It wasn’t a question of “if” but rather a question of “when” Final Fantasy VII: Remake would be featured at the Square Enix Cafe—and that time is now. With just over a month to go before the game’s highly anticipated release (hopefully!), people are getting more hyped than ever. So, of course, that means plenty of collaboration events! And no popular upcoming title would be complete without a collaboration menu somewhere. Luckily for FFVII, it can be hosted right at Square Enix’s own concept cafe in the heart of the otaku neighbourhood of Akihabara, Tokyo.
The Square Enix Cafe has hosted many Final Fantasy collaborations over the past few years since it first opened its doors, including several for Final Fantasy XV, and some for Final Fantasy: Dissidia and Final Fantasy’s 30th Anniversary. The cafe just opened a brand new venue with more space than ever, and Final Fantasy VII: Remake is the first Final Fantasy theme to be hosted there. There’s no better title than this one to christen the new building, though, considering the love FFVII has all around the world and spanning several generations of players.
Final Fantasy VII: Remake Cafe Info
| Location | Address 1-6-1 Akihabara, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0025 Nearest train line(s) |
|---|---|
| Cost of Admission | Cost of food and drinks |
| Time and days | Time and days Sundays - Saturdays, February 8th - April 24th 2020 9:00 - 22:30 Official Website |
The Experience
The Final Fantasy VII: Remake Cafe has several different main dishes, desserts, and drinks themed after the game’s most popular characters. A few of the savoury dishes include a salad decorated with flowers from Aerith’s church, tomato risotto in the colour or Reno’s bright red hair, or a combination of eggs, potatoes, and chilli beans from Seventh Heaven. The cutest dessert is mousse in the shape of a moogle’s face! And don’t forget the drinks; there’s glowing green apple soda to represent mako energy, coffee with ShinRa’s company logo for latte art, and drinks with Sephiroth or Cloud’s swords garnishing the top. And that’s just a few things on the menu, so be sure to check out the website for more.
With every drink order, you get a free random character coaster that you can take home with you. Most of the main dishes also come with a mini-poster that you receive when you pay. In addition to these free gifts, there is also a Square Enix shop attached to the cafe with goods from a lot of games owned by the company. What is most exciting, though, is the exclusive goods for Final Fantasy VII: Remake! There are file folders iron-on patches, clothes, figures, and more that you can also pick up if just having food and drinks hasn’t been enough to satisfy your FFVII cravings.
Additional info
It’s very hard to get a seat at the Square Enix Cafe, especially for events like this one. If possible, your best bet is to get an online reservation via the cafe’s website, but be aware that it’s only available in Japanese. However, if you can grab a reservation on there, head to the nearest convenience store within 24 hours to pay your ¥1000 reservation fee, which includes your first (non-themed) drink when you arrive at the cafe. If you don’t pay this fee, your reservation will be lost!
For those of us who don’t get a chance to make a reservation, there is still hope! A few more seats are often available in each session every day and are given first-come, first-served that day. Your best chance to get one of these tables is to arrive in the morning and queue before the cafe opens and reserve your spot that way. Square Enix Cafe usually posts on their Twitter every morning which seatings still have space, too. Finally, the last session of the night almost always accepts walk-ins on weekdays, which is perfect if you don’t mind having a very late dinner and don’t want to wake up early in the morning to queue.
Final Thoughts
With special main dishes, desserts, and drinks all inspired by the upcoming Final Fantasy VII: Remake, the Square Enix Cafe is feeding (quite literally) everyone’s anticipation for the game. And with free gifts with nearly everything on the menu and the chance to buy limited merchandise, well, it’s easy to see why it’s so hard to get a reservation!
Final Fantasy VII has so many fans from around the world that it unites otaku gamers across age, gender, and even nationality. Hopefully they will host another FFVII-related cafe soon for all the fans that didn’t get a chance to make it to this one!
Did you make it to the Final Fantasy VII: Remake cafe in Akihabara? What did you think of it? What would you order if you could go, or what special merchandise would you love to get your hands on? Drop us a comment or question below!
Author: Jet Nebula