*This article is a tie-up with Kamifurudan, which enjoys telling the story of Kamikomachi and its surroundings.

The dimly lit shop, the faintly lit lamps, the aroma of coffee, the owner's carefully selected interior...

There are many points of interest in old-fashioned coffee shops that make your heart flutter. Stylish cafés are nice, but you want to get away from the busyness of everyday life and relax in a calm space... How about spending a quiet and peaceful time in a coffee shop with a sense of seclusion?

About 10 minutes by bus from JR Niigata Station. The Furumachi area, which flourished as Niigata City's city centre, is dotted with numerous retro and nostalgic pure coffee shops.

The charm of a pure coffee shop is that it is a quiet and relaxing space. People spend their time here in their own way, enjoying a cup of coffee with a newspaper or paperback in one hand, or simply relaxing and savouring the coffee without having to do anything else.

In this issue, the author, who loves coffee shops with such a relaxed atmosphere, introduces three of her favourites that she feels "cosy" and "would like to visit again and again". Whether you want to relax with a delicious drink or a gourmet meal at a coffee shop, or have a chat with a master with a rich personality... Open the door and you will surely see a world you have never seen before.

However, when you are new to a restaurant, you may be curious to try it... but you are also nervous and a little hesitant. The shop we are about to introduce to you is run by a master who wants not only regulars but also young people to come here! This is a shop run by a master with this in mind. We will also introduce some of our recommended popular menus for breakfast, snacks and dinner!

Speciality coffee and pizza toast at the long-established coffee shop Chamonix Kami-Okawa-mae Honten.

For breakfast, go to Chamonix Kami-Ookawa-mae, which is open from 7am. Many fans say, "When it comes to coffee shops in Niigata, it's Chamonix!" It is a long-established coffee shop with many fans who say, "When it comes to coffee shops in Niigata, it's Chamonix!". It has four branches in Niigata City, with the Kami-Ookawa-mae branch being the main shop. The main shop has a stately structure that evokes a sense of history. The tension is also a taste of the world.

We recommend the toast menu, which is served with our special coffee. The B set (600 yen including tax), which includes pizza toast, blended coffee and salad, is very popular among regular customers! The sight of the toast being delivered on a shiny silver tray is sure to make your heart flutter and you'll be tempted to take a photo.

When your set arrives, start with a sip of the shop's signature coffee blend, which has remained unchanged since the shop's opening. It has a deep, yet refreshing taste and is ideal for a morning cup.

Pizza toast is a delicious dish with a sour sauce, crispy onions and melted cheese. The fresh salad and grapefruit will also recharge your body with vitamins.

Finish with another sip of home-roasted blended coffee and take a breather. Gaze at the chandelier, listen to the jazz in the restaurant... The morning hours will make you feel as if you were an aristocrat, and the day is just beginning!

47 years since its establishment! What are the thoughts of Mr Nozawa, President of Chamonix, who has led the coffee shop culture in Niigata?

We spoke to Nobuyuki Nozawa, President of Chamonix Ltd, about the circumstances that led to the opening and the future of Niigata's coffee shop culture.

Q: First of all, how did you get into the world of coffee and why do you stick to home-roasted coffee?

Since I was in high school, I worked part-time in a coffee shop in Furumachi and then worked for a bean wholesaler in Tokyo. I always wanted to own my own shop. I have been working with coffee for 51 years, including my part-time job.

We were the first in Niigata to start our own roasting. We roast the beans ourselves, whereas before we had to ask wholesalers to do it for us. When you process the beans, you can make your own original coffee, so you can guarantee the taste. Many of the coffee shops that are still around today are those that stick to home-roasted coffee.

How is siphon coffee different from other brewing methods?

We have been doing siphon coffee since we opened. The taste is soft and clean, depending on how the beans are roasted and how the coffee is chosen. I also like the fact that anyone can serve coffee with a consistent taste if they follow the standards. And what's more, it looks good. Water-drawn coffee also has a nice atmosphere, drop by drop.

Also, when I (the president) brew it, it has a strong, rich taste, but when my son (the manager of Chamonix Kamioogawa-mae) brews it, it has a softer finish. It's also interesting that there are slight differences depending on the person who brews it.

-What do you want to do with Chamonix in the future?

First of all, I would like to co-exist with various chain shops. The coffee market has grown because convenience stores offer easy-to-drink coffee. Convenience stores are convenience stores, and we are our own company, and we do things differently, but we are all doing it to get people to drink coffee. We want to survive while preserving coffee culture. The next generation will lead the way from now on. To carry on the taste of Chamonix, I have recently started teaching roasting to my sons and daughters.

-The name "Chamonix is the most famous coffee shop in Niigata", but many people seem to be nervous about it. Do you have a message for beginners to coffee shops?

We have many regular customers who come in alone, but we also have a lot of young people who come in on a whim. Since a hotel was built nearby, the number of Chinese tourists has also increased. The interior is unusual, so many people take photos with their mobile phones. In the past, there were coffee shops that did not allow mobile phones, but we want to keep up with the times while still asking people to mind their manners.

A recommended iced drink is Cold Extract Chamonican. It's an undiluted, water-drawn coffee. Like an infusion, it takes 10 hours and a lot of work to extract, so I don't think many other places do it. I also recommend the real cold coffee, which uses coffee ice and is not diluted until the end.

If it's hot, it's still blended coffee. For a while I changed it a bit depending on the condition of the beans, but basically the taste hasn't changed.

Incidentally, if you order a cake from Patisserie N, a cake shop attached to the shop, you can get a 50 yen discount on hot and iced blended coffee.

-Thank you, Mr Nozawa, and all the staff who welcomed us with courteous service, for taking time out of your busy schedule to share your valuable stories with us. Inheriting the president's passion for coffee and passing it on to the next generation. We look forward to seeing Chamonix in the future!

Chamonix Kami-Ookawa-mae Main Branch]

Address: 7-1235 Kami-Ookawa-mae, Chuo-ku, Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture

Opening hours: [Mon-Sat] 7:00-19:00, [Holidays] 10:00-19:00.

Light meals are served until 2pm.

Closed: Sunday

Telephone number: 025-222-0730

The white fairy-tale Western-style building that stands quietly in the middle of the city is impressive. 'Handmade cakes and home-roasted coffee shop Cherie'.

If you've walked around the Furumachi area a lot and are craving something sweet, then it's time for a snack at Cherie, a home-roasted coffee and handmade cake shop on Minamihama-dori. Minamihama-dori is a quiet street lined with small shops a short distance from the centre of Furumachi. Cheery has been in business here since 1984.

The exterior is just lovely..! Many people pass by and take photos of it.

Incidentally, the signboard is a masterpiece made by a customer and his friends, all of whom are art college graduates, who worked together to dig it up. The handmade feel and the warmth of the wood will make you feel relaxed.

■ Cherie's recommended cake menu.

Now, open the old door with a giggle... and you are greeted by the smiling wife and her assistant Poco. You are enchanted by the tempting homemade cakes in the showcase near the entrance.

One of the best is the baked cheesecake with raisins. The outer batter is firm, but when you insert a fork into the cake and bring it to your mouth, the inside is very creamy. The raisins add a nice accent. The characteristic of Chielie's cakes is that they are not too sweet and you can really taste the ingredients.

'I put rum raisins in it because I like raisins myself. It took a lot of trial and error to get it the way it is now. The secret ingredient is a nice bit of brandy." The master says. The owner (master) himself bakes them in the oven at the back of the shop with great care and attention.

Many customers buy the baked cheesecakes as souvenirs, and some even freeze them at home to enjoy each slice! This is an excellent product with many fans who want to savour it with care.

Incidentally, a foreign tourist once unintentionally said, "Cheesecake, Wonderful! and they even went home..! Laughing, it's a very popular taste both at home and abroad.

■About hand-drip carefully brewed coffee blends

I don't like nigai coffee..." We would like you to try our "blended coffee"! You can drink it black, and it has a gentle taste, and you'll find yourself saying, "Oh, it's not bitter... it's easy to drink! It's not bitter... it's easy to drink! You'll be surprised at how easy it is to drink.

'The coffee blend is a blend of Brazilian, Colombian, Mocha and Guatemalan. We haven't changed the taste of our blends for a long time. Some people prefer a sour coffee, but we say, 'This is what our blend tastes like'."

After roasting the beans in a roasting machine that has been in service for 50 years, the master carefully hand-drips each cup of coffee. Freshness is vital with coffee beans anyway." The master pours hot water into the cup, little by little, while keeping an eye on the foam.

The coffee cups are also chosen to match the mood of the customer, so what kind of cup comes is part of the fun.

■Message to coffee shop beginners and young people

We have a lot of regulars, but we really welcome people in their 20s and 30s. Some people want to drink coffee alone, so I don't talk too much to them.

I'm still happy when young people come to the restaurant. It's nice to have young people come in and say, "The cake was delicious, let's try that next time!" It gives me a sense of pride. There may be times when the regulars are talking to each other, but if you have the courage to open the door, you'll be fine. Please feel free to come in.

Home-roasted coffee and handmade cakes

Address: 1 Minamihama-dori, Chuo-ku, Niigata-shi, Niigata 951-8112

Telephone number: 025-229-2718

Opening hours: 10:00~17:30

Closed: Sunday, other irregular holidays

Number of seats: 20

Smoking: Smoking is currently permitted in all seats, but this is under consideration.

Along with a great value set menu of Neapolitan & Pizza Toast, the royalty of coffee shop gourmet food. 'Etoile plus'.

If you've had lots of fun and you're hungry, how about a coffee shop-style Neapolitan and pizza toast set at Etoile plus in the centre of Furumachi for dinner in the evening?

Etoile plus reopened in April 2019. This is because Etoile, which had been in business for 42 years, closed on 30 December 2018, much to the regret of many. The restaurant was taken over and revived with its menu and taste intact.

The owner, Mr Edanami, has been in charge of the kitchen at Étoile for many years. The previous master of Etoile gave his approval for the restaurant to continue to operate under the name "Etoile", saying that "if Mr Edanami takes over..." and so the name was added to the French word "Etoile", which means "first star". The name was added to the French word "Étoile", meaning "first star".

There was talk of a different type of shop on the site after the closure, but many customers asked why they were leaving the coffee shop and wanted it to continue, so he and his daughter decided to take it over. and "I want it to continue!" from many customers, he and his daughter decided to take over the business.

The shop's number one recommendation is its most popular daily set.

This is a very popular menu item that many customers order because it is reasonably priced at 830 yen (including tax) and comes with salad, Neapolitan, pizza toast, yoghurt and after-meal coffee (or tea).

Neapolitan with the depth of a Western-style restaurant is a unique dish. It is not ketchup-based and less acidic. Crispy pizza toast is also simple and delicious!

And the yoghurt to refresh your palate does a great job of making your mouth feel refreshed after the meal. The Daily Set is not a children's lunch, but an "adult's lunch ", responding to the desire to eat a variety of foods in small portions!

The blended coffee at Etoile Prus is specially ordered from Kimura Coffee. The taste has remained unchanged since the shop's opening.

■Message to coffee shop beginners and young people

We have quite a lot of young customers and foreigners. The restaurant is spacious and relaxing, so it is easy to spend time here. While keeping the taste of our popular menu, we are gradually improving the menu to make it even tastier. We live in a world where the emphasis is on appearance, so in the future we would like to focus on a dessert menu that looks good in photos, such as waffles, parfaits and traditional puddings. Please feel free to come and visit us.

Etoile plus

Address: 959-1 Furumachidori 6-bancho, Chuo-ku, Niigata 951-8063

Telephone number: 025-378-0300

Opening hours: 9:00-19:00 (Open from 8:00 on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays)

Closed: Tuesdays

Seats: 58 seats

Smoking: No smoking in the restaurant.

The three shops introduced to us were impressive in that they are always trying to create something new, while preserving their long-standing history and traditions. We want young people to enjoy the coffee shop culture..! Such coffee shops full of humanity are gathered in Furumachi. When you come to visit Furumachi, please enjoy a tour of the lovely, retro coffee shops and a delicious, quiet moment.

[Writer of this article.

Parinko ( Instagram and Twitter )

Essayist in Niigata☕️ coffee shop/retro/alone-time

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