni and the adjacent bonélan are a café-meets-bar-meets-restaurant overlooking Omotesando’s main shopping street.
The café’s atmosphere is earthy and open, with living greenery spilling into the interiors, soil-covered floors and walls, and a terrace garden where herbs and vegetables are grown on-site. Every element here is rooted in the idea of circularity—what comes from the earth returns to the earth. This philosophy shapes not only the design, but the food itself: seasonal dishes, thoughtfully sourced ingredients.
uni is a Tokyoite-favorite for those wanting to escape the hustle and bustle of the downstairs streets and has plenty of room to sit on the cube-shaped wooden hill, even when the window-facing seats are all taken. In the evening, uni transforms into a quiet bar serving a solid selection of drinks and cocktails, or you can head-over to the adjacent bonélan which serves a popular lunch and dinner.
Images via uni/ GYRE food
Website
︎ WebsiteAddress
︎GYRE 4F,5-10-1 Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo︎Google Maps
Hours
uniCafé: 10:00-19:00
Bar: 19:00-24:00
bonélan
lunch: 11:00 - 16:00
dinner: 17:00 - 23:00
Price Category
$$$$OGAWA COFFEE LABORATORY | Shimokitazawa and Sakurashinmachi
小川珈琲
Sakurashinmachi Store
With a successful history dating back to 1952 post-war Kyoto, it was only a matter of time until specialist coffee house Ogawa Coffee decided to continue its success story over in the Japanese capital. The coffee house’s Tokyo flagship store in Sakurashinmachi offers over 21 different varieties of carefully selected coffee beans which can be enjoyed as single origin coffee, coffee blends, cocktails and a variety of signature drinks. For those too overwhelmed by the sheer amount of choices, Ogawa Coffee has also created its very own flavor compass which will help you navigate through the varieties of coffee, aligning them on a scale from light to heavy-bodied.
The light-drenched Sakurashinmachi laboratory was conceptualized with the help of interior design office Yusuke Seki Studio, blending old Japanese materials such as wood, washi paper and even stones from Kyoto’s old tram, with concrete walls and large glass windows to create a new vision of what a modern-day coffee house can (and should) look like.
Sakurashinmachi Menu:
Coffee: ¥410~
Coffee Cocktails: ¥900~
Tea: ¥660~
Lunch Course: ¥2,950
Dinner Course: ¥4,950
Shimokitazawa Store
In 2021, Ogawa Coffee opened its second Tokyo outpost in the hip and coffee hungry neighborhood of Shimokitazawa, where the brand offers coffee masterclasses and more than 40 different coffee tools that you can purchase and take home with you. While the Shimokitazawa store is more of a space to learn about coffee and roasting than a café, there’s still a small selection of coffee and tea drinks as well as scones and vanilla gelato which you can be enjoy in-store or takeaway for a little pick-me-up on your afternoon exploring the neighborhood.
Images courtesy of OGAWA COFFEE
Website
︎ WebsiteAddress
Sakurashinmachi Store︎3-23-8 Sakurashinmachi, Escalier 1F, Shinmachi Setagaya-ku,Tokyo, Japan
︎ +81(0) 3-6413-5252
︎Google Maps
Shimokitazawa Store
︎reload 1-1 3-19-20 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
︎+81(0) 3-6407-0194
︎Google Maps
Hours
SakurashinmachiEvery day:
07:00-22:00 (L.O. 21:30)
Shimokitazawa
Every day:
08:00-20:00 (L.O. 19:30)
Price Category
$$$$CONNEL COFFEE
There are few locations in central Tokyo as iconic as the Sogetsu Kaikan, the headquarters of the Sogetsu School of Ikebana. Designed by none other than the legendary architect Kenzo Tange, the building was completed in 1977 and features an extraordinary rock garden on the ground floor by renowned artist Isamu Noguchi.
On weekdays, visitors are welcome to stop by Connel Coffee, the second-floor café. Open to the public even if you’re not affiliated with Sogetsu, the space reflects the school’s refined aesthetic with a sleek interior and mirrored glass façade overlooking the adjacent park—flooding the café with a tranquil, ever-changing collage of greenery and light. The café also serves sandwhiches and light lunch for those looking for an off-the-beaten track place to rest and recharge.
Images courtesy of Connel Coffee
Website
︎ WebsiteAddress
︎7-2-21 Akasaka Minato-ku Tokyo 107-8505 Japan, Sogetsu Bldg. 2F︎Google Maps
︎ Instagram
Hours
Mo-Fr: 10:00-18:00Closed Sat+Sun
Price Category
$$$$LURF GALLERY CAFE
Tucked away in the stylish neighborhood of Daikanyama, LURF GALLERY CAFE offers a refreshing blend of art and relaxation. The café on the first floor is furnished with wooden Danish vintage furniture from the 1930s, standing in beautiful contrast to the concrete structure the cafe is housed in.
On the menu you will find hand-dripped coffee made with single-origin beans from GLITCH COFFEE & ROASTERS, where a light roast brings out the unique character of each region. Tea enthusiasts are in for a treat too, with premium blends from Uf-fu in Hyogo, known for their natural flavors and carefully sourced leaves from around the world. There is also food and dessert such as carrot cakes from STILL LIFE in Nagoya, and pound cakes from local favorite ENNISMORE GARDENS in Daikanyama. The carrot cake is made with pesticide-free carrots and layered with mascarpone cream, while the seasonal pound cakes, made without baking powder and sweetened with soft brown sugar, offer a mild and comforting sweetness.
Be sure to visit the exhibition on the upper floor and the shop on the first floor selling fashion and art goods.
Menu:
Drip Coffee: ¥850~
Carrot Cake: ¥800~
Images courtesy of Lurf Gallery
Website
︎ WebsiteAddress
︎Tokyo, Shibuya-ku, Sarugakucho, 28−13, Roob1, 1F︎Google Maps
Hours
11:00-19:00Price Category
$$$$Factory & Labo Kanno Coffee
神乃珈琲
Tucked away about a 10-minute walk from Gakugei Daigaku Station, Factory & Labo Kanno Coffee is an unexpected gem. Few cafés in Tokyo can compete with the spaciousness and grandeur of this spot, which takes over an entire glass-front building on Meguro-dori. It’s a popular gathering place for locals, drawn by Kanno’s expertly roasted coffee. Head up to the second floor, snag a window seat, and soak in the ambiance while enjoying your brew.
Best time to visit: weekdays, as weekends can get very crowded
Menu:
Coffe&Tea: ¥550~
Cakes: ¥550~
Images courtesy of Kanno Coffee
Website
︎ WebsiteAddress
︎1-4-14 Chuocho, Meguro-ku, Tokyo︎Google Maps