Bread, Espresso &

Some gorgeous latte art in my cappuccino in Bread, Espresso & in Tokyo.Bread, Espresso & pretty much does what the name says, serving bread-based dishes, espresso-based drinks and a few other things from its original store in Omotesandō, a bustling district that’s seen the birth of some of Tokyo’s best coffee. So successful has it been that there are now 16 branches dotted around Tokyo and beyond, including a pair of new locations in Kyoto (which opened in the summer of 2019).

I’ll be honest: Omotesandō has many great coffee options and, as such, Bread, Espresso & is not somewhere I come for the coffee alone. That said, in a city where the non-speciality coffee can frequently be disappointing, Bread, Espresso &’s coffee has always been spot-on, plus it makes an excellent breakfast (until 10:00) and lunch spot, as well as a take-away bakery. There’s not a lot of seating, but for both my visits, table turn-over was high and the staff will always fit you in if possible.

You can read more of my thoughts after the gallery.

  • Bread, Espresso & in Omotesando, set back a good way from the street.
  • The A-board is very practical...
  • ... while there's also a sign high up by the hedge (itself a nice touch of green).
  • Bread, Espresso & is at the back, with a good range of outdoor seating.
  • There's this concrete, four-person bar off to the right...
  • ... and sheltered under the overhanging upper floors are a pair of two-person tables.
  • Check out the baskets: every table has one, so you don't have to put things on the floor.
  • The view of the seating area off to left, as seen from just inside the door.
  • There are four tables on the left. This is the first of them. The second is like this too...
  • ... then the next two are round, likes the ones outside.
  • The coffee bar's at the back, although since it's table service, there's no need to go there.
  • There's also an oval, communal table, seen here from the back.
  • The final seating is this four-person bar against the right-hand wall....
  • ... which looks through a large, glass window to the bakery.
  • There's one more section to Bread, Espresso &, to your right as you enter.
  • It's the takeaway bakery part, with shelves full of bread, rolls and pastries...
  • ... which looks just as good through the big windows at the front.
  • There's also a chiller cabinet at the far end.
  • The till, at the corner, is where you pay, whether you're taking out or have been sitting in.
  • Talking of which, the menus are on the tables, where someone comes to take your order.
  • I started off with breakfast on my first day in Tokyo, French Toast...
  • ... and a gorgeous, creamy cappuccino.
  • The latte art is worth a second look...
  • ... with the milk holding the pattern to the bottom of the cup.
  • I was back the next day when I had a panini for my lunch...
  • ... paired once again with a cappuccino.
  • This time the latte art was even better...
  • ... and was still there at the bottom of the cup. Very impressive.
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Bread, Espresso & is tucked away in the (relatively) quiet tangle of narrow streets north of Omotesandō Station, an area that includes the likes of Sarutahiko Coffee, Lattest, Ratio &C and, of course, Koffee Mameya. Set back from the street, there’s a broad, concrete patio, with a long, thin concrete bar with four high stools on the right and a pair of two-person round tables on the left, sheltering under the projecting upper storeys of the building.

The front of Bread, Espresso & consists of a pair of windows with a central door. To the right is the take-away bakery section, with a tempting display occupying the whole of the window, plus the till, which is also where you pay when you leave (Bread, Espresso & has full table service). Behind this is the bakery, which, both times I visited, was pretty much in full swing. Off to the left is an L-shaped seating area, with a coffee bar at the back, although there’s no reason for you to actually visit it unless you really want to be nosy (and get in the way; for the record, I did neither).

There’s a row of four two-person tables on the left, effectively continuing the row of two outside, separated by the window. The first pair are square, wooden tables with comfortable chairs, while the second pair are, like those outside, round with chrome tops.  At the back, the space extends to the left, where you’ll find an eight-person oval communal table with chairs. Finally, there’s a four-person bar on the right with high stools, which runs along the wall of the bakery. There’s a window here, so you can see the bakery in action, plus it’s open at the front (behind the till) allowing the wonderful smells of baking to flood the entire shop.

I visited twice, once for breakfast and again for lunch. On both occasions I had a rich, creamy cappuccino, the milk and coffee in perfect harmony, while the milk was steamed to perfection, holding the excellent latte art to the bottom of the cup.

For breakfast, I had the French Toast, a single, thick slice of extremely spongy white bread, pretty much the ideal vehicle for French Toast, which was sweet without being sickly. I returned the following day, aiming to repeat the experience, but missed the 10 o’clock breakfast cut-off (the jet lag had really caught up with me by then), instead opting for a tasty mozzarella panini. I suspect that I may also return to sample the pastries from the takeout bakery.

3-4-9 JINGUMAE • SHIBUYA-KU • TOKYO • 150-0001 • JAPAN
http://bread-espresso.jp +81 (0) 3-5410-2040
Monday 08:00 – 20:00 Roaster In-house (espresso only)
Tuesday 08:00 – 20:00 Seating Tables, Bar; Tables, Bar (outside)
Wednesday 08:00 – 20:00 Food Breakfast, Lunch, Cake
Thursday 08:00 – 20:00 Service Table
Friday 08:00 – 20:00 Payment Card + Cash
Saturday 08:00 – 20:00 Wifi Free
Sunday 08:00 – 20:00 Power Yes
Chain National Visits 18th, 19th October 2018
7th September, 4th November 2019

Liked this? Then take a look at the rest of Tokyo’s speciality coffee scene with the Coffee Spot Guide to Tokyo.


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4 thoughts on “Bread, Espresso &

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