I wrote this for my friends.

In April 2023 I visited Japan for a work trip. I quickly learned that finding quality espresso-based coffee was not as straight-forward as the likes of Adelaide or Melbourne. While one may find a Starbucks or Excelsior Café on most busy streets, specialty venues are more discrete (although often more rewarding). The following is my rudimentary accounting of the better cafés I managed to attend on my first visit, many of which you will find well-reviewed online.

For the purpose of this guide, I have only included venues where I had a good coffee and would visit again. The more stars I give (up to three), the more strongly I feel that you should go out of your way to visit the café. This list is sorted by distance to Tokyo Station and is available on Google Maps.

Switch Coffee ★★
Chuo City, Tokyo

Seeking a workstation with a colleague for the day, I happened upon this café by way of Google search and figured that the 25 minute subway ride there was worth the gamble. Switch Coffee lives adjacent to the lobby in the ground floor of a hotel, similar in fashion to many other independent coffee shops in metropolitan Japan (including several on this list). Upon entering, however, the brutalist stone and concrete of the building’s architecture disappears behind a small jungle littered with foliage and Scandinavian furnishings. The small tables sadly prefer to sit only a single laptop and there is notably no room for collaborative work, but on the whole, Switch Coffee is a thoughtfully designed space perfect for the botanically-inclined.

Iki Espresso ★★
Koto City, Tokyo

The silver lining to a last minute flight delay appeared just 50m from the lobby of my hotel: Iki Espresso. This was markedly the busiest venue on this list, which is good news if you use foot traffic as a metric for quality. Few restaurants that I visited managed to nail down western cuisine, but on my final day in Japan I indulged in the taste of home with a gourmet eggs benedict and a caffè latte served in a glass. Iki is a spacious café with an open front which boasts a surprisingly large food menu and a comprehensive range of roasts.

Lattest ★★★
Jingumae, Tokyo

Unassumingly tucked away in an alleyway of tiled buildings in Jingumae lives Lattest, a café that I could see myself happily spending a day in working remotely against a quiet backdrop of concrete and timber. Boasting a spacious seating area with a mixture of natural and ambient light, this venue gets bonus points for the inclusion of big tables. More cafés should have big tables. I drank an artfully poured sakura latte in a round cup and it was good. Visiting Shibuya? Set aside an hour to spend here and thank me later.

The Roastery by Nozy Coffee ★
Jingumae, Tokyo

I visited The Roastery, having been recommended by several travel guides, in search of a place to take a work call late at night. Located on a high-energy pedestrian walkway beneath a busy western restaurant, I found it difficult to ignore the frantic surroundings and work undisrupted. I drank a caffè latte served in ACF porcelain with overstretched milk and a noble attempt at art. The Roastery sports a range of desserts and has all the makings of a good café experience, just be sure to visit while the sun is still up.

Onibus ★★★
Nakameguro, Tokyo

A must-see. While Tokyo is home to several Onibus locations, this one in particular feels the most quintessential: a quaint, two storey kiosk with a service hatch and mostly outdoor seating. The heart of this café lives up the stairs, where after buying a drink to sit down with, you might be lucky enough to score a seat amidst the leaves of the trees and the rumble of trains passing through. Numerous signs around the venue encourage patrons to forego photography in lieu of taking in their surroundings. I drank a caffè latte served in a takeaway cup and very little could have made my time at Onibus any better.

Tribute Coffee ★
Nakagyō-ku, Kyoto

The black sheep of this guide as a dedicated pourover bar; this charming, speakeasy-style lounge sports closed shutters and a collection of thoughtfully-placed mid century pieces. We were looked after by a lone waistcoat-clad server who diligently attended to his brews behind the gently-lit bar. I drank the house blend which was served optionally with a creamer on the side. Tribute is probably the most intimate coffee shop I went to in Japan and would be ideal for a quiet intermission while exploring the Nishiki markets. Be prepared to squint when you return to the sunlight!

Coffee Base BnA ★★★
Shimogyo, Kyoto

The crown jewel of my Japanese coffee tour and without hesitation the best all-round coffee experience I had. Located on the second floor of a contemporary art museum-cross-hotel, this Coffee Base branch is dressed with a blend of industrial and post-modern decor underneath a mirrored ceiling which spans the entire floor. I had the privilege of being served by Latte Art World Championship veteran Sugato Takeguchi and he did not hold back. I drank a caffè latte with a wide, rippled base surrounding a crisp and perfectly symmetrical stacked tulip. During my visit the café was completely free of other patrons and made for a calm space well-suited for productivity. If you were on the fence about visiting Kyoto, let this be your sign to go.

LiLo ★★
Shinsaibashi, Osaka

In a hazy labyrinth of restaurants and retail stores surrounding the Dotonbori, LiLo is a momentary breath of quiet contained in a floorplan no larger than a minibus’. I drank a caffè latte served in a tall mug while sitting at a bar and watching Osaka's nightlife pass by. Come to LiLo for a takeaway coffee experience with an impressive range of roasts, but more importantly, for their merch. Enamel pins, totes, plus all the regular coffee enthusiast niceties.

Arigato gozaimasu!