Cafe Recommendations for Tokyo AM

[dougiedd]

Good place to spend some time, people watch and hopefully enjoy some decent coffee between Shinjuku and Shinagawa preferably not a chain?
Wifi would be ideal but rare i know

[Robb S]

Did you want someplace along the Yamanote line? "Between Shinjuku and Shinagawa" covers much of central Tokyo.

Wired Cafe (Harajuku, Gotanda and other locations) has Wifi and a lively atmosphere. Seat Mania is great if you like designer chairs. Armwood Cottage occupies a rustic, log cabin-style space right in Shinjuku. Atic (Harajuku) has a nice open-air garden. BiOcafe (Shibuya) has good organic coffee and is non-smoking. Farmer's Cafe (Harajuku) has lots of patio seating and is dog-friendly.

Those and many more are listed here: http://www.bento.com/tccafe.html

[prasantrin]

Most of those don't open until 11, but the op is looking specifically for cafes open in the morning.

Question to the op--how early in the morning? Most places don't open till 9-ish. If you want something earlier, you're pretty much stuck with Starbucks. The one in the Main Marui Building, however, is quite nice and very quiet at 7am. The coffee sucks, but the atmosphere seems a little nicer than at other locations. I hate Starbucks, but I'd go back to that one if I ever had the need for a place to sit around and do nothing early in the morning.

[Robb S]

Hey, 11am is in the morning!

[prasantrin]

True, but for some of us 11am is right around afternoon nap time! :-D

[Ninisix]

Asides from the fact that I would support any person who can make an echo of Mussolini's ephithet and "make the plane run in time", I am agree, the Starbuck hasn't be an overly experience. However, speeking about the chain coffee, the Tullys'corner front Isetan or the Doutor classic are more a quick classic catch than the waiting of Starbuck.

[Robb S]

I personally find Starbucks much more pleasant - Tully's doesn't serve nonfat milk, and my local branch has uncomfortably hard chairs in the non-smoking section (but soft armchairs in the smoking section). The "iced latte" at Doutor comes from a paper carton and is undrinkable, and the air is unbreathable.

But the OP asked about cafes, not coffee shops.

[prasantrin]

In terms of the coffee, I usually prefer Tully's to Starbucks, but in terms of early morning atmosphere, Starbuck's is more comfortable, and is completely smoke-free. Doutor is, for me, a last ditch resort. The coffee stinks as does the store (the cigarette smoke always filters over to the non-smoking section--same with Tully's).

As for the rest of what you said, I have no idea what you're talking about.

[Ninisix]

In a word,oops. Frankly, not a fan of Mussolini's word, but a big heavy coffee drinker... and in regard of the regulatory system on just-in-time, the Starbucks 'waiting at the cashier' and 'the waiting at the coffee corner' is a dog contradictory one on time take out.
Doutor coffee is an old fashion one, coffee is not great but very cheap in compare for just a take out...

[Ninisix]

To add : The StarYuk cafe`s don`t feel confortable. The coffee is more a water thing, internationalized taste and are far from the French and Italian coffee ''tasse'' ones.
Hope to have complete the review on it.

[Yukari]

I have enjoyed Paul Bassett in Shinjuku. A chain, but great coffee.

http://www.paulbassett.jp/

[Ninisix]

Here below a link to a web page of "coffee" mania :
http://www9.plala.or.jp/coffee/jika/t...
Please do a research only on the light red ones, and you will have a choice of 4-5 places between Shinjuku-Shinagawa.
Coffee Lapin in Okachimachi is a nice one.