Live Coffee Kichijoji Minamiguchi

they roast the beans in house. server was super friendly, helpful and spoke English. good coffee seems to be rare in Tokyo. and since I don’t do dairy I’m looking for a place with milk substitutions. unfortunately they don’t serve coffee with almond /​soy milk. coffee was not too bad though. my husband got an iced latte, which was more milk than coffee.
all in all; I’d say it’s one of the better coffee places. and it’s affordable.

Unilocal 100 Challenge 2015 — ⁵²⁄₁₀₀
Among the various efforts to get new and interesting businesses started in Japan, there has been a boom of new coffee shops offering an alternative experience to that of the large national and international chains. Rules regarding the importing, roasting and processing of coffee have also relaxed resulting in this boom. The same can be said for brewing which has created a boom in craft beers and businesses.
Today’s review focuses on a small shop that opened at the beginning of the new fiscal year (April) on the south side of JR Kichijoji station, right in back of the newly reopened Yamada Denki electronics store. They finally opened after months of preparation but the wait was worth it.
Highlights:
+ Features: 4.5÷5 stars (free sample of Coffee of the Day; very reasonably priced, especially take out; drink in or take out, plus beans to-​go, ground or unground)
+ Service: ⁴⁄₅ (warm, friendly, knowledgeable staff — happy to answer any questions you may have about their beans, grinding and brewing methods)
+ Amenities/​atmosphere: ⁴⁄₅ (rather smallish, seating for about six with a few tables — designed for short-​term stays, not nomad camping/​working while you work)
Overall, a key feature here is the freedom to choose your favorite bean for your drink. Of course, you can choose from the standard menu at standard prices; however, if you want something with more kick, feel free to ask the staff which they recommend. The beans are lined up from mild to strong, respectively left to right. For the darker roasts (strong), they will roast, grind and hand drip your drink to perfection. Sure, the price will be slightly higher but still cheaper than other small shops in the area or central Tokyo that offer similar services with less selection. Definitely worth the wait for a great cup of coffee — don’t be in a hurry if you want a custom made cuppa.
As the shop is new, there are a few minor tweaks needed with their service, but the coffee is very good and pricing better than the chain shops with lower quality and freedom of choice, so you’ll be happy to keep this place a secret (oops).
Final tips: If you’re in a hurry, get a hot or iced to go — extremely cheap (¥230) for a cup. If you’re not in a hurry, choose a robust bean and enjoy hand-​dripped quality that couldn’t be fresher — how often can you get roasted, ground and dripped AFTER you order?

I happend to stop by at this cute little coffee shop. It’s located right near by Kichijoji station. And my husband and I were walking around and a guy from this coffee shop started talking to us in English. We got to taste their sample coffee, which was their special blend and it was pretty good. We decided to sit down to enjoy a cup of cappuccino.
It’s a very tiny place but it’s got some character. Very simple interior and very friendly people. There are about 8 chairs and about 5 tiny tables. They also sell their own coffee beans and you can also make your cup of coffee to go. Today they were having 10%off for coffee beans day.
We really liked it and will probably go back when we get a chance!