‘Shirokuma Cafe’ is a really sweet anime & manga series about a polar bear that runs a cafe. The series details his everyday life and those of the other animals around him including a sassy penguin and a clumsy grizzly bear. Since my hotel is in Takadanobaba, I had no excuse not to check out the ACTUAL Shirokuma Cafe. The cafe is about a 5 minute walk from Takadanobaba station. Takadanobaba is about 2 stops away from Shinjuku. The cafe opens every day at 10am, however the food menu only starts at 11am. If you come earlier you can only order drinks and desserts.
Some animal guest sitting on the bar stools
I visited the cafe at about 11am on Tuesday morning and there was only one other patron. The cafe played the anime on a loop on their tv screens as well as songs from the anime through the speakers. Once you enter you go straight to the counter to have a look at the menu and order. I ended up ordering a Shirokuma drink (coke mixed with lemon) and the Shirokuma Sandwich (Katsu with curry and wedges). For every item you order you get to roll a die to get a cute special Shriokuma coaster. The food comes out incredibly quickly and you can tuck in!
For me, the food was alright. It was nothing incredible and its real take away was the Shirokuma theme. While the cafe has a great atmosphere and the staff are very friendly, you shouldn’t run to visit. If you are a fan of the anime/ manga or you’re staying around Takadanobaba it is a fun experience. But if not, you can give this one a miss 🙂
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