Tokyo 東京 Espresso エスプレッソ

Pelle’s Espresso >>MAP 3-1-4 Kanda, Ogawa-cho, Chiyoda-ku TEL: 03-5283-0332 千代田区神田小川町 3-1-4 [UPDATE: Pelle's is permanently closed for business. Its last day was on August 25, 2009. According to the manager, there are no current plans to reopen.] I’m enamored of this place. It’s espresso in Tokyo by way of Melbourne , Australia . The owner is Japanese and splits his time between the two cities. A gorgeous Faema Legend E61 is the shop’s pride and joy and it’s easy to see why. Faema re-introduced this machine in 2001 (it first came to market in 1961). (See this fascinating article on coffeegeek.com by Paul Pratt documenting his own efforts to restore a Faema.) Pelle’s beans are roasted by a father of one of the employees. His espresso blend, although largely a secret, consists largely of some Brazil and Sumatra Mandheling. (That’s as much info as I could get!) The staff is a gregarious bunch and matches macchinesti’s seriousness when ...

Ura >>MAP 1-17-1 Ebisu-Nishi, Shibuya-ku TEL: 03-5489-1117 東京都渋谷区恵比寿西1-17-1 A gorgeous Brasilia espresso machine sits behind the bar and it's put to expert use. Beans are ground fresh for each order. This is an extremely proficient operation with food and espresso at a very high level. It's also something of the gaijin scene for weekend brunch (but not obnoxiously so).

Double Tall >>MAP 3-12-24 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku TEL: 03-5467-7885 東京都渋谷区渋谷3-12-24 シブヤイーストサイド 2F Tucked away on a Shibuya back street, Double Tall is a real find. Though you may have to put up with a few ne'er-do-wells loitering outside in-between horse races (a betting facility is nearby), don't let that dissuade you from excellent espresso and typical cafe food that is both cheap and good (taco rice, grilled chicken thighs on rice, etc.). I watched the barista as she pulled my shot and everything was done right from flushing the La Marzoca and grinding beans fresh to wiping the basket clean and tamping.

Enoteca Bar Primoordine >>MAP 2-11-20 Higashigaoka, Meguro-ku TEL: 03-3410-8810 東京都目黒区東が丘2-11-20 Tipped off by friend of Tokyo Espresso Daniel N., Primoordine is one of the few cafes in which you can take your espresso at the counter, “Eye-talian” style. Although I question Primoordine’s use of already-roasted Passalacqua beans imported from Naples (once the bag’s open, the window on freshness closes--and roast dates may certainly exceed two weeks prior to landing in Tokyo ), this café is doing espresso right. (Don't get me started on the topic of importing roasted beans. Tokyo has enough experienced roasters that, if you don't want to roast in-house, a cafe here is almost always better served by using a domestic roaster--in terms of freshness and taste--rather than importing already roasted beans. It's nonsense, really.) But back to Primoordine. What's better still is that a single shot at the counter costs 150 yen (as opposed to 250 yen if seated). One is c...

Cubstar >>MAP 1-4-7 Komazawa, Setagaya-ku TEL: 03-3418-3534 東京都世田谷区駒沢1-4-7 [UPDATE: Cubstar is permanently closed for business.] The kind of café one wishes were in the neighborhood, Cubstar surprises with its superb espresso. Boasting a Faema E92 Elite 2 Group espresso machine, Cubstar takes its espresso seriously and the results are impressive. Snag one of the two seats on the front porch, take in the lonely commuters walking to and from Komazawa-daigaku station along with Wootan, Cubstar’s resident pooch, and you have yourself a very enjoyable afternoon.

Caffe Fresco >>MAP 3-31-1 Minami-Asagaya Suginami-ku TEL: 03-5397-6267 東京都杉並区浅谷南 3-31-1 The first thing one notices upon entry to this six-year old café located on a side-street off the famous tree-lined Nakasugi-dōri in Asagaya is the fire-engine yellow La Marzocco FB/70. The owner pulls great shots and appears to be on the never-ending quest to get better. Excellent espresso. Updated: August 6, 2009

Caffé Cuore >>MAP 18-8 Daikanyama, Shibuya-ku TEL: 03-3464-6740 東京都渋谷区代官山町 18-8 2F UPDATE: THIS CAFE IS CLOSED . If you can put aside the antiseptic feel of this second-floor café in Daikanyama, there is much to recommend here in terms of espresso. The first thing that catches the eye when you enter (other than the grand piano) is a gorgeous copper Elektra espresso machine. Your hunch is right--the owner is serious about his espresso and his pours are everything espresso should be: mysterious, multi-faceted, complex, and silky.

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

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