Enjoy afternoon tea at Osaka English style cafe "Kitahama Retro "!
2023-09-15
The Kitahama area of Osaka is lined with many modern and fashionable modern buildings such as the Central Public Hall and Nakanoshima Library. One of the most crowded cafes is "Kitahama Retro ", which was created by renovating a Western-style building from the Meiji era.
This article introduces the charm of Kitahama Retro, its popular menu, and tips for minimizing wait times.
This article introduces the charm of Kitahama Retro, its popular menu, and tips for minimizing wait times.
Author of this article
Table of Contents
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- 2-1.2-2.2-3.2-4.2-5.3.
- 3-1.
Very popular English-style cafe in Osaka "Kitahama Retro "
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Kitahama Retro Building stands across from the Osaka Securities Exchange with the Tosabori River and Nakanoshima Park in the background. The building houses "Kitahama Retro ", which we would like to introduce to you this time.
This building with cute teapots hanging from it was built in 1912 and was originally the office building of a stockbroker.
Later, it caught the eye of the current owner, who opened Kitahama Retro in 1997. It quickly became a hot spot as an English-style café where customers can enjoy authentic English tea and exquisite sweets, and has since become a very popular place with a constant stream of customers.
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The building, influenced by the English Glasgow School, is a brick structure with two stories above ground and one below, with an entrance lined with four columns, large window frames on the second floor, and a peppermint green dome.
On December 12, the year the café opened, it was designated a National Tangible Cultural Property.
The store is filled with antique furniture and tableware purchased from England!
The owner, who has traveled abroad to visit cafes, has used his experience to recreate a 100-year-old English tea room.
Everywhere you look, the space is photogenic, with British-made interior decorations everywhere you look, including doorknobs, lights, and light switches.
Another attraction is the Titanic-related items on display, as the Kitahama Retro Building was built the year the Titanic sank.
Please look for tin signs and extinguishers related to the Titanic when you visit the store.
The first floor with tea and sundries that tickle a girl's fancy
The first floor, where the sweet aroma of scones and cookies spreads, is a store corner selling homemade sweets, tea, and special sundries.
The most eye-catching of these teas is the lovely peppermint green color.
The package design was created by the very popular illustrator Sachiko Nishimura, and depicts the popular afternoon tea on the exterior of Kitahama Retro.
Tea tins are airtight and can be decorated with sugar and other ingredients after drinking.
About 40 varieties of black tea are available, including English, French, and Indian teas, so it is recommended to purchase several and enjoy comparing them.
Sweets include the very popular scones, cookies, and cakes, as well as many traditional British sweets made with Kitahama Retro's original arrangements.
The lineup includes such sweets as flapjacks and chocolate fudge, which are not so familiar in Japan, and are exciting just to look at.
All of the sweets are perfect with tea, so you may want to purchase a set for your home café.
Kitahama Retro offers a wide variety of stylish goods, including cutlery sets, tea strainers, mugs, and other items perfect for tea time.
It is a perfect gift for yourself as well as for your loved ones, and we recommend buying it as a birthday present or souvenir.
Gift sets of original tea and sugar cubes, flavored tea drinking sets, and assorted scone sets are also available, so why not stop by the store corner before or after your meal?
The second floor is a coffee shop with a fairy-tale atmosphere.
The coffee shop on the second floor, lined with antique goods that have outlived their usefulness in England, is a fairy-tale space that makes you feel as if you have wandered into a picture book world.
White walls, peppermint green window frames, nostalgic floral tablecloths, an old typewriter, and stained glass from the early 1900s. ......
Everywhere is so photogenic that you can't help but take pictures.
The owner still visits England for his special interior design, so you can make new discoveries after visiting several times.
The north-facing window seats offer a panoramic view of the Tosabori River and the rose garden of Nakanoshima Park. It is quite a luxury to be able to have tea time with such a view! No wonder people line up on weekdays as well as weekends.
In addition, the staircase and restrooms are also stylish, so if you visit in the future, be sure to check out the other spots as well as the coffee shop on the second floor.
Check out the popular menu at Kitahama Retro
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The photogenic exterior and interior are not the only reasons for Kitahama Retro's popularity.
In fact, it is the variety of exquisite menu items that match the stylish space that is Kitahama Retro's greatest attraction!
Here we introduce some of the most popular menu items offered at Kitahama Retro. If you are planning to visit Kitahama Retro, please take a look at them for reference.
afternoon tea set
The number one menu item at Kitahama Retro is this! It is "Afternoon Tea Set (3,200 yen, tax included) "which is a reproduction of a traditional English recipe.
This menu is served with cake on the top, two types of scones in the middle, and finger sandwiches with ham and cucumber on the bottom.
You can choose your favorite cake, scone, and drink from the menu provided. Even though it is an afternoon tea set, it is quite voluminous, so those with small appetites should be careful. You may want to be hungry when ordering.
If you cannot finish your meal, you can take out only the scones.
scone set
"Scone Set (1,400 yen, tax included) "allows you to choose two scones of your choice from the menu prepared.
Scones are available in plain Earl Grey tea, raisin, chocolate chip, walnut, and mixed juice, as well as seasonal and monthly flavors.
The scones served also come with jam and genuine cream. For an additional charge, you can have the clotted cream, which is familiar in England, served separately.
"If you are not sure if you can eat the afternoon tea set ...... ", you may order this menu.
sandwich set
"Sandwich Set (1900 yen, tax included) "offers a selection of your favorite drink and one sandwich each. A variety of sandwiches are available, including mixed, BLT, tuna & vegetable, etc.
The most popular "is the famous Fluffy Omelet Sandwich ". Literally, it is a hearty dish with a fluffy omelette sandwiched in between.
It is recommended to eat alone or share with a friend or loved one. You can also take it out and bring it back home as a souvenir!
cake set
"Cake Set (1,400 yen, tax included) "is a great value set that includes Kitahama Retro's original cake and a drink.
There is such a wide variety of cakes that you will have a hard time deciding which one to choose, but as the store closes, many items are sold out, so if there is a cake you want to try, we recommend that you aim for an earlier time.
The most popular cake is the "mountain of berry cake "that has been available since the opening. Several kinds of sweet and sour berries, genuine cream, and yellow peaches in syrup fill your mouth, and once you try it, you'll be addicted.
At the eat-in restaurant, it is served with berry sauce. Take-out is also available, but if you go to the trouble, you should definitely try it with a drink in the coffee shop.
Kitahama Breakfast
If this is your first visit to Kitahama Retro, be sure to try the original blend "Kitahama Breakfast (800 yen, tax included) ".
Based on fine Assam tea, blended with several types of tea leaves. It is rich and full-bodied, and goes well with milk.
Tea is served in a pot
Points of interest when going to Kitahama Retro
Kitahama Retro is a place where you can enjoy a luxurious moment in a stylish space. Recently, the photogenic spot has been gaining popularity, and you may have to wait a while to enter the restaurant.
So, finally, for those who are planning to visit Kitahama Retro, here are some tips to minimize waiting time.
Reservations are recommended on weekdays.
In fact, Kitahama Retro accepts reservations only on weekdays. However, please note that due to the restaurant's great popularity, reservations are closed early, even on weekdays.
If you are able to go out on a weekday, you can schedule a date and make a reservation early so that you can enter the restaurant without having to wait.
If you come to the restaurant with a reservation, you can choose in advance to order either an afternoon tea set, a lunch set, or a sandwich set.
Recommended times to go without reservations.
In the evening, there are fewer people than in the daytime, and you are more likely to be able to enter the restaurant more easily than you might think. Therefore, if you are "unable to make a reservation for your desired date and time ""and are particular about the menu ", we recommend that you aim for weekday evenings.
On the other hand, if you can only go on weekends or holidays, aim to get in just after the store opens. Since it is first-come, first-served on weekends and holidays, the key to minimizing wait time is to line up before the store opens so that you can be in the first round.
Depending on the season and weather, it is recommended to line up 30 minutes to an hour before opening if possible. Also check to see if there are any events going on.
summary
Kitahama Retro has been loved since its opening, and fans visit from all over Japan. It is a must-visit spot for tea lovers and those who love fairy tales.
Why not spend an elegant moment in a fashionable space filled with the owner's specialties and feel the traditions of England?
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