4 best park cafés in Tokyo for coffee and relaxing views

You’ll find this stunning Blue Bottle café in Shibuya's Kitaya Park, which was revamped into a public plaza in 2021. The café has a second-floor space overlooking the park, while the interior features brown volcanic tiles created by Amsterdam-based designer Dzek.

There’s plenty of seating with minimalist chairs and benches designed exclusively for Blue Bottle by Japanese architect Keiji Ashizawa. Choose a drink to enjoy inside the stylish coffee shop or out on the terrace, and if you’re hungry consider one of the Blue Bottle brunch plates that are exclusive to this location. You can go for a simple salad plate (¥1,122) with grilled vegetables and soy cream sauce, or a complete breakfast plate (¥1,650) with a healthy serving of veggies, egg and bacon.

Shinjuku Gyoen is one of Tokyo’s most beautiful green spaces, and this Starbucks fits in seamlessly with the natural surroundings. Take a seat near one of the floor to ceiling windows and enjoy picture-perfect views of the lake and greenery. It's a particulary beautiful spot during cherry blossom season and autumn, but always feels a world away from the hustle and bustle of nearby Shinjuku.

Adhering to a sustainable model, the coffee shop’s wooden interior is made from recycled materials and domestic timber. But if the weather’s good, grab a seat on the ground-floor open-air terrace and enjoy the scenery over a cup of coffee.

Note that you need to pay the garden entrance fee of ¥500 to visit the coffee shop.

Oka Cafe inside Showa Kinen Park is a beautiful wooden structure designed by leading Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. It fits in perfectly with the natural surroundings of the large park, which is popular for its seasonal flowers.

As for the food, you can enjoy the full brunch plate (¥1,550) from 11am to 2pm, which comes with bread, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, caesar salad and minestrone soup, plus your choice of drink. Alternatively, just stop by for an afternoon pick-me-up and enjoy a sandwich, fruit smoothie, soft serve ice cream or a cup of coffee on the terrace.

Note that you need to pay the park entrance fee of ¥450 to visit the café.

You’ll find Racine Farm to Park in the popular Minami-Ikebukuro Park, just a one-minute walk from Ikebukuro Station. It’s the sister shop of Racines Boulangerie & Bistro, known for its French wine, baked goods and rustic decor. 

This café in the park serves classic breakfast dishes like waffles, toast and pancakes from 8am. At lunch, you can enjoy a range of sandwiches with fillings like grilled cheese, brisket and porchetta, as well as dishes such as buttermilk fried chicken, pork ginger and salads.

You'll find plenty of seats in the two-storey building, but you can also opt for takeout and enjoy your meal on the lawn under the sun.