Tokyo Maid Cafe Guide

Included in this page:

1. What is “maid cafe”?
2. Notes on visiting a maid cafe
3. Maid cafe list
4. Map
 

1. What is “maid cafe”?

What is a maid cafe in the first place?
It is basically a cafe you can find anywhere. They serve coffee, tea, or light meals at the market price. The difference is that waitresses are in maid outfits.
In many shops, maids welcome you saying, “Welcome home, master!” if you are a male, and “Welcome home, mistress!” if you are a female.
Although the meals they serve are not much different from normal cafes, they usually have a special menu, such as “Moe Moe Rice Omelet”* on which a maid writes a sentence or draws a simple picture using ketchup according to your request.
Maid cafes are not only for male. You will find many female customers as well. There used to be many OTAKU (geek) customers, because Akihabara has been a comfortable place for them, where there are a number of shops dealing in anime goods, comics, game software, or PC parts. Recently, thanks to mass media reports, the number of non-otaku people visiting maid cafes is sharply increasing. The maid cafe is not the shop for special people any more.

* “Moe” is a word to express an attachment to something cute or something makes you feel protective of it. Big-eyed animation character is one of the examples.

2. Notes on visiting a maid cafe

Please note the following points when visiting a maid cafe.

- No photograph
In most maid cafes, you are not allowed to take photographs of maids. Some cafes let you take pictures of dishes with permission.

- Few English-speaking staffers
There are not many maids who speak English. You should check food or drink that you can order in advance to avoid troubles.
Simple Japanese sentences (such as “Do you have a cheese cake?” or “Where is the bathroom?”) may be needed. Travel conversation books are useful.

- Time restriction when crowded
Some cafes are very crowded on weekends and have the stay time restriction, such as 60 or 90 minutes. Please make place for waiting people when time comes.

- Write your name on the waiting list
As explained above, you may have to wait if the cafe is overly crowded. Find a waiting list and write your name on it. Waiting lists are usually positioned inside the cafe.

- No smoking tables
Many cafes have both smoking and no smoking sections. You are usually asked which section you want to choose when entering a cafe. The waiting list often has a field to write your choice.
Some no-smoking areas are not completely separated, and smoke can drift to there.

- Last order time
Most shops have the last order time, which is usually 30 to 60 minutes before the closing time.
You cannot order anything if you go to the cafe right before the closing time.

- Watch out for different kinds of “maid industry”
Maid cafes are basically normal cafes that provide tea or coffee. Maid bars serve alcohols. These types of maid shops do not charge extra money besides foods or drinks.
Some maid-related shops (much closer to adult entertainment industry) charge you other kinds of money. Find enough information about the place you are visiting in advance.

3. Maid cafe list

The cafe with an asterisk (*) includes a brief description.

Akihabara area

- JAM AKIHABARA *
- Mai:lish *
- Cos-Cha *
- CURE MAID CAFE *
- Pinafore *
- Maid in Angels' Cafe *
- @home cafe *
- Royal Milk
- tiara
- CAFE & DIMENSION
- Cafe Doll Tokyo

4. Map

Find your cafe using the map.

- Akihabara area