Tokyo 東京 Espresso エスプレッソ

Nid Cafe >>MAP 3-13-23 Aoyama TEL: 03-5772-7639 東京都港区南青山3-13-23 [UPDATE: Nid Cafe is permanently closed for business.] From the same group responsible for the fetching Eau Cafe in Daikanyama, Nid can be a bit hipper-than-thou at times and the place is something of a smokers' paradise. However, the espresso is often good to very good and the food, like lamb curry, is subtle and a step-up from pedestrian cafe fare. First visit: August 14, 2009

Bonnet >>MAP 1-12-3 Utsukushigaoka, Aoba-ku, Yokohama Tama Plaza Station TEL: 045-901-6550 横浜市青葉区美しが丘1-12-3 A bit feminine for my tastes, but Bonnet is a lovely cafe and the owner knows his espresso. First visit: August 16, 2009

Zaim Cafe Annex >>Map 1-51 Ishikawa-cho, Yokohama TEL: 045-308-8481 横浜市中区石川町１丁目５１ Close to Motomachi and Yokohama Chinatown, Zaim Cafe Annex is perhaps the most comfortable cafe I've found in the Tokyo Metro area. Too bad it's rather inconveniently situated atop a hill overlooking Motomachi. No espresso here but, if you're in the area, this renovated home is an absolute must visit. First visit: August 23, 2009

da Gino >>MAP 1-2-3 Minami-Ebisu TEL: 03-5723-8877 東京都渋谷区恵比寿南1-2-3 [UPDATE: da Gino is permanently closed for business.] After all the time spent "laboring" in Ebisu, I can't believe I missed da Gino. Thanks to Jeremy S. who brought this two-year old wine and espresso bar to my attention. Is it great espresso? No, not yet. Does it show extraordinary promise? Yes. My single espresso was more akin to a double pour. The barista was well-meaning and admitted to have only just started to really study how to make good espresso. He flushed the Cimbali about 10 minutes prior to my pull and my shot suffered. The result was an over-extracted pour. da Gino's massive Cimbali simply gets the water too hot and a flush is absolutely required prior to each pull. Otherwise , his technique was good (grinding fresh for the shot, swiping the portafilter, etc.). What da Gino also has going for it is the fact that it is roasting and using its own beans (it even sell...