Nov 1, 2017
Best cafes in Eastern Gunma
I stumbled across this place in my adventures biking with my son. We were on our way to a nearby park and were fished in by the cute shop front and the amazing smells. Then completely hooked by the awesome taste. Think savory pizza crust donuts. They. Are. Amazing. They also offer deep fried pizza which are similar to hot pockets for those familiar, so it’s all the toppings inside a pocket of dough. Their normal flat pizzas have fabulous topping selection and often change seasonally. I’ve lumped this place in with the cafes because it has nice cafe vibes with outdoor seating on nice days, but to be honest the coffee is sub par. Just your average soft drink selection. However, they do have fancier drinks, and some alcohol. Access is also pretty easy by public transit, with only a small walk from Honnakano station. But if you are wanting a fabulous cup of coffee after a full belly of pizza dough, I recommend place number two
The most unfortunate thing about this place is its distance from any form of public transit. It’s about an hours trek from the closest station, so if you don’t have a car or at least a bike, be ready to take a long stroll. We found the place because after a full belly of ramen, we just really wanted a nice sit and chat over some hot jo. Google gave us this place and we took our chances and headed towards it. After a good length of time, I started getting worried that it was literally a coffee factory, inside one of the many factories we were passing by. But luckily, tucked under some trees and easily visible as a cafe, we found our destination and ventured inside. The back wall of the place is lined with guitars and there is a giant bowl of pet food by the door. I fell in love with the place immediately. Its run by a married couple, who are great conversation. The main topics of conversation being music, english, and the cat that the giant bowl of food belongs. The coffee is freshly brewed and fabulous! And the pumpkin pie we had with it makes me drool while typing this. Cats, coffee, conversation and cake. A simple place off the beaten path but has everything a good cafe should have. However if you are the type who needs to stay on the beaten path, maybe because you don’t have a car, or just can’t walk an hour for coffee, then let me tell you about number 3 and 4 on this cafe list
Kitano Smith Coffee inside Ota Art Museum
Just outside of Ota station, this coffee shop is located inside the newly built art museum/library. The location alone makes it hip and snazzy, but the presentation and taste makes this cafe truly stand out. If you are lucky to have the time to sit and and not have your coffee on the go, then I highly recommend getting a latte of some sort. Cafe art is so much fun, and when your espresso has a bear or kitten on it with the expression of delight on its frothy face, it’s hard not to be infected with its joy as well. Getting the coffee on the go still isn’t a let down because it’s just so tasty. Then you can walk around, maybe enjoy some exhibits and a book or two. But my favorite cafe in the area to go has to be number 4
Just a ten minute walk from Higashi Koizumi station, this place has the best of everything, except maybe the cat. Days has great food, great drinks(coffee as well as alcohol), and great conversation. It is easy to get to and easy to get home from, if you happen to indulge a bit much on the drinks. The food is phenomenal and hits that home cooked meal with just a few too many calories spot. The owner is hilarious and enjoys foreigners. There are also a good deal of regular customers because they know the right place to spend a friday night. The coffee beans are ground fresh and there are a variety from different countries. The cocktail menu is nice too, sometimes too long to try and make a decision with, but they will gladly mix a special order drink if you ask.
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