Breakfast at Ivy Place Cafe, Daikanyama

Having two small children that sometimes wake up ridiculously early, my husband and I are often on the lookout for somewhere to eat breakfast. Not a civilized brunch at 11 a.m., but an early breakfast. When we arrived in Tokyo it quickly became apparent that it’s not an early rising city, and it can be a challenge to find somewhere to get a coffee and Western style breakfast before 10 a.m. Luckily we found out about the delicious and child-friendly Ivy Place, which is now one of our favorite places to visit on the weekend.

Located in Daikanyama’s leafy T-Site complex, Ivy Place’s café opens for breakfast at 7 a.m., seven days a week. The interior is spacious, sophisticated and elegant, and the large trees and gardens surrounding the building help create a relaxed, quiet space where it’s easy to spend a few hours. There is indoor and outdoor seating, so in the warmer months breakfast outside amongst the trees is a rare treat.

Unfortunately, Ivy Place does not take reservations for breakfast. But one of the bonuses of being up really early is that you can usually go straight to a table when you arrive before 9 a.m. After that you may have to wait. Luckily you can leave your name and mobile number and the staff will call you when your table is ready.

If you have a car, driving to Ivy Place is very convenient. There is a large, easily accessible parking area on site, which makes visiting with babies and small children a breeze. When you spend more than ¥2,000 at Ivy Place you can have your parking ticket validated, significantly reducing its cost. This is an important point, as otherwise parking at T-Site can be quite expensive.

We are always pleased with how child-friendly Ivy Place is. The staff happily greet our children and expertly choose suitable positions within the café where strollers can be parked next to the table. Baby chairs, as well as children’s cups, bowls and cutlery are provided, and baby changing facilities are also available. There is no children’s menu, but our two-year-old loves the breakfast power smoothie (¥850) and toast with organic jam (¥400). The staff will even make sure that the smoothie comes in a plastic cup with lid and straw for little ones.

The café breakfast menu is not extensive, but there are a variety of dishes so there is something to please everyone. The menu is updated seasonally, which helps keep things interesting. But the mainstays are the very popular buttermilk pancakes (¥1,300), homemade granola (¥900), Gruyere omelet (¥1,000) and Monte Cristo sandwich (¥1,600).

Last time I visited I ate the delicious Gruyere omelet, which is served with a small green salad. I also added a side of avocado (¥150 ). With any of the egg dishes you can add side dishes of avocado, bacon, sausage or salmon trout (ranging from ¥150 to ¥400 each). It was also hard to resist the breakfast power smoothie, which is always refreshing and delicious.

Importantly, the coffee is very good at Ivy Place. I always order café latte (¥700, but ¥350 yen when ordered with any breakfast), but in summer the peach iced tea (¥600) is hard to beat. There is an extensive list of tea and juice options, as well as three creative smoothie options (ranging from ¥700 to ¥850).

For an early weekend breakfast, Ivy Place is a treat that always pleases both parents and children. Just make sure you get there early!

The Deets

Address: 16-15 Sarugakucho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Tel: 03-6415-3232

Open: Daily, 7 a.m.-2 a.m. (last order 1 a.m.)