Shibuya Specialty

So much more than a coffee stand, Little Nap is a chic hole-in-the-wall that probably fits no more than four drinkers at any given time. The building is a New England–style clapboard, and the floor-to-ceiling glass wall means you can sit with a steaming cup of caffeine in hand and watch the world go by. Little Nap deal in both coffee and ice cream, and we recommend combining the two. Order a scoop of vanilla and a shot of espresso for a do-it-yourself affogato—the perfect combination of sweet and bitter that happens to have the effect of rocket fuel. All the beans are roasted in their own roaster nearby.

Steamer’s first owner was a latte art champion. For real. It’s worth knowing that to achieve those pretty brown-and-white hot-milk swirls, the espresso needs to be well extracted and the milk perfectly steamed. Steamer’s lattes are an excellent way to wake up—creamy, hot, and a little bit sharp, served in a mug the size of a soup bowl, much as the French serve café au lait. The military latte, an East-meets-West mix of espresso, milk, and matcha, is a brew for the more adventurous. Like many spots in Tokyo, this place is perpetually slammed, but the intricate illustrations in every cup elevate the ordinary experience of drinking coffee into a novelty.