A German Cafe ~ In Japan!

Long time, no posts. I'm very sorry to have kept everyone waiting. It's been a busy autumn for me.

Back in early September, upon my return from the west coast of Canada, a friend and I visited a really cool German coffee shop in the midst of nowhere, north of Tokyo, mid-Kanagawa prefectures. I had stumbled across this shop on an afternoon tea blog, where the author had recommended this German-style cafe as a) the afternoon tea set was under $30 and b) the ambiance was very European.

My friend and I took a local bus to access this shop.

Upon arrival, the outside seemed like an old castle, lost in the woods....

Outside / Inside.

Inside, the shop was built of stucco and dark wood pillars, filled top to bottom in antiques. While the dark atmosphere seemed foreboding, the warm tea and sweets made the entire afternoon seem like a page out of Hansel and Gretel. I wondered if after scoffing down the cakes, would a witch emerge from the kitchen to burn my friend and I? 

Top: Metal art inside
Bottom: The tea sets.

My friend and I ordered one tea set each, because her and I resemble the three little piggies when it comes to sweets...(laugh). An assortment of sandwiches, scones and sweets came with pots of tea in fine China. The assortment and taste were very good!

This cafe is a little out of the way, but it's an interesting place to enjoy the antiques and odds-and-sods scattered here and there. If you are in the northern Tokyo, or Kanagawa areas, why not try something different (aka: NOT Starbucks)? 

~ Enjoy tea! 

Information: 

Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT go to the afternoon teas recommended by Tokyo Time Out or other blogs. The reason? They all list the typical hotel afternoon teas (which are extremely expensive). There are many, many other options for those who know how to use the internet, and can read a little Japanese. If you can't read Japanese, try Google Translate -- it's my best friend when I encounter a Chinese character or Japanese phrase I don't know. 

Here is one great example of various afternoon teas for around 1,000 (which is a bargain in Tokyo!!) compiled by a Japanese blog:

Afternoon Teas recommended by MERY.JP

Another favorite foodie site in Japan is HOT PEPPER. Here is their "Afternoon Tea" page. Notice most prices are only $15!!!

HOT PEPPER SITE

Shop info: 

The shop featured in this blog is called "Pappelburg" and they are famous for serving Burg Koffee ~ a German dark roast coffee. Their homepage is HERE.

Access: 

Directions to Pappelburg are HERE. It's in Hachioji. 

1) Go to Hachioji train station. Figure out how to get there from your nearest station by using THIS SITE.

2) From that station, take a #77 bus from the south exit. Ride the bus for about 23 minutes. Get off at the wedding venue (the actual stop translates to "Nature Park Front"). The cafe is directly across the street from the wedding chapel/reception hall. 

A Google Map is HERE.

Cost: 

Bus from Hachioji station: 250 yen ($2.20 USD). The bus does take PASMO (card).

Afternoon tea set: around 2,500 yen ($22 USD). You can share with two people.

When:

Shop is open from 10:00 ~ 24:00

Afternoon tea is served between 15:00 ~ 17:00 only.