My favorite cafe is probably the hardest to get a reservation at. After trying for over 2 years, I finally managed to get a reservation! The last time I had the strawberry biscuit sandwich and it was delicious, so I really wanted to try it again. I also entered for the strawberry and ameche flavors, but never got a chance to go. So when I was able to reserve the peach flavor, I was ecstatic. It's such a luxury to have my desired menu item reserved for me. The peach biscuit sandwich had a slightly salty biscuit with plenty of peach and cream. It was so satisfying. I also enjoyed a large glass of iced cafe latte and a bonus cookie that was thick, buttery, and delicious. They had a variety of baked goods for takeout, but unfortunately, they were sold out this time. I guess it just depends on the day. I wonder when I'll be able to go again. I won't give up and will keep trying to make a reservation. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

After more than a year, I was able to make a reservation and place an order for KATEMAOさん╰(*´︶`*)╯♡ The items I ordered were: ❤️ Strawberry Shortcake ¥700 (tax included) ❤️ Carrot Cake ¥500 (tax included) ❤️ Marco Polo ¥600 (tax included) The strawberry shortcake was impressive with its 5 layers and fluffy texture, topped with sweet strawberry sauce and white chocolate heart cocoa cookie. The carrot cake was also delicious with a smooth frosting, hint of spices, and a lemony twist. Finally, the Marco Polo tea with floral and fruity flavors complemented the desserts perfectly. It was a satisfying and delightful meal. I will definitely be visiting again. Thank you for the delicious food!

I checked the business days and menu on Instagram ♡ Reservations can only be made by phone on the day of. Despite the current situation, it is still popular, so be patient as the phone lines can get very busy (＾∀＾) I made a reservation for: ❤︎ Chocolate Roll Cake ¥400 (tax included) A roll cake with biscuit dough. The chocolate cream with raspberries is deliciously sweet and sour ♡ ❤︎ Strawberry Milk Muffin ¥350 (tax included) × 2 A voluminous muffin. It's moist inside and filled with plenty of strawberries, making it delicious ♡ Both are large in size and very satisfying to eat (*ﾟ∀ﾟ*) Isn't it amazing to get this much volume for this price? Even in these times, the bright and lovely customer service remains unchanged, brightening up my heart (◠‿◠) ♡ It was delicious ♡ Thank you for the meal ♡ I will visit again ♡

Before the state of emergency was declared, I used to call this cafe that was very popular on Instagram, hoping to visit someday, but I could never get through on the phone. It became a habit for me to keep calling. Making a reservation by phone at this cafe was quite challenging. When discussing this with my cafe friends, they introduced me to a mobile app that allows you to redial continuously, and for the first time, I was able to get through. Thank you! They can hold items for you, but reserving a seat is difficult. The cafe's availability depends on how crowded it is, and it's best to visit after 2 PM. From 11 AM to 2 PM, they prioritize lunch customers. I arrived at Nagaoka Tenjin Station after 2 PM and called to check if they had space, and it was okay. I called 10 minutes before arriving at the store to check the crowd status and secure a seat if it was available. It's about a 5-minute walk from the station. The cafe has a distinctive appearance along the road (surrounded by plants), so it was easy to spot. The interior is cozy with one 6-seater, one 4-seater, and one 2-seater table. The high ceiling gives a spacious feel without feeling cramped. There are cute little decorations here and there. It's the quintessential cafe. When I mentioned my name, I was shown to a seat and ordered a drink. They also gave complimentary biscuits with the drink, which made me happy. When I ate the biscuit, I was convinced that the other items on the menu would be delicious. The items I reserved were: - Sakura and strawberry biscuit sandwich (tax included 500 yen) Unfortunately, the chocolate banana shortcake was already sold out, so I only got one. It looked amazing. The plate was also cute. The biscuit was more like a scone, crunchy with thickness and a hint of saltiness. I used my hands to eat it instead of using the knife and fork. It was delicious. The cream inside was not too sweet, light, and easy to eat without being too heavy. The strawberries were chunky, and the strawberry sauce was delightful. - Iced cafe latte (tax included 550 yen) I like my coffee with more milk, so this was perfect for me. The drink was also delicious. For takeout, I got: - Strawberry cream cheese muffin (tax included 350 yen) I love crumbles, so I was excited to see this. It might be my favorite muffin I've ever had. The staff were friendly, and even saw me off when I left, leaving a great impression. I had thought they might be a bit strict and unwelcoming due to their detailed rules, but they were completely different. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. It's understandable why the phone was always busy because it's a great cafe. Thank you for the lovely meal.

Limited-time sweets available on February 29th, March 1st, and March 2nd! Phone reservations start at 10 am. Due to the high popularity of Katemao's sweets, reservations are a must. Luckily, I was able to connect in just 5 minutes despite the busy phone lines. I ordered the Pistachio Buttercream and Amaou Strawberry Fraisier for ¥650, Tiramisu-style Biscuit Sandwich for ¥500, and Assam Tea for ¥530. The rich and firm cream of the Fraisier was delicious, with a lovely contrast of red and green. The biscuit sandwich with cocoa powder, cheese cream, and orange was also delightful with plenty of nuts for added texture. The Assam Tea was served generously, equivalent to three cups. I love all of Katemao's sweets - they are delicious! Thank you for the wonderful meal. I will definitely visit again.

I called ahead to reserve some sweets and visited the shop. If you only want to have sweets, you can call 10 minutes before arriving at the shop after 2 p.m., and if there is a seat available at that time, they will secure a seat for you. I ordered the menu from December 12th to 16th: Strawberry Tart ¥630 (tax included) and Coffee (HOT) ¥430 (tax included). It's a one drink per order system. I'm happy with Katemao-san's strawberry sweets. The tart with lots of strawberries piled on top is full of volume. It's also nice that macarons are included in the presentation. The tart is cute and delicious. I want to try other sweets as well. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal. I will visit again.

- Strawberry Tart 630 yen This tart is on the moist side. The strawberries here are packed with flavor, allowing you to fully enjoy them. It came with a crispy macaron on top. - Chocolate Marble Muffin 350 yen This muffin is crunchier and more substantial than the ones I've known before. It's filled with lots of chocolate inside the dough, and the top is coated generously, providing a satisfying eating experience in just one. - Raspberry Soda 530 yen I thought this raspberry soda would be like any other you can find anywhere, but the raspberry purée seemed to be homemade, and the flavor was as intense as the strawberries. It was a drink that moved me.

Recently, I have been stopping by Nagaoka for personal reasons quite often. As a result, I have become more familiar with various cafes and bakeries in the area. One of the places that caught my attention is a famous shop in Nagaokakyo City, known for their limited edition peach parfait available only in July, which requires a reservation. Reservations start at 10:00 AM, and on the first day, I forgot and called after 11:00, only to find out they were sold out. This disappointment only fueled my desire to try it even more (laughs). On the second day, I was determined and called right at 10:00 AM. After a few attempts, I finally got through. I visited the shop around 5:00 PM that day. The shop is located across from the Nagaokakyo City Hall, with a convenient underground parking lot. Inside, there were large tables for 4 and 2 people. As a solo customer, I sat at a large table reserved for sharing. I waited in silence as other reserved customers arrived from 5:00 onwards. The peach parfait, priced at 1200 yen, arrived in less than 10 minutes. The presentation was Instagram-worthy, with a big cookie croquant on top. The layers included black tea jelly, peach jam, sponge cake, sorbet, ice cream, and a big peach on top, keeping the flavors interesting and varied. It was truly delicious, and I now understand why this cafe is worth visiting even with a reservation. I look forward to trying their other cakes in the future. Thank you for the meal.

I went to a great shop called Catemao♡ I called ahead to reserve their limited-time sweets and went to try them. From April 17th to 22nd, they had a limited-time Strawberry Shortcake for 650 yen and a Cafe Chocolat (ICE) for 600 yen. The cake was sandwiched with sliced strawberries, so cute! The cream that came with it was also strawberry flavored. The large strawberry on top was a nice touch. The strawberry sauce was sweet and sour, very delicious! The cream on the cake was refreshing and not too heavy. The heart and cookie decorations were cute and tasty. It was very satisfying with a good amount of volume. The visual and taste were both amazing! Thank you for the meal. I will visit again!

I had been interested in this shop that I saw on Instagram♡ They were offering limited-time sweets, so I called around 11 am on the same day to reserve, and guess what! There was only one left! Just made it in time. They start taking reservations from 10 am on the same day, so it's better to call early. I visited the cafe around 3 pm as the cafe is open for use after 2 pm. The shop is small with limited seating. The interior is lovely with a wood-like design. I ordered the Strawberry Roll Cake Sakura version for 480 yen (tax included) (limited sweets from April 11th to 15th) and Royal Milk Tea (HOT) for 550 yen (tax included). It's a one drink per person system. The roll cake has sakura mixed into the dough, making it look cute! The cream inside is a mix of butter cream and cheese cream♡ The sweet and juicy strawberries add a nice touch of sweetness to the slightly salty taste. The sesame cookies are a great accent♡ The staff are friendly and have a good attitude. I will visit again. Thank you for the meal.

At Cafe Katemao in Nagata Tenjin, just a few minutes' walk from Hankyu Nagata Tenjin Station, there is a place called "Long Hill," a trendy row of shops at the entrance of which Cafe Katemao is located. In the current season, the leaves have fallen, but in the summer, it seems to be covered in ivy. The lunch is very popular and usually sells out around 1 pm. Cafe time starts at 2 pm. When I visited during cafe time, only one type of muffin was left as it comes with the lunch set, but other baked goods were still available. The lunch and sweets menu changes daily. If you're worried, you can reserve items. Seating cannot be reserved. The atmosphere of the cafe is very lovely, resembling a small restaurant in the French countryside with a touch of exoticism. The small trinkets scattered around give it a flea market feel from France. The cutlery basket with purple checkered napkins is also quite stylish. The little bonus snowball included is an antique candy mold. The Sakura and Strawberry Biscuit Sandwich for 400 yen caught my eye and led me to visit. The triangular biscuits are halved and topped with a mix of sour cream and whipped cream, strawberries, and strawberry sauce. How charming! The biscuits have a surprisingly soft texture, more like American scones than biscuits. They are generously kneaded with cherry blossoms and mixed with coarse sugar on the outside, creating a sweet and salty taste. The cream inside is rich and creamy like cream cheese, complementing the acidity of the strawberries perfectly. It feels like indulging in a luxurious and voluminous shortcake. The cafe au lait served with it is also very Parisian with a retro presentation. I also took out an Orange Almond Scone for 300 yen, which I enjoyed at home. It also came with a bonus cookie. I might have to visit again for their highly praised lunch. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

It was a long-awaited revisit. I think it's my 3rd time here. Today, there was only one main dish for lunch, but there were four types of muffins to choose from, as well as hot drinks like sweet and sour hot cranberry, hot lemon, hot ginger, in addition to coffee and tea. It was fun to choose. The salad, filling the plate, was great with the sweetness of the apple and the saltiness of the dressing. The pickles with a hint of curry powder had a nice crunch and a strong flavor that made me want to try making them at home. The tomato soup had a nice acidity and warmth. The salted pork was reliably delicious, served with scrambled eggs and potatoes. I wanted to have dessert, so I had the muffins wrapped to go. For dessert, I had a strawberry biscuit sandwich and a kumquat tart. The biscuit had just the right amount of saltiness and was crispy, I couldn't stop eating it. The kumquat tart, as always, was sold out before noon, with the staff handling cooking, serving, taking orders, handling payments, and answering the phone efficiently. Thank you for the delicious meal. I will definitely visit again.

The cakes are incredibly photogenic and delicious! Reservations are necessary, but you can relax and enjoy the spacious interior.

I took a break at a slightly late cafe time here. There was a mom meeting waiting for their children to be picked up, and it ended up being a private event. Both the strawberry tart banana cake and homemade caramel ice cream were sold out, so I opted for a cherry sweet bean scone. It came with cherry sauce, and the scone had a hint of saltiness, giving it a Japanese confectionery taste. I enjoyed it with the fruits provided. I decided to try coffee for the first time, and I noticed oil on the surface of the coffee after it was served. It turns out they source their own beans and use a French press for extraction! The coffee had a distinct taste that I appreciated. It's a comfortable place to hang out without feeling rushed, and even men can feel welcome. It seems lunchtime can get crowded, so making a reservation is recommended.

It's delicious! There are two lunch options, two dessert options, two scone options, and 5-6 muffin options. Muffins come with the lunch. We chose to have dessert with our lunch and took the muffins to go. The attention to detail in the food and desserts was impressive, and everyone at my table and the neighboring tables were saying how delicious everything was. The bread is homemade and much tastier than other bakeries in the area. Two bread lovers agreed it was their favorite. The place was packed and they had to turn away many customers. If there's a seat available, don't hesitate to go in! That's the kind of place it is.