East of the Third Wave

Tokyo · 2–3 hours · morning

Two in-house roasters in east Koto that most people walk past on their way to Kiyosumi-Shirakawa. Start in a 130-year-old nagaya, finish with the best orange espresso tonic in Monzen-nakacho.

The route

• 1. Byron Bay Coffee Company
  Kiyosumi-Shirakawa, Koto

  A renovated Meiji-era nagaya that somehow fits a full specialty bar and a meat pie kitchen inside its original timber frame. The in-house roast is serious, the espresso is precise, and the building alone justifies the detour from the main Kiyosumi strip.

  15 min walk to the next stop

• 2. Monnaka Coffee
  Monzen-nakacho

  Biplane's Monzen-nakacho outpost: a two-story in-house roastery two minutes from the station. Order the orange espresso tonic — one of the better versions of the drink in Tokyo — and take the second floor when you want room to stay.

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