While cheesecakes have been around since ancient Greece, many other countries also have their own version of this heavenly treat. You can find cheesecake and cheese tart shops all over Tokyo selling this decadent dessert, with convenience stores even offering their own grab-and-go varieties. Japanese cheesecake makers offer a variety of cheesecake styles: baked or no-bake, with that familiar biscuit-crumb base or a flaky crust, and with different flavors such as fruit and chocolate.
Although it isn’t a traditional dessert of Japan, Japanese bakeries have made their mark on the cheesecake scene, endowing cheesecakes with their own flavor and texture preferences. Unlike the familiar New York-style cheesecake, which is quite dense with a heavy texture and high sugar content, Japanese cheesecakes are more akin to chiffon cakes, with a light and fluffy texture that melts in your mouth. Japanese-style cheesecake is also less sweet than its New York-style counterpart, making it a perfect companion to a cup of coffee or green tea.
10 Must-Try Cheesecake Shops in Tokyo
You can find heavenly cheesecakes of all styles in practically every cafe or bakery in Tokyo and all over Japan. Below is a selection of ten cheesecake shops in Tokyo that put their own spin on the dessert. Or, if you're more in the mood for jiggly pancakes, check out these 5 Cafes with the Fluffiest Japanese Pancakes in Tokyo.
Here are a few of Tokyo's top cheesecake shops and brands.
- Morozoff
- PABLO
- Cheese Garden
- Tokyo Buono
- Cinq Cinq
- Shirotae Cake Shop
- BELTZ Basque Cheesecake
- Chatei Hatou
- Kyle’s Good Finds
- Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory
1. Morozoff
Morozoff, the Kobe-based confectionary and chocolatier, is a pioneer of cheesecake in Japan and has been selling their popular Denmark Cream Cheese Cake since 1969. Incidentally, they were also the earliest shop in Japan to make the connection between chocolate and romance, as they were the first to market chocolate for Valentine’s Day in 1932, just one year after they opened.
Morozoff's cheesecake is as classic as their brand, and is reminiscent of the New York-style cheesecake, except the sweetness is toned down for Japanese taste buds. Soft and velvety, Morozoff cheesecake is dense, with a very slight lemony tartness to balance out the rich creaminess. They also make an even richer chocolate cheesecake, with two layers of chocolate; an insanely indulgent treat for chocolate lovers to sink their teeth into. With hundreds of locations all over Japan, and even with stores in Dubai, Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Taipei, you can't miss it!
2. PABLO
Next on the list are the cheese tarts from PABLO, a store with several locations, such as Akihabara and Shinjuku. Originating in Osaka, PABLO has been expanding ever since, setting up shops as far as Okinawa. They have also taken their stores outside of Japan and now have an international outlet in the Philippines.
The very first thing that you will notice when you buy their cheese tarts is their brand logo on top of each and every cheese tart. You can choose to have your cheese tart cooked to either rare or medium rare. These tarts have a rich cheese center that oozes out once you take a bite, contrasting beautifully with its lovely flaky crust. It’s a perfectly-crafted cheese tart that is worth trying. You can buy it as a gift, or just to treat yourself!
3. Cheese Garden
Cheese Garden, with locations in Sumida and Ikebukuro, is another fantastic place to visit if you want to get your hands on authentic Japanese cheesecake. One of their bestsellers is their Goyotei Cheesecake, which is so perfect and smooth that you kind of don’t want to ruin it by slicing into it. It exudes sophistication and refinement, and every bite is a heavenly treat.
Cheese Garden's cheesecakes are made using only the finest ingredients available. Originally made in Tochigi Prefecture, their cheesecake has that rich and dense texture, but without being too overpowering. It is creamy and the flavors are bold, yet refined. The perfect snack to indulge in.
4. Tokyo Buono
With their uniquely-designed cheesecakes, Tokyo Buono in Marunouchi is another winner when it comes to cheesecake shops in Tokyo. They produce rectangular cheesecake slices which are individually wrapped and very convenient to eat anytime. You can buy a whole box of them and take it with you anywhere. They use a fine combination of quality cream cheese and Camembert cheese to produce their one-of-a-kind cheesecake. It also doesn’t hurt that they incorporate a special cheese imported from Denmark into the mix. Their cheesecake sticks are fluffy and creamy, perfect for an afternoon snack or maybe a midnight treat when you’re craving something a little bit mischievous. You can find these cheesecake slices sold in major train stations and airports.
5. Cinq Cinq
If you can’t seem to choose just one variety of cheesecake, then you must try a cheesecake sampler from Cinq Cinq, located in Azabu-Juban. The sampler includes ten different varieties of cheesecake in one cake.
Their base is a basic cheesecake recipe, made with high-quality Hokkaido dairy, into which different flavors are incorporated. They have slices of chocolate cheesecake featuring Belgian chocolate, as well as flavors like blueberry, apple, yuzu, tomato, strawberry, fig, pumpkin, sakura (cherry blossom), Le Lectier pears, and Dekopon mandarin oranges. It’s the perfect cheesecake for those who like variety.
6. Shirotae Cake Shop
Of all the cheesecake shops in Tokyo, you absolutely must visit Shirotae Cake Shop in Akasaka. Though the shop offers many products such as fluffy cream puffs, bread, and other pastries, their cheesecake is clearly the fan-favorite among the bunch. It has a buttery and crumbly crust that is layered with a rich and creamy rare cheesecake. It is topped with pistachios for garnish. The slices are smaller than usual but don’t let that size fool you, because their cheesecakes are bold and rich in flavor and texture.
7. BELTZ Basque Cheesecake
For a taste of Spain’s Basque region in Tokyo, BELTZ Basque Cheesecake is worth a visit. With a deeply caramelized surface and creamy interior, their cheesecake is decadent and rich, but with a sweetness that’s balanced by the nuanced fragrance of its burnished exterior. Located 10 minutes on foot from Ebisu Station, their cheesecakes are also sold at pop-ups across Tokyo and Yokohama.
8. Kyle’s Good Finds
When you’re craving a dense, tangy slice of cheesecake, pick up a New York-style slice from Kyle’s Good Finds in Nakano, Tokyo. Baking up a range of products from cakes to pies to bagels and cookies, the owner Kyle brings the classic taste of American baked goods to Tokyo. In business for nearly three decades now, this spot is a local favorite.
9. Chatei Hatou
Chatei Hatou is an old-school Japanese kissaten (coffee shop) that’s famous for serving the exemplary cups of hand-drip coffee that inspired James Freeman of Blue Bottle Coffee. And alongside aromatic brews, they also serve delicious baked goods. Besides their famous chiffon cakes, which come in a variety of flavors, Chatei Hatou serves a nama (“raw”) cheesecake that visitors love.
10. Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory
Fluffy and light, the original Milk Cheesecake is a specialty at Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory. For the filling, they use high-quality cream cheese from Hokkaido and France, as well as Hokkaido milk and cream. Uniquely, the exterior of the cake is encircled with a thin, moist crepe. Besides cheesecake, Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory sells sandwich cookies, pie puffs, soft cream, and smoothies. They have a dozen stores in Tokyo alone, as well as branches in other prefectures like Osaka, Fukuoka, and Hiroshima.
Looking for other desserts? Check out our list of Matcha Dessert Cafes or Tokyo's all-you-can-eat Dessert Conveyer Belt Cafe!
Have a sweet tooth? Come along as Shizuka visits 3 wagashi shops in Tokyo for traditional Japanese sweets!
