We got a recommendation for Montemps Café in Ashikaga from our Airbnb host. We decided to check it out. The café was a short five minute walk from Ashikaga Station and was off of Chuo-dori which ran parallel to the train tracks. From the outside it looked like an older commercial building that had recently been repurposed.

We walked up the stairs to the second floor of the café. The café counter was the first thing we saw at the top of the stair case. We really liked the natural wood paneling that wrapped around the bar that also matched part of the flooring. The flooring was a mix of polished concrete and wood that gave the café a really clean and modern look.

The café had an open concept with a good amount of seating. It was very homey and had a comfortable vibe with its couches and arm chairs. We felt that the color palette of muted blues and grays gave the space a sense of calm. It felt like a nice place to come, hang out, relax, and have a conversation with a friend.

Montemps Café Menu

The menu was pretty simple. They had some French toast with a variety of toppings, a soup plate with your choice of soup, an egg sandwich plate, and a wide array of drink options. It was pretty cold that morning, so we both settled on the soup plate. The soups all sounded really good. We ended up going with the three mushroom soup and clam chowder. At ¥450 the soup plate was very reasonably priced.

Montemps Café Food Review

We got our food on these cute wooden plates. The soups were really good, and by really good, we mean really good. They were both very rich and hearty. What it lacked in quantity it definitely made up for in quality. The rustic toast with butter was a nice compliment to the soup and the pickled carrot garnish was quite refreshing. We would come back to have these soups again and try some new ones as well.

The café staff gave us some complimentary coffee which was very nice of them. It was pretty smooth with only a slight bitter aftertaste. These were our best attempts to take aesthetic pictures of the coffee.

In our travels throughout Japan we’ve seen numerous older shopping districts in cities that are mostly empty and seemingly devoid of activity. It was nice to see that some shopping districts like the one in Ashikaga appear to be reinventing themselves. Old buildings that have been vacant for years are being repurposed into new shops, cafes, and restaurants. They are adjusting to the times to meet the wants and needs of today’s consumers. We look forward to stopping by Ashikaga again in the future.

Final Thoughts

While its not a place we could come to if we were super hungry, it was a nice stop for breakfast. If you are looking for a lite breakfast in a comfortable and relaxing environment near Ashikaga Station, then we definitely recommend Montemps Café in Ashikaga.

Here is a link to their Facebook Page.

More to Come…