5 Cafes to Visit in Otaru. Taste the history and enjoy the spectacular view!
Otaru's townscape is steeped in history and full of charm. The undulating terrain with a view of the blue sea. Otaru has many unique cafes in the various faces of the city. From nostalgic pure coffee shops to cafes with one-of-a-kind views, and from stores where you can enjoy stylish, photo-worthy sweets and limited-edition menus, here are some of the cafes you should definitely stop by when you visit Otaru.
1Kitaichi Glass Building No. 3, Kitaichi Hall
Fantastic tea time healed by soft light
Kitaichi Glass Sangokan is located on Sakai-machi Street, the Mecca of Otaru sightseeing. Kitaichi Hall is a café located inside a renovated mid-Meiji era fishing warehouse. In keeping with the history of Kitaichi Glass, which began with the manufacture of oil lamps, the interior is lit entirely by oil lamps, with no electricity whatsoever. Visitors can enjoy meals, sweets, and beverages in a dark and fantastic atmosphere. Kitaichi's special milk tea soft serve, made from royal milk tea carefully brewed with Hokkaido milk, is a popular menu item loved by men and women of all ages. The smooth richness of the soft cream and the aroma of the tea create an elegant aftertaste.
Don't miss the lighting process of bringing 167 lamps to life!
There are 167 oil lamps decorating the interior of the store. If you enter the store when it opens, you can watch the staff/staff members light each lamp one by one. The lamps are brought to life one by one, and when all the lamps are lit, the chandelier is slowly raised to the ceiling, like a solemn ceremony. The wooden frame and stone walls of the warehouse float in the flickering light of the lamps, making us forget for a moment about our busy daily lives. Lamps and glasses used in the Kitaichi Hall are sold in the adjacent store and are recommended as souvenirs.
- Kitaichi Glass Building No. 3, Kitaichi Hall
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7-26 Sakai-cho, Otaru-shi, Hokkaido MAP
10 minutes walk from JR Minami-Otaru Station
9:00-17:30
No holidays
0134-33-1993
Special Parking available
2Literature Cafe & Literature Bar Kaiyotei Koshiji
A coffee shop associated with literary giants that has come back to life over time
In the early Showa period (1926-1989), the coffee shop "Koshiji" is said to have been a gathering place for writers associated with Otaru, such as Sei Ito and Takiji Kobayashi. Kaiyotei Koshiji is a literary cafe and bar that has been revived in the same location. A wide variety of menu items from lunch to desserts and alcohol are available all hours of the day. Koshiji's Meat and Cheese Neapolitan is made with thick, chewy 2.2mm noodles, topped with meat sauce and cheese, and baked in the oven. The aroma rising from the hot griddle is appetizing.
Designs reminiscent of a glamorous era
The name "Kaiyotei" comes from "Kaiyotei," a high-class restaurant in Otaru that was loved by many celebrities from the Meiji Era to the Heisei Era. Kaiyotei was closed in 2015 due to the aging of the building, but the fixtures and furnishings have been reused at Kaiyotei Koshiji. Older customers who knew Kaiyotei and Koshiji in the past often visit to reminisce about Otaru's glamorous days. In addition to the main room with approximately 500 books, there are also retro-modern private rooms that pay homage to Kaiyotei, and Japanese-style rooms inspired by the studies of great writers, where guests can relax without worrying about their surroundings.
- Literature Cafe & Literature Bar Kaiyotei Koshiji
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- 1-1-6 Hanagin Street, Hanazono, Otaru-shi, Hokkaido MAP
- 10 min. walk from JR Otaru Station
- 11:30 - 21:00 (L.O. 20:30)
Saturday, Sunday, Holidays 11:30-19:00 - Mon.
- 0134-61-7682
- None
3Lutao Patos
The Experience of the cream pouring out of the cream is a delight to behold!
Otaru Confectionary Shop Lutao, popular for its take-out sweets, has six stores with different concepts in Otaru City. Rutao Patos, one of the largest of the six, has a café on the second floor where you can enjoy lunch, sweets, drinks, and other items.
The most popular item is the "fluffy fromage soufflé. This Experience-type sweet is a dome-shaped cheese soufflé with a film wrapped around it, topped with a generous amount of whipped cream (served separately), and finished off with fruit sauce to create any pattern you like. When lifting the film at the end, don't forget to prepare to take a video. The moment when the soft whipped cream flows out all at once and the fruit sauce spreads like a blooming flower is not to be missed.
Enjoy the charm of Lutao to the fullest at the store on the first floor
Lutao Patos is located on Sakaimachi-dori Avenue, which is crowded with popular tourist spots and souvenir stores, and the store on the first floor offers a wide variety of products perfect as souvenirs, including popular sweets such as "Deubourre Fromage," which has become synonymous with Lutao. Visitors can enjoy shopping at their leisure in the spacious store. There is also a take-out corner with items such as "Creme Glace" and freshly baked cheese tart "Venezia Rendez-Vous (mini)," making it a great place for those who want to enjoy all the charms of Lutao at once.
- Lutao Patos
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- 5-22 Sakai-cho, Otaru-shi, Hokkaido MAP
- 10 minutes walk from JR Minami-Otaru Station
- 9:00-18:00 (L.O. 17:30)
- No holidays
- 0120-31-4521 (9:00-18:00)
*Lutao's inquiry dial direct - Special Parking available
4Cafe Columbia
Classic sweets in a retro Showa-era space
Cafe Columbia is located in a corner of Hanazono Ginza shopping street, right next to Otaru Sushiya-dori. Founded after World War II, the cafe offers a wide variety of Western-style dishes such as omelet rice and Neapolitan rice, rice bowls, bento boxes, desserts, and beverages. The "Pudding à la mode" is a dish that perfectly blends the richness of the slightly hard-baked pudding, the bitterness of the caramel, and the refreshing sweetness of the vanilla ice cream. The taste, which satisfies the modern palate while preserving the classic style, shows that the shop is not resting on its laurels as a long-established establishment.
Time passes slowly in a space where history is piled up
Even now that the third-generation owner has taken over the restaurant, the interior retains the atmosphere of the restaurant's early days. A sparkling chandelier shining down from the ceiling, model sailboats displayed here and there, antique ceramic dolls and paintings. Leaning back on the red velvet sofa and listening to the profound classical music, you will feel as if you have wandered into a place beyond time and space. The Hanazono Ginza shopping district, where Cafe Columbia is located, has long been a prosperous downtown area. It is worth taking the time to think about the people who gathered at this store and the drama that ensued.
- Cafe Colombia
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- 1-10-2 Hanazono, Otaru-shi, Hokkaido MAP
- 12 min. walk from JR Otaru Station
- 11:00 - 24:00
- No holidays
- 0134-33-5178
- None
5View Cafe Your Time
A café with a spectacular ocean view and a wide variety of menu items
View Cafe Your Time, located on a hill in the Harasu area, about 20 minutes by car from Otaru toward Sapporo, is a café with a spectacular view overlooking the Otaru Sea. The menu offers a wide variety of food, desserts, and beverages, making it a fun place to rack your brains. The "Kakuni-no-No-Top Curry," popular since its opening, is a curry with a distinctive aroma and spiciness made from a mixture of several spices. Everything is handmade, including the pork stewed in black tea, seasoned braised egg, and sweet-and-sour pickles with tomatoes. Limited dessert plates and drinks are available seasonally, so you will never run out of things to do whenever you visit.
Be enchanted by the seasonal seaside scenery
Taking advantage of its location on a steep cliff, every seat has an ocean view. Ebisu Island floating in the Ishikari Bay is also a picturesque sight. The JR Hakodate Line, which runs from Otaru to Sapporo, runs along the coast below, and the sound of the train, occasionally mixed with jazz from the speakers, stirs up a sense of travel. A herring herd heralds the arrival of spring. The clear blue of the summer sky and the azure of the sea. The golden autumn dusk. The silvery winter waves reflecting the snowy sky. The seasonal scenes, which never look the same for a single moment, are one of the reasons why you will want to visit this store again and again.
- View Cafe Your Time
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- 351 Usui-cho, Otaru-shi, Hokkaido MAP
- 7 minutes drive from JR Zenibako Station
- 11:00-19:00
- Tuesdays, 1st, 3rd, and 5th Wednesdays (Tuesdays and Wednesdays from December to February)
- 0134-62-1239
- Free of charge
