Tokyo 東京 Espresso エスプレッソ

cafe de Naniwaya >>MAP 1-7-5 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo TEL: 03-5828-8988 東京都台東区浅草 1-7-5 A one-man operation in the back streets of Asakusa, Naniwaya appears to have been around for ages. Actually, it opened in December 2006 and is presided over by a still-young but exacting coffee wizard. The master employs the drip method and a single cup of coffee takes five minutes or more to prepare (the beans are ground to order, the water’s temperature is taken, the first drips of water are laid gently, etc.). Sit at the counter to watch coffee science in action. In the mood for sweets? Naniwaya’s coffee jelly puts Jello-O to shame.

Zoka >>MAP 3-2-2 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo TEL: 03-3560-7251 東京都港区赤坂 3-2-2 アマンド赤坂ビル [UPDATE: This Zoka location is permanently closed for business.] A little bit like putting Starbucks up on your blog, but Zoka’s attention to coffee and barista training far exceed anything “Staba” is doing. It's also probably the only place to try a cup of coffee produced by a Clover (a coffee system that brews each cup to order) (see picture).

Ben's Café >>MAP 1-29-21 Takadanobaba Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo TEL: 03-3202-2445 新宿区高田馬場1-29-21 [UPDATE: Ben's is permanently closed for business. It will be missed!] Ben’s bills itself as Tokyo’s only New-York style café. I’ve had some uneven pulls of espresso here, but, all-in-all, Ben’s is truly a community café (poetry readings, open mic, go lessons, etc.) that gets a wonderfully eclectic mix of people in the door. The hummus plate will transport you home. Free Internet and Wi-Fi too (a rarity in Tokyo ).

LoSpazio >>MAP 3-3-5 Takaban, Meguro-ku, Tokyo (Toyoko Line Gakugeidaigaku Station) TEL: 03-5722-6799 東京都目黒区鷹番3-3-5 東急東横線学芸大学駅東口下車徒歩１分 One of Tokyo’s few true Italian espresso bars (also see Primoordine ) where customers can stand at the marble counter and down a quick shot. LoSpazio even offers barista training seminars (in Japanese).

Paul Bassett >>MAP 1-26-2 Nishi-Shinjuku Shinjuku Nomura Bldg. B1 TEL: 03-5324-5090 東京都新宿区西新宿1-26-2 新宿野村ビルB1 WBC 2003 Champion Bassett now only has a shop in Shinjuku (Ginza and Jiyugaoka shops have closed and the picture at left was taken at the Jiyugaoka store). One shot of espresso tops out at 500 yen but you can be assured that each barista has impeccable form. Updated: August 6, 2009

Table d’Hote (French-Japanese) >>MAP 9-18 Hachiyama-cho, Shibuya-ku TEL: 03-3464-1776 渋谷区鉢山町 9-18 Open three days a week (Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays), this special-occasion restaurant is the meticulous child of chef-owner Kei, who trained in France. Reservations are mandatory and there is no menu—only the chef’s course at slightly over 5,000 yen. The restaurant is located in Kei’s home. Highly recommended. Caution: pods are used for espresso service.

Hainan Jeefan Shokudo (Chinese) >>MAP Roppongi 6-11-16 Tel: 03-5474-3200 港区六本木 6-11-16 Impossibly tender Singaporean Hainan chicken on jasmine rice.

mois café >>MAP Kitazawa 2-21-26 Setagaya, Tokyo TEL: 03-3421-1844 東京都世田谷区北沢 2-21-26 A quaint café in a two-story house. Difficult to find but worth the search.

Azabu Haus (Italian-Japanese) >>MAP 2-7-14 Azabu-juban, azabu275 Minato-ku, Tokyo TEL: 03-5439-6671 東京都港区麻布十番2-7-14 azabu275 Elegant gem in the back streets of Azubu-juban serving Italian-Japanese hybrid fare. Typically open until 5:00 a.m. or 6:00 a.m.

Bar Alimentari Daniela >>MAP 5-16-23 Daizawa, Setagaya-ku TEL：03-3487-6086 世田谷区代沢 5-16-23 This is an unassuming Italian place serving paninis, pastas and espresso. Its sister restaurant, Il Nido , is now closed permanently but was across the street and rumored to have been spectacular. The single espresso (see picture) was too long for my taste and overextracted. The mortadella sandwich (also pictured) hit the spot.

Manuel Casa de Fado (Portuguese) >>MAP 11-7 Rokuban-cho, AKUSU atrium B1 Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo TEL: 03-5276-2432 　 東京都千代田区六番町 11- ７　アークス・アトリウム B １ A hidden gem in the back streets near Yotsuya Station. There's a monthly musical performance. Very solid execution, wonderful homemade bread, and what is probably Tokyo 's only all-Portuguese wine list.

David's Deli (Israeli) >>MAP 5-13-13 Mita, Minato-ku Shirokane-takanawa Tel: 03-5441-1211 港区三田５丁目 13-13 Best homemade pita bread ("pita pan") in Tokyo. Another must try is the spinach bureka (cheese bureka is pictured).

Elio (Italian) >>MAP Kojimachi 2-5-2 TEL: 03-3239-6771 東京都千代田区麹町 2-5-2 Favorite of the Italian ambassador. Dinner pricey at Y8,000-15,000 per person. Go for lunch. Quite the high-powered gaijin scene.

Giang's (Vietnamese) >>MAP Kurokawa Bldg. 3F Tamagawa 3-5-7 TEL: 03-3700-2475 東京都世田谷区玉川 3-5-7黒川ビル３Ｆ Very fine pho if not overpriced. Rice flour omelet was greasy. Not a destination restaurant but if you're in Nikotama, it's a must visit.

Savoy (Pizza) >>MAP Moto Azabu 3-10-1, 2F Tel: 03-5770-7899 元麻布３丁目１０－1 Savoy consistently turns out some of the better pizza in Tokyo. Be prepared for serious attitude, though. The staff is not afraid to tell you to leave when you're done eating (due to the popularity of the place). If you order espresso, beg off the unsolicited addition of sugar. Nice grappa list. Reservations are strongly recommended as there are only 8 seats or so. Open until 4:00 a.m. most nights.

Café Vostok >>MAP 6-20-1 Okusawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo TEL: 03-6379-8155 東京都世田谷区奥沢 6-20-1 ユタカフォレスト UPDATE: THIS CAFE IS CLOSED . Quirky café and restaurant located in an antique store or vice versa. The coffee is serviceable but the real attractions are the pirozhki (a Russian meat-stuffed bun like a pierogie) and the borscht. Both are homemade and wonderful.

Tsuzuri >>MAP 1-9-3 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Nippon Broadcasting System Bldg. , B1 TEL : 03-3286-0150 東京都千代田区有楽町 1-9-3 糖業会館 ニッポン放送本社ビル B1 Hidden in the basement of a nondescript office building, this bar never ceases to impress me. Its design is strikingly beautiful and the private rooms ooze comfort. The food too is elegant and quite fine although it's better to stick with the Japanese offerings rather than pizza or pasta.

Cafe One >>MAP Jiyugaoka 1-31-8 , Ishikawa Bldg. 2F 目黒区自由が丘 1-31-8 石川ビル２階 Just the type of cozy café Jiyugaoka needs. It’s a tad pricey but the owner knows his coffee.

Yanaka Coffee >>MAP 3-25-6 Musashi-koyama, Tokyo 東京都品川区小山３－２５－６ Artisan shop where beans are roasted to order. Numerous locations in Tokyo .

macchinesti >>MAP 5-15-14 Minami-Azabu TEL ： 03- 5739-1852 東京都港区南麻布5-15-14 UPDATE: THIS CAFE IS CLOSED . If you're serious about espresso, macchinesti should be on your hit list in Tokyo . [Pictures are from the Azabu-Juban location, now closed. The address above applies to the Hiroo location.] Updated: January 28, 2010