A true Ginza classic, Café de l’Ambre has been in business since 1948 and exudes a quirky retro vibe: the coffee is prepared behind a wide bar counter, manned by three or more focused-looking craftsmen, the lighting is pleasantly subtle, and the worn-down interior makes for a striking contrast with the glittering boutiques along nearby Chuo-dori. Centenarian owner Ichiro Sekiguchi is no longer seen around the shop much but his attention to detail lives on, along with the vintage bean selection that includes a batch harvested in Colombia way back in 1954.
We say Tokyo, you say…good coffee? Once considered a virtual dark roast wasteland, our metropolis has seen the so-called ‘third wave’ coffee movement sweep over the city with force since 2010 or so, with dozens of excellent speciality shops opening and the recognition of coffee as a craft spreading like wildfire. Single-origin beans are widely available, small roasters are gaining ground, and more and more café owners are getting used to manoeuvring high-tech espresso machines. Follow us on a tour of some of the city’s finest joints, including a few golden oldies that tenaciously kept the flag flying for good coffee in Tokyo long before anyone had even thought it could become trendy. And if you still need more options, check out our pick of all the best coffee shops.
