Cafe Beulmans
Seijo, Tokyo
Tucked into the quiet, tree-lined streets of Seijo in western Tokyo, Cafe Beulmans feels like a small, lovingly preserved kissaten where music is the true menu—an intimate spot for people who come to hear as much as to be heard. The room is low-lit and wood-paneled, lined with shelves of well-worn vinyl and a vintage turntable that the owner treats like a trusted instrument; afternoons often find locals and students from nearby schools sprawled over small tables with slow-drip coffee while warm jazz, chanson, or mellow bossa nova fills the air. In the evenings the place takes on a hushed, attentive mood—soft conversation, the clink of whiskey glasses, and carefully curated needle drops that reveal the proprietor’s deep record-collector tastes. What makes Beulmans worth seeking out is that rare kissaten balance of ritual and spontaneity: it’s both a refuge for lingering over a single cup and a living room for musical discovery, where every play feels chosen to draw you in and slow time just enough to notice the details of sound.
Tucked into the quiet, tree-lined streets of Seijo in western Tokyo, Cafe Beulmans feels like a small, lovingly preserved kissaten where music is the true menu—an intimate spot for people who come to hear as much as to be heard. The room is low-lit and wood-paneled, lined with shelves of well-worn vinyl and a vintage turntable that the owner treats like a trusted instrument; afternoons often find locals and students from nearby schools sprawled over small tables with slow-drip coffee while warm jazz, chanson, or mellow bossa nova fills the air. In the evenings the place takes on a hushed, attentive mood—soft conversation, the clink of whiskey glasses, and carefully curated needle drops that reveal the proprietor’s deep record-collector tastes. What makes Beulmans worth seeking out is that rare kissaten balance of ritual and spontaneity: it’s both a refuge for lingering over a single cup and a living room for musical discovery, where every play feels chosen to draw you in and slow time just enough to notice the details of sound.