Coffee L’ambre (Shinjuku)


I can’t write about Kissaten in Tokyo without writing about L’ambre… You can’t imagine, only few minutes by walk from Shinjuku station, what is waiting for you there. I found out about this place only in 2015, what a shame!

Coffee Shinjuku L'ambre (新宿らんぶる) Since 1955 (Showa 30) 
 Smoking & non-smoking area
 No Wi-FI & no power outlets
 Lively to bustling 
 Recommendation: cake set with blend coffee
Japanese & English Menu 
 Couple, alone or with friends 
 We love: the mezzanine, the decoration 
 Special points : classical music 
 Drinks prices : 600-800 yen 
 Kissa-meter : Fabulously extravagant

Kissaten Overview

    • The first floor of the café is a (small) smoking area, you have to take the stairs to the non-smoking area to find the most interesting part downstairs. Walking down the stairs, I always feel like getting in a secret underground base, being a James Bond girl or I don’t know…
    • The non-smoking area is super wide! There are so many seats (apparently 200!) and I was super impressed by the ceiling height for a basement and the fact that this basement is over 2 levels with a mezzanine part… I heard from the staff that the kissaten was at the beginning a ballroom, which explained the architecture and the tiles flooring. Probably as a nod to the ballroom, there are musicians’ portraits on pillars and classical background music
    • The decoration is breathtaking: red velvet seats (very comfy and fluffy by the way), nice design of the tiles flooring, greens, mahogany woodcrafts, huge chandeliers, mirrors, etc… I don’t know why but it reminds me in a certain way the early modern Europe times and especially in Italy. It could almost be the decoration of a 16th century castle.
    • Some kissaten can be cramped and confined, it’s difficult to go there with more than 3 friends… At l’ambre it’s completely fine, the staff can easily move the tables to accommodate larger groups (more than 6-8 persons). You can also book in advance for a work meeting, they will arrange the tables for that.
    • The kissaten serves a nice blend coffee (600 yen). The coffee is fine it’s not really remarkable. You’ll go there more for the atmosphere than getting your finest caffeine dose. There is a morning set (800 yen) with toast, salad and yogurt but even if I’m going there for the opening, I always get a cake set (950 yen). The almond cake is very good and is a good match with a black coffee. During lunch time there is a set (1000 yen) with spaghetti/pilaf rice, small salad and coffee. I tried the lunch set once, the pilaf rice wasn’t that bad but the place was so jam-packed that I didn’t fully enjoy my meal…
    • The place is extremely popular so it easily gets crowded. I really like the customer’s diversity here. I’m used to a lot of smaller kissaten with old regular customers, salary men or couples, but here you can encounter younger people, people dressed like artists or some others ones looking like fashion college students and even geinoujin (Japanese celebrities). I remember once being here with my friend and next to us was sitting a woman with big sunglasses… We were sure she was a model we saw before in Hanako Magazine! We didn’t want to bother her by asking but I’m pretty sure it was here for sure!

Tips

    • This place is extremely popular so it can get crowded easily, especially during lunch, so if you want to fully enjoy the place only by yourself, try to go there before 11:30 am.
    • Even if you don’t speak Japanese it’s fine, they have an English menu and some staff members can speak English.
    • If you like kissaten atmosphere but hate smoke, this place is for you: big wide non-smoking area with amazing decoration to enjoy.
    • If you’re not familiar with the kissaten world, this place is a must-try to begin with.





I love the old pink phone next to the cash register.


Coffee Shinjuku L’ambre (新宿らんぶる)
Address: Shinjuku 3−31−3, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
(東京都新宿区新宿3−31−3)
Phone: 03-3352-3361
  9:30～23:00

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