Mitsuba

Cozy Japanese Cafe with Irresistible Treats

Ah, Mitsuba Café—a curious little establishment in West Kensington where the cherubic charm of Japanese-inspired design meets the capriciousness of erratic service. Enter the place fresh from bustling London streets, and you find yourself ensconced in a delicate seating arrangement that pays homage to the Land of the Rising Sun, complete with a manga section because, presumably, nothing says 'Japan' quite like graphic novels. The cakes and pastries, with their chirpy demeanor, nestle in a corner, ready to tempt your finer senses. The matcha latte, an ode to the quintessential calm, offers relief as charming staff flit about in brief spurts of attentiveness.

While one might bask momentarily in the aromatic allure of a brown sugar milk tea, beware, for Mitsuba is also where intriguing confusion roams free. Bentos—crafted either with microwaves or wizardry, there's no telling—recite well-practiced lines from an underwhelmed script. Piecing together rare, wafer-thin beef amidst pesky pickles can leave you in a culinary conundrum. Nevertheless, the inviting ambiance gleefully glosses over sins of the kitchen, to lend itself as a tranquil escape for the gentle serenade of video calls and quietude. Should you muster up endurance for patchy seat availability and quixotic charging practices, a serene café sojourn can still be found. A whimsical mixtape of culinary highs and organizational lows, Mitsuba rewards only those who revel in its hidden, flavorful notes. — Penelope Savory