Restaurant 1899 Ochanomizu — Restaurant in Tokyo

We came for the Matcha Alcohol, and wanted a light snack before heading to dinner elsewhere. We got there at 5PM, but they didn't open until 5:30PM so we happily waited outside.

Everyone was nice and polite, they explained that they didn't have an English menu, which wasn't a problem since there were pictures. We pointed to our drinks of choice and then to a couple of plates of food.

We ended up ordering 2 drinks each and was ready to set out since we were not impressed. Before leaving, I decided to go to the ladies room. As soon as I got up, my husband was presented with a dish of unagi as a 'thank you for waiting' comp dish (which we did not order), I came back and then 2 more dishes (same type of dish) was brought out... again dishes we didn't order. We were then asked if we wanted to order more drinks. Feeling the obligation to do so since we were given food, we agreed to order 2 more drinks. (Our own stupid fault).

Finishing everything we finally went to pay, and of course we were charged for dishes we DID NOT ORDER. How can we argue something we ate? We had no choice but to pay. Which normally wouldn't be an issues if we ordered things we wanted to eat.

Would I recommend this place? Probably not. It's fairly out of the way (nothing around), the drinks were weak, and food wasn't that great. Service was decent until we went to square away the bill and left feeling like they took advantage of us being foreigners unable to completely communicate in their...

Restaurant 1899 Ochanomizu is a hidden gem in Tokyo where Japanese tea takes center stage. 🍵✨

What makes this place so special is the way they weave tea into everything — not just drinks, but also savory dishes and desserts. The Chajuzen lunch set was an unforgettable experience: every course infused with subtle tea flavors, beautifully presented, and perfectly balanced between umami and earthy green tea notes. It felt like dining inside the spirit of Japanese tea culture.

This summer I tried their Matcha Afternoon Tea, a playful mix of nine creations from matcha mont blanc and parfait to savory bites like shrimp with matcha mousse wrapped in yuba. Each item had its own character, yet together they created a refreshing and elegant harmony. 🍃

The atmosphere is modern yet calm, with a Western-style interior that still celebrates Japanese tradition. It wasn’t crowded during my visit, so we could truly relax and enjoy. The staff were warm and attentive — even with a language gap, their kindness made everything smooth.

And of course, the tea itself is the highlight: from sencha to hojicha to unique tea cocktails, everything was brewed with care. I especially loved the sake & tea cake — so delicious that I couldn’t resist bringing a whole one home. 🍶🍰

If you love Japanese tea or want to experience it in an entirely new way, this restaurant is a must-visit in Tokyo....

A nice place to meet and hang out. The unique signature items here are the matcha and houjicha craft beers, but they also have a cool selection of tea cocktails and mocktails.

The savoury food items were all right, but the desserts and drinks were outstanding. The best-tasting food items I had were the aji sashimi in miso matcha sauce, shrimp and tea leaf pizza, matcha sanuki udon, matcha gelato and matcha chocolate tart.

In fact, the shrimp and tea leaf pizza could've been perfect...if it weren't served on a plate. One of the benefits of a wooden pizza board is it absorbs some moisture, so you don't instantly get a layer of condensation between your pizza base and the board, unlike regular plates. This is especially important for the thin type of pizza they're serving because it gets soggy very easily, so the centre was already soggy by the time it reached our table. Maybe adding one of those bamboo mats they use for serving cold soba between the pizza and the plate might have a similar effect of allowing steam to escape? 🤔

Anyway, on drinks, I enjoyed the matcha beer. It strikes a good balance between the tea and beer flavours, but the houjicha peach milk was definitely the star of the night. Fantastic texture and perfectly balanced, allowing all three flavours to...