Where to Find Great Coffee in Tokyo: 6 Shimokitazawa Coffee Shops
Tokyo has no shortage of coffee shops. The harder part is finding the really good ones.
There are big chains everywhere, Japanese coffee chains on seemingly every other street, and convenience stores where you can grab a perfectly decent cup for a few hundred yen. But if you’re looking for coffee that’s a little more memorable, it’s worth seeking out some of Tokyo’s independent and specialty coffee shops.
One neighborhood that makes this surprisingly easy is Shimokitazawa.
Known for vintage clothing, record stores, live music, and independent businesses, the area also has a strong coffee scene. Around Shimokitazawa Station, you’ll find several shops serving quality coffee, including a few that have become destinations for serious coffee drinkers.
Here are six worth knowing, starting with some very solid options and ending with three standout spots where the coffee really takes center stage.
1. felice domani Shimokitazawa
Felice domani is a convenient place to start if you’re looking for quality coffee near Shimokitazawa station. The cafe opened in May 2023 and is only a couple of minutes from the station’s West Exit.
The cafe serves espresso-based drinks and other coffee beverages in a modern, monochrome space with an open terrace. It’s a nice alternative to the familiar chain cafes when you want something a little more local.
There is also a substantial food and dessert menu. The cafe is particularly known for its dessert pizzas, with options including oreo, matcha, mixed berry and cinnamon apple, along with cakes, coffee jelly and affogato.
Hours: 10:30 AM–6:00 PM and 7:00 PM–11:00 PM daily. Closing days can vary, so it’s worth checking before visiting.
2. LOOK UP COFFEE
LOOK UP COFFEE is a small specialty coffee shop about three minutes from Shimokitazawa Station, with the menu built around espresso and brewed coffee.
The espresso menu includes double espresso, Americanos, and cafe lattes, while the brewed side includes drip coffee and decaf. Plant-based milk is also available.
This is a particularly good stop if you like espresso drinks. The coffee has a noticeable presence rather than getting lost underneath milk or sweet flavors.
There is also a small food menu, including avocado tartine, croissants and pain au chocolat, as well as cheesecake and chocolate-chip scones. It’s an easy place to combine a good coffee with breakfast or a light snack.
Hours: 8:00 AM–7:00 PM daily, with last orders at 6:30 PM.
3. Cohaze Coffee こはぜ珈琲
Cohaze Coffee is a little different because it’s both a coffee shop and a coffee roaster.
The shop focuses heavily on its beans, with freshly roasted coffees available to buy and take home. You can also have coffee prepared at the cafe, with options including drip coffee, espresso, lattes, cappuccinos, and Viennese coffee.
That makes Cohaze a good place to explore Japanese roasted coffee rather than simply ordering the same type of drink you might get at a chain. If you find a bean you particularly like, you can have it ground for your preferred brewing method and take it home.
There is usually a small selection of sweets as well, including cake and pie, so it’s easy to pair your coffee with something sweet. The selection varies, which makes checking the display case part of the fun.
Hours: 10:00 AM–8:00 PM Monday–Friday; 11:00 AM–8:00 PM Saturday–Sunday. Closed on the second Tuesday of each month.
4. BEAR POND ESPRESSO
This is where Shimokitazawa’s coffee scene gets serious.
BEAR POND ESPRESSO opened in 2009 and was founded by Katsuyuki Tanaka. A pioneering Japanese coffee expert who brought his years of New York coffee experience back to Tokyo. Despite being a very small shop, it has developed an international reputation for its distinctive approach to espresso.
The shop is particularly known for its signature drinks, including the Dirty and Angel Stain. The Dirty (featured below) combines concentrated espresso with cold milk and has become one of the drinks most closely associated with Bear Pond.
The espresso itself is the main attraction. The shop has developed a very specific preparation style, and its reputation among espresso enthusiasts has endured for years.
It’s also a very small shop, with limited seating, so the focus is very much on the coffee.
Hours: 11:00 AM–5:30 PM daily.
5. PostCoffee® Offline Store
PostCoffee® Offline Store takes a broader approach to specialty coffee.
PostCoffee is a Japanese coffee company known for its subscription service, which helps customers discover different coffees based on their tastes. The Shimokitazawa store brings that idea into a physical space, with coffees from different roasters and a selection of beans to explore.
Rather than being limited to one house coffee, you can look through different origins, roasters, and flavor profiles. Beans and brewing equipment are also available, making this another good stop if you’d like to bring some Japanese specialty coffee home.
The coffee selection is really the point here. It’s a place where you can spend a little more time looking at what you’re drinking and comparing different styles rather than simply ordering “a coffee.”
PostCoffee also has some of the more substantial food options on this list, including grilled sandwiches, along with cookies and other small treats. It’s a good choice if you want your coffee stop to double as a light lunch or a more filling afternoon break.
Hours: 9:00 AM–7:00 PM daily.
6. OGAWA COFFEE LABORATORY 下北沢
OGAWA COFFEE LABORATORY is the most coffee-focused stop on this list.
OGAWA COFFEE has a long history in Japan, and the Shimokitazawa location opened in 2021, with the concept built around exploring coffee beans, origins, and brewing methods.
The shop has 19 regular coffees, and the beans can be purchased to take home. You can also taste the beans before deciding what to buy. For coffee served in the shop, you can choose between espresso, pour-over, and AeroPress brewing.
The laboratory concept goes beyond the name. The shop is designed to let customers explore how different beans and brewing methods affect the final cup, with a wide range of coffee equipment and tools available.
This is also a good place to pair coffee with something sweet. The menu includes items such as scones, cakes and pudding, as well as coffee soft serve and gelato.
Hours: 9:00 AM–8:00 PM daily, with last orders at 7:30 PM.
Summarizing these six coffee shops worth knowing in Tokyo:
If you’re tired of chain coffee and convenience-store cups, Shimokitazawa is an easy place to find something better.
Felice domani, LOOK UP COFFEE and Cohaze Coffee are all solid choices for a good-quality coffee while you’re exploring the neighborhood. They’re convenient, approachable spots when you simply want a noticeably better cup.
For top-quality specialty coffee, head to BEAR POND ESPRESSO, PostCoffee® Offline Store or OGAWA COFFEE LABORATORY. These three are much more focused on the coffee itself, whether that’s expertly prepared espresso, exploring different roasters, or getting into single-origin beans and brewing methods.
Together, they make Shimokitazawa one of the more convenient neighborhoods in Tokyo for finding genuinely good coffee, without having to spend your day traveling between cafes.
