Asahikawa (Hokkaido)
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Take a break: 6 recommended cafes in Asahikawa

Asahikawa, known as Hokkaido's second-largest city, features wide roads that create an open atmosphere, which is said to contribute to its many relaxing cafes that also offer a stylish, urban feel. Among the cafes in Asahikawa where you can take a breather during your travels, we would like to introduce some recommended spots that focus on local ingredients and spaces designed to soothe your fatigue.

Enjoy a healthy lunch in a space surrounded by books carefully selected by the owner.

The popular "Omakase Lunch Plate" with plenty of vegetables and a home-cooked taste, 1,100 yen
The popular "Omakase Lunch Plate" for 1100 yen, featuring plenty of vegetables and a home-cooked taste

The lunch menu, created with the wish that you can spend some slow, personal time amidst a busy daily life, features healthy dishes centered on vegetables sourced from Hokkaido. It feels a bit like eating a nostalgic home-cooked meal made by your mother. The main dish includes a daily rotation of fish or meat, so it is healthy yet fully satisfying. It is a cafe lunch that will make you feel at ease while traveling.

A retro space filled with books and miscellaneous goods spreads out before you.

The gentle lighting and retro space create a nostalgic mood
The gentle lighting and retro space create a nostalgic mood.

Opening the door reveals an interior that feels like a retro world apart. Beside the entrance, there is a corner with miscellaneous goods collected by the owner with the hope that "you might find a treasure for yourself," offering the joy of shopping for a favorite item. The shelves are lined with books and picture books of various genres. You might even want to get some takeout for a late-night snack after returning to your hotel.

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Refresh yourself with a meal featuring gentle flavors while browsing the carefully selected goods. You can enjoy your time while traveling, such as by flipping through the pages of a book left on the table.

Café Susiee Cooper
  • AddressWonder Heights 1F, 2-2 Nagayama 9-jo 5-chome, Asahikawa, Hokkaido MAP
  • AccessApprox. 15 minutes by car from JR Asahikawa Station
  • Bus accessTake a bus from JR Asahikawa Station, get off at "Nagayama 10-jo 4-chome," and walk for about 3 minutes
  • Business hours11:00–17:00
  • ClosedMondays, Tuesdays (irregular holidays may occur)
  • TEL0166-46-4700
  • ParkingFree

Enjoy lunchtime in a space with beautiful wood arranged like a lattice.

"Vegetable-packed Salad Plate" (includes soup and rice or baguette) for 1,250 yen, served with Hokkaido-grown vegetables that enhance the flavor of the dish, and orange juice for 450 yen
The "Vegetable-Packed Salad Plate" (comes with soup and rice or baguette) for 1,250 yen, served with Hokkaido-grown vegetables that enhance the flavor of the dish, and orange juice for 450 yen.

A lifestyle select shop and cafe that reopened next to the Asahikawa Design Center. In Asahikawa, known as a town of furniture, the menu is based on the concept of "making your better life just a little bit richer" and uses seasonal vegetables from the Asahikawa area and Hokkaido. In addition to the "Vegetable-Packed Salad Plate" that you can enjoy as a single plate, the menu features two types of pasta that change with the seasons, open-faced rye bread sandwiches, and popular homemade desserts. It is recommended to make a reservation before going, even for lunch. Furthermore, a renewal is planned for early August 2022, when it will be revamped into a Taiwanese-style dim sum cafe and restaurant.

A luxurious and spacious area featuring original furniture

A spacious interior featuring original furniture crafted by the adjacent Asahikawa Design Center
A spacious interior featuring original furniture produced by the adjacent Asahikawa Design Center.

The interior, furnished with Asahikawa furniture, is filled with the scent of wood, making you feel as if you are bathing in a forest. With its original furniture that shines with masterful craftsmanship amidst a simple design, the cafe is a comfortable space where you can sit and relax or simply admire the decor. The wide spacing between tables, which allows for a quiet and leisurely time even during lunch, is another reason for its popularity.

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We also recommend our special room, which uses creative lighting to recreate the natural scenery and weather of Asahikawa.

Palemta
  • AddressNext to Asahikawa Design Center, 1-35 Nagayama 2-jo 10-chome, Asahikawa, Hokkaido MAP
  • AccessApprox. 19 minutes by car from JR Asahikawa Station
  • Bus accessTake a bus from JR Asahikawa Station, get off at "Nagayama 2-jo 10-chome", and walk for about 1 minute
  • Business hours10:00–21:00 (Lunch 11:00–15:00, L.O. 14:30; Dinner 17:00–19:00, L.O. 18:15; Wednesdays only until 17:00, L.O. 16:15)
  • ClosedThursdays
  • TEL0166-76-9983
  • ParkingFree

A healthy lunch enjoyed while chatting with the staff

"10-Item Vegetable Veggie Bowl" for 1,080 yen, where you can enjoy a hearty serving of 10 different vegetables
The "10-Item Vegetable Veggie Bowl" for 1,080 yen, where you can enjoy a generous portion of 10 different vegetables.

This cafe, located on a main street, is marked by its white exterior walls and bright red door. The "10-Vegetable Veggie Bowl" is highly acclaimed for being filling despite being centered around colorful vegetables. It is a masterpiece packed with a commitment to showcasing the appeal of Hokkaido ingredients on a single plate. Not only are the vegetables fresh, but each one is prepared with extra care, resulting in a taste that will make you want to come back for more tomorrow.

A shop name that embodies the desire to cherish conversations with customers

You can enjoy conversation with the owner and staff at any time across the counter
You can enjoy conversation with the owner and staff at any time across the counter.

The name "Cafe Chater" is a coined term created by the owner, reflecting the wish that "guests spend their time at the shop as if enjoying a chat." Based on the concept that lively conversation is the spice of a meal, the atmosphere of the shop is a space where you can be yourself without any pretense. Spending your lunch time surrounded by simple furniture and moody lighting will surely become a memorable part of your journey, even as you step away from your daily routine.

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The casual conversation with the owner and staff, which conveys their hospitality, acts as a spice that doubles the deliciousness.

Cafe Chater
  • Address1-24, 5-jo 5-chome, Chuwa, Asahikawa City, Hokkaido MAP
  • AccessApprox. 10 minutes by car from JR Asahikawa Station
  • Bus accessTake a bus from JR Asahikawa Station, get off at "Chuwa 5-jo 5-chome", and walk for about 1 minute
  • Business hours9:00 - 18:00 (L.O. 17:30)
  • ClosedSundays (irregular holidays may apply)
  • TEL0166-56-1526
  • ParkingFree

An interior that gives a Nordic vibe and fluffy pancakes that melt in your mouth

"Mixed Berry Pancakes" for 850 yen, with a gentle sweetness that enhances the fluffy texture
The "Mixed Berry Pancakes" for 850 yen, featuring a gentle flavor where the subtle sweetness enhances the fluffy texture.

Located on the "Hikari no Ehon-dori" (Picture Book Street), this cafe is attached to the second floor of a Nordic goods shop. The pancakes, made with carefully selected Hokkaido ingredients, have a texture that melts the moment they enter your mouth. The subtle sweetness harmonizes with the sweet and sour sauce, leaving you feeling blissful. If you order a cup of their original blend coffee, the interior decor might just make you feel as if you have traveled to Northern Europe.

Refresh yourself while spending time immersed in a Nordic atmosphere

A spacious, antique-style interior with a Nordic atmosphere
A spacious, antique-style interior with a Nordic atmosphere.

The Nordic atmosphere can be felt even from the wood used in the pillars and beams. Spend a relaxing time in the spacious seating area. The cups and murals decorating the interior, as well as the magazines placed on the tables, are all unified under a Nordic theme. Relying not only on the natural light streaming in from the ceiling but also on the soft light from lamps placed throughout, this is a gentle cafe that refreshes both mind and body.

Local
Supporter

The pancakes, which locals call the place to go for pancakes in Asahikawa, have a fluffy texture and a gentle taste that will lift your spirits.

Snus Cafe
  • Address7-jo 8-chome Hidari 2-go, Asahikawa City, Hokkaido MAP
  • AccessApprox. 6 minutes by car from JR Asahikawa Station
  • Bus accessTake a bus from JR Asahikawa Station, get off at "Shiyakusho-mae", and walk for about 2 minutes
  • Business hours11:00–19:00 (L.O. 18:30)
  • ClosedWednesday
  • TEL0166-27-7000
  • ParkingNone

Exquisite, tender dough with a richness you can only find at this shop

"Shortcake Pancakes" made with ricotta cheese in the batter for 1,090 yen (contents change seasonally) and a honey cinnamon latte for 550 yen
The "Shortcake Pancakes" for 1,090 yen (contents change seasonally), made with ricotta cheese in the batter, and a honey cinnamon latte for 550 yen.

A bistro cafe within walking distance of JR Asahikawa Station. The pancakes, served exclusively during cafe hours and prepared by the owner who says, "I want to add an accent to my customers' daily lives and help them create memories," are an essential treat to accompany your tea. Served in a skillet on a wooden plate, the pancakes have a gentle and elegant flavor. With a light texture and the rich taste of ricotta cheese, this is a dish that goes beyond the realm of mere sweets.

A spacious, modern interior with an open atrium and chic lighting

The interior is welcoming to everyone and spacious enough to host events like wedding after-parties
The interior is welcoming to everyone and spacious enough to host events like wedding after-parties.

The atmosphere of the shop, infused with the owner's belief that "cooking is just one means, and I want to cherish the joy of customers by making the space and table vibrant," creates a welcoming vibe that lets you settle in immediately, even on your first visit. Drawing on experience from various training locations, the owner opens a shaved ice specialty shop called "SNOW LAB" in the summer, which is so popular it draws lines. It is one of Asahikawa's renowned shops where you can enjoy professional cuisine in a homey setting.

Local
Supporter

The hamburger steak, made with an original blend of Tokachi Toyonishi beef and served during dinner time, is a very popular menu item among regulars.

Bistro Cafe Libro
  • Address1-14 Kagura 3-jo 8-chome, Asahikawa, Hokkaido MAP
  • AccessApprox. 3 minutes by car from JR Asahikawa Station
  • Business hours11:30–22:00 (Lunch 11:30–15:00 L.O. 14:00, Cafe 14:00–17:00 L.O. 16:00, Dinner 18:00–22:00 L.O. 21:00, Dinner closed on Wednesdays only)
  • ClosedOpen every day
  • TEL0166-61-8866
  • ParkingFree

An exquisite cafe where you can enjoy the openness of the vast sky

"Sorairo Sandwich Set" for 1,078 yen (includes salad, soup, and drink), with a choice of 3 types of bread, and "Berry Berry Cheesecake" for 968 yen
The "Sorairo Sandwich Set" for 1,078 yen (includes salad, soup, and drink), with a choice of 3 types of bread, and the "Berry Berry Cheesecake" for 968 yen.

You can choose your sandwich based on your mood from three types of bread—focaccia, ciabatta, and baguette—sourced from a bakery in Asahikawa, all of which carry the rich aroma of Hokkaido-grown wheat. The bacon and homemade carrot rapes tucked inside are juicy and enhance the flavor of the bread. We also recommend the "Berry Berry Cheesecake," topped with a cookie shaped like the shop's bird symbol. The cheesecake, a blend of two types of cheese, and the parfait topped with handmade meringue are also very popular with customers visiting with children.

A cafe where you can experience the vastness of Hokkaido in the terrace garden

The view from inside the shop at dusk, where the town lights sparkle like diamonds
The view from inside the shop where the town lights sparkle like diamonds at dusk.

The view from the cafe on the 7th floor of the Crystal Building, within walking distance of Asahikawa Station, offers a sense of openness that evokes the vastness of Hokkaido. During the day, you can feel the scale of Hokkaido in the endless sky and mountain ranges, and from dusk onwards, you can gaze at the town lights that sparkle like diamonds, allowing you to enjoy a relaxing time that spans not just cafe hours, but bar hours as well.

Local
Supporter

The location of this shop, where 90% of the customers are women, offers a spectacular view regardless of the time of day. The spacious interior allows you to fully enjoy an open and relaxed atmosphere.

GARDEN CAFE Sorairo
  • AddressCrystal Building 7F, 1-jo-dori 6-chome, Asahikawa, Hokkaido MAP
  • AccessApprox. 3 minutes by car from Asahikawa Station
  • Business hoursTue, Wed, Thu 11:00–17:00
    Fri, Sat 11:00–16:30, 17:30–21:00 (Bar Time) *Reservation required except during summer season
  • ClosedMondays
  • TEL0166-26-7000
  • ParkingFree (1 hour with purchases of 1,000 yen or more, Crystal Parking only)
*The information provided is current as of the date of the article's update. Please check in advance as it may be subject to change.