As elevated railway tracks are slowly becoming the norm in Tokyo, recent years have seen several notable efforts aimed at making profitable use of the land left vacant after moving train traffic a few stories above ground. Neighbourhoods along the Chuo line have been leading the way, with redevelopment projects that range from the bizarre (remember Asagaya’s ‘Anime Street’?) to the quietly successful. Sitting pretty in that latter category is the Nonomichi cluster of shops, restaurants and cafés on the west side of Musashi-Sakai Station, where you’ll also find the eminently stylish Cafe Sacai. Opened by the folks behind Mitaka café and gallery Hi Familia in 2014, it is – at first sight – the kind of spot you’d expect to find in Daikanyama or Nakameguro: plentiful potted plants, Nordic-style minimalist furniture and a clientele with both time and money on their hands.
But this is far from your average (read: overpriced) trend café: Sacai serves up very good house roast coffee, superb sandwiches and other above-average light fare, with lunch sets all going for around or under ¥1,000. Their excellent bread comes courtesy of Passage a Niveau, the famed local bakery on the east side of the station, and imbibers will be happy to find Iwate’s Baeren craft beer, natural wine and a brief but competent selection of cocktails on the drink menu. Add in free wi-fi (ask for the password) and a wonderfully unpretentious atmosphere and you’ve got one of the very best hangouts on the Chuo west of Kichijoji.