Tokyo Coffee Guide: Shibuya (渋谷)

Shibuya Crossing at dusk (Contax T2)

Shibuya Crossing at dusk (Contax T2)

I have a love-hate relationship with Shibuya. It's packed with tourists almost 24/7 and the excitement of Shibuya crossing ends within 5 seconds of the pedestrian crossing signals turning green. The hustle and bustle starts at the peak of dawn and continues through the night as crowds of tourists and locals alike crawl into the backstreets of Dōgenzaka (道玄坂) for drinks and nightlife. It's not rare to see businessmen, either passed out on the streets, or crawling out of bars and clubs, at around 5 AM, rushing to sober up as they start their day all over again.

If it's your first time in the city, there's nothing like it. You'll wonder how this city manages to operate so efficiently, even with such a dense population. Go ahead, take that selfie in the middle of the crossing and pose for a picture next to Hachiko. But before you get frustrated at the hordes of other tourists trying to do the same thing, do note that Shibuya has a lot more to offer than what immediately meets the eye. Being a major transportation hub in the city, it is one of the most convenient and well-connected stations in all of Tokyo; with that means that there are a lot of great food options, a lot of great shops, and, most importantly, a lot of great coffee.

Keep on reading for some suggestions on where to find the best coffee and restaurants, or check out this personally curated map of Tokyo Coffeeshops (and more).

 

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Coffee

Yes, the Starbucks inside the Tsutatya bookstore may have one of the best views of Shibuya crossing itself, but you can do much better if you're looking for a quality cup of coffee.

Notable Coffeeshops

 

Due to the large volume of tourism, Shibuya central is home to more Starbucks than you can count on a hand. However, here you will find an outpost of one of the most recently popular coffee shops in the world, Bear Pond Espresso. Pretty much a straight shot north from Hachiko, No. 8 Bear Pond is a more accessible option for those who don't have time to make the pilgrimage out to Shimokitazawa to visit the original Bear Pond. The owner, Katsuyuki Tanaka, returned to Tokyo after over 20 years abroad, including 18 years in New York City, to start a coffee shop that would consecrate the art of espresso. Here, you won't be able to order the famous "angel stain" espresso, or any of Bear Pond's other specialty drinks, but No. 8 should be a more than decent go-to for a quality latte or simple coffee. 

Just a bit south of No. 8 Bear Pond is Chatei Hatou (茶亭 羽當). Hidden behind a non-assuming door, Chatei Hatou is not so much a coffee shop as it is a coffee house, or what the Japanese call a kissaten (喫茶店). Don't expect to pop in for a quick coffee, however. Chatei Hatou focuses on the patient art of slower brewing methods, yielding delicate siphon brews and pour overs. Though having established its roots in Shibuya decades ago, Chatei Hatou recently rose in popularity, in part due to a book written in 2012 by James Freeman, the CEO of Blue Bottle Coffee. In The Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee, Freeman credits Chatei Hatou as his source of inspiration for his business that came to be Blue Bottle Itself.

Finally, on the east and west fringes of what can be called Shibuya central are About Life Coffee Brewers and The Local Coffee Stand, respectively. About Life is a small, but prime coffee stand due east of Shibuya Station, offering only a handful of counter seats. Mostly a おもちかえり (omochikaeri - take to go) spot, it functions almost as the polar opposite to Chatei Hatou. The Local Coffee Stand is between Shibuya central and the Aoyama area. Here, you'll find a cozy coffee shop that offers excellent espresso drinks brewed with beans important from around the world.

Food

Believe it or not, you can find better food than Genki Sushi, despite how appealing those ¥100 plates of sushi seem.

Notable Restaurants

 

 Japan (Tokyo in particular) is known for it's large shopping complexes. These multi-story buildings, usually located at every major train station, offer everything from luxury shopping to high end dining. It's hard to go wrong with any restaurant inside these malls, unless a restaurant is particularly well-known, chances are that there will often only be a short (if not non-existant) wait. One of my favorite spots in Tokyo is the extremely well-hidden D47 Cafe at the top of the Shibuya Hikarie building. An extension of the D&Deparment Project, D47 Cafe offers a menu that showcases regional food in all 47 of Japan's prefectures. D47 offers reasonably priced, delicious food. Come during lunch for an even better deal with their lunch specials.

Situated in the Shibuya Mark City shopping complex is the Shibuya outpost of the popular Umegaoka sushi restaurant, Midori Sushi. Unlike D47 Cafe, Midori Sushi is almost always packed, with lines of tourists waiting hours on end. In fact, they're so popular that they opened a second outpost in Shibuya, a rotating sushi variant inside the Seibu Shibuya building. Although touristy, I would highly recommend giving either one of these restaurants a visit, as they do serve quality sushi at a very reasonable price.

On a busy night when Midori Sushi is not an option, head down to the ground level and go to 魚がし日本一 (uogashinishi). Located in a small alleyway towards Dōgenzaka, this standing sushi bar mostly caters to the locals commuting through Shibuya on their way home at night. The chefs speak little to no English, but they do have English menus upon request. Sometimes, the sushi is actually more fresh here than at Midori, and for a cheaper price as well!

Shibuya central is home to not one, but two Ichiran ramen shops. Needless to say, both of these shops are usually packed with tourists lining up out the door, waiting 45 minutes or more for a simple bowl of ramen. Often times, the Roppongi outpost is a better bet, with much shorter wait times (if there is a line at all). For better ramen in Shibuya, head to Menya Musashi, just around the corner from the standing sushi bar 魚がし日本一 (uogashinishi). Here, the main dish is tsukemen (つけ麺), or dipping noodles. A bowl of tasty broth is provided with a separate plate of cold noodles, topped with hard boiled eggs and thick, juicy pork. You can select how much noodles you want, measured in grams, going all the way up to 1kg!

I'll be constantly updating this guide and writing more about other neighborhoods, so be sure to check back often and follow me on Instagram and Twitter!

 

TravelCalvin Chanjapan, tokyo, coffee, travel