9 Of Tokyo’s Best Western-Style Breakfast Spots

Nothing compares to starting your day with a great breakfast — at a great place!

“One should not attend even the end of the world without a good breakfast,” Robert A. Heinlein once said, and I couldn’t agree more. Nothing compares to a leisurely weekend morning spent in a favorite local café with a cup of freshly brewed coffee or tea and a plateful of something hearty, delicious and comforting — be it eggs, hash-browns and bacon; or fruity pancakes.

I choose a breakfast place with great care – it needs to have a nice ambiance on top of great food. If you resonate, here are my top nine recommended spots in Tokyo to start your day the perfect way.

Aoyama Flower Market Tea House

If I had to choose a favorite contemporary café in Tokyo, this would be it. Set inside a flower shop, the place is absolutely whimsical with colorful fragrant blooms filling the entire space. Their charming flower arrangements never fail to take my breath away. This green oasis is an ideal place for peaceful weekend respite, girly get-togethers and romantic dates. The menu features a selection of fantastic herbal teas (Rose Tea is my favorite), as well as delectable French toasts and floral desserts. For lunchtime, you can order a few plates of savory dishes including spaghetti, soup and salad combos.

Address: 5-1-2 Minamiaoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Nearest station: Omotesando
Business hours: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Bills

Head to the 7th floor of Tokyu Plaza in Omotesando for a truly scrumptious authentic Australian morning affair.

Owned by famed Australian chef and food writer Bill Granger, this branch of the popular café strikes with its buzzing atmosphere. The space is filled with cozy corners like a library, which houses an eclectic collection of books available for literature-loving coffee-drinkers.

The extensive food menu will get you drooling with options like Full Aussie Breakfast: glossy (literally), light and fluffy scrambled eggs (organic), bacon, roasted tomato, mushrooms and whole-wheat sourdough toast with butter. But you can’t go to bills without tasting their signature breakfast for queens — moist ricotta hotcakes, paired with fresh banana & indulgent honeycomb butter. Trust me — you won’t regret any bite, despite all that butter.

For the more healthy-cautious, bills also has lighter breakfasts on the menu, including cereal bowls and salads.

Address: 4-30-3 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 7F Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Harajuku (and other)
Nearest stations: Harajuku, Meiji-jingumae, Omotesando
Business hours: 8:30 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Afternoon Tea Tea Stand

Another paradise for tea lovers is Tea Stand, located in the backstreets of Omotesando. Crystal chandeliers contrasting with suspended colorful herbs create a bit of a whimsical atmosphere. Particularly impressive is their selection of French toasts as well as amazing Earl Grey Tea. They have packaged teas for sale as well.

Address:  4-3-2 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Nearest station: Omotesando
Business hours: 9 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Burn Side Street Café

If you can stand the long queues, everything else about this place is simply great. The space has a modern industrial chic look with exposed concrete and wooden walls, metal chairs, and cute rustic details like maison jars. The café is famous for their ethereal soufflé pancakes which come in variety of flavors. My choice fell on Tiramisu and a cup of REALLY good latte which came with beautiful art (always bonus points for this!). My pancakes were totally indulgent, with puffy and melt-in-your-mouth texture, as well as full of flavor. It came garnished with vanilla ice-cream, strawberries and chocolate syrup. Heavenly!

Address: 4-29-9 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Nearest stations: Harajuku or Meiji-jingumae
Business hours: 9:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Breizh Café Creperie, Omotesando

It’s no secret that Japanese adore anything and everything associated with France. This translates to numerous French imports, including cafés and restaurants.

Breizh Café Creperie is definitely among them, with lovely atmosphere reminiscent of a small local French café which you’d find on a corner of a random street in Paris. I love their little tables set outside, ideal for people watching while you indulge in your morning meal. I got to sample their savory galette with smoked filet, green and white asparagus, sunny side up, fresh cream from Hokkaido and seasonal citrus. The crepe was perfectly lacy and crispy, and the filling was beautifully cooked with depth of flavor from the zest of oranges. I would also highly recommend their Crêpe Suzette. It was thin, light and full-on with flavor of citrus and cognac. A really memorable treat.

Address: 3 Chome-5-4 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Nearest station: Omotesando
Business hours: 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Creperie La Fee Delice

This tiny bistro-like place strikes with vibrant Parisian atmosphere. You will have a wide choice of galettes and crepes, the Caramel Banana Crepes being their most popular one. My brunch choice fell on savory salmon crepe. And I couldn’t resist the temptation of trying their enticing strawberry crepes either. Yup, guilty as charged.

Address: 5-11-13 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Nearest station: Harajuku or Meiji-jingumae
Business hours: 11:30a.m. – 11:00 p.m.

Eggs n’ Things

Eggs n’ Things caused a huge popularity stir a few years ago, and though Tokyo has moved on toward the next food hit, this place’s taste stays the same — strong as ever and definitely worth the visit.

The shop has plenty of space with two indoor floors and a terrace that are big on Hawaiian atmosphere. If you crave a classic pancake with more than ample amount of whipped cream on it, then this is the place to go. Beyond pancakes, omelettes and Eggs Benedict, the menu has a slew of different kinds of waffles and crepes. Toppings include specialty syrups like guava and coconut, in addition to the traditional maple.

Address: 4-30-2 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo (and other)
Nearest station: Harajuku or Meiji-jingumae
Business hours: 8 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.

Flipper’s

Lovers of fluffy pancakes shouldn’t think twice, but head to Flipper’s which has earned quite a limelight. You have quite a few choices of toppings and I tried two (just because). The first set arrived looking just like fluffy clouds topped with handful of delicious strawberries, bananas and whipped cream. The second topping was equally delicious — beautifully glazed banana, chocolate and maple butter cream. Cutting my fork into the pancake revealed the addictive airy and melt-in-your-mouth texture with a trace of meringue. I wouldn’t call them the fluffiest pancakes in Tokyo, but I can definitely vouch for a delicious taste. 

Address: 2-26-20 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
Nearest station: Shimokitazawa
Business hours: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Latte Graphic

This hipster café might be tucked away in the outskirts of Tokyo, but the plateful of full Aussie brekkie will make you forget about the long commute in a heartbeat. The place has a stylish Aussie-inspired vibe with spacious space so typical of Australian breakfast spots.

The menu comes in a form of a newspaper and you have endless choice of classic favorites. Fancy a bacon and egg on a toast with a side of avocado? They got you covered. Prefer an egg benedict with smoked salmon? Not a problem. Perhaps a healthier and prettier option like poached apple with a granola? Check! No matter what you choose, don’t forget to order their specialty – Cappuccino or flat white, which conveniently comes with a gorgeous latte art. Coffee not your thing? Then opt for chamomile tea, a house made chai latte, or cranberry-orange juice.

Address: 6-11-11 Haramachida, Machida, Tokyo
Nearest station: Machida, take Odakyu Rapid Express/Express from Shinjuku Station
Business hours: 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.

Bon appetite!