Tokyo’s best brews

Tokyo Saryo: Tea takes centre stage at Tokyo Saryo, a minimalistic tea salon in Tokyo’s Setagaya ward. As modern as the design is, with nine stools around a central tea bar, the salon’s attention to detail in the making of tea using a drip method is its standout feature (Tokyosaryo.jp).

Yakumo Saryo: At the Sabo tea house in Yakumo Saryo, tea is incomplete without delicious ‘wagashi’—small pretty confections that balance out the often bitter flavour of the brew. Sipping your tea facing a garden full of plum trees, you’re likely to forget that you’re still in the heart of Tokyo (Yakumosaryo.jp).

Ippodo Chaho: The Tokyo branch of Kyoto’s famous tea shop and café has a DIY approach to tea making and drinking. Servers guide guests in making the tea, from how hot the water should be to how long the tea should be brewed. The shop has a wide selection and visitors can taste teas before buying them (Ippodo-tea.co.jp).