Akihabara

The image is quoted from Official X

Sakura
Sakura

Here is a quiz. Where was Japan’s first maid cafe?

Hayato
Hayato

There is a story that “Café Lion,” established by Ueno Seiyoken in Tokyo’s Ginza during the late Meiji period, is the prototype, but the form of the modern maid cafe started from the event restaurant “Pia♡Carrot e Youkoso!! 2” in 1997. As a permanent establishment, “CURE MAID CAFÉ,” founded in 2001 after the 2000 opening of “Café de COSPA,” was the first. And then…

Sakura
Sakura

Alright, understood. Today I will introduce you to the “CURE MAID CAFÉ.”

Japan’s Oldest Maid Cafe “CURE MAID CAFÉ”

Opened in 2001 and rooted in Akihabara, Tokyo, “CURE MAID CAFÉ” is known as the first maid cafe in Japan. It is located on the 4th floor of the Onoden Main Store in the center of Akihabara, inside the Gee Store Akihabara. It has appeared in TV anime such as “Love Live!” and “Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend,” and is also beloved as a pilgrimage site for fans. It also collaborates with various works and serves as a part of the community tied to anime culture.

The Concept is “A Healing Space”

“CURE MAID CAFÉ” is based on the concept of “a healing space,” providing a classic maid cafe experience in a calm atmosphere. Since its opening in 2001, its serene atmosphere and quality service have continued to be loved by many people. Located in the bustling Akihabara, once you step inside, you are enveloped in a quiet tranquility and peace that seems to slow down time. The cafe focuses on enjoying tea and meals, with particular attention to its dishes and drinks.

A Classical and Calm Interior

The interior of CURE MAID CAFÉ, with its classical atmosphere, features a calm brown color scheme. The wood accents create an elegant and quiet space.

Upon entering the cafe, about 40 seats are available, with piano background music playing gently. Every Saturday at 17:20, a concert is held. Live performances featuring instruments such as violins, flutes, and harps allow you to enjoy elegant music while dining slowly.

A glance around the cafe reveals a corner dedicated to selling collaboration merchandise from anime works. Known as the birthplace of maid culture, this shop has become a familiar presence to anime fans due to its role as a setting in popular anime works and its sales of collaboration goods.

Classical Maids in Elegant Long Skirts, Not Selling “Moe”

The maids at CURE MAID CAFÉ wear classical and elegant long skirts in navy and white. Their movements are careful and refined, their speech to customers is respectful, and their actions demonstrate high professionalism.

This cafe distinguishes itself from typical “moe” maid cafes, avoiding excessive services and magical chants. It avoids revealing outfits, maintaining a modest and classy style. Instead, the maids focus on providing a comfortable “healing space” for the customers.

For example, services like drawing pictures with ketchup or taking photos together are generally not offered. The main pleasure is enjoying a relaxed meal with calm service, rather than enjoying cute interactions with the maids.

Their customer service resembles that of maids serving in old mansions, with a refined demeanor. They spare no effort in attention to detail to ensure that guests can relax comfortably.

The classical costumes, refined manners, polite speech, and gestures, along with a subtly charming atmosphere, truly embody the “adult desires” at CURE MAID CAFÉ.

CURE MAID CAFÉ’s Pricing and Menu

At CURE MAID CAFÉ, there are no cover charges; you only pay for the total amount of the food and drinks you order. The price range is comparable to typical coffee shops and cafes, making it easy to visit.

The popular food menu includes the “Champion Katsu Curry” (990 yen, tax included), using curry roux from the famous “Curry Champion” in Ishikawa Prefecture, which has a suitable acidity and goes well with thinly sliced katsu. Additionally, the “Omelet Rice” (990 yen, tax included) is also popular, available with a choice of demi-glace, tomato, or white sauce.

There is also a focus on tea, as evidenced by the certification from the Japan Tea Association as a “Delicious Tea Shop.” Over ten types of tea leaves are available at any time, served in a pot so you can enjoy about three cups (starting from 600 yen, tax included). Additionally, for dessert, the “Waffles” (600 yen, tax included) with a perfect balance of crispy waffles, moderately sweet vanilla ice cream, and berry sauce are also offered. The cafe provides a calm space where you can slowly savor an attractive menu.

Tea Menu
◆Darjeeling – 770 yen (tax included)
Known as the “Champagne of Teas,” this is one of the three great teas of the world. It is characterized by its refreshing taste and aroma. (Recommended: Straight)

◆Assam – 770 yen (tax included)
A representative tea of India. It has a rich flavor and gentle aroma, and is excellent with milk. (Recommended: Milk)

◆Nuwara Eliya – 770 yen (tax included)
A representative tea of Sri Lanka. You can enjoy its moderate astringency and elegant floral scent. (Recommended: Straight)

◆Dimbula – 770 yen (tax included)
A well-balanced tea with a rose-like fragrance and a refreshing aftertaste. (Recommended: Straight)

◆Uva – 770 yen (tax included)
Known for its unique smoky aroma and refreshing taste. (Recommended: Straight)

Flavored Tea
◆Earl Grey – 770 yen (tax included)
A flavored tea with a characteristic citrus fragrance of bergamot. (Recommended: Honey)

◆Lapsang Souchong – 770 yen (tax included)
A flavored tea smoked with pine leaves, offering a thick taste and unique aroma. (Recommended: Straight)

◆Rose – 770 yen (tax included)
Rich in Vitamin C and particularly recommended for women. (Recommended: Straight)

◆Osmanthus / Flavor – 770 yen (tax included)
A tea flavored with the scent of osmanthus, sweet and easy to drink. (Recommended: Milk, Honey)

◆Lychee – 770 yen (tax included)
A flavored tea with the natural sweetness of lychee. (Recommended: Honey)

◆Pear – 770 yen (tax included)
A flavored tea that allows you to enjoy the rich aroma of pear. (Recommended: Straight)

Artisan Tea
◆Carnation Peach – 770 yen (tax included)
A jasmine tea that blooms carnation flowers over time.

◆Jasmine Fairy – 770 yen (tax included)
A jasmine tea that blooms white flower rings over time.

Herbal Tea
◆Cure Citrine – 770 yen (tax included)
A tea based on linden flower, with a subtly sweet fragrance. (Recommended: Straight, Honey)

◆Muse – 770 yen (tax included)
An herbal tea blended with dried papaya, marigold, and rose red. (Recommended: Straight)

Organic Tea
◆Organic Iced Tea – 600 yen (tax included)
An iced tea made from organic Indian tea, balanced in bitterness, body, and aroma.

Sparkling Tea
◆Sparkling Tea – 600 yen (tax included)
A refreshing layered tea with lemon squash and organic pure black.

Layered Tea
◆Layered Tea Orange/Grapefruit – 600 yen (tax included)
A layered tea with fruit juice and organic iced tea. Choose from orange or grapefruit flavors.

Toppings
◆Jam/Honey/Rock candy – each 55 yen (tax included)
One free topping for pot tea. Each additional topping is +55 yen. Lemon or milk is free.

Omelet Rice Menu
◆Omelet Rice with Demi-Glace Sauce – 990 yen (tax included)
A combination of fluffy eggs and rich demi-glace sauce.

◆Omelet Rice with Tomato Sauce – 990 yen (tax included)
Uses a concentrated tomato sauce.

◆Omelet Rice with White Sauce – 990 yen (tax included)
A combination of creamy white sauce and bacon.

◆Reward Omelet Rice – 1600 yen (tax included)
Omelet rice topped with mini hamburgers, shrimp fries, and fried chicken. You can choose from three types of sauces.

Dessert Menu
◆Dessert Plate – 1200 yen (tax included)
A plate set with scones, waffles, and ice cream paired with your choice of tea. The sauce and ice cream are changed daily.

◆Waffle – 600 yen (tax included)
A crispy waffle. The ice cream and sauce change daily.

◆Plain Scone – 700 yen (tax included)
A fluffy scone. Enjoy it with tea.

◆Classic Chocolate with Vanilla Ice Cream – 700 yen (tax included)
A combination of rich chocolate and vanilla ice cream.

◆Homemade Crema Catalana – 600 yen (tax included)
A dessert made with homemade custard cream, torched with a burner.

◆Whimsical Cake – 600 yen (tax included)
A cake that changes daily. Please ask the staff for details.

◆Whimsical Ice Cream or Sorbet – 500 yen (tax included)
Ice cream or sorbet offered daily.

◆Petit Sweets Set – 880 yen (tax included)
A set with mini-sized waffle or scone and tea. Available only to customers who order from the food menu. The sauce and ice cream change daily.

Curry Menu
◆Hamburger Curry – 1100 yen (tax included)
A combination of 100% beef juicy hamburger and curry.

◆Fried Chicken Curry – 990 yen (tax included)
A curry topped with crispy, juicy fried chicken.

◆Shrimp Fry Curry – 990 yen (tax included)
A curry combined with crispy shrimp fry and tartar sauce.

◆Champion Katsu Curry – 990 yen (tax included)
Please enjoy the famous katsu curry from Ishikawa Prefecture.

◆Reward Curry – 1600 yen (tax included)
A special curry topped with cutlets, shrimp fry, and fried chicken.

Tartar & Gourmet Menu
◆Tartar Katsu Bowl – 990 yen (tax included)
A bowl with crispy katsu generously topped with homemade tartar sauce.

Hamburger Menu
◆Hamburger Plate Demi-Glace/White Sauce/Tomato Sauce – each 1380 yen (tax included)
A juicy hamburger plate enjoyed with each type of sauce.

Pasta Menu
◆Eggplant and Bacon Tomato Pasta – 990 yen (tax included)
Pasta with an original tomato sauce containing eggplant and bacon.

◆Meatball Bolognese – 1200 yen (tax included)
Bolognese sauce flavored with demi-glace combined with meatballs.

◆Bacon and Spinach Cream Pasta – 990 yen (tax included)
Pasta where creamy sauce matches perfectly with spinach and bacon.

Side Menu
◆Chicken Basket – 770 yen (tax included)
A set of crispy chicken and potatoes.

◆Fish & Chips – 770 yen (tax included)
A set of crispy fish fry and potatoes.

◆Fried Potatoes / Fried Potatoes BIG – 550 yen / 770 yen (tax included)
Crispy fried potatoes. Also available in BIG size.

◆Green Salad – 780 yen (tax included)
A salad finished with balsamic sauce.

◆Pickled Olives – 500 yen (tax included)
Homemade pickles and olives.

Hot Drink Menu
◆Blend Coffee (Hot) – 600 yen (tax included)
Warm blend coffee.

◆Espresso – 600 yen (tax included)
A strong and rich coffee with a strong bitterness.

◆Cappuccino – 600 yen (tax included)
A coffee based on espresso with rich foam.

◆Café Mocha – 600 yen (tax included)
A sweet and rich flavor of chocolate and coffee.

◆Hot Milk – 600 yen (tax included)
Simple yet warm hot milk.

◆Homemade Ginger Ale – 600 yen (tax included)
A spicy homemade ginger ale.

Iced Drink Menu
◆Iced Coffee – 600 yen (tax included)
A robust-tasting iced coffee.

◆Iced Café au Lait – 600 yen (tax included)
An iced café au lait with a generous amount of milk for a smooth taste.

◆Orange Juice – 600 yen (tax included)
A fresh and tangy orange juice.

◆Grapefruit Juice – 600 yen (tax included)
A refreshing grapefruit juice rich in vitamins.

◆Coca-Cola – 600 yen (tax included)
The classic Coca-Cola.

◆Ginger Ale – 600 yen (tax included)
A refreshing and spicy ginger ale.

◆Lemon Squash – 600 yen (tax included)
A refreshing squash with a lemon flavor.

◆Iced Milk – 600 yen (tax included)
A cold and mild-tasting iced milk.

◆Iced Cocoa – 600 yen (tax included)
An iced cocoa with a rich chocolate flavor.

Float Menu
◆Cream Soda – 770 yen (tax included)
A classic dessert drink with ice cream topped on green refreshing soda.

◆Cola Float – 770 yen (tax included)
An American-style drink with ice cream topped on Coca-Cola.

◆Coffee Float – 770 yen (tax included)
An adult float with ice cream added to iced coffee.

◆Tea Float – 770 yen (tax included)
A British-style sweet tea drink with ice cream topped on tea.

Other Alcohol Menu
◆Cure Ginger Highball – 770 yen (tax included)
A spicy highball made with whiskey, homemade ginger ale, and lemon.

◆Draft Beer – 700 yen (tax included)
A cold and fresh-tasting draft beer.

◆Highball – 700 yen (tax included)
A whiskey highball with a clean finish.

Cocktail Menu
◆Mexi-Cola – 700 yen (tax included)
A popular cocktail from Mexico made by mixing tequila with cola.

◆Tequila Sunrise – 700 yen (tax included)
A colorful cocktail made with tequila, orange juice, and grenadine syrup.

◆Gin and Tonic – 700 yen (tax included)
A refreshing cocktail made with gin and tonic water.

◆Gin Buck – 700 yen (tax included)
A refreshing cocktail made with gin, lemon juice, and ginger ale.

◆Cure Ginger Moscow Mule – 770 yen (tax included)
A cocktail made with vodka, homemade ginger ale, and lime juice.

◆Salty Dog – 700 yen (tax included)
A cocktail made with vodka and grapefruit juice, sprinkled with salt.

◆Cuba Libre – 700 yen (tax included)
A cocktail that captures the essence of the Caribbean, made with rum, cola, and lime juice.

◆Boston Cooler – 700 yen (tax included)
A cocktail made with rum, lemon juice, and ginger ale.

◆Cassis Soda – 700 yen (tax included)
A fruity cocktail made with crème de cassis and soda.

◆Cassis Orange – 700 yen (tax included)
A cocktail made by mixing crème de cassis with orange juice.

◆Campari Orange – 700 yen (tax included)
A cocktail combining Campari with orange juice.

◆Spumoni – 700 yen (tax included)
A cocktail made with Campari, grapefruit juice, and tonic water.

◆Dita Orange – 700 yen (tax included)
A cocktail made with Dita liqueur and orange juice.

◆China Blue – 700 yen (tax included)
A cocktail made with Dita liqueur, blue curaçao, and tonic water.

CURE MAID CAFÉ Customer Reviews

Below is a summary of the reputation of CURE MAID CAFÉ seen on the internet. Many positive comments can be seen, indicating it is beloved by many customers.

"In a relaxed atmosphere, the staff are very courteous."
"The omelet rice is very delicious, with fluffy eggs and an exquisite sauce."
"A classic maid café atmosphere with piano BGM and the warmth of wood made it very comfortable. The food was genuinely delicious and authentic."
"Unlike the common 'moe' style in this area, it's the world's oldest permanent maid café with very elegant maids."
"There were no tiring phrases like 'Delicious make, moe moe kyun'; it had a calm atmosphere like that of a maid serving in a grand mansion. The difference in customer service by the staff was interesting."
"A very nice atmosphere in the maid café, not 'moe moe' but very polite maids. The system during collaborations was kind."
"I had the omelet rice, tea, and waffles. The service was fast, and the food was very delicious. The prices were reasonable."
"A simple maid café with anime and game illustrations and goods on display, there's no playing with the maids but it has a rather good atmosphere."
"Unlike the typical Akihabara style, it was a classical maid café with polite customer service, and the interior during collaborations was lively and enjoyable."
"The spacious and relaxing interior allowed for a delicious authentic lunch. The maids' demeanor was also lovely."
"The atmosphere is elegant and a bit intimidating to enter, but the quality of food, drinks, and service is excellent, allowing you to enjoy a meal slowly with less interaction typical of maid cafés."
"Received service from cute and elegant maids, the tea was excellent, and the desserts were delicious and recommended. It wasn't moe-style but was a place where you could easily enjoy a meal."
"In a café wearing classic maid uniforms, both the food and tea were really delicious. The omelet rice I've always wanted to try was as delicious as I hoped."
"Living up to the name of the original maid café, you can enjoy authentic dishes and tea."

Summary

Since its opening in 2001, CURE MAID CAFÉ has become one of the most historic maid cafés in Japan, making its name known worldwide. At its core is an elegant and calm atmosphere that allows everyone to relax deeply, closely related to anime and otaku culture. The high-quality food and drinks and attentive service are the reasons why it continuously attracts many people.

While preserving the pride and history as the oldest maid café, it will continue to provide special moments to all visitors with unchanged quality.

Hayato
Hayato

CURE MAID CAFÉ has been a popular establishment leading the maid culture since 2001. I hope it continues for a long time.

Store Information

Store NameCURE MAID CAFÉ
Address1-2-7 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Onoden Main Store 4F
Access2 minutes walk from Akihabara Station
Business Hours11:00~20:00
ClosedOpen year-round
SystemOne drink order system
No cover charge
Drinks from 600 yen
Payment MethodsCards accepted
(VISA, Master, JCB, AMEX)
Electronic money accepted
(Transportation electronic money (Suica, etc.), Rakuten Edy, nanaco, WAON, iD)
QR code payment accepted
(PayPay, d-payment, Rakuten Pay)
Official Websitehttps://www.curemaid.jp/
Official Xhttps://twitter.com/curemaidcafe
Official Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/curemaidcafe_official/