A kissaten is Japan’s old-school coffee house: dim lighting, a long wooden counter, a master who brews every cup by hand, and a menu that runs to toast, sandwiches and one or two cakes. Many opened in the decades after the war and have changed very little since. They are the opposite of a quick takeaway latte, and the best of them are some of the most relaxing rooms in Tokyo.
Our database holds 64 Tokyo kissaten recognised in the Top 100 Restaurants awards. Ranked by rating, here are the ten highest — three in Ginza alone, two that have been pouring coffee since before the war, and one that also makes one of the city’s best-known egg sandwiches.
1. AMANOYA (天のや) — 3.80
Azabu-Juban · ¥3,000–3,999 · 20 seats
A sweet shop founded in Osaka in 1922 that moved to a back street in Azabu-Juban in 2002. It is best known for its tamago sando: a thick, soft slab of dashi-rolled omelette between slices of white bread, which many people order to take away (book ahead at weekends). Ogura toast and warabi mochi are the other draws, and in the evening the menu switches to okonomiyaki. Closed Tuesdays; about five minutes from Azabu-Juban Station.
2. Chatei Hatou (茶亭 羽當) — 3.77
Shibuya · 50 seats
Three minutes from Shibuya Station’s east exit and a world away from the scramble crossing: antique furniture, paintings, a long counter and shelves of porcelain cups — the staff choose one to suit each guest. The original blend balances acidity and bitterness; pair it with the light baked cheesecake or a slice of homemade chiffon cake with cream. Open every day from 11:00 to 23:00, which makes it the easiest on this list to fit into a busy day.
3. Café de l’Ambre (カフェ・ド・ランブル) — 3.77
Ginza · ¥2,000–2,999 · 22 seats
The sign outside says “Coffee Only”, and it means it. Founded in 1948 by the late Ichiro Sekiguchi, one of the fathers of Japanese coffee, l’Ambre serves a single house blend and around 30 single origins, including beans aged for years before roasting. Try the Blanc et Noir, a sweet iced coffee served in a coupe. English menus are available. Closed Mondays; at the Shimbashi end of Ginza 8-chome.
4. Juichibo Coffee (十一房珈琲店) — 3.77
Ginza · under ¥1,000 · 31 seats
Open since 1978 and at its current address near the Yurakucho end of Ginza for about thirty years. Beans are roasted fairly dark in a vintage roaster the owner nicknames butagama (“the pig kiln”) and brewed one cup at a time through flannel. A long single-plank counter and worn leather chairs set the tone: quiet and grown-up, and not for groups of four or more. Open daily.
5. Takayama Coffee (高山珈琲) — 3.76
Kanda Sudacho · under ¥1,000 · 20 seats
A dim, hideaway coffee room near Awajicho, with good furniture and fresh flowers. The house blend, Mehr, uses aged “old beans” brewed through flannel for a deep, smooth cup; the New York cheesecake is the usual partner. Weekdays only (Monday to Thursday), so plan around it.
6. Kusamakura (草枕) — 3.76
Nishi-Shimbashi · ¥1,000–1,999 · 11 seats
An eleven-seat retreat in the office district between Toranomon and Shimbashi, with bookshelves, records, low lights and classical music or jazz. Coffee is roasted in-house and cloth-filtered; the homemade cakes — look for the salted-chocolate and caramel cheesecake — are the reason many come back. Tuesday to Saturday; closed Sundays, Mondays and holidays.
7. Tricolore Honten (トリコロール 本店) — 3.76
Ginza · ¥1,000–1,999 · 49 seats
A Ginza institution since 1936, on Azuma-dori in 5-chome, with a revolving door, counter seats and deep sofas. Coffee is hand-dripped to order from high-altitude Central and South American beans, alongside a short list of house cakes. Opens at 8:00, which makes it one of the best breakfast stops in Ginza. Closed Tuesdays.
8. Cafe Bach (カフェ・バッハ) — 3.76
Nihonzutsumi (Minami-Senju) · 34 seats
The kissaten coffee professionals make the pilgrimage to. Opened in 1968 in a quiet part of northern Tokyo, Bach roasts its own beans on the premises and brews with great precision; it supplied the coffee for the 2000 G8 summit in Okinawa, and its owner, Mamoru Taguchi, has trained a generation of Japanese roasters. About ten minutes’ walk from Minami-Senju Station. Check opening days before you go.
9. Kayaba Coffee (カヤバ珈琲) — 3.75
Yanaka · 35 seats
A corner kissaten that has served coffee from the same old wooden house on Kototoi-dori since 1938, restored and reopened in 2009. The retro room, weather-worn windows and an egg sandwich make it the natural stop on a walk around Yanaka’s temples and back streets. Open from 8:00; closed Mondays. About eight minutes from Nezu Station.
10. TIES (タイズ) — 3.75
Yushima · ¥1,000–1,999 · 12 seats
A tiny café near Hongo-Sanchome with a dozen seats and a case of about ten cakes by the door — subtly sweet, seasonal, and often sold out by late afternoon at weekends. The strong drip coffee comes in around six blends, explained at the counter. Thursday to Sunday, 12:00–17:30; expect a short wait.
At a glance
| # | Kissaten | Area | Rating | Budget | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AMANOYA | Azabu-Juban | 3.80 | ¥3,000–3,999 | 1922 (Osaka) |
| 2 | Chatei Hatou | Shibuya | 3.77 | — | — |
| 3 | Café de l’Ambre | Ginza | 3.77 | ¥2,000–2,999 | 1948 |
| 4 | Juichibo Coffee | Ginza | 3.77 | under ¥1,000 | 1978 |
| 5 | Takayama Coffee | Kanda | 3.76 | under ¥1,000 | — |
| 6 | Kusamakura | Nishi-Shimbashi | 3.76 | ¥1,000–1,999 | — |
| 7 | Tricolore Honten | Ginza | 3.76 | ¥1,000–1,999 | 1936 |
| 8 | Cafe Bach | Minami-Senju | 3.76 | — | 1968 |
| 9 | Kayaba Coffee | Yanaka | 3.75 | — | 1938 |
| 10 | TIES | Yushima | 3.75 | ¥1,000–1,999 | — |
Also worth a visit: Koseto Coffee (古瀬戸珈琲店, 3.74) in the Jimbocho book district, and Coffee Sha Kura (珈琲舎 蔵, 3.73) a few streets away.
Tips for visiting a kissaten
- Order the house blend first. It is what the master is proudest of; single origins and aged beans are for the second cup.
- Flannel drip (nel drip) is the classic kissaten method: slow, hand-poured through a cloth filter for a round, heavy-bodied cup. Expect to wait a few minutes.
- Go early. Tricolore and Kayaba open at 8:00, and a kissaten breakfast — thick toast, egg, coffee — is one of Tokyo’s great cheap pleasures.
- Small rooms, small groups. Many seat a dozen or so and some turn away groups of four or more. Keep voices low.
- Cash is still common. Bring some, though more places now take cards.
Coffee in Ginza? See every top-rated spot near Ginza Station, or find restaurants and cafés near your station. You can also browse the full Tokyo map and filter by Kissaten (Cafe).