Tokyo: Aoyama Flower Market Tea House

Aoyama Flower Market is a chain of flower shops, and the original store nearby Omotesando station also hosts an in-house café. There’s no doubt that combining a cafe and a flower shop has been a brilliant idea, and Aoyama Flower Market Tea House is outrageously popular among both tourists and locals in Tokyo.

I was there on a Sunday afternoon, and the line stretched all the way out on the street, but I was determined to visit. If there’s any such thing as an it café in Tokyo right now, then it’s probably Aoyama Flower Market Tea House, and according to my Japanese friends, this is a place not to be missed.

I put my name on the waiting list and one of the staff members informed me that the expected waiting time would be around 45 minutes. It was ok, because the weather was nice.

Aoyama Flower Market is really an amazing place, I could see for myself, when I finally stepped inside. It’s like a big greenhouse full of beautiful flower decorations and lush green stuff. The menu is to the sweet side with a nice selection of desserts and different kinds of tea. Aoyama Flower Market Tea House is particularly known for fresh herbal teas, so of course I had to try one of those. I don’t remember whether I decided on the Relax Blend or the Refresh Blend, but it had fresh mint leaves in it, and it was tasty.

To satisfy my sweet tooth, I had a Flower Parfait, which was a gorgeous looking dessert with rose leaves, rose jelly and of course granola. For some reason, granola has become hugely popular as a dessert ingredient in Japan (and in a lot of other Asian countries), but I’m not the one to complain. I love everything crunchy. The parfait was delicious, and the perfumed rose flavor wasn’t too strong, so even if you aren’t usually into edible flowers I think you would like it.

Aoyama Flower Market Tea House, Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, 5-1-2, Hours Mon-Sat: 11am-8pm, Sun: 11am-7pm, Tel: +81 (0)334868787, Nearest subway station: Omotesando. Address in Japanese: 南青山本店, 東京都港区南青山5-1-2