GOSPEL is in a word: posh. It’s the sort of place you would bring your mum or a favorite aunty when she comes to visit. I’d recommend treating her to the scone set with a hot pot of orange pekoe tea. She’d like that.
This beautiful old western-style building sits on a corner of Shishigatani Street looking like something out of a fairy tale. Step in through the rose garden and on up to the second floor (the ground floor is an antiques shop) then enter the spacious cafe.
Many of the stylish ladies and gents here are wearing kimono and yukata and the style of the place makes you feel like you have stepped into a novel from the 1920s. The name “Gospel” refers to “good news” and not the music, for on the turntable gentle jazz is spinning and soft light filters in through the windows.
The menu includes such delights as scone sets, cake sets, herb teas and Viennese coffee… Please note that the scones are freshly baked after you order them and so they take about twenty minutes (but they are rather good). They also have a range of spaghetti and gratin dishes and various curries.
To find Gospel Cafe, go east on Imadegawa Dori, cross Shirakawa and continue up Tetsugaku no michi (The Philospher’s Walk) until you reach Shishigatani Street (鹿ケ谷通), turn right onto that and it’s a little way down there on your right. It’s big and white like a wedding cake and you can’t miss it.
Here’s a MAP just in case.
Opening hours: 12:00-18:00
Usually closed on Tuesdays but it’s best to check the official Gospel Instagram page for this month’s schedule.
Tel: 075-751-9380.
This article checked and updated in June, 2025.
Text and images by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved.
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