Levain is one of the pioneers of the artisanal bread scene in Tokyo, and has been serving its wild-yeast leavened bread and baked goods since the ’80s. Located on the ground floor of a residential apartment block in Shibuya’s trendy Tomigaya district, the cosy, den-like brick bakery and adjacent cafe is inspired by ‘a mountain cottage at the border of France and Switzerland’, says Mako, wife of baker-owner Mikio Koda. It’s a specific, inspired vision, as is characteristic of Mikio, who opened the bakery out of a desire to provide the community with bread that is ‘healthy enough to eat everyday’.
All Levain products are made from organic ingredients and at least 25 percent whole-wheat flour, while the wild yeast is cultivated on-site. Don’t miss Levain’s rustic and aromatic pain de campagne, fruit-packed ‘melange’ loaf, and the melt-in-your-mouth butter croissants.