Donish Coffee Company Kagurazaka
Kagurazaka, Shinjuku · Tokyo · Steep Index 8.6/10 · Steep Pick
A take-out coffee stand tucked into the corner of a stylish Kagurazaka building, roasted in house by a Q Grader, with outside benches that suit a solo visit to read or watch people go by.
The Steep Index
Coffee leads, a Colombian single-origin iced latte with a strawberry aroma and just the right acidity. Solo-friendliness and atmosphere follow, a stylish corner stand with benches outside where one person can read or people-watch, and value is high at under a thousand yen.
- Coffee / Drink Quality: 9.3/10
- Atmosphere: 8.5/10
- Solo-Friendliness: 8.7/10
- Value: 8.6/10
- Staying Power: 7.9/10
- Overall: 8.6/10
Perfect for: reading, people watching
The Space
Donish is a take-out coffee stand nestled in the corner of a stylish building, and if you are not paying attention you can walk straight past it. There is no room to sit inside, but there are benches outside.
The Coffee
Donish is a specialty roaster that sources its beans from around the world and roasts them in house under a Q Grader. I had the Colombian single-origin iced latte, and it was quite wonderful, with a great strawberry aroma and just the right acidity.
Easy to miss in the corner of a corporate building, and worth not missing.
The Vibe
The atmosphere is quiet and stylish, a small stand set into a polished building rather than a cafe you settle into. It is an ideal place to go alone, whether you want to read on the benches or just watch people go by.
The Verdict
Come on your own with a book, or with nothing at all, and take the iced latte to a bench outside. Look for the corner of the FARO building, because it is easy to miss.
Practical information
- Address: 5-1 Fukuromachi, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 162-0828, Japan (FARO Kagurazaka 1F)
- Price: ¥
- Type: coffee stand
More in Kagurazaka
- AKHA AMA COFFEE KAGURAZAKAKagurazaka, Shinjuku · Steep Index 8.3/10
A Chiang Mai coffee institution's Tokyo outpost, tucked into a picturesque Kagurazaka backstreet and serving beans sourced directly from Thailand's Akha hill tribes alongside homemade pastries worth ordering.
- Arbor CoffeeKagurazaka, Shinjuku · Steep Index 7.9/10
A small, quaint cafe in an upscale corner of Shinjuku, held back by coffee that has consistently lacked flavor and balance across two visits.
- Shimada CaféKagurazaka, Shinjuku · Steep Index 7.8/10
A chic Kagurazaka brunch spot on the third floor of an unmarked building, better known for its two-day-marinated French toast than for its coffee. Order the toast, skip the latte.
All cafes and bars in Kagurazaka →
More in Tokyo
- Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills, By Hyatt Steep PickToranomon, Minato · Steep Index 8.9/10
The rooftop bar on the 51st floor of Toranomon Hills Mori Tower where the Tokyo skyline does the heavy work and a genuinely imaginative cocktail program does not let it do all of it alone.
- Nadoya no Katte Steep PickNishihara, Shibuya · Steep Index 8.8/10
In a small Nishihara space with garden seating and communal tables inside, Nadoya no Katte runs one of Tokyo's most considered coffee experiences. You choose the bean. The barista explains everything. Then you wait, and you taste.
- The Bvlgari Lounge Steep PickYaesu, Chuo · Steep Index 8.8/10
A 40th-floor afternoon tea lounge inside Bvlgari Hotel Tokyo, built around Italian-inspired sweets, scrumptious scones, and a genuinely exceptional tea list.
- The Bvlgari Bar Steep PickYaesu, Chuo · Steep Index 8.8/10
A 45th-floor rooftop bar inside Bvlgari Hotel Tokyo, all panoramic skyline views, minimalist Italian design, and a cocktail programme sharp enough to match the address.
- Tokyo Confidential Steep PickAzabujuban, Minato · Steep Index 8.8/10
Six floors above Azabujuban with a secret 7th-floor rooftop that most of Tokyo has not found yet. The cocktails are creative enough that the view almost becomes secondary.
- wine bar juni Steep PickMeguro · Steep Index 8.8/10
California-born chef Katy Cole opened this eight-seat Meguro natural wine bar and hand-threw every ceramic piece in it. Around sixty bottles, mostly Savoie and Rheinhessen, ten by the glass, in a room that looks like a Georgia O'Keeffe painting had good taste in wine.