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| Ben's Cafe: Takadanobaba | |||
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Ben's Cafe may remind you of the best coffeehouse in some college town in North America. It has the feeling of a community hangout - the kind of place where you can drop in for five minutes, run into some friends, and end up staying for five hours. You'll find a big, well-used bulletin board, including thumbtacked layers of fliers and posters from tiny theatrical productions. The walls are covered with artwork from an ever-changing roster of local artists.
Like every good traditional coffeehouse there's more than a hint of alternative culture, or at least alternative pastimes. While you probably won't run into many goateed beatniks playing bongos, you just might stumble into the middle of a poetry reading. The monthly calendar lists go lessons, wine tastings, and other activities not found at your local Starbucks. The crowd includes members of the international community as well as Japanese, and a full range of ages, although there's an especially strong contingent of students (not surprising given the proximity of Waseda University and other smaller schools). Stop by on a weekend afternoon and you're likely to find people playing go or cards, while others are chatting, reading, typing on their laptops or staring off into space. There's a public-access PC where you can check your email, or you can plug your own laptop into one of the many LAN connections provided. The background music covers the spectrum from acid jazz and house to bebop - but always uptempo and very listenable. The small food menu features croques monsieurs made with real gruyere cheese, excellent pastries from New York baker Kyle Sexton, and a solid cheese platter that includes Stilton and English sage derby. The expansive drinks menu has pages and pages of hot and cold espresso beverages, teas, herbal teas and cocktails. You can choose from 8 different wines by the glass, or 22 beers by the bottle - including Westmalle Triple from Belgium and Brooklyn Lager from Brooklyn. If it's a warm day you can sit outside on the patio with your drink, and entertain yourself by guessing who's just passing by and who's about to drop in. by Robb Satterwhite |
Ben's Cafe
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