Cafe Bon — Restaurant in Tokyo

One star is for the wonderful ambience. Steep staircase leading to a dark, atmospheric tea room. Otherwise, as far as I’m concerned, that is where the star ratings take a nose dive.

I am not a coffee drinker, and am not a big tea fan, unless it’s loaded with sugar 😋. But, since I was accompanying my wife and another couple, who love tea and coffee, I had no problem visiting this hidden hole-in-the-ground.

We were served ice cold water, and it tasted very good after having walked around Shinjuku for some time. Since I didn’t want coffee or tea, and wanting to share in the experience with family and friends, I decided to have a slice of the the strawberry cake.

After everyone finished ordering: a total of two (2) teas, one (1) coffee, and three (3) desserts, I tap my water cup to indicate my choice of beverage. The woman stated, “One person, one drink.”

Translation? No service unless you order a drink.

I was forced to order a drink so as not to disrupt my companions experience.

Please excuse me for being a good sport and ordering a dessert to support your business.

The final nail in the coffin? $12,000 yen for 4 drinks and 3 desserts. That’s $80 USD!!!

Legalized theft and con...

Cafe Bon should have been a hidden gem. Tucked away in a basement in busy Shinjuku, it has all the aesthetic appeal: antique crockery, vintage charm, and a quiet, whimsical atmosphere. Unfortunately, that's where the charm ends.

The prices are outrageous. A small pot of tea (barely a full cup) cost me ¥1800, and my boyfriend’s modest milk coffee was ¥1600. The cake was fine—nothing special—and while it was supposedly made with “local strawberries,” it didn’t justify the cost.

To top it off, the owner insisted that each person must order a drink, no exceptions. So even if you just wanted to share a pot of tea or weren’t in the mood for another drink, tough luck. The attitude was firm and not particularly friendly—it felt more like a rule enforcement than hospitality.

You're not paying for quality, you're paying for a themed experience that runs on aesthetics and strict rules. If you’re just looking for good tea, coffee, or cake—there are far better places in Shinjuku for half the price and none of...

Went there without checking menu (my fault) and just realised that the cheapest coffee will cost for 1700Yen.

They used a very antique coffee cup and the coffee taste okay? Also, the coffee portion is crazy large and I think personally that’s for 2 servings as they are using a soup bowl to serve yet they not allowed to share and mandatory for everyone to buy a drink.

The seating and aisle is very narrow and dark. They used wood partition to separate a few section of a big table. Also, you can’t change your seat even you already told them that the seat area was cold. They finally willing to change after I told them for multiple times.

The price of the strawberry cake was not same as what the online menu stated, is not 1000 yen but 1700 yen.

For me, definitely not worth it as usually cup of coffee cost less than 1000 yen with or without milk.

Also no...