The Pokémon Cafe is in quite an unassuming and classy shopping mall, and at first, you may feel like you’re in the wrong building. But when you turn the final corner, there’s no questioning you’re in the right place. You’re greeted with a corridor completely painted in some of the most popular Pokémon, and they lead you straight into the lobby that the Pokémon Cafe and Pokémon Centre share. In the middle of the lobby is a huge Snorlax, along with Mew and of course Pikachu! Because we visited in Halloween, Pikachu was even dressed up. The whole lobby looks like something out of a science fiction movie, which is just a preface for the style of the Pokémon Centre.

But we will get to the store later. For now, on to the cafe! Follow the sign to your left and you can head into the Pokémon Cafe. The cafe is mostly hidden from the outside, though you can pop in without a reservation to buy some of the goods for sale. If you’re here to eat, though, you’re in for a real treat. The restaurant is huge, especially for a themed cafe. The Pokeball motif can be found everywhere, from art on the walls to shrubberies lining the walkways. All of the staff are also wearing red and white uniforms to stick to the colour scheme.

The restaurant is completely decorated in Pokémon art - and we were fortunate to see all of the autumn and Halloween themed decor! The rest of the interior is a welcoming and homey wood and white, making it feel very warm and pleasant. And of course, all of the Pokémon art everywhere makes it feel even brighter! There are also a few TVs around playing advertisements for the newest games, and the music is songs from the Japanese Pokémon anime. There are windows all along the wall, too, showing a great view of the Nihonbashi area from the fifth floor.

After you’re shown to your seat, it’s on to the main show - the food! The Pokémon Cafe has no shortage of themed food, dessert, and drinks. In addition to the steady menu that includes printed pancakes with the cafe logo, Pikachu curry, an Eevee latte, and more there is usually a seasonal menu as well. We ordered from both the Halloween menu and the regular one to try a bit of everything. First, we started with drinks - a “transforming” Ditto fruit tea that arrived on a colour changing light display, fresh chocolate Miltank milk, and a seasonal chestnut Pikachu latte. The Miltank milk was especially fun; we could mix everything with the help of the waitress, who directed us on how to use the chocolate sauce and candy to make a delicious drink. The Pikachu latte also came with the option to buy the mug!

As for the food, we mostly have into our sweet teeth because the dessert menu was so appealing, but we did get one savoury option from the regular menu - carbonara pasta hidden under an omelette that looked like Pikachu’s behind, complete with tail! We also ordered Mimikyu chocolate banana crepes and the seasonal Tangela Mont Blanc, which was filled with black sesame ice cream and on a bed of granola. The crepes also came with a lot of different fruit on the side and a crunchy tail-shaped cookie. Mimikyu’s head was also stuffed with cream and fruit. Everything was really good, and as much as we wanted to try more things from the menu, they were surprisingly filling!

Everyone we encountered working at the cafe was very friendly and welcoming. Many of them spoke English as well as Japanese, and they were happy and excited along with us about all of our food and drinks. Even when we embarrassingly spilled a glass of water everywhere, the staff were quick to help us and even offered a replacement placemat when our special Halloween one was ruined. While through the actual ordering of food is all done through an iPad, it was nice to interact a bit with the staff when we could. They were also more than happy to split the cheque for us when it came time to pay, so it’s easy to go with friends.

Due to its popularity, the Pokémon Cafe is reservation only right now. Reservations can be made easily via the website, though it is completely in Japanese. It’s not too complex to use, though, so with a bit of translation software you should be able to do it. The cafe has many 90-minute seating sessions to choose from throughout the day, and you can freely order whatever you want until the last order, which will be 30 minutes before your time is up. Be sure to arrive at the cafe on time! Your 90-minute window will not be extended if you are late.

All food and drinks are ordered through an iPad that is already on the table. The iPad can be changed into English, Chinese, and Korean to make it easy to place an order. Be warned that none of the food has descriptions, though, just a name and a picture. If you want to know more, it’s better to check the website and do some translating in advance to figure out what exactly comes with each plate. A few sleet parts of the menu also will remain in Japanese, but the majority can be changed to the language of your choice to make ordering simple for anyone!

Each drink at the Pokémon Cafe comes with a free coaster! When we went, we could choose between the special edition Halloween one or a “random” one. We did both, and with the random coaster were able to pick a Pikachu that we liked from a screen. That choice revealed what we won, and then the coaster was presented to us. We also got to keep the cool placemat that was waiting on our table when we sat down! If you want even more memories of your time at the Pokémon Cafe, there are plenty of exclusive goods you can buy. These include mugs, Pikachu cookies, shaped donuts, and more.

Finally, besides the Pokémon Cafe is the Pokémon Centre DX which also opened in 2018. It’s the newest Pokémon Centre in Japan and also the biggest - and it’s so sleek and well organised. The Pokémon Centre features walls of goods ranging from a huge variety of plush toys to Pokémon yukata, Pokémon cookies to casual clothing, and more. Plus unlike the other Pokémon Centres across Japan, the Pokémon Centre DX has some exclusive things to see. Right when you enter, there is a History Wall showcasing the timeline of Pokémon games, cards, and the anime. There’s a display that has every Pikachu Pokémon card that has ever been made. Finally, in the back, there is a touchscreen Pokédex that lets you flip through and learn about all your favourite Pokémon with the flick of a finger. It’s so much fun to play with and can be accessed in English, Korean, and Chinese, too.