Blue Bottle Coffee

One of the pioneers of 'Third Wave' coffee culture, Oakland-born Blue Bottle opened its Tokyo flagship in a renovated Fukagawa factory, a stone's throw from the Kiyosumi Garden and around a five-minute walk from Kiyosumi-Shirakawa Station. In addition to the downstairs café, the building houses a roastery, a kitchen and the company's offices – unlike most other overseas coffee brands, Blue Bottle is doing everything itself, without any third-party involvement. Fresh beans are brought in every day and served within 48 hours after roasting, ensuring a crispness of taste that's often missing even at some of Tokyo's fellow specialists joints. The café also carries pastries, cookies and sandwiches, the latter made with bread from Yoyogi-Uehara's Katane Bakery. A cup of blend coffee costs ¥550, while the espresso-based options start from ¥605.