Iidabashi: Moomin Bakery & Cafe (ムーミンベーカリ＆カフェ)

Summary: Cool cafe to visit if you are lonely, or if you love Moomin.

If you like cafes, and if you are also a lover of all things kawaii, Japan's theme cafes is a definite must-visit for you.

Japan is home to numerous theme cafes, and it can be difficult to decide where to go, especially when you are on a limited budget and time. 

Today, I would like to introduce one of my favourite date spots in Tokyo - Tokyo Dome City.

Tokyo Dome City is a large entertainment city located in the heart of Tokyo. It features attractions like Tokyo Dome, a sports stadium; LaQua, a hot spring and spa complex; an amusement park with a variety of attractions and facilities, as well as various shopping facilities and restaurants. 

amusement park at Tokyo Dome City

view at night during Christmas season

Besides enjoying the thrilling roller coaster (you HAVE to try the Thunder Dolphin), relaxing spa facilities and sports activities, I would definitely recommend the cafes here to relax after an exciting afternoon. 

One of the cafes I often suggest to my friends would be Moomin Bakery & Cafe, located within Tokyo Dome City's LaQua. They serve food, bakery items and desserts based on the famous Finnish characters, The Moomins.

Moomin Bakery & Cafe

The Moomins are a family of characters from a series of books and a comic strip by Finnish illustrator and writer, Tove Jansson. They resemble white hippopotamuses and live in a village called Moominvalley. They enjoy widespread popularity throughout the world, and even have their own TV series, films and a theme park which is located in Naantali, Finland.

a very Moomin welcome

The cafe is decorated with images of the Moomins and there are numerous Moomin dolls placed throughout the cafe.

bakery & cafe

cafe area

The bakery is located in a different section from the cafe, but you can buy their pastries and enjoy it in the cafe. To honor the characters' heritage, Moomin Bakery & Cafe serves bread made from Finnish rye, and offers food and pastries in the form of popular Moomin characters.

cute little buns on display ;)

If you are feeling a little lonely, or you just want to make a new cuddly friend, you can ask to have one of the Moomin plush dolls join you for tea! 

Recently, there has been a rise in people going to cafe by themselves, and it seems that one of the major contributing factors to this cafe's popularity is its 'anti-loneliness' concept. 

The plush dolls are brought to each table so that customers -- solo or in groups -- can have a turn sitting with them.

hello mr thingy thing
(looks like a kiritanpo - mashed rice skewer) 

my new boyfriend

The food and drinks were a treat to the eyes, and you feel quite happy just looking at the food. Even the gloomiest days will be brighten with these adorable treats.

The taste of the food itself was okay - not bad at all but pretty standard. 
Nonetheless, It was good enough that I felt really satisfied after my meal. 

Besides desserts and Nordic-inspired pastries, the cafe also serves standard cafe food like curry rice, pasta, omurice (omelette rice) and sandwiches.

Rather than its food and drinks, I feel that the appeal of this cafe is their warm and welcoming hospitality, whimsical atmosphere and cute little plushies you can befriend.

I would definitely recommend this cafe if you like cute things and want to relax while enjoying pretty drinks, desserts and pasties. 
During the weekends, the cafe tends to be packed with couples and young families, so it would be a good idea to drop b on weekday mornings.

happy belly happy me

Address: 1-1-1 Kasuga, Tokyo Dome City, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-0003
〒112-0003 東京都文京区春日1-1-1 東京ドームシティ ラクーア 1F
Phone:03-5842-6300
Hours: Mon - Fri 8.30am - 10.30pm (last order 10pm)
Sat, Sun and Public Holidays 8.30am - 10pm (last order 9pm)
Website: http://benelic.com/moomin_cafe/tokyo_dome/