Harry Potter Cafe — Restaurant in Tokyo

TLDR: This is a poorly executed venue and one to avoid even if you are the most dedicated Harry Potter fan.

We should have come to trip Advisor to read the reviews before booking and I am motivated to add our experience in the hope it will deter others from coming and / or cause a rethink by the owners.

The good: A nice appearance to the venue with appropriate (although quite minimal) Potter-esque decorative theming and they have suitable HP movie soundtrack recordings playing as background music. Although I’ve put this in the good section, I feel this where they could have gone OTT with presentation.

The bad:

1. Very, very expensive for what you get. Portions are really tiny. Even taking into account the (very) loose meal theming around Harry Potter, the value is terrible.
2. zero information about each meal. Each table gets an iPad with a poorly organised app to order food from. You do it yourself. There are no waiters as such. (It is a café after all). Each meal has a HP themed title but there is not even a hint of a description about what food is in each meal. There is a tiny picture of a sample plate, but pinch zoom is disabled and there is no click link to a decent size picture so it is impossible to see what is might even comprise. The general website is better for pictures than the supplied menu, but then you are having to use your own phone and the website similarly doesn’t say what each meal is. Eg the dessert Aragon’s Lair. What is it you might wonder? Well, wonder away! It looks green so could be matcha or could be anything else or could just be green coloured gosting on a chocolate cake. How can there be no information to guide you? Don’t forget there are not really any table staff, only servers. You order your own food and submit the order using the iPad and so have no-one to ask what each meal might be. Are the ribs comprised of beef or pork? I ate them but couldn’t tell you if they were beef or pork as they were in a (delicious, I should say) sauce. Some people will want to know but the menu gives no clue. I’d advise looking at the website if you really want to come here and understand that the menu in the restaurant gives no further information. Now you’ll see what I mean.

The ugly: Poor kitchen organisation: despite only 4 occupied tables, meals were all delivered to tables at different times with 3-5 minute gaps between table companions getting their meal. This restaurant only offers two main courses (Spare Ribs and ‘Sunday” Roast) so it is not at all difficult for the kitchen staff to manage if properly organised. The table of four next to us: 3 had the ribs which arrived 1 at a time, 2 minutes apart and then the fourth person received their Sunday Roast 5 minutes later. This is nine minutes to provide 4 meals to a table of four! We had the same experience but in reverse: my partner’s Sunday Roast arrived and he waited patiently with it going cold until my Spare Ribs arrived 4 minutes later. Given the tiny portions, it only takes a few minutes to eat the food so unless you wait, you won’t be...

I am writing this review so you won't bother going to the Harry Potter Café in Akasaka, especially if you come just for this. As we stayed in the area and took the metro on a daily basis, we decided that we would try the Harry Potter café after a long and hot day outdoors.

First of all, we can all agree that service in Tokyo is pretty good, you always have the old grumpy shop owner, but it is quite a rarity. So, we arrived at the café, had a look from outside, took a picture, and quite frankly, it looked quite desolated and not at all "magical". We still decided to try it, curious to see what was on the menu. When we stepped in we greeted the waitress, we were not greeted back and with a sour look on her face, she asked us if we had a booking.

Apart from us there only was a couple sitting at a table which quite frankly looked miserable and disappointed to be there. While standing there, we had a better look at the decor, I have been to school fetes with better decor than this café. There are windows, but no light coming from outside, which can be understandable if one wants to create an intimate and magical atmosphere. Unfortunately, there is nothing magical and intimate about the atmosphere as instead of gleaming chandeliers and wall sconces, they are lighting up the place with the harshest cold white LED lights coming from the ceiling. I know warehouses with cosier lightning than that café. The windows are covered with the cheapest drapes, everything looks cheap, especially when you enter the place and get closer. This might be why people are always asked to wait outside, so they have no option but to stay once in.

Back to the waitress, she asked us to step outside and book a table, remember only two customers were sitting at a table. We decided to leave, we quickly had a look at the menu and expressed zero regrets at leaving that place. Food and beverages looked average, but moreover, prices were extremely high. If you stay in the area and you are curious, by all means, go and have a look, but if you are crossing all of Tokyo just for this experience, please, don't bother.

The Harry potter Retail shop was apparently reopening the day after we left, with the Japanese school holidays starting, maybe the area and this café will have a different feel. However, I still believe this is the worse tourist trap I have seen in my life.

PS: You can not enter the premises from outsides, the door is fake, you need to get in from the shopping centre, which quite frankly kills the mood...

A Magical Experience at the Harry Potter Café in Tokyo

I recently had the enchanting opportunity to visit the Harry Potter Café in Tokyo, and while the journey to secure a reservation was a bit challenging, the overall experience was magical.

Booking a seat at this café requires planning ahead, with reservations recommended a month or two in advance, depending on the season. Showing up without a reservation might leave you without a table, so it's crucial to book online via their website before arriving in Japan.

Upon entering the café, the atmosphere was nothing short of amazing. The dedication to the Harry Potter series was evident in the intricate decorations, making it a unique and awe-inspiring experience. The proximity to a themed station added an extra layer of immersion.

However, when it came to the food, the options were limited, especially for those with dietary restrictions. As a Muslim, the lack of non-pork and specific meat preparation options was disappointing. The vegan, fish, and vegetable choices were minimal, leaving us with only a salad as a main course. Even soup choices didn't align with our expectations due to pork content (so we didn't order that as well). On a positive note, the salad stood out with unique herbs and flavors.

We ordered two non-alcoholic cocktails, including the much-anticipated Patronus drink, and indulged in two dessert plates, with the Hedwig cake being a standout. These items earned a solid five stars for their uniqueness and taste.

Despite the limited food variety, the overall experience was fantastic. The themed ambiance and the anticipation created by the reservation system added to the charm of the place. The bill, totaling around $50 for a salad and two desserts, might seem steep, but the once-in-a-lifetime experience justifies the cost.

The café also offers themed merchandise, albeit at a higher price point. While it may not be an everyday dining choice, the Harry Potter Café in Tokyo delivers a magical experience that's well worth the visit. Kudos to Japan for creating such a captivating and unique destination – it truly adds a special touch to the...