Hamamoto Coffee — Restaurant in Himeji

A great, retro Cafe! Opened in 1975, We had the impression that this is a beloved community cafe as most of its patrons are senior locals who seem to know each other when another patron walks in. I really loved that feel in a cafe when patrons connect with fellow patrons and staff, something uncommon nowadays in most cafes around the world. It felt like the lone cafe in a rural town which most people consider as their third space and this is located downtown of a huge city.

The coffee prepared from the siphon was good and very decent but is not great. What blew me away was the almond toast. I didn't have any expectation when it arrived because it truly looked so ordinary but the bread was amazing. There was this strong earthy flavor in this bread that complements well with the sweet buttery spread. The kind of earthy flavor you get in Mediterranean/Levantine/Arabian Kubuz. The almonds add a contrasting texture to the soft bread.

When in Himeji, absolutely do not...

Fell in love with this nostalgic old-world cafe.

The coffee and food is perfectly comforting and pairs so well with the atmospheric vibe. It’s like I stepped back in time — the decor, the bar seating, the slow languid pace of the guests enjoying their morning coffee, toast and egg. I visited around 10am and it was mostly elderly locals, with their breakfast special and reading their newspaper/ books.

Their siphone style coffee and is a great method for their dark roast. My husband and I tried their house blend and seasonal blend. Would recommend either, as they pair perfectly with the almond and cinnamon toast.

Trust the reviews. The almond toast is perfect - thinly sliced fragrantly toasted slivers on fresh soft bread and the cinnamon toast is sweet, caramel-y and delectable.

English menu is...

Visited here for their famous almond toast. Only cash is accepted. There are limited tables and counter seats. I personally think the almond toasts was overrated. I had better almond toasts elsewhere with richer almond taste and fluffier toast. You can order "half half toast" consists of cinnamon and almond flavour to try. The coffee were grinded and siphoned fresh so they tasted good. The coffee jelly tasted below average so I do not recommend it. The cafe should improve their brewing area with anti slip mats. I witnessed one of the baristas almost slipping twice while walking on...