Cafe Aaliya in Shinjuku 3 Chome

The French toast was thick-cut, fluffy, and buttery — absolutely delicious! There are set meal options, which include coffee, French toast, and the choice of clam chowder or salad. The salad was surprisingly large, but the star of the show was definitely the French toast. I came back a second time during my trip and opted for just the French toast.The special straight coffee is also a must. It’s very smooth and flavorful. The 3 other types of straight coffee were great too! The straight coffees are made using a Bunsen burner and siphon. After having this style of coffee at Cafe Aaliya, we kept our eyes out for it at cafes all over japan.

After reading all the rumors about how the best french toasts are available here I finally took some time to try out myself! I have to say this place really is a hidden gem. Despite the very limited seats available, the cozy atmosphere, and the menu only offering french toast (and maybe panini) they have a nice selection of tea blends that can go either hot or cold with your french toast. And whatever they do, they do it very well! The inside of the toast is very soft and has this 'melt in your mouth' experience, while the outside is crispy as you expect it to.Would definitely go again and can recommend this place if you are in for delicious french toast!

I was expecting the french toast to be amazing but it was just average. I would eat again but it’s not the best French toast Ive had in Tokyo. However, it was a good a price!

It was very nice, very calm. I got an Siberian Iced Tea and a Fresh Toast with maple syrup, it was very good but damn, I couldn't eat everything. It's very, very sweet, so be careful if you're not fond of sugary things.

Probably the best French toast I’ve had. Soft and not sickeningly sweet. The different toppings to go along with the French toast also added variety to the flavors. Place is a bit small and there is ~15 min wait for food when we were there on a weekday morning and the restaurant was at half capacity

The mix plate of French toast is amazing. Coffee over priced though and not barister made so I did not order. The price for a coffee was 660yen.

Must try this French toast. Pillows of soft, sweet goodness with a delicate crispy coating. Great vibe and location. Staff are excellent and coffee is good too!

DELICIOUS, and FLUFFY, and GOOEY French toast like you've never had before. A small trek away from Shinjuku Station but completely worth it. The gooeyness inside the French toast makes it so delicious and tasty.This texture is incredible. Doesn't matter which side thing (cream, ice cream, etc) you get with it-- it'll be delicious.I got the berry cream which was good! Vanilla ice cream makes for a different flavor combo too which is tasty.If you love desserts, or even if you don't, you gotta try this French toast tucked away in a little basement under a pink neon sign.

Amazing French toast. Out of this world texture and softness, not too light, not too heavy, with just the right amount of sweetness.The siphon coffee is pretty good, too. I prefer my coffee black, but the milk that came along with it was so good, I couldn't help but pour it in my cup!The place itself is tucked in a basement, and it manages to be cozy without being too cramped. Having counter seats is a big plus too. One can drink alone at ease, without being surrounded by the chatter in the table seats.

Best french toast Ive ever had..So good it made me go on here and write this..

The French toast was soft, melt in your mouth, buttery rich deliciousness. We ordered a set which came with coffee, which was a bit of a miss, but will definitely recommend this place for the toast. There’s a sign outside which says “Best in Japan”. Can’t judge that, but definitely the best I tried in Japan!

Solid. Very nice French toast. Panini and soup were good. Premises could do with a spruce up and a lick of paintNote: Cash only

The BEST french toast you will ever have!!! It's so fluffy and the perfect crisp. There is an English menu with the flavors. We got the ice cream and maple syrup ones. If you're in Shinjuku, this is a MUST! I might go back before our trip is over.

The French toast was quite good, limited menu though.

If you are looking for a meal then I don’t recommend this place, however, if you want a place to relax and a take a breather it’s the perfect place.A relaxed and cozy place. The staff are friendly and polite and they don’t rush you to leave. I like to spend a few hours at a time there. Not really a coffee person, but theirs is really good. They don’t have much food, actually they mostly have French Toast, but what they do have is good.Highly recommend.

I thought the reviews were overrated but I was wrong. And I’m glad to be wrong this time! Their French toast is pure joy, it was heavenly. The texture was out of this world! This is a must-visit if you’re in Tokyo and their french toast is a must-try! If you’re not convinced, just read the other reviews.

I never complain about places, but can’t help feeling that this place is a scam and that the good reviews can’t be real... 1. The place is old and ugly (doesn’t have a French taste whatsoever). Oh! And it is a basement, with no natural light and pretty crammed.2. They only have French toasts, which are not authentic. They were edible, but def waaaay too sweet. NOT WORTH IT.3. You HAVE TO order one item per person, which is not really indicated anywhere visible.4. The coffees are watery and SUPER SWEET, and same way with the teas. Left all drinks untouched.5. And to top it off, the service was cold and rude (in Japan!!! Even makes it worse because we haven’t experienced such an attitude anywhere else).So def don’t come here unless you have no other choice.

The French toast is really good but be careful with the prices. The coffee is way to expensive and not good at all. There are no sets. Food quality and service are great but decoration is a little too old from my perspective. Still a good place for sweet teeth.

This was a great place to go to for French toast! It was crispy on the outside and soft inside. They offer different types of dips for the toast. This place is cash only! Coffee was decent. Will comeback here again

Great place if you love French toast. However, I am not sweet-tooth type. The restaurant lies in the B1 of the building, so the atmosphere was not opened.

Nice place to grab a cup of coffee. Decent selection of other drinks too. The food menu looked good and I intend to go back and check out some of the dishes. The service was fast and friendly. Make a stop if you’re in the area.

Mighty good french toast, soup, and coffee. When we got there, there was not a line, and this was about 1:45 pm. After we sat down, a flood of people came in and were waiting. We had a lunch set that was around 1000 yen. The french toast was thick and soft. Nice cozy atmosphere!

Great little cafe near Isetan. Came here due to the reviews and was nearby. The french toast taste great.

Best French toast I've had so far. English menu available, friendly staff, great coffee, and all of that for a good price.

Amazing ambience. Great food. What a gem

These are the most amazing French toast pieces that you will ever eat in your entire life. Your Bubby could not make a better French toast. Your mother could not make a better french toast. You cannot make better french toast. You must come, pay the nine bucks, and eat this until you die of satisfaction.

Phenomenal French toast!! Great pricing and vibes. Do not miss this place!

This place has hands down the best french toast I've ever had. It was light and fluffy and wasn't too eggy. The maple sauce was delicious and everything was well balanced. I would definitely come back. The down side is that this place is very popular and there can be long wait times, especially on weekends. Sometimes there are lines out the door. Time your visit well so that you're not waiting too long.

I'm a little uncertain how to rate this place. On one hand, it was good and the service was dope. On the other hand, it was WAY overkill on the sweetness. I feel like the other comments warned me but wow. The coffee was also sweet. I recommend for those with sensitive stomachs or who prefer lighter hints of sugary goodness avoid this one. If you have a craving for sugar you'll be in good hands.

Dadgum amazing French toast. Super sweet as well, pair it with a bitter tea/coffee (flavored teas here are bitter enough).

Toast really great! Very sweet:)

Small, cozy Cafe with delicious French toast. The Japanese bread ends up melting in your mouth, and the syrup and ice cream work wonders together.

Just another spot that popped up that serves breakfast/brunch food. Tea taste like stuff I could quickly make at my house. The panini was very disappointing. Did not have one in some time and this was not it. Employees are nice, as most people are in Japan, but not pleased by the meal.

The French toast was amazing, it was very gooie and had many different topping that you can get. The orange vanilla tea was lacking in flavor however. The staff is very kind and we didn't have to wait long for a table. The environment is very relaxed.

The french toast is an absolute must-get here. It is seriously that good (and probably completely different from any french toast you might've had before). Great place to chill out and grab some coffee as well.Service here is more or less impeccable and menus are in English.

very soft and delicious french toast. but I found it to be a little bit on sweeter side. Very good coffee 👍

French toast was very unique compared to North America. They used used thick sweet egg bread of sorts. The bread is the best part.The blue berry sauce was okay. One of us had the trio set but found the caramel too sweet. The maple syrup was balanced well with the whip cream.A must try!

The toast taste very nice, i took the season special pear toast, you feel it taste too much sweeten after the first toast finished, avoid visit in peak hours

Very delicious breakfast and conveniently close to the Shinjuku station! I got the pears french toast and man was it tasty!!! Great service, very tiny store, but cute!

I love French toast so after reading the hype surrounding this place, I was ready for French toast, but *better* (if such a thing exists). Instead, what I got was sickeningly sweet batter triangles that were the consistency of pouring batter into molds and not cooking them long enough. I didn’t take a picture to commemorate the experience, but you can see what I mean from others’. This is not bread. These are not heavenly thick slices soaked in eggs and fried to perfection. I like sweet things quite a lot (hence, going to a French toast café), but this monstrosity was actually painful to get through. That plus the tea I ordered on a whim (which was too fruity and also too sweet) made the whole experience quite traumatic. Please save yourself the disappointment and go elsewhere.

Best French toast I’ve had. Definitely the best I’ve had in Tokyo and it’s open somewhat late!*Edit: Although you can't beat going to Aaliya, their French toast easy to recreate with thick sliced bread from the grocery store here in Japan.

I'm not joking, not even a little bit...this is the best French toast in all of the universe, all of the universes. It's heaven, it's like taking a trip to a land of sugar and butter and fluffy goodness. It's not even close, this is the french toast anyone should have, I don't care what diet you are on, this is worth taking a break from it - all in the name of trying this damn french toast. Do you get my point, do you read these words? Your move...

Average assortment of coffees and no cakes served. The pancake was a good

The pancakes were delicious. A bit pricey though

It's quite expensive and although the pancakes are delicious and with a kind of special taste, I don't think its quite worth the price. I actually prefer "normal" fluffy pancakes to these. But if you have the money, then yes it's a nice place. And almost no people there in the morning.

Amazing french toast with different topping options! Usually a little wait but totally worth it. An English Menu is available.

Buttery, fluffy, and soft! Very happy I decided to visit while in Shinjuku.

You like french toast? Yes? Then go there .They have one of the best french toast I ever eaten You can have a lot of different sides for your toast if you in this .And the coffee is also good and completes the breakfast experience.I would avoid the cheese and meat toast.. Just not my taste

I was here during my trip in Dec 2019 and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to try the french toast here. Did not disappoint at all. Simple yet amazing. Go at off peak times otherwise be prepared to que!

The French toast was delicious! I had the French Toast mix (Apple sauce / Caramel sauce / Vanilla ice cream with blueberry). Topped up a bit to change the caramel sauce for maple sauce instead. Best decision ever! With 3 slices of French toast, it is good enough to share with a friend and wash it down with a lovely cup of Guatemalan coffee.Queue was long but totally worth it. But the barrow staircase can get a bit stuffy while waiting.Will come back again!