Five Chic Ginza Cafes to Enjoy (GINZA OFFICIAL Recommendations)

The Cafe de Ginza Miyuki-Kan Ginza Main Store has been a local favorite since it opened in 1969.
The shop’s interior, inspired by the South of France, welcomes you with stylish elements such as a yellow domed ceiling that resembles sunlight, antique furniture imported from the region, and vivid royal blue sofas.
A separate smoking room is also available for those who smoke as well!

The must-try item is their flavorful Japanese Chestnut Mont Blanc made from 100% Japanese chestnuts grown in Kumamoto Prefecture.
This treat, which they have offered for more than 20 years, is simple in how it is made, with crispy meringue topped with unsweetened whipped cream and a squeeze of elegantly sweet Japanese chestnut paste. The meringue is freshly made two or three times a day to ensure that its texture stays intact.
Just one bite and you’ll be captivated by its delicious taste.

Their Blend Coffee is the perfect companion to the Mont Blanc. Their unique blend uses only beans that have been aged for at least three years, and is painstakingly brewed for a perfect balance of soft bitterness and full-bodied sweetness. It’s also available by the pot, so you can help yourself to two full cups.
Whether with their Cake Set that includes a drink (1,265 yen on weekdays until 14:00, 1,705 yen on weekdays after 14:00 and on weekends and holidays), or the Special Cake Set that you can add to a meal (add 495 yen to the meal price), there are a variety of ways to enjoy their Japanese Chestnut Mont Blanc at a great price.

Ginza West Ginza Parlor is celebrating 75 years of business. Its long history started with it opening as a restaurant and then becoming a cafe.
The building was rebuilt once after a fire, but the interior maintains the classic atmosphere of that time long ago. The tables are covered with pure white tablecloths without a single crease in them, and the upholstered high-back chairs are beautifully arranged.
Vinyl records of classical music from its days as a music cafe are stored on a shelf by the entrance, and the shop is still filled with the gentle sounds of classical music.

Order the drink and cake of your choice in the Cake Set (add 330 yen to the drink price), and a wooden compote dish brimming with cake will be brought to your table.
The available cakes of the day are chosen from a selection of roughly 20 regular items and 30 seasonal items per year, each of them thrilling to even just look at.

The Cake Set is a fun choice, but if you’re overwhelmed by all the options, you can try the Millefeuille, a Ginza Parlor exclusive. This classy cake features custard creme sandwiched between two pastry sheets.
The pastry and cream are freshly made and shipped directly from the bakery every morning, and each millefeuille is made at the time of your order to ensure you get a fresh and crispy treat!
Choose from 16 drinks, including the Fresh Herb Tea (1,100 yen) pictured here, which is a blend of lemon balm, spearmint, and lemongrass, as well as three types of coffee (1,100 yen each) and Japanese tea (858 yen).
With the exception of their Homemade Ginger Drink (1,100 yen), free refills are available for all drinks (only those ordered as part of a set) – how generous! This authentic, sophisticated coffee shop is the perfect place to relax and lose track of time.

The shop’s brick exterior, gas lamps in the front, and massive revolving door give Tricolore’s flagship store the air of a cozy European cafe.
The long history of this shop goes back to 1936. The founder of Kimura Coffee Shop (present-day Key Coffee) opened the store to promote coffee, and the ornate salon with its spiral staircase and marble tables was popular among cultural figures and painters returning from Paris.

Renovated in 1982, the building, now in its third incarnation, has a counter and classic red sofa seating on the first floor, and a carpeted antique interior on the second floor, giving it a nostalgic atmosphere of yesteryear.

While you’re here, be sure to enjoy the Antique Blend Coffee & Eclair Set (1,570 yen) that combines two of the shop’s more famous offerings!
Tricolore’s trademark Antique Blend Coffee is made with beans harvested high in the mountains of Central and South America that have a bit stronger roast than typical beans, and carefully brewed with a nel drip filter. The Eclair was made to mark the 70th anniversary of the shop’s opening, based on a recipe from that time, and is a perfect complement to the coffee.
The Eclair features light custard cream mixed with fresh cream sandwiched in a crisp crust. Its compact size allows you to enjoy it easily with a knife and fork as an elegant snack, and you can enhance the texture by sprinkling nuts on it.
The Antique Blend Coffee boasts a solid body with a complex harmony of astringent, bitter, and sweet flavors as well as a pleasant aftertaste. Enjoy a moment of elegance in this retro-modern coffee shop set to a background of classical music.

Tanagokoro Tearoom is a Taiwanese and Chinese tea salon run by Ginza Kishu Binchotan Shop Tanagokoro, a specialty shop offering Kishu Binchotan charcoal.
The shop faces Chuo-dori Avenue, and its bright, woody interior is a comfortable space that makes you want to take a deep breath, with its diatomaceous earth walls that purify the air and chairs made by a furniture maker in Hida Takayama.
Counter seating is also available for when you want to take a break on your own.

The carefully selected tea leaves lineup includes 13 standard types such as oolong, flower, and white tea. The water used for brewing the tea is clear, purified water that has been left overnight with Binchotan charcoal to eliminate impurities, giving the tea a mellow taste. Depending on the type of tea, you can enjoy four to five servings and savor the tea in a relaxed atmosphere.
To enjoy the full appeal of Chinese tea, we recommend the Set Menu (1,700 yen), in which you can choose your favorite Chinese tea and sweets.
The Chilled Adzuki Beans with Seasonal Fruit, pictured here, is a sweet yet healthy dish made with Dainagon adzuki beans from Hokkaido, which are simmered in the shop for four hours while slowly sweetened with crystal sugar. The gentle sweetness and plumply boiled adzuki beans combine to create an exquisite taste that you can enjoy guilt-free.
It pairs perfectly with the Alishan Gaoshan tea and its soft, fresh aroma and a milky flavor which some call “frankincense”.

The monthly “small box” that accompanies the tea is a small snack that regular customers look forward to each month. Based on the Chinese theory of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements, the five tastes of sweet, spicy, sour, salty, and bitter are arranged in a well-balanced manner, resulting in a great variety of textures and flavors. This “small box” filled with delicious treats will make you feel like you’re opening a tiny treasure chest.
Gift Packs (starting at 500 yen per 3g) are also available, and they make great little souvenirs. After you finish enjoying your tea, stop by Ginza Kishu Binchotan Shop Tanagokoro on the second floor. They have some stylish and useful Binchotan charcoal items available there.

Sanjikken Ginza Main Store offers high-quality specialty coffee procured from designated farms and producers. As you take the stairs leading down to the basement, the aroma of their mellow coffee wafts through the air, and you can hear the sound of bossa nova music playing in the spacious atmosphere.
In order to bring out the best flavor, they use only the freshest beans within a week of roasting and carefully brew each cup at a slightly lower-than-normal temperature of 80 degrees Celsius when it is ordered. This process is said to produce a smooth, rich, and full flavor without any unwanted tastes.
The shop’s name comes from the Sanjikkenbori River, which once flowed through this area during the Edo Period (1603-1867).

In addition to the Coffee of the Day (820 yen) shown in the photo, there are always around seven other types available, as well as their Water-Drip Ice Coffee (950 yen). Hot coffee is served in a pot big enough for two cups, a nice touch for those who want to take their time and enjoy it. Tasting the coffee while reading the descriptions on the staff’s handmade coffee bean cards adds another dimension of enjoyment.
A great complement to the coffee is the patissier-made Chiffon Cake with Fruit Topping” (900 yen, 200 yen discount when paired with a drink). This fluffy, slightly sweet chiffon cake is topped with melt-in-your-mouth whipped cream made from 100% milk fat, vanilla ice cream with brown sugar syrup, and strawberries and other fruits, for a taste that is pure luxury.

Coffee beans are also available for purchase in units of 100 grams, so you can buy what you like there to enjoy at home, or give them as a gift to a coffee-loving friend. Coffee brewed with fresh beans has a rich aroma and exceptional flavor.