Parklet is on the corner of Hirodome Children’s Park, on the ground level of the aptly named Soil Nihonbashi co-working space.
This bakery café is run by Kate Jaksich, who previously managed San Francisco’s famed Tartine Bakery and Jerry Jaksich, who worked at farm-to-table restaurant Chez Panisse in California. You can browse through Parklet’s freshly baked goods at the front of the store, while the back room displays a series of artworks by local Japanese artist Yoko Takahashi and other creators from the West Coast.
The most striking thing about the café is the way that – as the name implies – it feels like an extension of the park itself. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows at the back open out onto the park, while the rustic wooden furniture, including a communal table made from zelkova tree trunks, gives the whole place an outdoor vibe.
The stars of the menu are Parklet’s own sourdough bread and sustainably made coffee. While the classic Parklet Country Loaf will go with anything, there are all kinds of loaves on offer, including sesame bread, olive bread and even one with ginger and fruits.
If you have time, we recommend sitting down at the café. For something sweet, the housemade ricotta cheese and yuzu curd toast or vanilla cashew nut butter toast with honey and a sprinkle of sea salt goes well with a cup of Overview coffee. If you’re looking for something savoury, the chicory cesar salad, with sourdough croutons made with veggies sourced from Shibaki Noen farm in Chiba, is perfect when paired with a glass of natural wine.