Last year I wrote about Marimo, this famous kissaten around Keio University which closed after 38 years.

A lot of kissaten are closing, mostly in silence and indifference. Former customers may try to visit one last time, to recall the good old times there before the place finally disappears.
Every time a kissaten is closing it makes me sad so I always try to visit it one last time to pay my respects.

Angelus, the famous long-established kissaten located on Asakusa’s Orange Street, announced on its website last February that the place would close on March 17^th at 6pm. The news literally hit Twitter and Instagram like a storm, everyone was so shocked, including myself. We couldn’t believe it. We didn’t want to. It would have been like a part of Asakusa’s history and identity disappearing…

I always thought that Angelus would be one of these places that can’t disappear, it was just so famous, so iconic… It was basically always full, so popular. I really never imagined to see that day coming.

For weeks after the closing announcement people were lining-up in front of Angelus since the morning, before the opening, hoping to get a cake. Usually around 2pm all the cakes were sold out and after 4pm no more parfaits, you could just have a drink.
After hearing about the sad news, I went there few times before it closed and I lined-up 2 hours and more, just to get the chance to eat a parfait or a cake… Just one more time.

My story with this old café started in 2013 while I was wandering in Asakusa. I passed-by it and I was just mesmerized by this strange old European-like building with some German accents at some points. It was a love at first sight.
Since 1946 (showa 21), the authenticity and the atmosphere of this place has been kept, and entering Angelus was just like entering another world, in the middle of Asakusa.

So, the place is now closed but I really felt like writing this article as a tribute to this very special kissaten and sharing memories with the world.

The old coffee shop had 3 floors and it felt so warm and welcoming inside. The dark wood interior felt strangely cozy. I don’t know why but I just felt calmer and relaxed when every time I get in.

I used to try to sit on the 2^nd floor, on the small mezzanine so I could be in my own world, gazing at the cakes showcase downstairs.

I used to think that the furniture were so cute… Especially the little chairs and the benches! I also had a thing for the tiles of the 3rd floor…

The menu was so mouth-watering, it was always hard to decide which cake I would get.

Their most famous cake, the angelus, didn’t change for more than 50 years. It came in 2 kinds: the black Angelus, made with coffee flavored butter cream and coated with chocolate, and the white Angelus made with a simple butter cream and coated with white chocolate. Not too sweet, the taste was perfectly balanced. But I always like the black one much more. They even made seasonal angelus cakes from time to time. I remember eating a sakura one which was truly exquisite.

I think I ate all the cakes from their menu at least once. My favorites so far were the black angelus and the mont blanc.

And the coffee was just so good. Strong but not bitter, exactly how I like it and it just went perfectly with the cakes, nicely balancing their sweetness.

Can you see the drawing on the table? Very famous customers were used to come regularly, including Tezaku Osamu (the manga artist who made Atom/Astro boy) and Ikenami Shotaro (the famous writer). This place was really loved by a lot of people since a long time ago.

I remember once that I asked to one of the waitresses why the place was named “Angelus” and she explained to me that the café was inspired by churches in Europe and the name was a reminiscent of the church bells ringing. I always thought it was amazing to have such a place, inspired by churches, near-by Senso-ji, one of the oldest buddhist temple of Tokyo.

I always tried to buy one of the sweets they were selling only to go. I used to enjoy it at home after dinner with a hot coffee. It made me so happy every time.

I really can’t believe the place is gone. I’m always a bit sad when a kissaten is closing but this time it felt a little bit different, it definitely broke my heart to say goodbye to this beautiful place.

Dear Angelus, thank you so much for your years of hard work, dutch coffee and delicious cakes. Thank you so much for all the happiness you brought to kissaten lovers over the years. You will be missed for sure.