Hakodate in Hokkaido attracts many tourists every year, not only from within Japan but also from overseas. Furthermore, it's a truly appealing town, having ranked first in the attractiveness rankings for municipalities for three consecutive years (2014-2016).

What comes to mind when you think of a trip to Hakodate? A townscape lined with churches and buildings exuding an exotic atmosphere? Or perhaps gourmet food such as fresh seafood including squid, and Western-style cuisine with a long history dating back to the opening of the port? Both are appealing, aren't they?

This time, we'll introduce a "retro cafe" where you can enjoy both the historical architecture and gourmet food that are characteristic of this port town, Hakodate, all at once.

This article contains information as of November 2016.

<Table of Contents>
1. [Suehirocho] Cafe Drip Drop (formerly Marui Imai Kimono Store Hakodate Branch)
2. [Bentencho] TACHIKAWA CAFÉ RESTAURANT MAISON (Tachikawa Family Residence Shop, a nationally designated important cultural property)
3. [Otemachi] Cafe & Deli MARUSEN (Former Japan-Russia Fisheries Company Building)
4. [Otemachi] BEURRE Hakodate Main Store (Registered Tangible Cultural Property: Hakodate Otemachi House)
5. [Shinkawa-cho] Tanukiana Tea House (Traditional Japanese House)
Final thoughts

First, let me introduce you to Cafe Drip Drop, located on the first floor of the Hakodate City Community Exchange and Town Development Center, near the Red Brick Warehouses.

This building was constructed in 1923 as the Marui Imai Department Store, and it evokes the atmosphere of an era when Hakodate was the largest city north of the Kanto region and was at the height of its prosperity.

The shop is decorated with antique lighting and clocks, creating a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere. Jazz music that perfectly suits the shop's ambiance plays from a large speaker next to the clock.

The owner also runs "HandPick," a roasting facility that delivers and sells home-roasted coffee beans online. The coffee served here is a proud creation using beans from "HandPick." Please enjoy its rich aroma and flavor.

We also recommend our toast plate, which includes toast, two daily changing side dishes made with plenty of vegetables, and a drink, as well as light meals such as hot sandwiches, bread, and rice balls.

Next to this cafe, there's a corner with brochures useful for sightseeing, so it's a good place to rest your feet while planning your sightseeing route.

<cafe Drip Drop>
Address: 1F, Hakodate Community Exchange and Town Development Center, 4-19 Suehiro-cho, Hakodate City, Hokkaido 040-0053, Japan
TEL: 0138-22-9700
Opening hours: 10: 00 to 18: 00
Closed on: Wednesdays, facility closure days, and during the New Year holidays.
Prices: DD Blend 330 yen, Toast Plate 730 yen, Hot Sandwich 430 yen
URL:http://hakomachi.com/cafe/

Next, we introduce TACHIKAWA CAFÉ RESTAURANT MAISON, which has a particularly striking exterior even among the many historically significant buildings in Hakodate. The storehouse-style building, constructed in 1901, was originally the shop and residence of a rice merchant.

The renovated shop space has been transformed into a cafe and restaurant, and the interior boasts impressive large beams. The blend of Japanese and Western interior design evokes the atmosphere of Hakodate at that time.

This place serves full meals, so it seems that more people use it as a restaurant than a cafe. In particular, the daily lunch menu has a wide variety of options, and in addition to pizza and soup, it comes with a salad appetizer and homemade bread.

I also recommend the sandwiches. They're quite substantial and come with a salad, so they're enough for lunch.

<TACHIKAWA CAFÉ RESTAURANT MAISON>
Address: 15-15 Bentencho, Hakodate City, Hokkaido 040-0051
TEL: 0138-22-0340
Opening hours: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM (Opens at 11:00 AM from November to March)
Closed: Monday
Prices: Daily lunch special from 1600 yen, sandwiches from 700 yen, coffee 600 yen
URL: http://tachikawacafe.com/index.html

Cafe & Deli MARUSEN, located next to the Hakodate International Hotel, is a cafe housed in the former Japan-Russia Fisheries Company building, constructed in the early Showa period. The bright interior with its high ceilings allows you to fully enjoy the modern atmosphere of the era when the port town prospered from fishing.

Originally, this cafe operated within the Marusen Ryokan in Yunokawa Onsen, but due to its popularity, the cafe relocated to this location in 2013.

This cafe, which is also a Cafe & Deli, has a wide variety of menu items. During lunchtime, which starts at 11:00, they offer many dishes including homemade bread, steak, soup curry, galettes, pho, and more, making it difficult to choose just one.

Furthermore, it opens early at 9:00 AM and offers a breakfast plate, making it the perfect cafe for breakfast during a trip without meals included.

Address: 1F Nichiro Building, 5-10 Otemachi, Hakodate City, Hokkaido 040-0064, Japan
TEL: 0138-85-8545
Opening hours: 9:00 AM - 18:00 PM (Last order 17:00 PM)
Closed: New Year's holiday
Prices: Breakfast plates 850 yen each, Lunch plates 980 yen each, Galettes from 850 yen each.
URL:http://www.cafe-marusen.com/index.html

Walking from Hakodate Station through the morning market towards the bay area, you'll find a building that stands out even among the many Western-style buildings in Hakodate, slightly off the main street. This Hakodate Otemachi House was built in 1918 as the Hakodate sales office of Asada Cement, but it has been vacant since 1988 and has fallen into disrepair.

However, the building was renovated in 2003 by its owner, restoring it to its original appearance.

Currently, the first floor operates as BEURRE, a specialty shop for butter waffles, where you can enjoy waffles with coffee and other drinks in a beautiful shop furnished with antique furniture. These waffles are made with a chewy brioche dough and filled with butter cream mixed with ingredients from Hokkaido.

There are four flavor variations: Fresh, Maple Walnut, Cafe Chocolate, and Haskap. The Fresh flavor is only available in-store, but the other three can be taken home as souvenirs.

<BEURRE Hakodate Main Store>
Address: 5-1 Otemachi, Hakodate City, Hokkaido 040-0664, Japan (Otemachi House)
TEL：0138-26-3383
Opening hours: 10: 00 to 17: 00
Closed: Tuesday
Prices: Butter waffles (various types) 200 yen each, coffee 500 yen, take-out pack of 6 1200 yen
URL: http://www.paardmusee.com/horse_train_program/shop/
*As of March 2017, this store is no longer operating at this location.

Unlike the four shops I've introduced so far, this shop is located a little outside the main tourist area. It's across from the Hakodate Central Post Office, but it's difficult to find, so it's best to use an online map to find it.

When you enter a shop housed in a renovated old house, you take off your shoes as if you were visiting a friend's house.

The restaurant has two-seater tables and sofa seating facing the garden, as well as private rooms with four-seater tables.

This restaurant offers only one type of lunch: a bento box. The bento box, filled with small portions of daily changing side dishes, is a feast for the eyes. It comes with a choice of rice or pasta as the main course, a drink, and dessert. Pasta comes with bread, so rice is recommended for those with smaller appetites.

Outside the window is a garden where you can enjoy the scenery of each season, and sometimes cats pass by.

This bento box is very popular and available in limited quantities, so it sometimes sells out before 13 PM. If you want to be sure to get one, it's best to make a reservation. Also, the parking lot is small, so if you're coming by car, be sure to make a reservation well in advance.

<Tanukiana Tea House>
Address: 2-19 Shinkawa-cho, Hakodate City, Hokkaido 040-0032
TEL: 0138-87-0408
Opening hours: Lunch 11:30-14:00, Dinner 18:00-21:00 (Reservations required for dinner)
Closed: Sunday
Price: Boxed lunch 1000 yen
URL:https://www.facebook.com/mamiana.caffe

We've introduced cafes where you can enjoy both the charm of the architecture nurtured in the port town of Hakodate and its gourmet food. All of these shops are beloved by locals, and you can savor delicious food and sweets.

While dining at morning markets or seafood izakayas is great, why not try dining in a retro setting like this the next time you visit Hakodate?

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