Down an alley in the Jimbocho neighborhood sits this kissaten, a no-frills coffee house, also called kissa. At Ladrio, people sit at low tables, Edith Piaf crooning quietly as coffee drinkers converse in hushed tones. Since 1949, Ladrio has been a quiet refuge and a long-standing literary hangout. We stick to the cake and coffee set, but you can order a meal off the minimalist lunch menu. Bring a book or notebook, as being on your phone here is a little rude.

This kissa oozes retro charm, bedecked with Lilliputian furniture and statuettes of Tiki gods. Just up the alley from Ladrio, Sabouru has been serving up coffee, homemade sodas and an extensive list of desserts since 1955. It’s a kissa that appeals to Tokyo’s young and hip, usually buzzing with conversation. Saboru squeezes two levels out of a one-story room, but the cramped quarters are cozy and appealing.

Sakurai Japanese Tea Experience is a sanctuary dedicated to the art of tea. Here, tradition comes together with modern elegance, to make a superior quality cup of tea. In this beautiful space, tea master Shinya Sakurai reminds guests that tea is both an ancient medicine and a contemporary luxury. The velvety gyokuro green tea is served with meticulous care, and the innovative tea-infused cocktails are a fun addition to the traditional offerings.

Lion Café was lovingly restored in 1950 after its 1923-construction was destroyed in WWII. This unexpected café is all about music. Inside, tables and chairs are all lined up facing a huge audio system with gigantic wooden speakers. The shelves on the walls are stacked with vinyl and CDs. There is no speaking, merely drinking (we like the café au lait) and listening. On our last visit, we gave ourselves over to Beethoven for 20 minutes. This is an auditory oasis in a bustling metropolis.

A day of cycling and eating through Tokyo might begin with coffee at Camelback Rich Valley in Yoyogi-Hachiman. Excellent cafes and coffee stands abound in the city, but Camelback’s baristas consistently turn out some of the best lattes on this side of Tokyo. Never overly milky, beautifully rich and toasty, with an unapologetic caffeine kick up the arse. And they open relatively early, which is much more than can be said for many independent coffee spots in Tokyo.

A casual stroll through the streets of Kiyosumi Shirakawa can produce a puzzling contrast. For the most part, it has a residential, sleepy feel. Then, all of a sudden, a sleek gallery, trendy coffee shop or busy store might slide into view. In addition to the Tokyo Museum of Contemporary Art and at least a dozen coffee shops scattered around its streets, there’s the New Zealand-born Allpress Espresso (or the New Zealand-inspired Iki Espresso), both of which serve highly respectable flat whites.

Tourists and Tokyoites alike may think they have little reason to cross the Sumida River, which marks the city’s eastern flank. But the Kiyosumi Shirakawa neighborhood is riding the third wave hard. It has earned itself a reputation as an art and coffee town, with Cream of the Crop being the O.G. cafe of the area.

It was the opening of Arise – not the California-based Blue Bottle Coffee – that heralded a new era for the neighborhood of Kiyosumi Shirakawa. Decked out with skateboards and other quirky decorations, its popularity saw an equally trendy sister store open the following year. Now with countless hidden independent stores, cafés and bakeries, and with very few chains, this area exudes a cozy neighborhood feeling combined with a laid-back trendiness.

There is no shortage of caffeinated options at Shinjuku Station, especially as over the years third-wave coffee has arrived on Japan’s shores. For some home-brewed talent, grab a takeout from Sarutahiko Coffee in Lumine. The first store was opened in 2011 in Ebisu by Tomoyuki Otsuka, who was just 29 at the time. There are now around 20 stores, including three in Taiwan, and is reliable for good quality coffee with a mellow flavor.

Ningyocho is a pocket of central Tokyo that feels like a time slip. Nowadays, it’s dotted with stores that reflect the cuisine and crafts of olden times – traditional sweets, tea, sake, kimono – with hidden shrines improbably wedged between apartment blocks and offices. The best place for a stroll is Amazake-yokocho, literally “sweet sake alley," where we stop by Morinoen, a 110-year-old tea store that specializes in roasted green tea and sweets.