Kanazawa Café Guide: Top Coffee Spots You Must Visit Part1

They’re here, they’re there, they’re everywhere! If you’re out for a day of sightseeing in Kanazawa Castle Park or meandering past the samurai houses in Nagamachi (Bukeyashiki), swing by one or all of these unique cafes for a memorable cup of coffee.

Kanazawaya, sit back and relax in a bygone era!

©Keri Yazawa

Tucked away in the lee of Kanazawa Castle Park’s Kuromon exit is an old, bungalow-style house. Recently renovated, it now offers locally roasted coffee, original blends, and various sweets that are produced by Kanazawa roastery, Caravan Serai. In fact, one of the things I adore about Caravan Serai is its selection of prettily-wrapped baked goods and individually-sealed pour-over coffee pouches. Their brandy cake, in a variety of flavors, makes for a fantastic gift, or there’s the instant coffee with flecks of gold leaf (for the casual coffee drinker who appreciates flashy things). If you need a gift for a coffee-drinker, then this is the place to get it.

©Keri Yazawa

Order at the cash register on your right as you enter the shop. I went with the Toshiie Blend (named after the first Lord Maeda of Kanazawa) and a dainty chocolate cake baked in the shape of a cacao bean. Made with brandy and red wine, the cake is served warm with whipped cream and various nibbles that, if you alternate them with bites of cake, will have you re-appreciating the rich, chocolatey flavor over and over again. I discovered a plump cherry, a juicy fig, and then a second cherry as I made my way through the treat. A perfect counterpoint to a cup of flavorful, black coffee.

Refresh yourself with Edo-style elegance!

©Keri Yazawa

Your order is delivered to your table (either in the first floor shop, upstairs on the second floor, or out on the front veranda) and is served in ceramic cups and wooden dishes that add to the traditional ambiance despite the English menu and bilingual staff. So if you’re looking for a spot in Japan’s late 19th century to put your feet up for a bit, wander over.

Kanazawaya Coffee

Website: https://www.krf.co.jp/kanazawa/about/index.html 
Google Maps Location: https://g.co/kgs/9AdAQYG

Pop By Coffee, where you can watch the world go by!

©Keri Yazawa

If you’re all tuckered out from your stroll through the samurai house neighborhood in Nagamachi and are looking for a place to watch the world cruise by, then this is the cafe for you. High wooden bars and stools line the main cafe space, looking out through large picture windows and onto one of Kanazawa’s main streets. Within moments of settling in, you’ll find yourself and your cuppa suspended in time.

The owners are lovely, friendly people who cheerfully greet their regular customers and readily offer an English menu to newcomers.

Hot mozzarella, tomato, and basil sandwich (left) and cappuccino (right)

©Keri Yazawa

The menu includes hot sandwiches made with homemade wheat bread, plus desserts. The pudding (similar to flan) was very satisfying, topped with a homemade coffee ice cream that was easily the best I’d ever tasted. If your stomach isn’t interested in accommodating a sandwich or a dessert, you can pick up some cookies from their selection of takeaway foods.

As there was no plain ol’ blend coffee on the menu, I asked one of the owners which latte he liked best and I ended up with the best cappuccino I can remember sipping. The creamy froth and a memorable nutty nuance gave a gentle nudge to my stress and put my worries on the backburner. They also offer matcha and homemade lemonade. There’s non-alcoholic lemon squash, too, in addition to a selection of alcoholic beverages.

Pudding with homemade coffee ice cream

©Keri Yazawa

The cafe itself somehow blends the stripped-down industrial look with the golden-oldie days of a Norman Rockwell illustration. Brushed and cracked cement flooring, a quick coat of paint on the corrugated metal ceiling, and exposed incandescent light bulbs blend with the hanging bouquets of dried flowers and delicate (and at times fanciful) acoustic music. Pop By Coffee is a place where it’s easy and enjoyable to lose track of time.

Pop By Coffee

Website: https://instagram.com/popbycoffee?utm_medium=copy_link 
Google Maps Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/UFrobXLrfYAAeZGK9 

CAFE DUMBO, a brick or two of Brooklyn in Kanazawa!

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No, it’s not named after the Disney character. It’s named in honor of the Big Apple: New York, New York! From the outside, the brick walls and golden lettering on the first floor window indeed bring to mind the gems to be found in Brooklyn. Your initial impression is confirmed with a glance at the baked goods in the display cases: New York cheesecake and “everything” bagels just to name a few. I almost always order the same thing: carrot cake (made with orange peel and real cream cheese frosting) plus dark roast “cawffee”. If you’re not one for sweets, try one of their savory options, like a bagel sandwich!

Heaven is a slice of carrot cake and a cup of cawfee!

©Keri Yazawa

Either grab a table near the front window to people-watch along Kanazawa’s scenic Seseragi-dori or trot up the steps to the quaint second floor dining space with its soft jazz and R&B, and photography and art books. I even spied a copy of Island of the Blue Dolphins, one of my elementary school reads, on a shelf! But my favorite memorabilia is the “I got mugged in Brooklyn” coffee mug that holds the sticks of sugar. Get yourself a glass of water – you can’t miss it.

The second floor of CAFE DUMBO is the perfect place to snuggle down with your cuppa.

©Keri Yazawa

The cafe isn’t large, and it tends to fill up quickly at opening. So if you spy a line outside, don’t give up. Take a walk around the nearby samurai houses neighborhood (Bukeyashiki) and circle back later! The second floor has seven tables (and seats fourteen in total). It’s family-friendly with high-chairs and toys for the kids, but takeout is also an option. If you’re missing the carbs from home, Cafe Dumbo will hit the spot.

CAFE DUMBO

Website: https://www.instagram.com/cafe_dumbo/ 
Google Maps Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ozNut8VyE8TNFC886

This article was written by Keri Yazawa.

About Keri Yazawa
Keri Yazawa has been a resident of Kanazawa City since 2005 and enjoys cycling, stamp-making, and tofu!

©Keri Yazawa