Tokyo’s specialty coffee shops are exploding. Forget green tea, it’s time to order a single origin Yirgacheffe.

Only ten years ago, you would have struggled to find a decent shot of espresso – but, in the past five years, third wave roast profiles have begun to infiltrate the coffee scene.

So if you’re visiting the world’s largest city, we’ve created a shortlist of five unmissable shops for you.

SEE ALSO: Everything a Coffee Geek Needs to Buy in Japan

What Makes Tokyo’s Specialty Coffee Shops Different?

It’s hard to narrow down every one of Tokyo’s shops, if not outright impossible. And in a matter of months, there may be a whole new batch of exciting shops that could easily make this list.

But for now, here are some of my personal favorites. These five shops are certainly worth your time. All the crews are passionate about coffee and won’t hesitate to share their knowledge with you.

1. About Life Coffee Specialty Coffee

For a little window into the third wave of Tokyo’s coffee scene, About Life is a must-visit spot. It’s one of many stylish shops in the heart of bustling Shibuya. This area is popular with both the hip tourist crowd and Japanese third wave enthusiasts.

You wouldn’t know it from the name, but About Life is the second location of Onibus Coffee. The team behind these cafés are obsessive about quality: every drink is test-tasted to make sure it meets their standards and the quality control manager is almost always on staff.

One of the coolest things about this café is that it also offers you a choice of drip and espresso coffees from other Tokyo roasters. And they regularly feature international beans and guest baristas.

What’s more, the sleek, clean design of this compact specialty coffee café has attracted many admirers and may make it worth a visit in its own right – it’s now one of the most Instagrammed shops in Japan. Just search #aboutlifecoffeebrewers to see what I mean.

Where	1-19-8 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku
Style	Hip, compact, and urban
Espresso Machine	La Marzocco Linea PB
Espresso Roast	Medium Light
Filter Roast	Medium Light
Must-Try Drink	Ask the barista to recommend an espresso
Food	Small pasties

A chic design and knowledgeable baristas at About Life Coffee Brewers. Credit: Eric S.Tessier

2. Fuglen Specialty Coffee

Fuglen is the coolest café/bar/furniture store combo that you’ve ever seen. And it’s been on the cutting edge of coffee all along.

Until recently they imported their beans from Oslo, but now they’ve begun their own roasting operation in Tokyo. Light-roasted citrusy beans are the name of the game here, and boy do they do it well. Fuglen manages to get all the acidic and fruity flavour profiles from a bean without even a hint of sourness.

Unlike other specialty coffee shops, they sell vintage Norwegian furniture and offer an imaginative cocktail menu. It’s a great place to wake up with a bright shot of espresso – or wind down with a carefully crafted cocktail. Grab a spot on the couch if you can: surrounded by vintage goods, the mid-century vibe will make you feel extra classy as you sip.

Where	1-16-11 Tomigaya, Shibuya-ku
Style	Vintage and classy
Espresso Machine	2 Group Slayer
Espresso Roast	Light
Filter Roast	Light
Must-Try Drink	Espresso or, if you feel like a cocktail, The Scandinavian Negroni
Food	Pastries

Relax in the sun at Fuglen. Credit: Eric S.Tessier

3. The Roastery by Nozy Coffee

The guys at The Roastery, Nozy Coffee’s specialty coffee inner-city location, really want people to drink coffee. Their mission is to help you appreciate it for its unique flavours – so they don’t mess around with other beverages.

Their focus is single origin espresso. There are always two beans to pick from and the selection often changes: one week it may be Colombian and Ethiopian, the next it could be Rwandan and Brazilian.

The space is expertly designed, with ample seating outside looking on to Tokyo’s fashionable Cat Street boutique area. Inside, you’ll find a dimly lit café with an enclosed workspace in the centre for the baristas. Just watch them hustling around the two espresso machines, trying to keep up with the demands of their customers.

They only offer espresso-based drinks at the main point of sale, so your choices are limited to an espresso, a latte, or an americano. If espresso isn’t your thing, head to the back of the café where they sell coffee beans and ask for a pour over.

Where	5-17-13 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku
Style	Inside: industrial decor with fast-moving baristas at the core Outside: comfortably chic – a great spot to be on a sunny day
Espresso Machine	2 Group Synesso Hydra
Espresso Roast	Medium Light
Filter Roast	Medium Light
Must-Try Drink	Espresso (served in a wine flute or a snifter)
Food	Pastries, donuts, and ice cream

Busy people making great coffee at The Roastery. Credit: Eric S.Tessier

4. Arise Coffee Entangle

Arise is located a step away from Tokyo’s more hectic areas, on the outskirts of a beautiful garden park. It’s a favorite spot for both locals and specialty coffee enthusiasts.

Offerings include a variety of expertly prepared drip coffees in a hip café setting: you can usually choose from between five and seven beans. The roaster, who is located down the road, is eager to try beans from new locations, different altitudes, and with different processing techniques, so there’s always something interesting on offer.

They have some pastries and light sandwiches here too, but it’s hard to beat their Nakatsu-san Cake: a slice of chocolate cake with a layer of flan on top. Yum!

Where	3-1-4 Kiyosumi, Koto
Style	Funky and comfortable
Espresso Machine	N/A
Espresso Roast	N/A
Filter Roast	Medium Light
Must-Try Drink	Filter Coffee from the Torch Donut Dripper
Food	Pastries, small sandwiches, and cake

Wake up at Arise. Credit: Eric S.Tessier

5. Switch Specialty Coffee

Switch takes its coffee seriously. Its unwavering commitment to quality makes it impossible to ignore. And interestingly, they’re all about proving that good coffee can be made at home without specialty equipment. One of the ways they show this is by using a regular kettle for their pour overs, rather than a gooseneck.

There are always carafes of coffee lined up at the point-of-sale counter with origins scrawled on the stainless steel countertop in wet-erase marker. If you start asking questions about specialty coffee, you’ll soon find the baristas giving you tastes from this line-up.

The owner puts more emphasis on his Tokyo roasting operation than on his decor, so the no-frills café space has limited seating. It’s designed more for the standing espresso drinker or the to-go customer. But that’s not a bad thing: this setup means that you’re closer to the baristas and the production area.

Where	1-17-23 Meguro, Meguro-ku
Style	Friendly and open, but deadly serious about coffee
Espresso Machine	La Marzocco Linea Classic
Espresso Roast	Medium Light
Filter Roast	Medium Light
Must-Try Drink	Espresso & Tonic
Food	N/A

Sample coffees on the bar at Switch Coffee. Credit: Eric S.Tessier

There you have it:  Five of Tokyo’s specialty coffee shops with visiting. But in a place this big, there are always more specialty cafés to find. So once you’ve tried these five, I encourage you to explore somewhere new. Who knows what you’ll discover…

Edited by H. Paull.

Perfect Daily Grind.