& espresso — Restaurant in Tomi

In the summer of 2023 I circumnavigated Japan alone on a quest for the best coffee jelly on the main island. I visited a cafe in every prefecture over the span of two weeks, and towards the tail end of my journey I made my way to Nagano Prefecture's "& espresso."

The cafe has a very nice atmosphere. It has a cozy wooden interior housed inside a semi-modern looking building. You could also smell the aroma of ground and roasted coffee beans throughout the shop while gentle music tickles your ears. Through the refinement of the owner's actions and the ambiance of the shop, once walking through the doors you can sense the depth of the owner's skills.

There were two floors but I decided to sit on the first floor. As I entered the shop right at it's opening time, I was the only customer. The owner of the shop was very kind. At my time of visiting the coffee jelly was around ¥640.

The coffee jelly here is the single best coffee jelly I have ever had in my life. I still have dreams about this coffee jelly. It was not too overpoweringly bitter, with a fruity taste to it that complimented the espresso jelly. The jelly itself is served with a sweet combination of milk/ice cream. The fruity-bitterness of the jelly and the sweet milk/ice cream came together to form an amazing profile. I hope I can come back here once again in my lifetime.

Next time I want to try the curry and espresso.

Thank you for the...

Stopped by & Espresso in Nagano and it turned out to be such a nice surprise. The highlight for us was definitely the coconut latte, we were surprised how it was smooth, lightly sweet, and really unique. Their matcha latte was also spot-on, rich and well balanced without being too bitter or too milky.

On top of the drinks, I really loved the ambience of the place. The interior has this traditional Japanese charm with cozy lighting that makes you want to linger a bit longer. A great little spot to slow down and...

Quiet ambience, the food is delicious and I like the decoration of the place.

The matcha Latte is a must get! It’s very foamy, not too sweet or too bitter, it was very good. The minestrone soup was tasty, I liked it. The banana bread loved that it includes quite a lot of fruit, ice cream and it feels more complete.

Very...