Centre the Bakery (セントル　ザ・ベーカリー)

Tokyo Food

Centre the Bakery is a bakery and cafe. In the morning the line was this long 30 minutes before opening. The manager gave out hand warmers and in Japanese fashion apologized for the wait. Most of the people in line were there to buy loaves of bread to go, so we got a table! Note: when we went they only serve the toast sets in the morning, if you wanted and a sandwich or other food items you have to wait until after 11:00. 

The toast set has 3 different types of bread and 3 different types of butter. They also provide you with a tray of various jams and spreads. You pick your own toaster and bring it back to your table where your server describes the breads and butters. The toaster have a sticker marking the optimum setting. Toast paradise.

Address: 104-0061 Tokyo, Chuo, Ginza, 1−2−1
Website: None
Date Visited: Nov 21, 2014

Tsubame House - ツバメブックス

Tsubame House - Antique and Retro Market is owned by Biscuit that has other shops nearby. We found this shop on the way to the main Biscuit store. Since it is on the 2nd floor, all we could see was the sign on the street and decided to take a look. The store has a nice mix of old and new items.

We picked up a couple of ceramic brooches by Birds' Words and a couple of airplane chopstick holders by a Tajimi ceramic artist.

Website: biscuit.co.jp  (Japanese only)
Address: 2 Chome-9-14 Yanaka, Taito-ku, Tokyo-to, Japan

Date Visited Nov 21, 2014

Kayaba Coffee - カヤバ珈琲

Tokyo Food

A traditional townhouse build in 1916 and became a coffee shop in 1938. The coffee shop continued business with the original owner until it was closed in 2006 after the owner’s wife had passed away. Kayaba Coffee was reopened in 2009 by a non-profit preservationist organization (Taito History Urban Studies Association) and remodeled by architect Yuko Nagayama. 

We ordered the ham sandwich set and their famous egg sandwich set.

Travel Tip:
We went on a weekday and arrived shortly after opening. You can expect a line on the weekends. 
Smoking is allowed downstairs / upstairs is non-smoking.

Website: kayaba-coffee.com (Japanese only)
Address: 6-1-9, Yanaka, Taito-ku, Tokyo, 110-0001, Japan

Date Visited Nov 21, 2014