Tsuyukusa

Sometimes, it’s not about the crowded temples of Asakusa, the flood of tourists at Tokyo Sky Tree, or the bustling streets of Shinjuku Station. Sometimes it’s about getting away, where what we crave is a place to sit, undisturbed, with a coffee, a book, and a chance to relax.
Sometimes, simple is best.
Tsuyukusa is a small café offering specialty coffee, homemade sweets, and a variety of original herb teas. Inside, vintage furniture huddles around small tables lit by aging lamps, and classical music wafts over from the CD player in the corner. Occasionally the two owners will bicker playfully or share a laugh. There’s a little mix of both the casual and the intimate here — there’s warmth.
The coffee at Tsuyukusa is prepared pour-​over, and comes courtesy of nearby connoisseurs Coffea Exlibris — they offer Brazilian, Ethiopian, and a seasonal blend. The dessert selection is a collection of old favorites — chiffon cake, cheese cake, chocolate cake, and sweet potato tart among them — but the cheese cake always seems to be gone by early afternoon.
Bring a friend for relaxed conversation over light snacks, or come by yourself and read a book to a soundtrack of elderly regulars lost in conversation, and classical piano — you’ll be welcome either way. It’s a good opportunity for a momentary escape, and a quiet getaway from the busy streets of Shimokitazawa.