Head to Japan and you'll find a heavenly array of cafes and bakeries at stations and in stores. Since the 1860s, when bakers started experimenting with typically sweet Japanese flavours, there's been a steady increase of sugar-satiating spots popping up all over the country.
In fact, during the Meiji era (from 1868 to 1912) there was a rise in the popularity of bread and Western culture in Japan. During that period, Shokupan, a delicious milk bread, was born in Yokohama in a bid to serve expats and naval guards. But where can you find these authentic and scrumptious eats in our capital? Luckily, we're here to help with our guide to the best Japanese cafes London has to offer.
The Best Bakeries And Japanese Cafes In London
KARUTO
- Location: 6 Hampstead High Street, NW3 1PX
- Best for: aesthetic and cool treats
Located on the second floor of the well-known and delicious INÉ by Taku in Hampstead, KARUTO is a cute pop-up fronting incredibly Instagrammable baked treats and coffees served with adorable lemon bear madeleines (which are known to sell out quickly).
Open from Tuesday to Sunday, it boasts minimal interiors flooded with natural light, making it the perfect place to spend a tranquil and lazy afternoon solo or with a coffee-loving friend. What else is on the menu? Think hojicha lattes, matcha mochi, yuzu cheesecakes and cake rolls coming in sesame soya and tiramisu flavours.
You don't want to be latte to this place, the bear madeleines have gone TikTok viral.
Uchi Bake
- Location: 140 Clarence Road, E5 8DY
- Best for: fresh sandwiches and brunch
Hunting for the ultimate Japanese bakery? London spoils us with this gem, nestled within Uchi, a restaurant on Clarence Road in Hackney. Uchi Bake presents warm stone walls and traditional wooden benches beckoning visitors to sit with their matcha after slipping off their shoes.
Treat yourself to a sesame latte and egg sandwich for lunch, or
indulge in some of its sweet treat offerings. Our favourites
include the French toast with maple syrup and blueberries, baked
cheesecake, and mochi matcha cookie which has a crumbly outside and
a gooey core.
Uchi Bake is the perfect combination of cosy and comforting.
WA Cafe
- Locations: Ealing Broadway, Covent Garden and Marylebone
- Best for: patisserie treats and layer cakes
Delicate plates of patisserie? Sign us up. The independent WA Cafe can be found in Ealing Broadway, Covent Garden and Marylebone, offering gorgeous, typically Japanese cakes that nod to French traditions and techniques.
Wander past their shop windows and it'd be hard not to stop and gawp at the intricate piping, dainty layers and bright colours that make these treats look like jewels. WA (pronounced wha) use a unique and personalised blend of flour made with local ingredients to create the likes of fluffy shokupan, matcha azuki daifuku, and raspberry chocolate delice.
This London Japanese bakery is ideal for picking up eats that'll wow your friends.
Kova Patisserie
- Locations: Soho, China Town, South Kensington, Aldgate East and Battersea
- Best for: mille crêpes and bubble tea
Kova Patisserie has five outposts across London, spanning Soho to Aldgate East to Battersea. And if you're looking for Japanese bakeries in London's Chinatown, then you'll find one of its pink-furnished and minimally designed spots on Newport Court.
It fuses Eastern and Western patisserie-making to create delicious Japanese-French creations while also serving some seriously delicious, premium bubble tea. The cake and tea shop was born in the heart of the city and whips up a mean matcha mille crêpe and strawberry shortcake, filled with a light and airy whipped cream.
Holy crêpe: Kova Patisserie's cakes will have you coming back for more.
Café Kitsuné
- Location: 19 Motcomb Street, SW1X 8LB
- Best for: a matcha latte and a pastry
Just one of the Paris-based lifestyle brand's multiple endeavours, Café Kitsuné comes from Kitsuné, a label that combines fashion, music (through their record label Kitsuné Musique), and a chain of coffee shops. Immediately identifiable thanks to its signature logo being a fox (as kitsuné is the Japanese word for fox), this cute and aesthetic shop can be found tucked away in Belgravia.
It brews full-bodied cups of coffee and serves them alongside signature Franco-Japanese specialities such as matcha financiers and Japanese chewing gum. You can also look forward to the likes of egg sandwiches, coconut and matcha croissants, and pistachio and strawberry Paris brests.
Dunk signature fox biscuits into creamy, frothy coffees.
Moko Made Cafe
- Location: 211 Kingsland Road, E2 8AN
- Best for: speciality coffee and authentic Japanese food
On Kingsland Road, Moko Made Cafe presents a comforting hideaway bringing a slice of Tokyo’s café culture to East London. Here you can chat with your friends and inhale speciality coffee, homemade pastries, Japanese food and tea. It's a haven for matcha lovers, serving up beautifully crafted drinks like a matcha honey latte, alongside fragrant yuzu tea and other delicate brews.
The food menu is just as enticing, featuring handmade onigiri, anko-butter toast (bread topped with sweet red bean paste), and indulgent treats like matcha Swiss rolls and yuzu citrus cheesecake. With rustic décor, vintage furnishings, and delicate Japanese pottery on display, this den offers an inviting atmosphere perfect for a slow morning or an afternoon escape.
The best Japanese cafe London has to offer? You'll find this strong contender in Haggerston.
Katsute100
- Location: 100 Islington High Street, N1 8EG
- Best for: traditional teas
Tucked away in Brick Lane and Islington's Camden Passage, Katsute100 is a Japanese tea room that feels like stepping into a different era. Blending Japanese tradition with subtle hints of English charm, this serene hideaway is both exciting and familiar, offering a moment of quiet contemplation amidst the city’s relentless pace.
Housed in historic buildings, Katsute100 has grown organically into its surroundings, with antique Japanese furniture and elegant early 20th-century aesthetics coming together to create a warm, nostalgic atmosphere. Katsute - meaning ‘once’ - perfectly captures the essence of this tea room, where the past lingers in every delicate teacup and homemade cake (our favourite has to be the matcha Basque cheesecake).
Expect gorgeous, dark furnishings and a cosy, vintage charm.
Sakurado
- Locations: Soho, Covent Garden, South Kensington, Vauxhall
- Best for: desserts and fresh mochi
Sakurado isn’t just a dessert spot - it’s a pilgrimage site for bespoke Japanese pastry lovers. Nestled in various London locations, this patisserie is famous for its impossibly delicate and oh-so-satisfying mille crêpes cakes, crafted with layers so fine they practically melt on your tongue. Whether you’re after the matcha-infused masterpiece, the indulgent chocolate variation, or the silky mango number, every bite feels like a luxurious treat.
But it isn’t just about mille crêpes - oh no. Their custard, bear-shaped choux buns, mochi, and cheesecake are equally dreamy, blending traditional Japanese flavours with a dash of European finesse. Pair your sweet pick with a fragrant cup of Japanese tea or a perfectly brewed coffee, and you’ve got yourself a moment of pure bliss.
A matcha made in heaven: mille crêpe layers cakes and mochi are available here.
Happy Sky Bakery
- Locations: Askew Road and Tottenham Court Road
- Best for: coffee and a pastry to go
This Askew Road and Tottenham Court Road beauty was established in 2007, with award-winning baker Motoko McNulty at the helm, bringing together the finest ingredients, using traditional methods to harness the best flavours from her bread. You won't find any unnecessary preservatives used in any of Happy Sky Bakery's bread and cakes and can devour them fresh from the oven.
This cosy, family-run bakery is all about authentic eats, crafted with love and a keen eye for tradition. From fluffy shokupan and yuzu custard tarts to pillowy melonpan with its signature crispy shell, every bite is a little taste of Tokyo. Savoury lovers won't miss out either, as they whip up a mean katsu chicken sandwich.
Grab an Americano and spend an afternoon devouring Happy Sky Bakery's goods.
Hachi Bakery - Coming Soon In 2025
- Location: Coming Soon
- Best for: delicious Japanese pastries and loaves of bread
Hachi Bakery offers a delightful fusion of Japanese baking traditions and British charm. The name Hachi translates to 'eight' in Japanese, and, when tilted, the number eight becomes the infinity symbol, reflecting the bakery's commitment to an endless renewal of the bond between baker and customer. It's the brainchild of the team behind Taka Marylebone, a renowned Japanese restaurant celebrated for its contemporary twist on Japanese dining.
After its cafe in Notting Hill shut at the end of 2024, it announced a new location in the works for 2025. Visitors will once again be able to enjoy its signature bread loaf, perfectly crafted for ritualised gift-giving, reflecting the Japanese traditions of Ochugen and Oseibo, where gifts are given to show special attention to loved ones. Pistachio-crusted New York rolls will also be on the menu, as well as match-infused treats, yuzu Basque cheesecakes and curry onion pans.
These guys are always Hachi-ing a plan to deliver baked goods to hungry pastry lovers.
Want more? Check out our guide to the best coffee shops in London.
