24 cafés and roasters worth your time, grouped by neighborhood.
Koffee Mameya's sit-down space: a counter for tasting courses that pair coffee with small sweets.
2-16-14 Hirano, Koto-ku, Tokyo
Order: A tasting course (cold brew, milk brew, filter and espresso, served with Koffee Kashi sweets).
Relaxed, skateboard-decked roaster in Tokyo's 'coffee town', with about ten single origins.
1-13-8 Hirano, Koto-ku, Tokyo
Order: Their Dominican Republic single origin, a light, fruity roast with strawberry notes.
New Zealand roaster in a renovated warehouse, serving Kiyosumi-Shirakawa since 2014.
3-7-2 Hirano, Koto-ku, Tokyo
Order: Espresso drinks with one of their sandwiches or baked goods.
Sydney roaster's Tokyo roastery-café, now open five days a week, with self-serve coffee on tap.
3-21-5 Kamezawa, Sumida-ku, Tokyo
Order: The Reservoir house blend (Costa Rica + Ethiopia): bright, with citrus notes.
Specializes in Yunnan, China coffees, chosen by its Q Grader owner.
2-10-7 Kamezawa, Sumida-ku, Tokyo
Order: The Coffee Combo (Americano, latte and the signature coffee side by side).
No-frills roastery café built around roasting, with six rotating single origins.
4-20-2 Kuramae, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Order: Whichever single origin is on rotation.
Standing Italian-style bar from competition barista Kyohei Nishitani (formerly in Shibuya).
4-12-6 Kotobuki, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Order: Cappuccino, espresso con panna, or espresso shakerato.
Light-roast, single-origin specialist with around 15 beans and English descriptions.
VORT Ginza East III 1F, 4-14-8 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Order: Choose a bean, then a style (pour-over, latte or espresso).
Bongen's calm sit-down café (opened April 2025), with about 17 coffees and bonsai on display.
1-19-4 Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Order: The Bongen Latte Rich (made with double the usual beans).
Taipei roaster's first Japan shop, known for light roasts, with a gallery space.
1-25-4 Kanda-Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Order: Hand-drip from the 'musician series'.
Coffee omakase from World Brewers Cup champion Emi Fukahori. Inside seating is by reservation and costs from about ¥4,000; there's also a takeaway window.
Kamiyacho Place E1, 5-3-3 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Order: The omakase tasting (reserve ahead).
Ginza kissaten open since 1948: 'coffee only', brewed with cloth filters, including aged coffees.
SBM Bldg 1F, 8-10-15 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Order: One of the roughly 15 single origins or an aged coffee (English menu available).
Small, characterful espresso bar near the old Tsukiji market.
SK Higashi-Ginza Bldg, 2-12-6 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Order: Turret Latte (double shot) with a dorayaki.
Café of 2016 World Brewers Cup champion Tetsu Kasuya, inventor of the 4:6 pour-over method.
Green Terrace Omotesando B1F, 3-8-15 Kita-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Order: A hand-brewed coffee (they use a pour-over/immersion hybrid).
Spacious roastery-café with a lawn in Minami Aoyama, roasting five beans on site.
Share Green Minami Aoyama, 1-12-32 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Order: House blend 'My Bestfriend's Crush'.
Cat Street roastery from Nozy Coffee, serving two single origins daily.
5-17-13 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Order: Espresso (served in a champagne glass) or coffee soft serve.
Fukuoka roaster in Coffeehouse Nishiya's old shop, retro interior kept.
Shoho Bldg 1F, 1-4-1 Higashi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Order: Hand-drip of the Hakata or Lucy blend.
Neighborhood favorite in the Nishihara arcade since 2015, serving Stumptown beans.
2-26-5 Nishihara, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Order: French press with one of their signature hot dogs.
Fuglen in a restored old Japanese house, with a tasting course you reserve ahead.
4-20-10 Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Order: Hand-drip, or the tasting course (reservation only).
Formal hand-drip kissaten using charcoal-roasted beans; a once-in-a-trip experience (coffee from about ¥1,000).
Futaba Bldg 2F, 1-15-19 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Order: Hand-drip of one of the roughly eight charcoal-roasted beans, plus homemade cake.
Functional roaster-café in an old house right by the station.
2-14-1 Kamimeguro, Meguro-ku, Tokyo
Order: A simple menu: espresso, americano, latte or hand drip.
⚠ Status unconfirmed: we could not confirm this café is still operating. Check before you go.
Plant-covered house café in the Ebisu backstreets, hand-dripping small-batch single origins.
3-2-7 Ebisu-Minami, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Order: Hand-drip (six beans, light to dark) and gorgonzola cheesecake.
Tiny shop where barista Tomoshi Okamoto brews whatever style interests him.
3-4-11 Higashiyama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo
Order: Ask what he recommends.
Setagaya roastery café (opened 2022) with a 'seed to cup' approach, run by a Glitch alumnus.
3-9-4 Miyasaka, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
Order: Whatever's freshly roasted that day.
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