Fodor's Expert Review Indépendants

A great backpacker hangout, this café is especially popular midday, when a devoted clientele of students and artists comes for the cheap, bountiful plate lunches (including curries, salads, and soups), friendly service, live music, and convivial atmosphere. The setting is the former Mainichi Newspaper Building, with its brick-and-plaster basement, colorful mosaic tiles, and exposed masonry. If the scene here is too frenetic for you, head up to the pleasant Cafe Chocolat, on the second floor.