Tokyo Coffee Series: Our Go-To Local Coffee Shops

This is the creme de la creme for coffee experiences. Not only is the Shimokitazawa location as modern and minimalistic as it gets, but the vibe is quiet and comfortable, the staff is highly knowledgeable, and the coffee is amazing. When you're inside, you're greeted by a menu of the beans on offer, with a visual map even of the taste of each bean ranging from light to dark, fruity to sour. Your barista will then pour your coffee right in front of you like a private chef, and answer any questions you might have. You even get a trading card of the specific bean you selected so you can come back and collect them all. Ogawa Coffee Laboratory is truly the Rolls Royce of cafes and coffee experiences.

Snuggled deep within the up-and-coming streets of "Oku-Shibu" – short for "inner Shibuya" – Fuglen has been a staple of locals for years. The coffee is top notch and features highly skilled baristas for the perfect cup each and every time. Inside, Fuglen is a bit cramped but most interpret it more like cozy and warm, as you're literally surrounded by exposed wood fittings and furniture. Outside, there's also a few seats for the warmer spring days. This place is more of a local hangout than anywhere to do serious business, so come with a friend or stop by on your way out to "outer" Shibuya.

An export from sunny California, Verve Coffee Roasters prides itself on beans and the roast. With a few locations in Tokyo all serving their high standards of coffee, we gravitate more towards this Roppongi location more for the atmosphere. The multi-story coffee shop features floor-to-very-high-ceiling exterior windows that flood the shop with natural light, and at night the exterior lighting gives a warm, inviting ambience. Need work done? No worries, the WiFi is strong enough for most workloads. The second floor mezzanine gives you a bit more privacy if you need to have a private conversation, otherwise the communal tables and chairs are more than spacious enough for a conversation.

Another hidden gem inside the deeper Shibuya streets is Onibus Coffee, sandwiched between residences and a local park. The shop is your quintessential grab-and-go coffee stop, however they do have a handful of seats with mini tables should you need to take a breather. We love Onibus for its no-frills approach to great coffee, however that's not to say they skimp on quality and effort. We went a few times but found ourselves ordering the staples: Americanos and lattes were perfect either drink-in or take away.

If you're staying at the luxurious Grand Hyatt Hotel, be sure to swing by Bricolage Bread & Co., situated just across the street. With its extra large selection of pastries and bread offerings, it would be a waste to just order a coffee here, so come hungry for more. As for atmosphere, theres plenty of seats but they tend to fill up pretty quick, especially on the weekends. If you're with more than one friend, be sure to get here early not just for the seats, but for the warm and flaky croissants that await you.

We found this fairly secluded coffee spot as we navigated around Harajuku and Sendagaya. With its extra large outdoor terrace, Kitasando felt extra comfortable as we rolled up on a cold weekday morning. The staff were extra friendly and with top-notch service, which made our experience all the much better. The menu is fairly small and concise, however they do have a pastry + coffee combo deal, saving you a bit of yen should you want a small croissant with your drink.

Found close by to a few others in this coffee tour list, Beasty is a solid alternative if the lines over at your other favorite cafes are too long or you need to find a seat. That being said, we enjoyed coming to Beasty and didn't hesitate to pull out a laptop and stay for 45 mins to answer a few emails. Inside it's comfortable and modern, with some visually striking elements like vintage coffee equipment and soft incandescent light bulbs decorating the space.

Streamer Coffee Company exploded from small and scattered to a veritable force of coffee with dozens of locations. The brand is headed by Hiroshi Sawada, one of Japan's most well known and highly recognized coffee artisans who also spawned the popular Sawada Coffee shops in Chicago and New York. Streamer Coffee Co. locations now are found all throughout Tokyo, but a lot of in populous areas – we recommend this spot near Toranomon Hills if you want a quieter, more secluded location. There's a multitude of clever drinks but try the Military Latte, which is a mix of espresso, matcha and white chocolate.

The Deck Coffee & Pie is literal – a shop that sells both coffee drinks as well as delectable pies. The real surprise however is the selection of both, large enough to fill anyone's cravings at any time of day. Seating is plentiful as well, which allowed us to have a fairly long conversation without the need to vacate. Outside, the "deck" – as the name would again suggest – is comfortable and inviting, allowing for a relaxed time and space for conversing while eating and drinking.

Think of Things does double duty, serving coffee via a selection of beans while also acting as a stationary store. The retail space has seats lining the outer edge, while the cafe baristas and stationary offerings cluster in the middle. The store also serves "age-pan," which is Japanese for "fried bread" that is similar-yet-not to a doughnut. Before we left, we even got a free sample of the bean we tried, in a ready-to-brew built-in filter package as a keepsake.