Respekt

Today I had a language exchange meeting in Shibuya. The two of us like cafes so on occasion we abandon Starbucks and find a new place to check out. Today we headed towards the Harajuku direction and went in to Respekt.

Respekt is located near Streamer and Glorious Cafe Chain. So naturally is attracts the same kind of rather young and hip crowd - the musician and hipster looking crowd, not the young kids with host and hostess hair that hang out at the other end of the station. The place is pretty nice, but I have a really bad cold right now, so that fact that there's no barrier between the smoking and non-smoking sections was not earning this place any points. It's a really smoky place. Many of the cool cafes are, I know, but it's definitely a negative point for me. Especially right now.

So, due to my cold, I decided to skip the coffee and go with tea - Rooibos Mint Tea, to be exact. My friend ordered coffee and we split a Tirimasu cake. The tea was really good. On top of that, there was about 2 cups or so per pot and the hot liquid was very soothing on my throat, so I ended up ordering a second one. The tirimasu was also quite good, but we couldn't help but laugh because the tiny portion came in a massive dish. Who are you trying to fool with that?

So, I did get some time to look around during restroom breaks and such. There's a counter at the window with computers that I guess can be used for a fee. There's lots of tables and chairs as well as sofa seating. All in all a comfy place with some nice features. If it wasn't for the smokiness, I would have really liked it. It seems like a good place to study or relax.


Order: Tirimasu and Coffee Set (¥850) and two orders of Rooibos Mint Tea (¥650ea)
Review: Chill but way too smoky for someone with a bad cold

Website: http://www.cafecompany.co.jp/brands/sus/respekt/index.html
Access: Shibuya Station (About 1 or 2 minutes from Exit 13)
Address: 1-11-1 (2F), Shibuya, Shibuya Ward, Tokyo 150-0002