Leaves Coffee Roasters — Restaurant in Tokyo

Context: Queued 45 mins in the cold for this at midday on a Sunday. Clearly the influencer crowd has found its way to Leaves.

I love a beautiful cafe as much as the next person, but I’m also a firm believer that form should follow function. Unfortunately I think Leaves takes the former a bit too far at the expense of the latter. The wide entrance and pitiful heating mean the seats near the door (where I was sat) are particularly frigid, even in early spring. At any rate almost everyone in the cafe was swaddled in their jackets. Notwithstanding that patrons may deserve some minimal level of comfort to enjoy their coffee, my drink also got cold very very fast, which — as the baristas at Leaves are intensely aware, given that one of their claims to fame is the “temperature change experience” — affects the taste profile of the coffee. Also the tables are not so much tables as stools, which with their spindly little legs stand a non-negligible risk of easily being knocked over. I know it’s a bit late, but I wish more attention had been paid to functionality — industrial chic decor alone does not a good cafe make.

That’s my only criticism of Leaves. We tried both a filter and a white coffee, and both were excellent. Japanese roasters seem to favour lighter roasts, so I don’t see whites served as often, but this one was very delicious, round and balanced, with a unique tea-like profile. (Admittedly it also cost a bloodcurdling 2,500 yen, but limited edition gesha beans and all that. :p) Flawless, silky smooth microfoam too. I could see how much the baristas cared about their coffee, because they spend time picking out the bad coffee beans and even used the levelling tool to make sure the filter was parallel to the counter 😮. I’d come back to try their other (hopefully cheaper) beans, but I’ll try to visit on a Monday next time, when it’s hopefully less crowded (though I wouldn’t get my hopes up), and perhaps when the weather isn’t threatening to turn me and my coffee...

Leaves was such a treat to visit. The whole experience is steeped in tradition and craft. My friends told me that the coffee situation in Japan just hits different, and wow were they right.

I had the Mexico Latte, which had a wonderful balance of this smooth, nutty flavor from the coffee and the rich creaminess from the milk.

When the shop opens (if you're there before opening), you are seated on a long bench up against the front window. In front of you is a cute little bar stool (where your coffee will sit). Customers go up one at a time to order their beverage, then sit back down to wait it to arrive. The "slowness" of this process helps you to appreciate every detail of the experience - watching them create the beverages, the industrial flourishes of the store, the matching shop coats the whole team is wearing, and the beautiful flavors built into every coffee. In a world where everything is fast and convenient, and the idea of "living in the moment" and "contentment" is lost, this is a refreshingly welcomed experience.

Please make a visit here when you can. You won't...

Really good coffee and great staff! Both the filter and espresso we had were great. They offer a pretty nice variety of beans, both with different origin and processes. If you’re into coffee, this is a great place to nerd out about it with the baristas.

My only complaint is the crowd in the shop itself. The interior and vibe is very instagramable. And so in the 30 min we were there, we witnessed at least 2 instances of people having full blown photoshoots. Pretty much every person coming in, brought a camera and seemed more concerned with taking pictures then the actual coffee itself. Personally I think this is a bit of a shame. I strongly believe that this place would benefit from a no cameras policy. Because the coffee is really good and imo reasonably priced. Especially when regarding the effort the baristas put into brewing the best cup possible.

Tip: come in the afternoon. When we got there at 10:30 there was a massive queue. When we came back at 13:00 we could...