Harajuku is one of Japan's leading trend-setting areas. Located in Shibuya Ward, the area from JR Harajuku Station to around Omotesando is known as the "Harajuku Area."
Harajuku is one of Japan's premier shopping districts and a hub for cutting-edge brands and items. It's also the birthplace of "Kawaii" culture, popular worldwide, including Hello Kitty and high school girl fashion. Walking through the streets, you'll encounter plenty of "Kawaii" sights.
While Harajuku has a strong youth image, the Omotesando area is characterized by high-end brand stores and a sophisticated adult atmosphere. The Harajuku area is enjoyable for all ages.
Café Scene in Harajuku
While Harajuku is known for fashion, it's also a fierce battleground for cafés, with numerous establishments.
Many commercial facilities attract many people from Japan and abroad, making Harajuku popular as a tourist destination. Consequently, there are many cafés where you can enjoy lunch or take a break.
Harajuku cafés typically allow you to experience "kawaii" culture representative of the area, and many unique shops are perfect for Instagram-worthy photos. There are also many cafés from overseas brands like L'OCCITANE, offering a diverse range of unique establishments.
Today, we'll introduce the IKEA Sweden Café, popular in Northern Europe and now in Harajuku.
What is the IKEA Sweden Café?
The IKEA Sweden Café is a café and restaurant inside the Swedish furniture store "IKEA." It offers a wide range of dishes, focusing on Swedish traditional cuisine, including meatballs and cinnamon rolls.
The Harajuku store sells a limited menu item called "Tsunbroad," available only here in Japan. Tsunbroad is an arrangement of the Spanish traditional dish "flatbread," where you roll up sausages and salad to eat. It's very popular among tourists.
My recommendation is the "Shrimp Sausage Mash." Shrimp and mashed potatoes are a perfect match. With sausage included, it's a hearty dish. It's also great for a light lunch or when you're feeling a bit peckish.
You can also enjoy Swedish traditional dishes with beer and other alcoholic beverages.
Recommended Menu Items at IKEA Sweden Café
Swedish Meatballs
source：Official website
When it comes to popular menu items at the IKEA Sweden Café, it's meatballs! These voluminous meatballs, generously made with minced meat, are popular with both children and adults.
Eight meatballs are served with mashed potatoes and green peas, making it nutritionally balanced. It reminds one of a Swedish mother's home cooking. Lingonberry jam is served alongside, which is the Swedish style. Lingonberry is a type of cowberry, characterized by its sweet and sour taste. The refreshing sourness of lingonberry complements salty meat dishes well.
For those who can't eat eight, a four-piece option is recommended. This comes with cream sauce for a milder taste. The small flag stuck in the meatballs is cute and sure to delight young children.
Plant Balls
source：Official website
Plant balls are meatballs made from beans and vegetables instead of meat. In Sweden, plant-based foods are preferred, and many people eat plant-based meat alternatives made from soybeans instead of meat. IKEA sells many plant-based products in consideration of social conditions such as CO2 reduction in food production. In 2023, even the soft serve ice cream sold at the bistro was changed from cow's milk to soy milk.
Plant balls are one of IKEA's representative plant-based foods. The texture is soft, and it feels like you're eating real meat. Even I, a meat lover, am fully satisfied with this dish. Like the meatballs, it's served with green peas, mashed potatoes, and lingonberry jam.
Seasonal Limited Fair
source：Official website
At the IKEA Sweden Café, you can enjoy seasonal limited menus.
In the summer of 2024, a Mango Fair and a Spicy Seafood Fair were held. At the Harajuku store, you could enjoy summer-limited mango tart and mango almond tofu. The almond tofu filled with mangoes is fruity and perfect for refreshing in summer.
The spicy fair features salmon and chicken dishes using spicy sauces like yangnyeom and chili sauce. As someone who likes Asian cuisine, I'm intrigued by this menu, but it wasn't held at the Harajuku store. You can enjoy these dishes at the nearby Shibuya store.
It's worth noting that some events may be held at certain stores but not others. It might be nice to take a walk through Yoyogi Park and extend your trip to the Shibuya store.
IKEA Shibuya Sweden Restaurant
<Basic Information>
・Hours: 11:00-21:00
・Closed: None
・Address: 7F Takagi Building, 24-1 Udagawacho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
・Phone: 057-001-3900
・URL: https://www.ikea.com/jp/ja/stores/shibuya/
Recommended Points of IKEA Sweden Café
Special Prices for IKEA Family Members
source：Official website
If you join IKEA Family, you can purchase products in the store, including the restaurant, at special prices. There are also many great benefits such as a drink bar service in the morning hours and a 500 yen coupon distributed during your birth month.
Members-only workshops and events where you can experience Swedish culture are also held.
IKEA Family membership is available online with same-day registration. It's a convenient service with no membership or annual fees.
Free Dish on "Name Day"!
source：Official website
The IKEA Sweden Café runs a unique event called "Name Day."
With the concept "Every day of the 365 days is someone's name day," if your name is on the name calendar prepared by IKEA, you can get one menu item of your choice for free.
The calendar is also published online, so you might be tempted to visit if you find your name on it.
You need to bring identification to redeem the menu item. Also, even if multiple people visit together, only the person whose name is on the calendar is eligible for the free item.
(* Not held at IKEA Harajuku and Shinjuku stores. Currently held at the Shibuya store.)
[Limited to Weekends and Holidays] Special Morning Plates
source：Official website
For the first hour after opening on weekends and holidays, special morning plates are sold.
My recommendation is the "Roast Beef Morning Plate." IKEA's roast beef is popular as a regular menu item, but you can eat it at a discounted price during morning hours.
IKEA's roast beef is tender and delicious, rivaling high-end restaurants. It pairs perfectly with IKEA's original garlic sauce. The plate also comes with a croissant, mashed potatoes, and salad, making it a perfect energy boost.
For IKEA Family members, the drink bar is free during morning hours. You can enjoy the restaurant very affordably. Regular menu items are also available during morning hours, so I recommend spending the morning at the restaurant ordering your favorite menu items.
(* Not available at IKEA Harajuku, IKEA Shibuya, and IKEA Shinjuku)
IKEA Harajuku "Swedish Convenience Store" is Also Recommended
The IKEA Harajuku store, located just a 1-minute walk from JR Harajuku Station, has a "Swedish Convenience Store" on the first floor.
It's packed with a wide range of products from everyday household items for the kitchen, dining room, and bathroom to stationery and toys.
You can also purchase the IKEA shark plush toy that's very popular in Japan.
You can buy frozen foods like meatballs sold in the restaurant, as well as instant foods like cup noodles. I love the hot dog sausages and buns and often buy them. It's nice to be able to buy menu items you liked at the restaurant and eat them at home.
There's also a coffee stand at the entrance where you can enjoy light snacks like soft serve ice cream.
Recommended Ways to Use
Being close to JR Harajuku Station and easily accessible, it can be used in various ways.
It's perfect for quickly satisfying your hunger before exploring Harajuku, taking a break during shopping, or having lunch.
The interior is open and spacious, allowing you to relax casually like in a food court.
It's open until 9 PM, so it's also recommended to spend some time before catching your train home.
Last orders are at 8:30 PM, 30 minutes before closing.
It tends to get crowded during lunch hours on weekends, and they don't take reservations. If you want to visit on weekends, it's recommended to come right after opening.
Access
・Address: WITH HARAJUKU, 1-14-30 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
・1-minute walk from JR Yamanote Line Harajuku Station
・1-minute walk from Exit 2 of Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line/Fukutoshin Line "Meiji-jingumae" Station
Basic Information
<Basic Information>
・Hours: Mon-Fri 11:00-21:00, Sat/Sun/Holidays 10:00-21:00
・Closed: None
・Phone: 057-001-3900
・URL: https://www.ikea.com/jp/ja/food/salesareas/restaurant/