Tsubakiya Coffee

I had another language exchange meeting today, but this time was a first meeting. The person I met found a cafe in Ikebukuro for us to go. It's a small local chain with a few shops in various places throughout Tokyo. He said that he had never been to the Ikebukuro branch but the other ones were good so, "let's go!"

So, this shop is called Tsubakiya Coffee. And it's definitely different than the other places I've been. The female uniforms were maid style and the service was impeccable. I actually felt a bit uncomfortable by the level of service. There was no refilling of water, for example. No, the waitresses replaced your empty glass with a new full glass of water. But before they did that, they'd wipe the table to make sure it was dry first. This kind of service isn't bad, but it was a little much for me. I'm used to a more homey feel, I guess.

Anyway, aside from the service, the place is comfortable. Not in that relaxing or cute sort of way. More like a restaurant actually. According to the website, the theme is supposed to be Ginza in the good old days, and they're trying to give people a sense of old but chic luxury. But at any rate, it was nice. My language exchange partner and I both ended up ordering the "Mix Sandwich" with hot coffee. The sandwich wasn't that great, but it wasn't bad either. It was nothing to write home about. But the coffee was good. Usually I go with cappuccinos at new cafes, but this was a plain coffee kind of place. I even drank it black! What!? And while I'm not actually a fan of black coffee, I wasn't complaining.

Anyway, while this is a place I would have never come to on my own, and I have no real intention of coming here again, it was a pretty good place for a first meeting. So if you've got some sort of language exchange or business meeting, I might suggest Tsubakiya Coffee to you.

Order: Mix Sandwich and coffee set (1500)
Review: A decent place for a formal first meeting.

Hours: 9:00~23:00
Non-smoking / Smoking Sections
Website:http://www.tsubakiya-coffee.com/
Access: Ikebukuro Station (a few minutes from the East exit)
Address: (B1F) 1-6-4 Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo