Down the Stairs: A Staff Canteen and Cafe in Tokyo

All of us at Remodelista are mildly (make that majorly) obsessed with the Japanese luxe utilitarian clothing and home line Arts & Science, so we took note when we read about the company’s “staff canteen,” a cafe and kitchen shop located on the lower level of the Tokyo shop.

The company’s owner, Sonya Park, envisioned a space where her staff and customers could mingle over afternoon tea served on salt-fired pottery by UK designer Steve Harrison, lunch plates by Astier de Villatte of Paris, and glassware by the Japanese artist Kazumi Tsuji. For more information, go to Arts & Science.

Above: Everything in its place: the counter where lunch is prepared for staffers and customers,

Above: The simple space features a polished concrete floor and refectory-like furniture.

Above: Delicate glassware by Kazumi Tsuji (her work is available at Anzu in New York).

Above: Tea is served in salt-fired pottery by UK ceramicist Steve Harrison.

Above: A selection of coffees, jams (are those June Taylor preserves we see?), and sundries for the home.

Above: The cafe looks out over a small verdant garden.

See more of Sonya Park’s impeccably curated shops at To Wear, to Dwell, to Eat. To see all our favorite shops in Japan, go to our City Guides.

This post is an update; the original ran on April 2, 2013, as part of our Cult of the Kitchen issue.