If you’ve ever been to France, then you’ve probably tasted some of the different gâteaux and tartes that a real French pâtisserie has to offer. However, France is quite far from Japan...or maybe not?
Pâtisserie à la campagne, originally from Kobe but with branches in Tokyo, Yokohama, Kawasaki and Chiba is definitely a place to visit if you want to eat a good dessert and drink some really good coffee. With over 18 different raw cakes and a wide variety of tartes to choose from, Pâtisserie à la campagne uses only seasonal fruits and fresh first materials. You will literally not know what to order! What is even more interesting is that they’re using French names for their products that they eventually translate into Japanese. Some examples to chose from are:
It has a relaxing satisfying atmosphere inspired by a European country like France. It is not very cheap, but the cake pieces here are big and tasty. It is situated in one of Jiyugaoka’s most central streets.Risa, a customer
- Galette aux Fruits: crispy gallete with mascarpone cheese topped with delicious sweet and sour berries
- Tarte aux pommes: A traditional apple pie with acacia honey cream and sauteed apples with honey and butter. Yummie!
- Gâteaux aux chocolat et bananes: This was the one I ordered. Believe me when I say that the combination of chocolate mousse, whip cream and fresh banana was magical!
Now let’s talk about the coffee and tea. Good filtered coffee is quite hard to find if you don’t know where to go. I’m a coffee addict myself and coffee is a factor that can make me go back to a place again or not. Patisserie à la champagne has good filtered coffee that accompanies well the desserts and doesn’t leave a bitter aftertaste that could alter their sweet taste. However, if you don’t drink coffee there is also a large variety of tea to choose from as well as fresh juices.
All the photos in this article are from the café/pâtisserie in Jiyugaoka. It’s a quiet, little café with French aura everywhere! The staff doesn’t speak English but they have a colorful menu that includes photos of all the fresh cakes that the pâtisserie offers at that moment. That way you can simply point to the one you want and get a nice smile from the waitress who will bring your order within a couple of minutes.
