Tokyo's
Best Bakeries
(Selling Real Bread)

Okay, you might be thinking, “what is the deal with this ‘real’ bread thing?” - Well, shall we say you won’t understand unless you’ve tried one of Japan’s ubiquitous bakery chains, that finding good, crispy bread can be a real challenge for us Tokyoites.  

From sourdough, to walnut bread, baguette, bagels or Italian panini - check out our ultimate list of bakeries selling fresh and tasty bread in Tokyo.

Hidden in the basement level of a side street in Kichijoji, Dans Dix Ans is not exactly the kind of bakery you will just stumble upn, but you will understand from its weekend bread-hungry queue of people that this shop is the first destination for Kichijoji’s bread connoisseurs. A remarkable selection of freshly baked, sourdough, whole grain and non-wheat grain bread types make this bakery a pleasure for anyone seeking refuge from Japan’s ubiquitous sugary, soft bread. The stylish little bakery with a glass wall dividing the bakehoues and shop, allows customers to witness the breadmaking process while staff will collect your desired breads for you.

︎Dans Dix Ans | Kichijoji
︎Mon-Fri: 10:00-18:00, closed on Saturdays, Sundays
︎Google Maps
︎Website

With its mortadella panini, pizza margherita slices, sweet pasticcini, fruit pies, bread loafs and more, Princi is shaking up the French-bread dominated bakery market of Tokyo with fresh and authentic Italian baked goods you’ll be hard to find anywhere else in the capital. Teamed up with none other than Starbucks’ high-end Reserve® brand, including the gigantic Starbucks Roastery in Nakameguro, you will only find Princi in Tokyo’s most exclusive neighborhoods, boasting elegant shops that will make you want to stay for longer than just a quick espresso.

︎Princi Italian Bakery | Daikanyama, Nakameguro, Ginza
︎Hours depend on location
︎Google Maps (Nakameguro Branch inside Starbucks)
︎ Website (Japanese only)

Image via Princi

Lovers of scandinavian sourdough bread will find their cravings more than satisfied at this bakery inside Ueno Sakura Atari in Yanaka. Vaner’s boasts a small, but outstanding menu of sourdough loafs and pastries such as croissants, cinnamon and cardamon roles, the latter which are truly to die for. The sourdough loafs are good, but definitely on the very sour side, which might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but their beautiful crunchy crust and chewy texture make more than up for this.

Coffee drinkers will also be happy to know that you can get a discount here for bringing your own tumbler and we give Vaner extra points for serving its bread in paper, rather than one of the ubiquitous plastic bags which you usually find in Tokyo.

︎Vaneer | Yanaka
︎Wed-Fri: 09:00-18:00, Sat-Sun: 08:00-17:00
︎Google Maps
︎ Website (Japanese only)

A great stop for those bread-lovers out there trying to give in to their daily bread cravings, Boul’Ange has become a staple in Tokyo’s bread scene, with a good selection of mostly French style bread such as baguettes, bread rolls, croissants and open sandwich types (our favourite are the small cereal bread rolls!). Unlike other Japanese-style bakeries, Boul’Ange sells authentic, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside breads which are freshly baked on-site several times during the day. 

︎Boul’Ange | Shinjuku, Shibuya, Nihonbashi, Ikebukuro 
︎Hours depend on location
︎Google Maps (Boul’Ange Shibuya Location)
︎Website

Image via Boul’Ange

His desire to re-create rustic bread from his childhood inspired founder Alain Coumont’s to bring his philosophy of high-quality, ordinary bread to the tables of people worldwide. Founded in Belgium in 1990, Le Pain Quotidien now has over 200 locations around the world, including three in Tokyo, serving some (at least in Japan) hard-to-find bread-types such as Walnut or Rye Sourdough. Made from organic stone-ground flour and sold as big or mini loafs, Le Pain Quotidien makes our bread-loving hearts beat faster.

︎Le Pain Quotidien Bakery | Shibakoen, Shinjuku, Tokyo Midtown 
︎Hours depend on location
︎Google Maps (Le Pain Quotidien, Tokyo Midtown)
︎Website

Image via Le Pain Quotidien

Inspired by New York bagel culture, Maruichi Bagel is said to be the best bagel shop in all of Japan (we will let you be the judge of that). The owner trained at famous bagel shop Ess-a-bagel in NYC and has brought the art of bagel-making to the quiet neighborhood of Shirokane-Takanwa in central Tokyo. Located in an unassuming backstreet-building, you will know you’ve found the right place when you see the lines of people, queuing up early in the morning to get their hands on one of the shop’s famous baked goods. Bagel lovers will appreciated the variety of seasonal fillings on offer, ranging from salmon, to egg salad, almond butter, cheese, hummus and, of course, a variety of different cream cheeses such as apple-cinnamon or sun-dried tomato.

Note that the shop closes once bagels are sold-out, so arrive early to get the best selection.

︎Maruichi Bagel | Shirokane Takanawa
︎Tue-Sun: 07:00-17:00
︎Google Maps
︎Website

If you are on the lookout for a great selection of German-style bread in Tokyo (and we can tell you this type of bread is really hard to find here), look no further than Linde. From multi-grain bread, to pumpkin-seed, sunflower-seed, poppy-seed and pretzels, Linde seems to have it all.

Even though its main branch is located in the hip Western city of Kichijoji (also home to the Ghibli Museum), a small selection of Linde’s bread is carried by supermarket chains Precce and Peacock in more central locations such as Midtown Roppongi, Nakameguro or Daikanyama. If you don’t feel like getting out of the house or if you don’t live near the capital, don’t despair - Linde has a delivery service which will send their delicious breads to pretty much any location in Japan (see website for more info - Japanese only).  

︎Linde German Bakery | Kichijoji, Tokyo Midtown, Nakameguro
︎Every day: 10:00-19:00
︎Google Maps (Kichijoji Main Branch)
︎Website

Housed in a sophisticated, modern building behind Roppongi Hills, Bricolage Bread & Co is one of Tokyo’s latest additions to its bread-hungry bakery market, bringing freshly baked sourdough loafs, crunchy croissants, Danish pastries and more to your morning tables. Made from Japan-grown wheat and/or spelt, we just can’t escape the freshly baked goods on offer at this bakery. If you have time, have a coffee on their lovely outside terrace or order one of their tartines for a light lunch - you won’t be disappointed either way. For bread-lovers we recommend the rustic nature or dinkel (spelt) sourdough pain the campagne, which the staff will kindly slice for you to take home.

︎Bricolage Bread & Co | Roppongi
︎Tue-Sun: 08:00-20:00
︎Google Maps
︎Website

Images courtesy of Bricolage Bread & Co and Roppongi Hills

In the most unusual of places, tucked away in a small sidestreet of a quiet residential neighborhood near Waseda, Kandagawa Bakery is one of those places that has yet to be discovered by Tokyo’s bread-hungry crowd. The small shopfront, carved into a regular family home, opens up to the street with a modern glass display, showcasing the freshly baked goods Kandagawa Bakery puts out several times a day. Like many bakeries in Tokyo, the majority of this shop’s “breads” are not bread in the traditional sense, but contain different sweet or savory ingredients such as raisins, matcha, red bean paste or cheese, which appear to be very popular snacks with Japanese customers. If you look closely however, you will notice that Kandagawa Bakery also produces some genuine and absolutely delicious bread such as mini baguettes and big French sourdough loafs which are so impressively moist and crispy, they got to be some of the highest quality bread we have found so far in Tokyo.

︎Kandagawa Bakery | Waseda
︎Wed-Sun: 11:00-18:00
︎Google Maps
︎Website

Image via Kandagawa Bakery

With origins tracing back to 1990s New York Union Square, The City Bakery brings its high New York-style bakeries and coffeshops to the Japanese capital. Not only will you find a great selection of muffins, croissants, cookies or brownies, but The City Bakery also boasts some pretty decent bread options including our favorites Paysan Bread and Country Sourdough Bread, making this the perfect place for both sweet pastry and bread-fanatics alike.

︎The City Bakery | Nakameguro, Shinagawa, Ginza, Aoyama,... 
︎Hours depend on location
︎Google Maps (The City Bakery Nakameguro)
︎Website

Image via The City Bakery

Okay, let’s face it: there are easier and perhaps better places in the world to find bread than Japan, but if you are one of those bread fanatics like we are (we are talking to you Europeans!) then Andersen bakery will soon become one of your main go-to places for crispy delciousness. Unlike most bakeries in Tokyo which sell soft, sweet and artificial breads, Andersen has a small but solid selection of multi-grain, rye and dark breads which offer a long needed break from the white-bread environment that is Japan. While we found that not all branches offer the same selctions of bread, you can find Andersen around many of Tokyo’s main stations, our favourite branch however being the one in Ikebukuro Station B1F.

︎Andersen Bakery | Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Ueno, Tokyo Station
︎Hours depend on location
︎Google Maps (Andersen Ikebukuro Location)
︎Website

Image via Andersen

Located in a quiet neighborhood near Suitengu-Mae and Ningyocho stations, Tanne is one of Tokyo’s best German-style bakeries, filling our hearts with memories of Schinken-Käse Brötchen, (ham and cheese rolls), Laugenbretzel (pretzels), Walnussbrot (walnut bread) and other delicious breads we usually can’t get our hands on abroad. With a master-baker who has trained in Germany, Tanne has been serving German baked goods since 1993 and also offers a delivery service (check the website) as well as party-breads or cheese-platter catering for your next houseparty.

︎Tanne German Bakery | Ningyocho
︎Mon: 8-12:30, Tue-Fri: 8-16, Sat: 8:30-14
︎Google Maps
︎ Website (Japanese only) 

Image courtesy of German Bakery Tanne