サモエドカフェ アル 浅草店 — Restaurant in Tokyo

We accidentally visited Samoyed Cafe AL Asakusa with my family. Upon attempting to access Ichiran Asakusa Rokku via the elevator with our stroller, we inadvertently arrived at this cafe due to restricted floor access. Immediately, a staff member rudely shouted at us, ‘RESERVATIONS ONLY! NO BABIES!’ while looking at my 1 year old daughter in her stroller. We haven’t even exited the elevator. She didn’t let us utter a word. This lady’s tone was unwelcoming and disrespectful. Did we say anything? Nope. We just pressed the button to go back to the ground floor.

Hoping to salvage the situation, we went back down and proceeded to Ichiran to assess the crowd, leaving my wife and child momentarily. The same employee, now accompanied by two others holding three dogs were now outside of the building where we were talking about whether or not to eat at Ichiran because we’ll have to bring the strollers up the stairs. We were minding our own business when the same rude employee exclaimed ‘Kawaii!’ because of the dogs. Of course we looked their way because people are usually quiet and don’t shout. When my wife suggested taking a photo in our native language, the staff member abruptly shouted, ‘NO!’ There was no actual attempt on our part take a photo by the way. You don’t get to behave like you own public property. To make matters worse, one of the dogs lunged at our one-year-old, causing us significant distress. No apologies were given. They just went on their way.

This was our first encounter with such rudeness in Japan. The staff’s behavior was unprofessional and insensitive, especially towards families with young children. I strongly advise potential visitors, especially those with small children, to reconsider visiting this establishment. Even then, see how they’ll interact with you when you are no longer a paying customer.

To the rude lady, the only reason people look your way is because of the dogs. Try walking without them and see if people give you attention. When we walk our dogs, we aren’t rude to people who look at our dogs and want to interact with them especially because we are in a public space. We did not go near your dogs. You stopped near where we were waiting and we were outside Ichiran. One of your dogs lunged at my 1 year old daughter while she was sitting quietly in her stroller. You didn’t even apologize when one of the girls could barely hold the dog back. We have our own dogs too. It doesn’t give us massive egos. You are by far the rudest person we’ve ever met in our all trips to Japan.

To the owner of this establishment: Check the CCTV footage inside your cafe and outside the building to verify this incident.

Edit: After my review, there was an influx of 5 star reviews from profiles that only...

Disappointing Experience – Unwelcoming to Foreign Visitors

I was genuinely disappointed by my experience at Samoyed Asakusa Dog Cafe, primarily due to the staff’s attitude toward foreign guests.

Unprofessional and Rude Service: I purchased three snacks for the two of us to feed the dogs. Instead of politely clarifying any rules, a staff member loudly called out from across the room, "Hello, one each only, why three?" She then insisted we empty the treats so she could take back the capsule container. This interaction was abrupt and unnecessarily harsh. A more courteous approach would have made a big difference.

Unwelcoming Atmosphere: When we arrived early, the staff simply stared at us. One asked, "Booking?" and after we confirmed, we were told to wait-standing in front of the elevator - for 20 minutes. There were no seats or waiting area provided, which made us feel uncomfortable and unwelcome.

Language Barrier and Lack of Effort: The staff spoke very limited English, which made communication difficult. Only after our visit did I notice other reviews mentioning the same problem: the staff are not friendly toward foreigners. As business owners it is your responsibility to show respect to all guests - at least acknowledging and addressing feedback from visitors.

Concerns for Animal Wellbeing: The only positive was that most of the dogs appeared healthy. However, I was concerned to see one dog with a clearly red, possibly infected left eye (refer to pic), who was still being made to interact with customers. This dog should be receiving treatment and rest, not forced to participate in business activities.

Overall: I will not recommend this cafe. The only star is for the dog’s general health and cuteness. The staff’s attitude and lack of hospitality left a very negative impression. I hope management takes these comments seriously and works to improve the experience for...

Simply put you’re paying for a posed photo opportunity with Samoyed dogs… if this is what you’re after I’m sure you’ll find it a more fulfilling experience than we did. Don't expect much interaction with the dogs… understandably on reflection they’re not that interested. Drink dispenser not working and exact change required for 3 individual pieces of dog snacks. Overall a very disappointing experience...