Hara Museum of Contemporary Art
The Hara Museum of Contemporary Art is about a 15-minute walk from Shinagawa Station or Osaki Station. Tucked quietly away in a serene residential neighborhood just off Gotenyama-dori, it is one of this writer’s favorite museums.
Café d’art
“Café d’art” is a restaurant inside the Hara Museum, set in a spot that faces the courtyard where you can savor a relaxed atmosphere.
Because it sits inside the museum, you need to buy an admission ticket to enter. Thanks to this it is never very crowded, and you can enjoy such a laid-back feeling that you lose all track of time.
Lunch
It is available on weekdays only, but I tried ordering the lunch plate (1,295 yen, tax included).
The water was brought to the table in a bottle. The glasses are cute, too.
The Lunch Plate (Limited Quantity)
Here is what the lunch plate included (as of my visit in February 2018).
- Onion gratin soup
- Roasted beef skirt steak
- Tomato bruschetta
- French fries
- Carrot rapée
In any case, the one that was absolutely delicious was the “onion gratin soup.” A well-simmered, deeply flavorful dish. Its quality alone is bound to leave you thoroughly satisfied. Seriously the real deal!
Enjoying lunchtime while gazing at the courtyard is a truly blissful moment.
The French fries were freshly fried, too. It was a lunch plate in which every item showed careful, honest craftsmanship.
After viewing the exhibition inside the museum, I lingered at the café, then headed back into the galleries to enjoy the works all over again.
The service was excellent too — a wonderful place.
Details
Café d’art
Address: 4-7-25 Kitashinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 140-0001 (inside the Hara Museum)
Phone: 03-5423-1609 (direct line to Café d’art)
*Use of Café d’art requires admission to the Hara Museum (admission fee 1,100 yen).
Hours: 11:00-17:00, last order 16:30 (last museum admission 16:30)
Wednesdays only (except public holidays): 11:00-20:00, last order 19:30 (until closing time / last admission 19:30)
Lunchtime: weekdays 12:00-15:00, last order 15:00
Weekends and holidays: 11:00-16:30 (all day)
Closed: on museum closure days
Access: 15-minute walk from the Takanawa Exit of JR Shinagawa Station / 5 minutes by taxi.
By bus, take Toei route 96 from the Takanawa Exit of Shinagawa Station, get off at “Gotenyama,” and walk 3 minutes.
