HEART'S LIGHT COFFEE — Restaurant in Tokyo

We tried to use google translate to speak with the barista. We asked if it was okay to order one drink even though there’s two of us, he said that was okay. I began ordering my drink and my wife went to sit down. The barista became very confused and started to explain that there are other coffee shops in the area that might suit us better. We were really confused and debated on ordering another drink but just decided to do takeout to make things easier since he offered takeout initially. We didn’t want to be a nuisance but as we tried to communicate that we want to do take out instead he seemed to get really angry and promptly kicked us out. He kept saying sorry it’s hard to understand and we kept saying it’s okay maybe google is not translating correctly and he agreed but then said we have a problem like we’re arguing with him or something when we’re not… Perhaps it was the small box we had with us that maybe he assumed we were going to eat but my wife didn’t have a chance to translate that she wasn’t planning to eat anything just just had nowhere to set it so she put it on the table next to our chairs…

We understand other tourists can have blatant disregard for rules or etiquette but we always try to communicate with staff to make sure we do everything appropriately. I’m not sure what the misunderstanding was or why we couldn’t communicate through it…A lot of the responses were passive aggressive too which is so counterproductive to finding peace and understanding with anyone.

This was one of our last days in Japan and I was really looking forward to having the coffee here especially with such good reviews. It’s unfortunate that we were treated this way but I also wish I could apologize for whatever offense was made as we were willing to get takeout and even order two drinks…

edit Just now went through my old reviews and am shocked at the owners response. I know it was 1/2 a year ago but I still remember this moment clear as day because it was the worst experience in Japan.

We were willing to follow ANY of your rules as we tried to do EVERYWHERE in Japan. Literally no one in Japan was as racist or rude as the man in this shop. I didn’t realize it at first but he does seem to have a childish disdain for foreigners now that I look back and see other reviews. If he took time to explain his rules or desire or even tried to be understanding of his customers this would’ve been such an easy interaction. We love Japan and respect all people no matter what.

On that trip my wife was pregnant and her options were very limited because she had to change her diet. As clearly stated in the owners review we translated that we wanted to get one drink and if that was okay and he agreed! That’s the only reason my wife went to sit down… if he said “no, sorry please order one drink per person”, we would gladly order 2 just to try his coffee! But after he got very rude and condescending without explanation and suggested a different coffee shop we said we were willing to do take out so that we don’t take up space in the shop or cause inconvenience to him. He said no because there is a problem and that we have to leave…

I originally made this review to share my experience and warn other foreigners so they are more prepared if they choose to come here. Or that the owner apologize for his attitude and for not even trying to make peace and fix the situation. I didn’t write the review “just to feel better”. It is so immature to behave this way; to kick people out instead of taking 1min to understand and be kind and then pretend you have an excuse for your behavior by writing a response to my review.

My thoughts on the situation are the same and I'm glad now that I see I'm not alone and others have had similar experiences so I know I'm not crazy or wrong. That the owner was in fact wrong and should have apologized.

I'm also glad to see that he is trying to apologize in some of the one star reviews now. I just hope he truly means it and takes action to make all people feel welcome while also clearly defining his...

This cafe was recommended by my friend who happens to know the owner and it also had good ratings on google so I wanted to go and try it. Today was the first day in over a week that I could go outside because I was sick for the last week and couldn’t go out. I decided to go to this cafe, drink some delicious coffee and relax with a book, maybe for 45 minutes before I had to leave for work. First of all the cafe is far away from the station around 15 min on foot. But I like walking so I didn’t mind it. When I arrived I really liked the vibes and interior of the cafe. I made an order and waited. However the seat I chose was a bit uncomfortable. It was one of those counter chairs but it didn’t really have a footrest so my feet were floating in the air. I decided to change my seat and sit on the box bench. When I stood up the chair toppled and fell over. I felt very embarassed and sorry about causing a rucus. I can be clumsy sometimes and everyone makes mistakes. Ofc I immediately picked up the chair and pushed it back. I then changed my seat. While the owner made my coffee he got confused and asked me if I wanted my coffee to go. Maybe the bench I was sitting on was for guests waiting to take it to go? Idk. However I said for here and asked if it was ok if i sat on the bench and he said ok. He brought me my coffee and while I was drinking it I was enjoying reading my book (which is an activity I enjoy doing in cafes a lot). For a while I was the only customer in the cafe. Then a group of 3 men arrived and ordered. They sat on the other bench. So there were still 3-4 counter chairs left but no one else was waiting outside or anything. Then the owner came and asked me if I finished drinking. I said yes and he cleaned up my glasses and said “bye”. I was confused a bit but kept on reading. After a minute he was like “Sorry but if you finished your drink you have to leave. My cafe is small and not a place to read books. So please leave now.” I was shook and a little bit sad about this treatment especially in front of other customers. I just said ok and left as I dont like confrontation and being treated in a rude way for no obvious mistake stresses me out a lot. But tbh I only stayed at the cafe for 30 minutes when I was asked to leave and had a rather small cup of coffee that costed over 600 yen. And I was planning to leave 15 minutes later anyway. If there were other people waiting outside or if there had been a time limit from the beginning then I would understand it. But as I said before there were 3-4 empty seats left and no one lining up outside. I have been to many cafes and restaurants in Japan in my almost 7 years of living here and I NEVER got asked to leave, even after finishing my food/drink and many times people were even lining up outside. Even then I was never asked to leave. Usually I would leave by myself if I realize people are waiting. But sometimes you cannot see the entrance from your seat so most of the time you dont even know whether there is a line or not. But even if there is, I never got asked to leave the store, especially not after only 30 minutes of staying there. I think most people go to cafes to relax. Maybe read, write or journal or chat with friends. No one goes there to just drink sth and leave quickly unless they are in a hurry or if they take it to go.

I am really sorry that I dropped the chair and if this treatment was really because of the chair then i really feel bad about it. It was not on purpose, it was a small accident. But I am also just a human and everyone makes mistakes. Nobody is perfect.

My recommendation for future customers is to take the coffee to go. The coffee is really delicious and prepared with care but it seems like this cafe is not really a cafe but just a coffee stand. My recommendation for the staff/owner is to have a written note on the door in Japanese and English that says “Please leave the cafe if you finished your drink” so that people know...

5 stars for the coffee, 1 star for the service.

I had a really good flat white here — smooth texture with a nice oat aroma. One of the best I’ve had.

But I also had an unpleasant experience.

While I was waiting and drinking my coffee, I used my iPad to read for about 15 minutes. Since I liked the coffee so much, I wanted to try another one. But when I asked the owner, he said, “I saw you using a tablet.”

That’s when I noticed a line at the bottom of the menu saying that laptops and tablets are not allowed. I said I wouldn’t use it again, but the owner stayed silent and gave me a cold look, clearly showing he didn’t want to serve me anymore. That made me feel very uncomfortable, so I quietly left without causing trouble for other customers.

It’s true that I didn’t follow the rule, but: • The rule wasn’t mentioned to me beforehand. • The owner didn’t say anything while I was using the iPad, so I thought it was okay.

Most cafés in Japan don’t have this kind of rule, though I understand it’s the owner’s personal policy, which is fine.

What I didn’t like was how the situation was handled. The owner didn’t communicate properly, and it felt like he put all the blame and discomfort on me.

Even though the coffee was great, I don’t think I’ll come back. It just lacked a bit...