5 Late Night Dessert Bars in Tokyo
Time For A Sweet Treat
These dessert bars and cafes offer the promise of something sweet well into Tokyo’s later hours.
Picture this: You’re out, and it’s late. Perhaps you’ve just had a night out at dinner, enjoying a wonderful washoku (Japanese food) set or a delicious bowl of ramen, but after all that savory food, you’re craving something…a little sweeter… Enter, the dessert bars of Tokyo!
In the later hours of the night, it can often be difficult to find a decent bakery or cake shop that is still open. Sure, you could head to the conbini (convenience store) and grab a pudding cup or cream puff, but why settle?
We’ve rounded up five fantastically flavorful late night dessert spots in Tokyo so that you can finish the night on a sweeter note. From esteemed coffee spots with sumptuous cake offerings to shops with cakes too beautiful to eat, some even make perfectly delectable refuges if you’ve missed the last train!
1. Short Cake Company
If you are on a night out and fancy treating yourself to something lavish as well as absolutely beautiful, then you need to check out Short Cake Company. This dessert bar invites you to a dreamy night filled with cake… and who can say no to that? Their motto is “Where there’s cake there’s hope. And there’s always cake.” Now that’s a motto I think most of us can get on board with.
The premise is that they can make a “cake for one” so each person gets their very own cake (without feeling too guilty afterward). Many of their cakes feature the classic shortcake, a soft, fluffy sponge cake that feels like a delectable cloud in your mouth. It’s then smothered in fresh Jersey cream with flavors such as rose and strawberry. Seasonal special flavors include apple and cinnamon. They also serve cherry, chocolate pudding and a strawberry brandy parfait after 9 p.m. for adults. You can make a reservation for any time for a 60-minute window but it may incur a charge starting at ¥500 to ensure you have a seat.
- Price Range: ¥2,000〜¥3,000 (Guests must buy one food item and one drink item.)
- Opening Hours: Tue-Sun, 5 p.m.-12 a.m. (Last Entrance 10:30 p.m.)
- Address: Tokiwa Building No. 2 2F, 1-15-9, Kabukicho Shinjuku, Tokyo
- Closest Station: Shinjuku Station
2. Roy to Silo
Japan does love its parfaits, and the Shinjuku-based cafe Roy to Silo firmly believes that you should be able to enjoy their deliciousness well into the night, up to 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays! Located in the Kabukicho district, Roy to Silo opens its doors to all; it particularly hopes to make men feel comfortable in getting themselves a yummy parfait by themselves without judgment.
Roy to Silo was established by the couple Kazushi and Genta. Kazushi has worked in Tokyo as a pastry chef since 2010 and even trained at a patisserie in Paris for one year in 2014. Now he and Genta, the cafe’s garçon, work side by side to bring smiles to their customers’ faces through their stunningly pretty and delightfully delicious parfaits made from the best seasonal fruit.
The name for the store actually came from the famous gay penguins Roy and Silo who lived in the New York Central Park Zoo and became famous within the LGBTQ+ community. You can find cute penguin motifs throughout the cafe. You can make a reservation for any time for a 60-minute window.
- Price Range: ¥2,000〜¥3,000 (Guests must buy one food item and one drink item. After 11:30 p.m. there is an additional ¥500 seating charge.)
- Opening Hours: Wed-Thu: 8 p.m.-1 a.m. (Last Order 12 a.m.); Fri – Sat: 8 p.m.-2 a.m. (Last Order 1 a.m.); Sun: 1 p.m.-5:30 p.m. (reservation required)
- Address: Leo Kotobuki Building 3F, 2-41-3 Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
- Closest Station: Seibu-Shinjuku Station
3. Sumika Architecture Cafe
Is it a museum? A cafe? Or, a flower-arranging shop? Well, it’s sort of all three. Sumika Architecture Cafe, only a five-minute walk from Shinjuku Station, endeavors to be a space for creative minds to come and let their imagination wander, even at night. Here you can walk around and admire miniature building models from contemporary architects while sipping a cup of coffee or enjoying a delicious parfait until the first trains of the day get going at 4 a.m.
Sumika Architecture Cafe’s nighttime parfaits are works of art in their own right, complimenting the fantastic artwork and structures that are dotted around. It’s also a great place for night owls who wish to work later into the evening, with large tables, power outlets and decent wifi. You can sit here and sip a coffee, nibble on something sweet, and stay here to your heart’s content.
Not only can you relax in the cafe space, but there are also private rooms you can rent out for parties. Perhaps, after a special dinner with friends or family, you might want to head here to continue the celebrations!
- Price Range: Daytime: ¥1,000〜¥2,000; Nighttime: ¥3,000〜¥4,000 (After 4 p.m. there is an additional ¥500 seating charge.)
- Opening Hours: Sun-Thu: 11 a.m.-1 a.m. (Last order 12 a.m.); Fri-Sat: 11 a.m.-4 a.m. (Last order 3 a.m.)
- Address: 6th Sanwa Building 4F, 3-6-7 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
- Closest Station: Shinjuku Sanchome Station
4. Yelo
Roppongi is Tokyo’s notorious nightlife and clubbing district. It isn’t hard to enter into a club and lose track of time as you dance the night away. When you do manage to head out, in the wee hours of the morning, stuck with no way to get home and parched from all the cardio you just did, then Yelo is the perfect place to head.
Conveniently located right by Roppongi Station, Yelo serves up some huge portions of Japan’s favorite summertime treat, kakigori (shaved ice). Heading into this cafe/bar you’ll be greeted with a rather red retro interior. At the counter, you can order from a variety of flavors, from the usual culprits, mango, matcha and strawberry, to the more unusual, rum tiramisu, avocado and red wine white peach flavor.
The shaved ice here is seriously fluffy, and topped with homemade syrups and fresh milk sauce, perfect for a cool down after clubbing. The best thing is on Fridays and Saturdays, Yelo stays open till 5 a.m., so you can crash here enjoying a soothing kakigori until the first train of the day starts up!
- Price Range: ¥1,000〜¥2,000
- Opening Hours: Sun-Thu: 11 a.m.-2 a.m.; Fri-Sat: 11 a.m.-5 a.m. (Business hours are subject to change, please check their website or socials.)
- Address: Patio Roppongi 1F, 5-2-11 Roppongi, Minato-ku , Tokyo
- Closest Station: Roppongi Station
5. Coffee Kizoku Edinburgh
Many know this coffee-loving cafe as simply, Edinburgh. It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. That’s right, it never closes! Coffee Kizoku Edinburgh (kizoku literally translating to “aristocratic”) has a rather nostalgically fancy interior, which is also mirrored somewhat in the prices. Here, a cup of coffee could set you back close to ¥1,000. Well, they have to pay for that 24/7 electricity cost somehow.
Open since 1975, Edinburgh has gained quite a reputation for excellent coffee. Of course, they also serve cakes to accompany the beverage, such as New York cheesecake and a classic Japanese strawberry shortcake. It is a great place to sit and work, with charging point access and decent free Wi-Fi.
Edinburgh is somewhat of an institution these days, and, thanks to it being open 24/7, you know you’ll find warmth and comfort there no matter the time.
- Price Range: ¥1,000〜¥2,000
- Opening Hours: 24/7 (Double-check their socials as they do close for in-depth cleaning at certain points.)
- Address: 3-2-4 Shinjuku, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 160-0022
- Closest Station: Shinjuku Sanchome Station
Have you been to any of these late night dessert bars in Tokyo?
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