
It's been well documented that Akihabara has one of the largest clusters of game, anime and technology shops in Tokyo, the capital and largest city in Japan. You could spend from morning til midnight just walking up and down the many streets and shopping for classic games, new games, DVDs and Blu-Rays, clothes and anything else that you might like.
If you are planning a day out in Akihabara, then you'll need to eat and recharge in order to hit the streets and do more exploring. Fast food and sit down shops abound but since last October, Square Enix has had its own shop open where you can get something eat, if you are lucky enough to get in.
Located next to Yodobashi Camera, the largest shop in Akihabara, The Square Enix Cafe opened on 1st October, 2016. The shop features figures, posters, cups and other memorabilia from the Square Enix catalogue of games. Final Fantasy engraved tumblers and Dragon Quest figures are in varied quantities. There are other franchises on display but it's clear that FF and DQ dominate the shelves and cafe.

The food itself is quite standard restaurant fare. Unfortunately they do not have cute names like "Chocobo BBQ Wings" or "Deep Fried Cactaur Strips." On second thought, the idea of eating a Chocobo might not be so appealing. However, the Square Enix Cafe offers salads, fried shrimp, roast beef, pork sausage and other Western style cuisine. There are cookie sets with the cafe logo on them, however, if you are looking for a unique souvenir. The cafe also gives out types of bonus awards like small merchandise items if you spend enough money during your visit.


But be warned: you cannot simply just walk in, sit down and order. The cafe is quite popular and rather small, so you must reserve a table before going. A reservation, made online (in Japanese only) will grant you 90 minutes to sit, eat and browse the shop. The problem with this system though is that the cafe has been fully booked since opening and, as I write this, reservations are full for the next few weeks. If you are planning a trip you had better plan well in advance. If a reservation is cancelled walk-ins are accepted. so you might get lucky that way.
If you can't get in, that street corner in Akihabara is also quite famous for having dozens of people engaging in 3DS StreetPass, and you might be able to fill up your map of Japan and get other countries as well, while peering in at the lucky few who could get into the cafe. Not a bad consolation prize.
Comments 39
Coffee is manky. So is tea. Don't know how people drink that vile.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE You haven't had good tea then. Coffee I can agree with, I'm not big on coffee.
If we're talking about things that are vile to drink (or eat), try anything with cow's (or any animal's) milk.
What an odd turn this comments section has taken!
Quit building cafes Square Enix, and finish Kingdom Hearts 3!!
Ehm. Okay, might check this place out if i get the time
I actually saw this place while there a month back. Mainly ff xv stuff but also some neir and dragons quest.
Luckily there is another Squenix Cafe near Shinjuku station called ARTNIA, where you can easily get a seat without a reservation (at least when I went)! Went there twice last year, very nice and calm atmosphere, even the neighbourhood is beautiful and peaceful in the evening. Besides the themed drinks and desserts, also has stuff to buy and an atmospheric room with figurines to admire, as well as a whole game music library to listen to with the offered earphones. Would warmly recommend!
There are those that eat fermented soy beans, drink cranberry juice, and swear grapefruit tastes great (with a handful of brown sugar) everyone likes different things even if we can't fathom why someone enjoys raw oysters or giant sea bugs ie lobster.
I wish we got stuff like this...even if it was just in select cities.
I was there ! We couldn't get a table but the shop section is very cool...lot of audio cds and gadjets. Very FFXV themed at the moment but all brands are present.
Theme cafes like this tend to just be for the theme, and the food is just crap.
@ThomasBW84 Sorry.
@Moon It is weird when you think about it but it's seen as perfectly normal. Milk is great though, even Zelda approves of it.
@ThomasBW84 Right? I thought it would be filled with people wondering why this is on the site as an article when it has nothing to do with Nintendo!
@SLIGEACH_EIRE The finest coffees and the finest teas are delicious! this does not include Starbucks and costa. . .
Btw - the Basement of McDonalds in Akihabara ( complete with mains socket charging points for benches and tables) is where the 3ds multiplayer and Monster hunter players hang out. . !
@WiX Yup Artina has been there for years. Before that there was one in West Shinjuku too.
@ThomasBW84 Quite odd indeed.
There should be a Nintendo restaurant seeing as most of the characters eat normal-ish things: Mario & Wario's Sauteéd Garlic-Stuffed Roasted Mushroom topped with fresh mozzarella, DK & Diddy's Banana Foster topped with chocolate-coated crushed peanuts, Pikachu's macaroon poképuffs with choice of berry dipping sauce, Ness & Lucas' Happy Bleu Cow Burger with steak fries, Goemon's Mystical Dumplings, Kirby's Weekly Sweet Surprise, Olimar & Alph's blended fruit juice slushy, Link's MooMoo Milk, and so many other selections. They could even add stuff like Sonic (the Hedgehog) & Tails' chili dog.
Cool. They should offer blue slime with a smiley face as a Jello dish. Maybe some Final Fantaseafood on the menu.🐢🐙🐳
@H1B1Esquire Have you seen the Kirby Café? It's like a tenth of what you wanted, but still sort of cool.
@RedMageLanakyn
I want more reviews of 3ds eshop games instead.
Of course they don't have any KFC (Kentucky Fried Chocobo), those come from Kentucky!
@H1B1Esquire They announced a Super Mario area for Universal Studios, so you can look forward to that in a few years.
@Moon Hey, the cows benefit, they encounter health problems if they don't release milk regularly. There are probiotic benefits to milk if you're not lactose intolerant, and can help round out the gut flora. Nintendo benefits, they can make a game about a fevered cow milking drug trip. Everybody wins!
The people of India know what's up. Let those cows roam free, just grope them when the need to feed arises. Yank those udders.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE Wait... The first milk shown was white... Then the next milk shown was creamy yellow...
Where did the second batch of milk come from?
@WiX Ha! I came here to mention that this sounds a lot like Artnia to me! And it turns out you sometimes do need a reservation, or at least a bit of patience if you're planning to go. Went there twice when I was in Tokyo this fall since it was a ~10 min walk from our hotel. First time was a Thursday night, walked in and were seated with no problem. Tried again on a Saturday morning and had to put our names on a list and wait for ~45 mins. Totally echo the recommendation however - that place is magical
Also - the location for this cafe is a bit weird for Akiba. The Yodobashi Camera isn't exactly in the boondocks, but it's not quite on the main drag by any stretch. If memory serves, it's away from a lot of the otaku destinations and you have to walk through a couple of blocks of office buildings to get there.
@WiX So the drinks and food are themed? What names do pop-up in the menu?
@SLIGEACH_EIRE You lost all my respect by saying that coffee is vile. Is the king of drinks!! I have it 4-5 times a day.
@Moon Milk is vile. We are the only species that drink milk after our infancy. Milk is used to get a mammal (which are the weakest animals) up in their feet in a few days/weeks. As soon as I hit 40, my doctor advised me never to drink it, unless a bit with coffee.
Strange...but for some reason, I want to go there..
Been der!!!!!
@PlywoodStick KFC? Kentucky Fried Chocobo? Ha so Corny. Which goes perfect with any Kentucky Fried Jokes. Can I have some corn with my jokes please. Corn is a dish best served Corny.
That's really a thing in Japan, isn't it: Game-related cafe's/restaurants.
@CosmicLight That reminds me, I once had an assignment in elementary school to create a pun/joke with a little one piece folder. (Who comes up with this stuff?) Naturally, I just learned what cheesy/corny meant, so I used that.
"What's another name for a cheesy ox?"
...
"Corny horny!"
As you can imagine, the teacher quickly went on to the next presenter.
@PlywoodStick They better offer MILK here. Its a perfect fit for a Square Enix restaurant. I'm sure customers would throw all their cash at them if they offer that.
@maceng Sorry for a bit late answer! Actually, the whole menu (or mostly the food) is not really themed, but still it's a lot better than this new cafe: Desserts and coffees have Final Fantasy / Dragon Quest themed decorations, like a parfait with Cloud's (chocolate) sword and Slime shaped pancakes and FF/DQ latte art on cappuccinos. Also, the alcoholic drinks have names like Elixir, Blue Materia and Ifrit. FF/DQ are the only ones prominent in the menu, and have the most merchandise available, but of course other series, like Kingdom Hearts, are presented as well.
@WiX Thanks! I'll be going to japan towards the end of next year with my wife, so I'll be on the lookout to go there as much as possible.
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