In all fairness, you can’t very well see a sign like this and not go in, can you really? Don’t worry though, I’m not going to indulge myself in silly jokes about breasts. That’s already been done for me (curses!). I’m including Tits Cafe here, because it’s actually a really nice place; all warm and snug and comforting… Ah. Ok, – let’s focus on the menu, shall we?
Despite being nominally a cafe, Tits’s specialty is tea. They have all kinds of tea (averaging about ￥600 a pot) from the standards (Earl Grey, Darjeeling, Assam, Jasmine, Keemun) to the not so (Jipang and Choco Truffe). Then there are the fruit flavored varieties: Fruits Garden, Muscat, Pear, Pineapple, Lychee, and Mango Indica. For the sweet-toothed there are the vanilla teas: Almond, Maple Honey, Caramel Custard, and Strawberry Cream. And for the health-conscious there are herb teas; Mint, Chamomile, Red Orange, Red Spice… The menu also helpfully recommends a cake best suited to accompany each tea. Spoil yourself to home-made cheesecake, chiffon, chocolate gateaux, honey waffles or pudding parfait.
In this quiet location on Ayanokouji Dori you can also get a full meal: curry, pasta, doria, omlette or steak and they have a range of products such as tea-cosies, coasters and cushions made from kimono fabric. So why the name? I had to ask. The girl behind the counter said it meant “ゆったりしたこと” which can be translated as calm, unhurried or relaxed. “Ah, so it’s a Japanese word then?” I asked. “Yes,” said the girl and by this time I was finding it hard to keep a straight face and the girl was blushing (probably been asked this before) so I left it at that. But then outside my Japanese friend said “That’s not any Japanese word I’ve ever heard of…”, so the mystery continues, though there does appear to be a Japanese jazz band also named “ティッツ” and they do play jazz in the cafe so maybe that has something to do with it…
Tits Cafe is open from 11:30 ~ 20:00. To find Ayanokouji Dori go one street south of Shijo. Tits Cafe sits between Tominokouji Dori and Yanaginobanba. Here is a most helpful map. Tel: 075-344-3441
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