Weekend Trip to Kamakura! Let’s Relax in the Best Cafés in Town
With its ancient Buddhist temples and traditional townscape, Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture is an extremely popular tourist spot. Besides the many amazing sights to discover, Kamakura also offers a lot of gourmet-centric attractions that are not to be missed – which is precisely why we’re taking a closer look at the town today! And what is nicer than relaxing in a café and savor traditional Japanese sweets or sipping green tea in a temple while on your weekend trip to Kamakura? Let’s not only sate our curiosity but also our appetites!
1. A Kamakura-style Break: Relaxing while Café Hopping
Exploring Kamakura simply in regards to all the famous tourist spots would be a bit of a waste – so why not spice up your sightseeing tour with some café hopping? We’ve selected some of the best choices that represent Kamakura just perfectly. Look forward to delicious encounters with famous sweets, such as the thick baked pancakes and creamy pudding. Combinations such as coffee and azuki, or cake and the atmosphere of an old traditional home really make Kamakura’s unique “modern traditions” palpable. Take your time and enjoy a sweet delicacy in this enigmatic setting.
Iwata Coffee
1-5-7 Komachi, Kamakura-shi, Kanagawa-ken 248-0000
Café Rondino
1-10 Onarimachi, Kamakura-shi, Kanagawa-ken 248-0012
Ogata
11-3 Onarimachi, Kamakura-shi, Kanagawa-ken 248-0000
OKASHI0467
1-11-21 Hase, Kamakura-shi, Kanagawa-ken 248-0000
Vuori
1-15-1 Hase, Kamakura-shi, Kanagawa-ken 248-0016
Roomlax Café
1-4-26 Yukinoshita, Kamakura-shi, Kanagawa-ken 0467-38-7335
2. A Pause for your Mind: Forget Time amidst Bamboo
Hokoku-ji, the Temple of Bamboo. There’s hardly a better way to enjoy a cup of matcha than sitting in a calm bamboo forest. At Hokoku temple, beautiful and delicate sweets are served alongside the green tea bowl. Enjoying traditional Japanese tea in a natural, spiritual setting like that is a rare opportunity, even in Japan – so lean back, gaze into the bamboo forest and just forget the time for a while. Oh, and don’t forget to go and explore the temple itself!
Kyukoan
2-7-4 Jomyoji, Kamakura-shi, Kanagawa-ken 248-0000
3. Kamakura, City of Bread: Don’t Miss this Must-Visit Bakery!
Did you know that Kamakura is particularly famous for its many well-established bakeries? From unique creations to wheat classics, from sweet to organic, the town’s many specialty stores have much and more to offer to hungry visitors! One shop that we’d like to particularly recommend makes taiyaki, (a fish-shaped pancake) that so delicious, it is often sold out once the tasty fishes come out of the oven! A lot of shops are close to Kamakura Station, allowing to discover the city with a baked delicacy in hand!
Kibiya Bakery
5-34 Onari-cho, Kamakura-shi, Kanagawa-ken 248-0012
Kamakura 24sekki
923-8 Tokiwa, Kamakura-shi, Kanagawa-ken 248-0022
Taiyaki Namihei
1-8-10 Hase, Kamakura-shi, Kanagawa-ken 248-0016
la forêt et la table
1-3-16 Yuigahama, Kamakura-shi, Kanagawa-ken 248-0014
Miyuki Pan
2-4-38 Yuigahama, Kamakura-shi, Kanagawa-ken 248-0014
4. Eat some Daikon for Good Fortune!
Kamakura’s neighborhood of Sasuke is believed to be a place of particularly good fortune – and a daikon (Japanese white radish) specialty store seeks to continue this tradition. Why daikon? Because daikon is said to be the favorite dish of the enshrined deity of the shrine right next to the café. This café is famous because the entire menu is made out of white radish, even the desserts! The “Good Fortune Hot Pot” is particularly popular. We’re sure that dining here will grant you a radish experience like you’ve never had before. And a lot of good luck on top of that.
Fukudori
1-13-13 Sasuke, Kamakura-shi, Kanagawa-ken 248-0000
5. Get the Unforgettable Kamakura Taste and Try the Mysterious Paradise Curry
The last spot we’d like to showcase is famous for its intriguing, mysterious name: Gokuraku Karii, or Paradise Curry. Not only the restaurant’s name is unique, however, the dishes are rather amazing as well. The chicken curry with plenty of meat is as delicious as it is visually appealing, and we’re sure you’ll remember its incredible taste for quite a long time. What goes best with a perfect curry? A perfect cup of chai tea of course, which is in no way inferior to the main dishes in regards to flavor. Will you dare to get a taste of this authentic Punjabi Curry that has been enjoyed like this for over a thousand years?
Gokuraku Karii
3-9-47 Yuigahama, Kamakura-shi, Kanagawa-ken 248-0014
