10 Best Dessert Spots In Tokyo, Japan

1. Suzukien Asakusa

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

You have never been to Japan if you did not try a scoop of matcha ice cream. Suzukien Asakusa offers types of matcha gelato varying from delicate green tea flavor to the strongest matcha flavor. Each matcha ice cream has different shades of green ranging from light to dark, with dark as the strongest. The darkest flavor, No. 7, claims to be the strongest matcha gelato flavor. Matcha novices should start with the lighter flavors before tasting the extremely strong. No. 3 is the standard flavor of the store with its perfect balance between the sweetness of milk and the bitterness of green tea.

Suzukien Asakusa

Address: 3-4-3 Asakusa, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0032, Japan

Website: Suzukien Asakusa

Opening hours: 11am - 5pm (daily)

2. Gomaya Kuki

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

Gomaya Kuki is a popular ice cream parlor that has been featured in numerous Japanese TV and magazines for their sesame ice cream. Sesame is one of the traditional Japanese ingredients in their cuisine. Gomaya Kuki aims to offer the richest sesame ice cream in the world by using 9000 sesame seeds per cup. Thanks to their Kuki Sangyo maker, Gomaya Kuki’s sesame produces a smooth texture with nutty notes which gives a rich taste. Tip: enjoy the ice cream by drizzling fragrant sesame oil and topping your ice cream with sesame seeds. The Japanese take their ice cream seriously and that is why you can find the world’s richest and strongest sesame ice cream here.

Gomaya Kuki

Address: 4-26-22 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Harajuku H Building 1F

Website: Gomaya Kuki

Opening hours: 12am - 6pm (daily)

3. Ringo Ikebukuro

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

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Ringo’s origins can be traced back to an established pastry shop in Sapporo, Hokkaido. Inspired by the Kinotoya apple pie, Ringo created its own recipe and came up with oven-fresh apple-custard pie which is loved by locals and travelers alike. This specialty shop is famed for its crispy pie dough with lots of butter and big chunks of apple slices with custard cream filling. We can guarantee you that their fresh-from-the-oven buttery apple-custard pie is worth the long wait.

Pro tip: eat it on the day you get the pie, or refrigerate and then warm it up to get an extra crisp and warm filling.

Ringo Ikebukuro

Address: Japan, 〒170-0013 Tokyo, Toshima City, Minamiikebukuro, 1 Chome−28, JRIkebukuro Station1F

Website: Ringo Ikebukuro

Opening hours: 11am - 8pm (daily)

4. Ken's Cafe

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

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Ken’s Cafe is a small cake shop in Shinjuku that only sells one product at a limited stock each day: their signature chocolate cake, Tokusen gateau chocolate. The secret to their famous gateau chocolate cake is using a specially handcrafted chocolate blend by DOMORI which founder Gianluca Franzoni created “Ken’s Blend Criollo” solely for Ken’s Cafe. They also use the finest salt-free butter that highlights the flavor of the gateau chocolate. No fats and oils containing food additives are added. Their eggs come from Old Ajitamago Farm “Old Ajitamago” which has “mukashinoaji” (a rustic flavor from the past). It all sounds good. Make sure you order in advance.

Ken's Cafe

Address: 23-3 Shinjuku 1-chome, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

Website: Ken’s Cafe

Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 10am - 7pm (closed on Sat & Sun)

5. Shinjuku Takano Fruit Bar

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

Shinjuku Takano Fruit Bar has seen the future unfold through the years together side by side with the Shinjuku Station. Takano Fruit Bar started in 1885 as a fruit specialty shop that offering top-quality fruits. That made them one of the popular dessert spots in Tokyo. They have a wide selection of toppings that includes high-end Japanese seasonal fruits. Their seasonal fruit parfait uses generous fruit portions in huge servings but surprisingly, are not heavy. Their fruit parfait includes 12 fruits, 2 types of sherbet, and vanilla ice cream. It also has a Cointreau jelly and apples for a refreshing taste.

Shinjuku Takano Fruit Bar

Address: 3-26-11 Shinjuku, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 160-0022, Japan

Website: Shinjuku Takano Fruit Bar

Opening hours: 11am - 9pm (closed on Sun)

6. Micasadeco & Café

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

Ordinary pancakes pale in comparison to Tokyo’s pancake cafes with their souffle, mascarpone, or ricotta varieties. The pancakes are so soft and fluffy that they jiggle back and forth when moved. Thanks to Tokyo’s famous pancakes, eating fluffy and jiggling pancakes will make you rethink the concept of pancakes. It’s a gamechanger! Micasadeco & Cafe is known for its signature ricotta cheese pancakes which are usually prepared over a period of 20 minutes. These famous pancakes have the perfect balance of ricotta cheese, whipped cream, maple syrup, and meringue in 3-cm (1.2 in) thick, fluffy, and jiggly goodness.

Micasadeco & Café

Address: 6-13-2 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 150-0001, Japan

Website: Micasadeco & Café

Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 9am - 5pm; Sat - Sun: 9am - 7pm

7. Kagurazaka Kurikoan

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

According to the legend, eating a sea bream (tai) during events and celebrations is a Japanese tradition as the sea bream attracts auspicious thoughts. It is also derived from the Japanese word, “Medetai” which means congratulations or luck. ‘Tai'yaki can be bought at specialty shops, like Kagurazaka Kurikoan. The dough is made from wheat flour and it is filled with a paste made of crushed boiled red beans with sugar. They use the classic “Ogura bean paste” that comes in a reddish tinge all the way from Hokkaido and Nasu. One can watch how it is made using moulds shaped like tai, then enjoy a piping-hot taiyaki fresh from the oven.

Kagurazaka Kurikoan

Address: 2-6 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo PORTA Kagurazaka 1F

Website: Kagurazaka Kurikoan

Opening hours: 10am - 9pm (daily)

8. SunnyHills Minami-Aoyama

They say SunnyHills Minami-Aoyama’s pineapple cakes taste like the warmth of the sun upon the red earth hills of Bagua Mountain. All the ingredients used on these pineapple cakes came from the local farmers like the pineapples while their eggs came from a farm where hens listen to classical music. Tucked in a quiet street in the fashion district of Aoyama, there stands SunnyHills’s Tokyo flagship store. Its shop has an interesting design that it appears as if cocooned in a basket-like wooden structure where natural light can easily go in, thanks to renowned architect Kengo Kuma.

Tip: you can ask the staff for a sample of their buttery sweet cake at the showroom.

SunnyHills Minami-Aoyama

Address: Minami-aoyama 3-10-20 Minato-ku, Tokyo

Website: SunnyHills Minami-Aoyama

Opening hours: 11am - 7pm (daily)

9. Fratelli Paradiso

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

Fratelli Paradiso opened their branch in Japan on the 29th of April 2017, with a spacious 145-seater restaurant, featuring a bold marble bar with tan leather banquettes. Taking up one side of the dining area is a long stretch of blackboard wall where the menu is written. It gives a contemporary Italian bistro feel. So you can have a casual lunch by the day or a formal dinner date in the evening. Diners cannot leave Fratelli Paradiso without sampling their signature tiramisu. This exquisite dessert is light and airy with the perfect balance of creamy sweetness which complements the bitterness of espresso and the smooth taste of California Mascarpone cheese. It is best enjoyed with their extensive wine list.

Fratelli Paradiso

Address: Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 4-12-10 Omotesando Hills. Stations: Meijijingu-Mae/Omotesando

Website: Fratelli Paradiso

Opening hours: 11am -10pm (daily)

10. Higashiya Ginza

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

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Japanese confectionery is all about dried fruits and nuts. Higashiya Ginza wants to create something traditional yet contemporary to the taste buds of both locals and travelers. Okoshi is one of the traditional Japanese sweets that Higashiya Ginza is best known for. Okoshi is made from dried steamed rice, then formed into cube-shaped rice puffs but this particular Okoshi contains subtle notes of ginger and pumpkin seeds. Aside from ginger, it also comes in Daitoku-ji natto and buckwheat flavors. Get your Okoshi by boxes as it comes in a beautiful tin can packaging that reminds you of the pre-war Japanese era.

Higashiya Ginza

Address: POLA Ginza Bldg. 2F 1-7-7 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Website: Higashiya Ginza

Opening hours: 11am - 6pm (daily)

A sweet gastronomy of tradition and modern twists

They say that the best way to get to know the city’s culture and influences is through their food. Japan proved that tradition and modern tastes can be combined harmoniously to create a unique and memorable flavor. From the traditional and modern twists of Taiyaki to global influences like tiramisu and pancakes, Japanese desserts will never fail to surprise your taste buds.