A Café Walk by the MERI Store Manager | Specialty Coffee at Single O in Ryogoku, Tokyo

Today, I’d like to introduce one of my favorite cafés near our shop: Single O.

Single O is a well-known specialty coffee roaster originally from Australia, and their Tokyo roastery is located right here in Ryogoku.

Interestingly, when our shop opened in Ryogoku in 2014, Single O's roastery opened around the same time.

Back then, there wasn’t a café attached to the roastery yet. We used to stop by and buy coffee beans for the office, and their coffee quickly became one of our favorites.

A few years ago, our long-awaited wish finally came true — Single O opened a café.
Since then, it has become one of our favorite places to enjoy truly excellent specialty coffee.
The café itself is quite compact, but what many visitors don't realize is that behind the shutter on the right side of the building is the roastery itself.

From time to time, the space is opened for coffee tastings and special events, making it an exciting destination for coffee lovers visiting Tokyo.

During this season, it's especially pleasant to enjoy coffee outdoors.

The weather was a little humid on the day we visited, so we were both in the mood for something cold.
We decided to try coffees from Colombia and Ethiopia.
On the menu board, they were the second and third selections from the left, priced at ¥650 each.

After ordering, we were handed glasses filled with ice.
Then came one of the fun parts of the experience.

Simply place your glass beneath the machine, and your coffee is freshly brewed directly into it.
Watching the coffee slowly fill the glass somehow makes it taste even better.

And of course, coffee wasn't the only thing we ordered.
Since it was around lunchtime, we also shared a toasted sandwich and a slice of banana cake.

The toasted sandwich was filled with Vegemite butter, Camembert cheese, Cheddar cheese, and onion jam.
It was rich, savory, and incredibly satisfying.
At ¥700, it easily worked as a light lunch.

The banana cake came topped with espresso butter.
The staff recommended trying the cake by itself first, then allowing the butter to melt and mixing it in later for a completely different flavor experience.

It was excellent advice.
The espresso butter added a deep coffee aroma that paired beautifully with the sweetness of the cake.

Sharing both dishes with a colleague was more than enough for a satisfying lunch.
As for the coffee itself, it was bright, fruity, and wonderfully clean.
Very different from the drip coffee I usually make at home.
This is the kind of coffee that doesn't need milk or sugar.

Instead, you want to enjoy it the way you would a fine tea, appreciating all of the subtle flavors and aromas.

One detail I particularly loved was the coffee cup-shaped lamp hanging inside the café.
Small touches like that make the space feel warm and memorable.

The shop also offers a variety of coffee-related goods.
The T-shirts were especially cool and tempting.

Of course, there is also an excellent selection of coffee beans available to purchase.

The staff are incredibly knowledgeable and happy to help you choose beans based on your preferences.

I couldn't remember exactly which coffee I had enjoyed previously, so I simply described what I was looking for:

"Low acidity, fruity, and easy to drink."

Based on that description, they recommended a Kenyan coffee.

I brought a bag home and am already looking forward to upgrading my daily coffee routine.
If you're visiting Ryogoku, exploring the Sumida Hokusai Museum, or joining a Japanese zori-making workshop at MERI, I highly recommend stopping by Single O.

It's one of the best places in the neighborhood to experience Tokyo's specialty coffee culture and enjoy a slower, more relaxed side of the city.

 

SINGLE O RYOGOKU ROASTWORKS/CAFE