01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
For many, seasonal vegetable soups are the main reason to stop by. In autumn and winter, the rich pumpkin soup made with Hokkaido squash offers a comforting depth, highlighting the vegetable's natural sweetness with sour cream and broccoli providing balance and bite. It comes with melted cheese bread seasoned with black pepper, allowing diners to dip the soft baguette into the soup for a satisfying meal. Depending on the season, other variations appear—such as an aromatic mushroom and porcini potage, tender spring cabbage, or chilled grilled sweet corn.
The signature light meal is the egg campagne open sandwich. Slices of rustic sourdough bread are piled with egg, seasoned with spices, maple sweetness, and rich mayonnaise for an addictive sweet-and-savory contrast. Other dishes show a similar flair for creative pairings, such as avocado toast brightened with Japanese shiso leaf, or a whole-wheat bun holding a savory herb sausage seasoned simply with coarse black pepper.
Afternoon tea pairs naturally with house-baked scones or a moist carrot cake packed with walnuts and raisins. The scones, crisp outside and fluffy within, can be ordered with jam and cream cheese or as an an-butter version featuring sweet red bean paste from a heritage Japanese confectionery. Drinks include medium-dark Ethiopian pour-overs brewed to a clean cup and comforting cafe au lait served in hefty pottery mugs.
Housed in a converted former repair workshop in Torigoe, Taito Ward, the cafe spans two floors. The ground floor (1st) has an earthen-floor workshop feel, displaying ceramics by artisan makers alongside Japanese and overseas antiques, all of which are for sale; dogs are welcome on this level. Upstairs on the 2nd floor, tatami mats are arranged with tables and chairs under sloping ceilings, lit by soft natural daylight. Guests place their orders on the 1st floor upon arrival and payment is cash only, making it best enjoyed at an unhurried pace.
