KOFFEE MAMEYA Kakeru

A former warehouse in Kiyosumi-Shirakawa has acquired an unexpectedly handsome interior: a pale oak framework around a three-sided stone counter, with coffee bags arranged by roast like a remarkably tasteful colour chart. Take a seat and you face the baristas at work. Nothing much is hidden, least of all their concentration.

Opened in 2021 by Eiichi Kunitomo, whose earlier Omotesando Koffee helped shape Tokyo’s contemporary coffee culture, KOFFEE MAMEYA Kakeru was designed by Yosuke Hayashi of 14sd. The warehouse shell remains; the precise timber frame, limestone counter and black worktables are entirely new. The effect is disciplined without feeling precious.

Coffee takes the place usually reserved for a chef’s tasting menu. The barista leads you through different origins and preparations, drawing out changes in temperature, texture and aroma, with a series of small dishes alongside. There is also a cocktail-led course, where coffee meets spirits and some beautifully considered glassware. The name Kakeru refers to multiplication, an apt description of what happens when familiar coffee meets a few other crafts.

There are excellent places nearby for a quick espresso. This is where you come to give coffee your full attention. The counter is shared, the session is timed and reservations matter. It asks rather more of your afternoon than an ordinary café, but it gives you rather more to think about on the way out.