COFFEE Coral — Restaurant in Tokyo

I open the Asahi Shimbun and take a sip of siphon coffee. I can spare exactly ten minutes before clocking in for another twelve hours at the office. This cafe is my respite, between home and work -- I just hope I don't run into Suzuki-san here. He's not a bad boss, but still. On the flickery CRT up on the counter, NHK shows Nakasone-san talking about export growth and Reagan complaining about us again. But they keep buying our Toyotas and Datsuns, don't they? Speaking of buying -- the way Tokyo real estate prices keep skyrocketing, I'll never be able to buy a house here. I'll have to break the news to Miyako-san one of these days. At least I can still afford coffee.

That was my morning at Coffee Coral. Or at least how I remember it. The prices haven't changed in forty years. The egg toast is amazing. The interior is so cozy that it looks AI generated, except it's absolutely genuine. Coffee Coral is...

This tiny little shop has now become my fave coffee shop in Kouenji. The owner is a lovely lady who knows how to entertain guests without being too intrusive. I think she has a large number of following not just because of her good coffee and toasted sandwiches. I will definitely come back but there's one thing I need to remind that this shop allows smoking so if you're not a fan of the smell of cigarette probably you better...

Very cute retro vibe with kind and thoughtful service ! The food and coffee was simple but good and the lady behind the counter is chatty and helpful. We speak very little Japanese but the girls next to us helped to translate to the lady, the atmosphere was extremely welcoming. You can also smoke indoors which I didn’t realise was still legal lol. A must visit when you’re in Koenji, thank...