Blue Bottle Coffee, Kiyosumi

We only go to the coolest places. Bringing up Catfish and Mrs P. right, as coffee snobs. Not that we are, but I like to take someone to surprising places. And since we were staying in Monnaka, and I keep hearing how hip it’s getting north of there, I thought we should check it out.

For the record, it’s not any different than it was 5 years ago when I left, and it’s not any different than 12 years ago when I got there.

But Blue Bottle is there now. Stores in Aoyama, Shinjuku, and…Kiyosumi. Iitokorone!

Totally sweet atmosphere, if you’re into converted-warehouse industrial. Which everyone is these days. It’s big and clean and spare and open, in a really nice way. You never get big, airy spaces in Japan, at least not in small, post-industrial neighborhoods. But here’s one.

And here’s their coffee machine, looking for all the world like it just landed after a mission to Mars.

We just got a regular coffee to share. What do they call that, a holdover? Combover? I thought it was delicious, but I’m no coffee snob. You don’t need to see a picture of a to-go coffee cup.

Go for the atmosphere and coffee, stay for the high prices.