A flower pancake from Coffee Zingaro at Nakano Broadway in Tokyo. (Jeremy Stillwagner/Stars and Stripes)
Coffee Zingaro is a small cafe at Nakano Broadway in Tokyo, and after hearing about its artsy retro theme and tables that doubled as arcade machines, I had to stop by.
Contemporary artist Takashi Murakami opened the cafe in a reimagined, post-pandemic setting in April 2023.
The pop artist — mentioned with the likes of Yayoi Kusama and Andy Warhol — is best known for “The Hysteria of This Flower Explained” and “My Lonesome Cowboy,” a piece that sold for $15.2 million in 2008.
Eager to investigate, I hopped a train with friends to Nakano Station. A 10-minute walk brought us to Nakano Broadway and Coffee Zingaro.
Tables double as retro arcade machines at Coffee Zingaro in Tokyo's Nakano Broadway. (Jeremy Stillwagner/Stars and Stripes)
The décor is a retro vibe that echoes from the Showa period (1926-1989), including tabletop games from the 1970s to 1990s. Play the games by purchasing tokens for 500 yen. Each token gets you one play, and each table offers a different game.
Examples of Murakami’s art are displayed on large, cathode-ray-style TVs.
My group tried the flower pancake and melon soda float, plus a flower salmon burger and flower pudding.
My flower pancake was about an inch thick and came with butter, whipped cream and syrup. A little on the eggier side, but it was good nonetheless.
A melon soda float from Coffee Zingaro at Nakano Broadway in Tokyo. (Jeremy Stillwagner/Stars and Stripes)
A flower salmon burger from Coffee Zingaro at Nakano Broadway in Tokyo. (Jeremy Stillwagner/Stars and Stripes)
The melon soda float is exactly what it sounds like; the only twist is the flower-shaped ice cream on top.
I paid 2,050 yen, or about $13.75, for just the pancake and drink.
The food is exactly what you expect it to be, but more a complement to the cafe’s funky atmosphere than the main attraction.
Coffee Zingaro is a bit overpriced, but it’s still fun to experience.
Contemporary artist Takashi Murakami opened Coffee Zingaro at Nakano Broadway in Tokyo in April 2023. (Jeremy Stillwagner/Stars and Stripes)
Coffee Zingaro
Location: 5−52−15, 2F, Nakano city, Tokyo 64-0001
Directions: On the second floor of Nakano Broadway, just a short walk from Nakano Station’s north exit.
Prices: Most menu items cost between 650 yen and 1,200 yen.
Hours: Open noon to 7 p.m. Thursday to Monday. Check Instagram for updated business hours and holiday closures.
Dress: Casual
Information: 03-5942-8382; @coffee_zingaro on Instagram
