LocalEatsJapan

Located in the rather classy area right between Daikanyama and Ebisu is this very popular cafe. 

It seems that the general consensus for getting in here is making reservations, and this is because it is super popular among females. 

But for me, I was able to get in without any wait, and on the weekend at that!

I think one of the main reasons for this was that It was in the heat of the summer in July so maybe people weren’t wanting to leave their house as much, but I don’t know. 

Regardless, the cafe was huge, with outdoor seating, seating inside on the first floor, and a whole huge second floor as well which was divided into two sections. 

There were staff on both floors, and as with most restaurants in Japan, also very attentive. 

Because of this I was able to order very quickly, and while most of the customers around me were ordering little slices of cake or something, I went all out and ordered the omurice and a big pancake. 

Omurice is essentially the Japanese version of an egg omelet, and it is served on a lump of rice, which you then proceed to cut down the middle of the egg and it folds over said rice beautifully. 

It is a simple dish, but extremely hard to make perfect, and this one was perfect. 

It had the perfect amount of runny egg in the middle that I quite so often desire due to my lacking egg cooking abilities, and to top it off, they threw a bunch of demi-glace sauce on it. 

Omurice you will see served at traditional mom and pop shops generally just have a bit of ketchup, but this one pairing the creamy egg with the rich sauce was a bite made in heaven. 

As for the pancake, it was also delicious. 

It was thick to say the least, and I would go as far as to say it had more of a cake consistency to it, but all while maintaining the softness of a pancake. 

They gave two decently sized pieces of butter which is something I only just realised recently is a must on pancakes, and a thing of syrup on the side (unfortunately they portioned it out unlike going to ihop or something, but it was good quality nonetheless!)

I think what sets Accueil apart from a lot of the cafes that have become popular in the Shibuya and Daikanyama area is that the food is genuinely the focus.

A lot of places in this part of Tokyo are beautiful to look at and photograph but leave you feeling a bit underwhelmed when the bill comes. Accueil is the opposite — the interior is nice without being overdone, the service is attentive without being intrusive, and the omurice alone is worth making a trip across the city for.

It is also just a really comfortable place to sit for an hour, which in a neighbourhood as busy as this is rarer than you would think.

If you are coming from Ebisu station and turn the wrong way out of the exit, you could easily spend an entire afternoon in this pocket of Tokyo without realising how much time has passed.

While I wanted to try a few more of the items, my stomach could only handle so much, so I will have to wait until next time. 

Overall, a really good place to stop by and relax for some good food. 

While you might be recommended to make reservations, If you don’t care about where you sit, or if you have the patience to potentially wait then there are no issues with just showing up. 

I would highly recommend coming here as while it is close to Shibuya, it is just far enough away to escape the hustle and bustle. 

Thanks for reading – if you’d like to support and follow along: 

More about me

Different types of ordering systems in Japan explained

Purchasing an onigiri to keep me fuelled throughout my journey 🍙

Planning a trip to Japan? These may help: 

🗺 Find a food tour near this restaurant — Viator

🏨 Find a hotel in the area — Booking.com