SAISON bakery&coffee

Higashigotanda, Shinagawa · Tokyo · Steep Index 8.1/10

SAISON bakery&coffee — Tokyo

A bakery first and a cafe second, a couple of minutes from Gotanda Station, with a decent brunch menu and a croissant worth ordering.

The Steep Index

Atmosphere and value lead, helped by a croissant that earns the trip. Coffee is decent rather than a draw, and solo-friendliness takes the hit from a room that is swamped at lunch with a long wait for food and drinks.

  • Coffee / Drink Quality: 7.8/10
  • Atmosphere: 8.9/10
  • Solo-Friendliness: 7.3/10
  • Value: 8.4/10
  • Staying Power: 8.1/10
  • Overall: 8.1/10

Perfect for: brunch

The Space

The bakery sits on the ground floor of the Gotanda AS Building, a couple of minutes from the station. It is a busy room built around the bread, and it fills up fast at lunch.

The Coffee

The latte is decent. The croissant is the thing to order, with a crispy crust and a moist inside full of air pockets, and the sukiyaki sandwich was tasty even though, like most sandwiches in Japan, it was small.

Come for the brunch, and order the croissant.

The Vibe

The staff are friendly but completely inundated, so food and drinks can take a long time to arrive. Weekends at lunch are the worst of it.

The Verdict

This is a bakery with a good brunch menu and decent coffee, not a coffee destination. Come for the croissant and the brunch plates, and go early or on a weekday if you do not want to queue.

Practical information

  • Address: 2-8-3 Higashigotanda, Shinagawa City, Tokyo 141-0022, Japan (Gotanda AS Building 1F)
  • Price: ¥¥
  • Type: bakery cafe

Website

@saison_bakerycoffee

More in Tokyo

  • Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills, By Hyatt Steep Pick
    Toranomon, 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.

  • wine bar juni Steep Pick
    Meguro · 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.

  • Nadoya no Katte Steep Pick
    Nishihara, 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 Pick
    Yaesu, 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 Pick
    Yaesu, 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 Pick
    Azabujuban, 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.

The full Tokyo guide →