The counters in Tokyo worth queuing for: bread, pastry, and the morning ritual.
Bakery counters in Tokyo worth queuing for: levain breads, laminated pastry, regional bakes and the morning ritual.
Centre The Bakery in Tokyo's Ginza is the shokupan-only counter where queues form for the milk bread tasting flight by 11:00 most days. Cafe seating upstairs.
Worth the queueThree-style shokupan tasting (Pullman, mountain, raisin)
TipThe cafe side seats a toast-tasting flight; the takeaway counter sells loaves whole. Closed New Year.
Pelican Bakery in Tokyo's Asakusa has baked only two products since 1942: shokupan and dinner rolls. Loaves sell out by mid-afternoon and reservations help.
Worth the queueShokupan square loaf
TipPhone-reserve a loaf two days ahead or arrive by 10:00. The Pelican Cafe on Kotobuki serves the same loaves toasted with butter.
Truffle BAKERY in Tokyo's Sangenjaya turns French butter-bread into a luxury product with imported truffle. The white truffle salt roll is the queue-builder.
Worth the queueWhite truffle salt bread
TipBuy the truffle salt rolls warm before noon; the black truffle egg sando is the lunch order. Cash and IC cards.
Viron in Tokyo's Shibuya imports flour direct from the Viron mill in France and bakes Baguette Retrodor to French spec. Upstairs is a sit-down brasserie.
Worth the queueBaguette Retrodor and croissant
TipThe takeaway counter is downstairs, the brasserie upstairs; share a croque-monsieur with a glass at lunch.
Levain in Tokyo's Tomigaya has baked organic wild-yeast bread since 1984, one of Japan's earliest naturals. Domestic wheat, on-site cultured levain.
Worth the queuePain de campagne
TipThe pain de campagne and the melange fruit loaf are the morning order. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays; cafe opens 11:00.
Maison Kayser Tokyo Omotesando is the French boulangerie chain's flagship below Tokyu Plaza. Eric Kayser's liquid-levain Baguette Monge baked through the day.
Worth the queueBaguette Monge with liquid levain
TipOpen daily 08:00-20:00. The croissants and Baguette Monge are baked in three batches; arrive by 11:00 or 16:00.
Viron Marunouchi in Tokyo is the French boulangerie-brasserie that imports French Retrodor flour. The hand-shaped baguette is Tokyo's reference baguette.
Worth the queueBaguette Retrodor with French flour
TipBakery counter and seated brasserie are on the same ground floor. Order baguette by 14:00 for the freshest batch.
Bread, Espresso & is the Omotesando flagship of a much-loved Tokyo bakery cafe, open since 2009 and known for its Mou, a square pull-apart buttered brioche.
Worth the queueMou pull-apart buttered brioche
TipThe Mou brioche and the French toast made from it sell out by mid-afternoon; the bakery and cafe share one counter just off Omotesando.
Ginza Kimuraya in Tokyo has baked Japan's original sakura anpan since 1869, the Yon-chome corner the Meiji Emperor was once served from. Salt-cured blossom.
Worth the queueSakura anpan
TipOpen daily 10:00-21:00. The original sakura anpan and the koshi-an sweet bean version are the canonical picks.
Le Pain Quotidien Shibakoen in Tokyo is the Belgian organic-bread chain's park-side cafe under Tokyo Tower. Communal table, organic sourdough, vegetarian.
Worth the queueOrganic sourdough tartines
TipWalking distance from Tokyo Tower. Lunch tartines and breakfast plates are the value play.
Dean and Deluca Roppongi in Tokyo Roppongi Hills is the New York deli's flagship across the Hillside corner. Bakery shelf, deli counter and cafe seats.
Worth the queueSourdough and seeded loaves
TipOpen 10:00-21:00 daily. The seeded sourdough and the salt-baked cookies are the takeaway picks.
Pierre Herme Paris Aoyama in Tokyo is the French patissier's Asia flagship on Aoyama-dori. Macarons, the Ispahan, and a viennoiserie counter for croissants.
Worth the queueIspahan macaron and croissant
TipThree-floor flagship; the cafe second floor is the calmer seated option. The Ispahan rose-lychee macaron is the canonical.
Boul'Mich Yurakucho in Tokyo's Tokyo Kotsu Kaikan basement is the 1973 French patisserie's home shop. Hand-rolled croissants and the mille-feuille daily.
Worth the queueMille-feuille and croissant
TipBelow the Tokyo Kotsu Kaikan; closest to JR Yurakucho. Open 10:00-20:00 daily.
Bakery Tokyo Shibuya in Tokyo's Okushibu is the sister bakery to Shibuya Cheese Stand. Single-bake country loaves and pain de mie, baked each morning.
Worth the queueCountry bread with house mozzarella
TipClosed Mondays. Best paired with the cheese stand's mozzarella and burrata next door.
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