Japan is a veritable sweets paradise. We've covered cafes with the fluffiest Japanese pancakes, Tokyo wagashi shops for traditional Japanese sweets, the best matcha dessert cafes in Tokyo, and Tokyo bubble tea shops to hit the spot. Now, Japanese crepes are calling your name!
Aside from bouncy pancakes, traditional wagashi, and green tea desserts, the city of Tokyo is known for the crepe: a mouth-watering sweet (or sometimes savory) dish that is hugely popular among locals and tourists. These thin pancakes are not only filled with fluffy and light whipped cream and fruits, but also with ice cream, cookies, cakes, pudding, and more, making Japanese crepes a perfect dessert. Luckily, there are a number of Japanese crepe shops in Tokyo for you to choose from.
If you’re feeling extravagant in the morning and want something out of the ordinary, you can enjoy its savory variety with fresh greens and meat, a seafood crepe, or even a crepe with Japanese curry. If you like something light and ready-to-go, you can have it with fresh whipped cream with sliced mangoes, peaches and a drizzle of heavenly chocolate sauce. The great thing about crepes is that you can take it anywhere with you because of its convenient portable wrapping. Japanese crepes are now found all over Tokyo. Some are sold from stalls or specialty crêpe stores, which are hugely popular in the district of Harajuku, especially along the wacky and colorful Takeshita Street.
We've done the easy work rounding up 4 of the best Japanese crepe shops in Tokyo. The hard part, choosing from forty or fifty flavor combinations, is up to you!
Best Crepes in Tokyo
Here are some of our recommended crepe shops in Tokyo!
- Marion Crêpes
- Santa Monica Crepes
- Breizh Cafe Creperie
- Natural Crepe
1. Marion Crêpes
Starting off the list with one of the oldest crepe shops in Tokyo, specifically in Harajuku, Marion Crêpes has been running since 1976 and has already expanded to several locations nationwide and in China. The choices are endless, so you might even find yourself ordering two different variants of crêpes. If there’s one thing that you must try when visiting this special crêpe store, it has got to be the Ichigo Cheesecake Special: a sweet serving of vanilla ice cream, fresh strawberries, and cheesecake, drizzled with strawberry sauce and topped with whipped cream, all of which are wrapped in a freshly made crepe.
2. Santa Monica Crepes
Another popular Japanese crepe shop in Tokyo is Santa Monica Crepes, which boasts one-hundred crepe options. As if that's not enough, this retro-inspired Japanese crepe shop even serves bubble tea drinks as well as crepes. Because of its extensive menu, you might feel a little bit lost when choosing, especially as the sampuru (plastic food models) outside all look so appetizing! Two of their bestsellers are their strawberry-banana and chocolate ice cream crepe and their apple pie crepe.
3. Breizh Cafe Creperie
If you want to go a little high-end and experience the traditional French crepe in Tokyo, try visiting Breizh Cafe Creperie, with locations such as Ginza and Shinjuku, with their pioneer stores located in Omotesando and Kagurazaka. You can find both sweet and savory variants of crepes here, made Breton-style. You can absolutely tell that they only used the finest and freshest ingredients for your crepes. Breizh Cafe Creperie sources their ingredients either locally or from France. Order up and enjoy it with a cup of freshly brewed coffee!
4. Natural Crepe
Over in the trendy area of Setagaya is Natural Crepe, bringing this fan-favorite dessert back to its more natural basics and ingredients. They use domestic wheat and wheat germ in their crepe batter, while any fruits and fruit sauces are fresh — never canned — and their red bean paste and sesame sauce is additive-free. Oh, and wait until you hear that their yogurt mousse and caramel sauce is completely homemade! This spot is perfect for enjoying a sweet treat without feeling too much guilt about what's hiding inside.
Watch as Shizuka tries her hand at the art of Japanese sugar sculpting or explores the Ameya Yokocho shopping street!
