Centre The Bakery in Tokyo's Ginza runs the shokupan toast flight that put the city's milk bread on the map. Three loaves, three preparations, side-by-side.
Must order: Three-style shokupan toast flight with butter, jam, sweet bean paste
Tip: Cafe side seats a 50-minute toast brunch; takeaway counter sells loaves whole. Queue from 10:30 most days.
Address: 1-2-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061
Viron Shibuya in Tokyo's Shibuya is the French boulangerie-brasserie open from 09:00 for breakfasts of Retrodor baguette, croissants, and croque-monsieur with wine.
Order: Croque-monsieur with Baguette Retrodor and a glass
Tip: Bakery counter downstairs, brasserie upstairs. The morning queue is for the takeaway window.
Fuglen Tokyo in Tokyo's Tomigaya runs Norwegian filter coffee, croissants and brown-cheese toasts from 07:00. The morning crowd before the bar shift takes over.
Order: Light-roast filter coffee with Norwegian brown cheese on toast
Tip: Weekday mornings calm; weekends queue from 09:00. The brown-cheese toast is the local order.
Blue Bottle Kiyosumi-Shirakawa in Tokyo opens at 08:00 daily for pour-over coffee, waffles and breakfast pastries inside its converted-factory flagship.
Order: Pour-over coffee with the New Orleans-style iced and a Belgian waffle
Tip: Weekend queues from 09:00. The drip flight reads three single-origins side by side; the Belgian waffle is the food order.
Ain Soph Journey in Tokyo's Shinjuku-Sanchome serves the souffle-style vegan pancake brunch that built its reputation. All-plant menu, English staff.
Order: Heavenly Vegan Pancakes with maple syrup
Tip: Saturday brunch queues from 11:00; arrive by opening or reserve. The pancakes serve two comfortably.
