Tokyo 東京 Espresso エスプレッソ

Eataly Japan >>MAP 20-23 Daikanyama-cho, Shibuya-ku TEL: 03-5784-2736 東京都渋谷区代官山町20-23 I must confess to serious mixed feelings about this place. (Thank you to Daniel N. for his tip.) It's one part Disney, two parts mall food court plopped down ungraciously in Daikanyama, one of Tokyo's trendiest shopping districts. Its lofty mission is to provide Tokyo with an Italian wine and food center. The result? Gobs of people wandering confusedly from market to cafe to wine bar to deli counter and tons of staff members (all of whom seem to be going on break or just coming off break). Not a relaxing experience in the least. That being said, the deli products on offer (San Marzano tomatoes, great selection of salami, prosciutto, pancetta, fresh pasta and mozzarella, etc.), bakery, and pizzeria are a welcome addition here. The espresso? Um . . . no. The barista, an Italian fellow (but that's irrelevant), didn't grind fresh the entire 60 minutes I sat in front of h...

Unice >>MAP 1-34-17 Ebisu-nishi, Shibuya-ku Za HOUSE Bldg. B1 TEL: 03-5459-8631 東京都渋谷区恵比寿西1-34-17 Za HOUSE ビルB1 Sure, the place stays open until 5:00 a.m. , but with espresso that's pure drek, it makes no difference. The cafe's perpetually smoky too.

Tous les Jours >>MAP Daikanyama 1-6, Shibuya-ku TEL: 03-3476-0198 東京都 渋谷区代官山町1-6 On the edge of Daikanyama, Tous les Jours is a shoebox of a cafe. Bypass the espresso and walk straight downstairs to the hidden bar.

Espresso and Bagel Cafe/Stand 300 of Joy >>MAP Daikanyama 15-10, Shibuya-ku TEL: 03-3462-5786 東京都渋谷区代官山町 15-10 A bagel and espresso café in the morning, a stand bar at night, this place should stick with the latter. It’s DeLonghi pods all the way here and . . . well . . . we all know what that means.

Another Door Café >>MAP 2-10-7 Nishi-Ebisu, 2F TEL: 03-3462-2483 東京都渋谷区西恵比寿 2-10-7 You’ll either love this place or find it too precious for its own good. The owner, a gravely serious man who spent 20-minutes rearranging a rug and two chairs while I watched in amusement, clearly has a specific aesthetic. I won’t go into detail, but urge you to visit his website for an idea (linked above). Unfortunately, he’s using Lavazza pods and the espresso suffers considerably as a result. His wine collection is perhaps more enlightened.

Eau Café >>MAP 18-7 Daikanyama Daikanyama-suehiro Bldg. 3F, Shibuya-ku TEL: 03-5728-2839 渋谷区代官山町 18-7 代官山末廣ビル 3F An extremely atmospheric and comfortable café where coffee takes a backseat to food. There are now eight cafes from this restaurant group, including one in Shonan and another in Naka-Meguro (Huit). Espresso is serviceable here. However, both the espresso machine and grinder are hidden from view and I failed to hear the requisite sounds of grinding and dosing. I have to hand it to my server, though: she sent back the first pull of espresso because it lacked crema.

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.

Asuka Café >>MAP 12-34 Sarugakucho, Shibuya-ku TEL: 03-3464-0125 東京都渋谷区猿楽町 12-34 UPDATE: THIS CAFE IS CLOSED . Opened in July 2007, this cafe is devoted to organics--from food to coffee. Unfortunately, that laudable aim coupled with a gorgeous La Marzocca couldn't save my espresso from a severe case of over-extraction.

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.