Kobacoffee (Koba Coffee) — A café serving freshly roasted coffee and delicious cakes, where you can enjoy three different brewing methods.

When you visit a tourist destination, have you ever found yourself thinking, “My feet are tired from walking—I’d like to take a little break”?

And if you can enjoy some delicious coffee and a snack, it makes for the perfect memory.

The Bikan Historical Area in Kurashiki also has many wonderful cafes and coffee shops, making it a fun place to explore cafe to cafe.

“kobacoffee Kobacoffee” is a coffee shop where you can choose not only the coffee beans but also how your coffee is brewed.

Depending on your mood that day, you can enjoy three brewing methods: paper drip, siphon, and French press.

Here’s a look at “kobacoffee Kobacoffee,” where you can casually and enjoyably discover the depth of coffee, accompanied by special sweets handpicked by the manager.

A hidden-gem coffee shop tucked away in Kurashiki Teien: “kobacoffee (Kobacoffee)”

“Kurashiki Teien” is located along the Kurashiki River in the main area of the Bikan Historical Area.

Opened in 2014, Kurashiki Teien is a complex created by renovating a traditional townhouse.

The complex has a long, row-house-like layout, and in addition to Kobacoffee, it houses the following two shops.

• café BISCUIT (Cafe Biscuit)
• Salon de Ric’s (Salon de Ric’s)

In fact, the Kobacoffee in Kurashiki Teien is the second location (the original location now operates as Coffee Hut Furatto).

Apparently, when Kurashiki Teien was being built, the shop was invited to move in by the architect.

The name “Kobacoffee” apparently comes from the nickname of the manager, Kobayashi Kyoichi.

After working for nine years as manager and roaster at Kurashiki Coffee-kan in the Bikan Historical Area, Kobayashi opened the first Kobacoffee location.

“I actually wanted to call it Kobayashi Coffee Shop…” Kobayashi said.

We also heard that his friends stopped him, perhaps because it sounded a little too old-fashioned.

Now, with Cafe Biscuit on your left, head down the passageway.

Look for the Kobacoffee sign.

An antique coffee roaster greets you at the entrance. It has a lovely atmosphere.

Kobacoffee’s wood-warm interior. The courtyard is lovely, too

Kobacoffee’s interior is more spacious than you might expect, with a warm, wood-filled atmosphere.

The piano in one corner of the shop is available for anyone to play.

Apparently, a girl who was affected by the disaster in Mabi even came here to practice.

Looking up at the ceiling, you can see impressive beams that evoke the building’s days as an old traditional house.

The second floor can also be used as a free space (free of charge, reservation required).
The writer has used it for photo shoots twice.

The shop viewed from the second floor.
From here, you can see just how high the ceiling is.

Around the counter are various pieces of equipment, such as cold-brew coffee makers and siphons, that look like science experiment apparatus.

The coffee beans are roasted in-house.
Kobayashi roasts them in a warehouse and roasting room near the Ohara Museum of Art.

He says that roasting the beans to suit your own taste is both the challenging part and the fun part.

Through the large windows, you can also see a lovely, soothing courtyard.

Drip, siphon, and French press. Enjoy the delicious qualities of each

At Kobacoffee, you can choose not only the type of coffee beans but also your preferred brewing method.

“I want people to enjoy coffee casually, according to how they feel that day.”

Kobayashi explains that the taste and aroma of coffee change completely depending on the brewing method.

There are three coffee brewing methods: paper drip, French press, and siphon.

French presses are often used for tea and other drinks, but apparently they were originally designed for brewing coffee.

Even with the same beans, changing the brewing equipment lets you enjoy a variety of flavor differences.

• Paper drip: smooth to drink, with a clean, refreshing taste
• Siphon: a somewhat stimulating flavor, with bitterness and acidity noticeable at different points on the palate
• French press: a rich, full-bodied flavor with an aftertaste that lingers on the tongue and in the throat

The most popular choice is the “Kurashiki Blend.”
550 yen per cup (tax included); 350 yen for the second cup onward (tax included).

All other single-origin coffees are 550 yen (tax included). The varieties are as follows:

• Kilimanjaro
• Mocha Mattari
• Mandheling
• Guatemala
• Brazil San Marino
• Colombia
• Decaffeinated
• Iced coffee
• Iced cafe au lait　*600 yen (tax included)

“Shikkoku no Shizuku,” an adult coffee combining cold-brew coffee with alcohol and sweetness, 850 yen (tax included).

There is also a coffee menu with photos.

A cappuccino with a cinnamon stick in chocolate latte. It looks delicious and indulgent.

The writer recommends the coffee soda.
The bitterness of the coffee and the fizz are a perfect match. It’s a great choice for summer.

The menu is as follows.

Cream soda is also popular.

Apparently, they promote “oshi-katsu”—supporting your favorite idol or character.

At Koba Coffee, oshi-katsu means…

1. Choose the image color of your favorite from the eight colors of cream soda
2. Add merchandise such as a photo or doll you brought with you to the cream soda, then take a picture

There is also a wide selection of sweets.
They often ask people they know or event organizers to provide them, depending on the occasion.

Kurashiki Blend has a rich, full-bodied flavor. The cups are cute, too

Enjoy it with a special sweet and a lovely coffee cup.

All the charming coffee cups are one of a kind.
You can enjoy works by four artists whose pieces Kobayashi-san liked.

I ordered the strong version of “Kurashiki Blend,” made with a paper drip filter.

The fragrant aroma of the bitter coffee is accompanied by a rich, robust flavor.
Its clean aftertaste after the first sip makes a lasting impression.

I thought I’d like to compare it with coffee made using a siphon or French press, too.

Chiffon Cake and New York Cheesecake

The chiffon cake is from “Chiisana Yakigashiya Bamboo Kitchen” in Kotobuki-cho, Kurashiki City.

The cake’s fluffy texture and simple sweetness pair well with the Kurashiki Blend, making for a quietly delicious combination.

The rich, creamy New York cheesecake is also superb.

It’s a cheesecake you can only enjoy at Koba Coffee, and nowhere else.

The summer-only “Granita” is also recommended.

This fragrant coffee dessert has three layers: vanilla ice cream, coffee sorbet, and coffee jelly.

Kurashiki souvenirs and Koba Coffee original products, too!

Enjoy delicious coffee at home with ease.

For that, drip coffee bags are a great choice.
There are several varieties to choose from.

The best-selling item is “Kurashiki Coffee Mild.”

The packaging has a distinctly Kurashiki feel, and many customers buy it as a souvenir from the Bikan Historical Area.

The blown-glass tumbler from Gurasuta TOMO caught the writer’s eye.
It could make your everyday water feel special.

It’s also sold inside Koba Coffee.
It’s a lovely glass to take home as a souvenir.

For a more relaxing experience, try the second-floor seating

A new seating area on the second floor opened in April 2021.

The second-floor seating has a completely different atmosphere from the first floor.

There are five individual hanging chairs in white and red.

Reservations are for 90-minute slots, so there’s no need to worry about feeling rushed to leave.

The chairs sway gently and envelop you, making them very comfortable.

There is a 500-yen charge per seat, but it’s free if you follow Koba Coffee’s official Instagram account!

A cafe where you can casually enjoy authentic coffee. Recommended for exploring the Bikan Historical Area

At kobacoffee (Koba Coffee), you can enjoy a relaxing break in a warm, welcoming atmosphere.

I thought, “It would be a shame to have just one cup—I want to learn more about coffee!”

The sweets, connected through the bonds and circles between people, were delicious and charming, too.
It was also a lot of fun to hear the stories behind each individual treat.

This is a recommended coffee shop where you can casually enjoy expertly roasted coffee.

When exploring the Bikan Historical Area, be sure to stop by Koba Coffee for a relaxing break.

kobacoffee (Koba Coffee) Information

Name	kobacoffee (Koba Coffee)
Address	5-27 Honmachi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture
Contact	086-425-0050
Parking	None
Hours	10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Closed	Tuesday
Payment methods	Cash Credit cards Transportation IC cards such as Suica, PayPay, LINE Pay, Merpay, d Payment, au PAY
Reservations	Accepted
Seating	19 seats Counter seats: 3 Tables: 4
Smoking	Completely non-smoking
Restroom	Western-style toilet
Website	kobacoffee (Koba Coffee), home-roasted coffee in the Bikan Historical Area

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