When you think of a cafe, you probably think of your local brewery. Maybe you have a favourite Starbucks or haunt, where you stop by to grab a cup of coffee to get you through the day. Tokyo, with its whole host of role-play and themed cafes, will make you think twice about your cafe experience.
Here are a few of the weirdest and wackiest cafes in Tokyo — where it’s more than just having a drink.
Maidreamin Cafe
The concept of maid cafes was first popularised by anime. Well-loved series like Kaichou Wa Maid Sama saw the opening of many maid cafes, with Maidreamin Cafe being one of the very best. The Cafe has a total of fifteen locations all over Japan, seven of which are in the electronics hub of Akihabara.
As soon as you enter, you will receive a warm welcome from the maids. They’ll address you as Master or Mistress, and guide you to your seats. More than anything, it’s like the feeling of coming home after a long day. The fun doesn’t end there. Choose from a menu of kawaii or cute food items and drinks, each personally decorated by your chosen maid. Some food items come with adorable spells or chants that your maid will encourage you to say, just to add a little spark of magic to your experience.
For a small fee, you can also get a Polaroid picture taken with your favourite maid. The maids at Maidreamin also perform live shows every two hours, filled with fun dancing and singing. The girls are bubbly, energetic and charming, so clap along to the beat and make the most of your time at Maidreamin Cafe.
Swallowtail Butler Cafe
Whilst Maid cafes welcome patrons of any gender, any princesses looking to be pampered can head to Swallowtail Butler Cafe. Swap the cheerful and chic young girls for sophisticated, primly dressed butlers.
The atmosphere at this cafe is definitely more serious. This exercise in role-playing borrows heavily from the Victorian tradition and presents Japan’s take on the old-time English. Just like with the maids, the butlers will cater to your every whim. Instead of master or mistress, you’ll be addressed as milord or milady. Revel in your sudden rise in status, as you’re led to your seat. The menu boasts a wide selection of tea, scones and pastries, and instead of spells, your butler will take care to prepare your steaming cup of tea before your very eyes.
Swallowtail Butler Cafe specialises in elegance, class and refinement. Be prepared to be blown away when the footmen let you in and get a taste of what it might have been like to be nobility in your past life.
The Lock Up
If you’re looking for a whole new take on service, check out The Lock Up. Don’t expect any prancing, frilly maids or butlers here. At this unconventional cafe, you pay to get locked up for a total of two, terrifying hours. Begin by groping your way through the dark, before a policeman comes to escort you to your cell. The policeman will also handcuff you.
If you ever wanted to know what life behind bars is like, you can get a taste of it here. As with themed cafes, the menu is filled with fun and creatively themed items, such as the terrifying Interview with a Vampire, the signature drink served with a flashy pair of vampire fangs bobbing inside. Drinks are all served in test tubes and the food is no less exciting, with meat trussed up as zombie entrails and prison fare. The prison stages a blackout three times in the night, during which horrific monsters will race through the corridors and barge into your cells, without any prior notice. This cafe is definitely not for the faint-hearted!
If you’re worried about the language barrier, the staff always have a single English-speaking and Chinese-speaking member on hand to best serve their prisoners.
Vampire Cafe
Sticking with the theme of horror cafes, there’s the Vampire Cafe, inspired by beloved anime and manga series like Vampire Knight. The spooky cafe relies more on atmosphere than violence or gimmicks to keep you on your toes. You’ll be led to your candlelit dinner, and accompanied by some of the most bloodthirsty ghouls in town.
The theme of the evening is blood red and gothic black. You’ll spot lots of coffin imagery, from the menu to the large tomb sitting in the middle of the restaurant, the perfect centrepiece. There are plenty of candles to go around, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a surface that isn’t covered in blood. Nevertheless, it’s less scary than it is romantic, in an eerie way. You’ll be served by vampires, and brought through an exciting array of entrees, main courses and desserts, which are regularly swapped out. There’s also a whole list of bloody cocktails to choose from.
If you’re a fan of the Twilight Saga or even BBC’s Dracula, you’ll love this place and their take on the terrifying monsters from Eastern Europe.
Christon Cafe
A Catholic-themed cafe may not be what you had in mind when you started planning your trip to Tokyo, but rest assured the cafe is not reserved for the devout. In fact, you don’t have to be a Catholic at all. The cafe’s fun spin on the medieval aesthetic of Catholicism is sure to wow and delight.
Be swept away by grand organ music as you make your entrance. The attention paid to the decor is exquisite, with high, vaulted ceilings, stained glass and wooden altars littering the cafe space. Idols litter the room, as well as gargoyles, all of which are said to be actual artefacts from Europe amassed and sent back to Tokyo to lend the cafe an air of authenticity. Order from a cross-shaped menu and pick from eclectic food items like Little Devil and Joan of the Arc.
The cafe actually first opened its doors in Osaka, but its popularity saw it open a branch in Tokyo. It’s said to be a popular haunt for gothic lolitas, so maybe you can spot one of these elaborately dressed patrons during your visit.
