Generally speaking, cafes are good places to grab a cup of coffee and relax a bit, but a truly great cafe will have such delicious food and such a chill atmosphere that you can while away hours in complete contentment. If you are looking for a place like that in Tokyo, let us introduce you to Shinjuku’s Brooklyn Parlor.
As you might guess from the name, the cafe was designed with a Brooklyn vibe in mind. The spacious interior is something rare when it comes to Tokyo, but the true selling point is what you will find on the walls: thousands of books from all over the world!
Of course there are some Japanese titles, but lots of other languages are found on the shelves in this lovely cafe, and patrons can freely browse and read whatever tickles their fancy. And although it isn’t a book store as such, if you like a book so much you must make it your own, you can negotiate to buy it.
It’s not all books and baristas either. Brooklyn Parlor offers a full bar and food menu and even sells CDs, so there’s really no reason to leave your comfortable chair and venture out. This reporter tried the mouth-watering, finger-licking burger lunch and then went to find an interesting read (after washing his hands, of course).
What a selection! From philosophy to manga, there were so many tempting titles that it took 10 minutes just to choose just one. After spotting a book of short stories by its charming cover, I settled into my chair with a cup of tea in one hand, the book in the other and a complete sense of contentment. The next thing I knew, two hours had passed, and Brooklyn Parlor had lived up to its reputation as a place where you can completely forget the outside world.
There’s really nothing quite like relaxing in a cafe and losing yourself in a book. So if you’re in Tokyo and looking for something a little hipper, a little more adult than your average coffee chain, try Brooklyn Parlor. But you might want to set an alarm if you have someplace to be…
Store Information
Address: Tokyo, Shinjuku-ku, Shinjuku 3-1-26, Shinjuku Marui Annex B1F
Hours: 11:30 to 23:30
Holidays: Open year-round
Tel: 03-6457-7763
Homepage: http://www.brooklynparlor.co.jp/
It’s in the basement of this building. The red arrow shows the entrance.
You can start to see what they mean by a Brooklyn vibe.
And the interior is just as nice.
The popular burger lunch
Correction: the DELICIOUS burger lunch
Once you’ve filled your belly, start filling your brain with these great books.
Where to start, where to start?!
There’s something from every genre, so you’ll be sure to find at least one you like.
Or at least something you can listen to.
And with free refills on coffee and tea (weekdays only), you’ll be set for the day.
[ Read in Japanese ]