LUG Hatagaya is a relaxed, design-forward café with a loyal local following. The menu is short but well executed, with the breakfast plate remaining ever popular: egg, bacon, bread, and organic vegetables. We also love the orange butter pancakes, which the chef recommends pairing with bacon for a sweet and salty treat. It opens early, making it a reliable first stop before a day out, though it fills quickly on weekends. Seating is limited but the turnover is steady. 

Nadoya no Katte is tucked into a residential backstreet of Yoyogi-Uehara, set within a carefully restored traditional house. Shoes come off at the entrance, and inside, low timber beams, sliding doors, and filtered daylight create a quiet, domestic rhythm. Seating is limited, often arranged around a small counter or facing the garden. Coffee from specialty roaster, Glitch, is brewed individually, cup by cup, with a focus on clarity and balance. It’s more akin to visiting someone’s home than a café, making it a place to pause and reset.

Head to Bar Nakagawa for some fabulous people-watching and even more terrific fresh and creative cocktails that make use of seasonal and local ingredients.

La Pita de Maison Cinquante Cinq offers a more relaxed counterpoint to its bistro sibling, focusing on Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavours. Expect soft, freshly baked pitas filled with falafel, spiced chicken, or lamb, each balanced with bright herbs and sauces. The space is compact, with takeaway at street level and a few seats upstairs. There’s a casual feel, but the same attention to detail runs through everything – from the texture of the bread to the careful layering of flavours.