KATONIH

As you walk in, it's difficult not to feel good vibes about Cottony, as the place is filled with natural light and draped with gorgeous plants (which you can actually buy, as the place is a combined cafe and flower shop!). The cafe is multi-level, with a terraced dining area with a more formal fee...l on the top, and a cosy space with shelves of books on the second floor. The first floor cafe shares space with the flower shop, without either being too intrusive. The main body of the flower shop is in a concealed nook that can also be accessed via a separate door outside. In addition to selling plants and flowers, Cottony's flower shop portion also hosts flower arrangement lessons catering to people of all ability levels. Overall, Cottony feels like a place one could visit a few times just to experience the different atmospheres of the different floors and browse its flower shop offerings. -NB: Cottony's website notes that the first floor is undergoing renovation until the end of January. If the first floor has changed significantly I will update this section to reflect that.- Personally, I was seated on the first floor and couldn't recommend it enough. The space was bright, airy, verdant, stylish, and comfortable. I was genuinely impressed at how lovely it was and how it somehow managed to feel both relaxing and elegant simultaneously. The abundance of plants play a big role in the decor here, and likely shift and change as they are bought (a small rubber tree next to me was tagged at ¥1200) or new ones brought in. The natural light, high ceiling and large amount of floor space made sure the place felt cosy without being cramped. The table I was at had a glass top which showcased an arrangement of wild flowers in the compartment underneath. Next to the table was the standard Japanese basket for your belongings (to keep them off the floor), which also contained some gloriously soft blankets in case you were cold. (Speaking as a Brit, it's impossible to be remotely cold in any Japanese building in winter, but I almost wished I was just so I could use one.) Cottony serves Italian-inspired food (they are quite proud of their pasta), as well as tea and cake. Its dinner selections have a fine-dining feel. As far as I am aware, there are no English menus. However, even if you can't speak Japanese, the lunch menu has a picture for every set. Alternatively, the breakfast and lunch menus use katakana quite heavily, so if you can read that, you should be fine for the most part. Eating out in Japan is usually very affordable, so whilst Cottony does not offer as much food for your money as some other Japanese cafes or restaurants, its lunches fall comfortably in the standard price range of ¥1000-¥1500, and are of good quality. The cafe also does a cake offer which entitles you to ¥100 off a piece of cake after any lunch order. Cottony is deservedly popular due to its unique premise and fabulous atmosphere. As a result, however, the service can be lacking at times. Staff are often too busy to notice guests in the entryway- a mother and her adult daughter were stood waiting for a good 5-10 minutes without greeting or explanation they may have to put their name down on a waiting list. There is a general sense of uncertainty about what to do when you enter due to this. It was also impossible for the staff to keep an eye on everyone's glasses of water, but this was not a significant problem for me personally. The cafe is a little out of the way if you are touring Nagoya- especially as Ueda is largely a residential area- and it is a fairly long walk from its subway station. However, if you have the time and are willing to come to Ueda, I would definitely recommend it, especially for dates or with small groups of friends.

Visited December 2016