Kayaba Coffee

This is my first day in Tokyo and I’m not sure how common cafes like this are, but this place is absolutely charming. Prices are reasonable, the latte was *fantastic*, and the waitstaff very accommodating to two gaijin who know very little Japanese.
Update: Came again two weeks later because it was that good. Had another excellent latte (so far the best in Tokyo!) and a small cake; the «tea time set» for ¥800 after 14:00.
It wasn’t a problem, but there was a bit of a wait, maybe 10 minutes. Can you believe that — a wait for a café? It really is that small and popular (and worth it!).

Excellent breakfast. Got the egg son toast and toast with jam. They sat our family upstairs and we had it all to ourselves. The coffee was really good. Mocha was a little too sweet.

Cozy little place for coffee, breakfast, lunch, sweets. They have an English menu. I had the spinach-​chicken curry for lunch. To find Kayaba, walk south along the main path in Yanaka Cemetery, and go left at the first traffic light. Kayaba is at the 3^rd traffic light.

It is very difficult to find a coffee place in japan that is not a starbucks or tully’s. But accidentaly stepped into this wooden house whith the big coffee sign outside. They have got little guest room in the basement and some more tables in the first floor. The basement is a crowded place with a few tables and the bar while the first floor is a traditional japanese room with tatami floor, low tables and of course no chairs. So take of your shoes and relax on the comfortable pillows. This room still looks like the time when The Café opened up (1938). The cold drinks we ordered (matcha Latte and milk shake) were great. I would come back here any time

Delicious. I had the egg sandwich set. It comes with coffee or tea, a side salad, and a little cup of soup. I asked for the coffee first and it was stellar. It went down so smooth I drank it in only a few gulps. :} They have a tatami section upstairs where you take off your shoes and sit on the floor. Pretty comfy and a nice view to suspend yourself above the little neighborhood below. It seems like the whole place is nonsmoking, which I prefer. There’s no music upstairs, not sure about downstairs, but the traffic sounds below were soothing enough.
I’m normally vegan outside of Japan, so it’s been awhile since I’ve had an egg sandwich, but damn it was one of the best I’ve ever had. The salad was good to start with and the little soup cup was a great way to finish. Dipping the sandwich into the soup wasn’t a bad idea, either! I pretty much annihilated the set, so I ordered another. (^.^) The waitress was pleased with my American, black hole of a stomach. I finished the second set at light speed, indeed.
This place seems pretty great to do work, especially as a group upstairs, but no outlets as per usual. No wifi, either. I suggest coming with a good book, and if you see an opportunity to sit next to a stranger upstairs, ask and maybe you’ll make a new friend. You’d be welcome at my table!

I carelessly call this Kayaba coffee Kabaya. Kayaba coffee is located facing the Hall of Downtown Genre Materials. There were some waiting customers in front of the café. After we saw the materials in the hall, we found there was no waiting person, so we decided to enter the café. The old wooden structure stood out in the area. I was surprised to know that it was built in the Taisho era, around 100 years ago. The café had opened for 70 years since the early Showa period, but several years ago it closed because the female owner passed away. However, due to enthusiasm of fans, NPO has rented this building and reopened the café.
The two-​storied café had a nostalgic ambience. The tables of the first floor were occupied, so we were taken to the second floor. We took off our shoes before going up the steep stairs. Upstairs we sat down directly on the floor. Under the round wooden table called Chabudai, a part of the floor was made of glass. We could peep in the first floor from the glass.
We also saw from a window a local cute bus Megurin turning the corner and running away. I almost cried out, waving my hand, «Meguri — — -n!!» As for Megurin I am going to review next.
I ordered today’s handmade sweet and seasonal hot sweet potato drink, while my husband vegetable sandwich and café mocha. Both of them were within 1000 yen, respectively. I thought the prices would be high in Tokyo, but here in Yanaka fortunately seemed to be special price! The sweet potato drink was rare and its sweet taste warmed my heart and stomach. Coffee cake was bitter sweet adult flavor, which matched my taste. My husband was also satisfied with the sandwich in that veggies were voluminous!
The only one problem was that the wash room downstairs was a little narrow. Except this Kayaba coffee is perfect! If I lived in Tokyo, I would be a repeater of this café (^^)/​

A worthwhile neighborhood shop to grab a snack and some coffee and catch up on your email.
Kayaba Coffee is nestled in an old-​fashioned-​looking shop on a corner. Upon entering (watch your head on that doorframe), one is greeted with a subdued interior, rich with wood fixtures and some classic machinery behind the counter. We arrived around 9am to grab a quick breakfast, and there were only two other customers; sitting quietly working on their laptops. With no music, the place was silent but for the industry of the staff.
The menu does have an English side (likely due to their inclusion in a particular famous guidebook, as I later discovered), but is pretty simple. We both ordered the egg sandwich breakfast set with iced coffee. The food came out quickly, and looks exactly like the picture someone else posted on here; three slices of egg sandwich, a salad, and a small mug of soup.
The sandwich was nothing to write home about; it was good but not great. I did like the mustard, and the texture of the eggs was spot-​on. The salad was nice, the greens were fresh, the dressing was not too heavy, and the corn tied it all together. The soup was a good broth with two or three vegetable chunks. Finally, the iced coffee was better than average, but again, not anything superb.
If all this sounds very unenthusiastic, don’t mistake me, I still rated it 4 stars. It’s a worthwhile meal, and if I were in the area, I’d definitely eat there again. It’s a solid, reliable meal that will always satisfy, and never be bad or even mediocre. If I am enthusiastic about something, it’s the atmosphere. I can certainly see myself spending hours with some coffee and my laptop seriously getting stuff done.