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Cafés in Kumamoto Prefecture! 5 recommended picks mainly in Kumamoto City and the Uto area

Photograph:キャンディ92171

Cafés in Kumamoto Prefecture! 5 recommended picks mainly in Kumamoto City and the Uto area

Kumamoto Prefecture draws visitors with the grand Aso-san (Mount Aso) and beautiful natural scenery, and it also has plenty of historic spots such as Kumamoto Castle. For food, you can enjoy basashi (horse sashimi) and karashi renkon (lotus root with mustard), among other local specialties. This time, we are focusing on cafes in Kumamoto Prefecture that are perfect for stopping by between sightseeing and shopping. We have put together a list of recommended places, including shops where you can enjoy freshly baked pancakes and sweets made with local ingredients.

Created: July 21, 2026

This article is based on242Tabelog reviews.

Table of Contents

Kinpusando Cafe

Photograph:GOLD0389

Kinposando Cafe is a cafe in Chuo Ward, Kumamoto City. It serves creative sweets made generously with aged satsumaimo (Japanese sweet potatoes) from Kumamoto Prefecture, as well as akaushi (Japanese brown beef) dishes.

Inside, there are table and counter seats, and the space is said to be relaxing and comfortable.

Photograph:ヒゴイチ

The "Shiboritate Mont Blanc Torokeru Oimo no Cake" is a Homemade Mont Blanc with a cheese cream flavor.

It has a smooth mouthfeel and lets you taste the refined sweetness of oimo (sweet potato). The meringue laid on the bottom adds a nice textural accent.

Photograph:食う寝る挙げる

"Butter-scented imo (sweet potato) and rich custard brûlée with crispy sweet potato chips" is a menu item that lets you enjoy both the chips and the brûlée.

The brûlée pairs moist sweet potato with the light bitterness of caramelized sugar.

poquill

・Chilled zenzai (sweet red bean soup) matcha set
The anko (sweet red bean paste) is very good. It is tsubuan (chunky red bean paste), but it is properly kneaded and has a nice soft looseness. It is soft, yet still clearly tsubuan with the beans keeping their shape. Wrapping the sweet potato in anko and then adding shiratama (glutinous rice dumplings) on top gives it a really unique texture. It was great.

Source:poquill's review

食いしんぼ娘。

・Imo no Shiawase (Sweet Potato Happiness) Special Parfait
The mont blanc cream on top is delicious anyway! I wanted to keep eating just that from start to finish!! As you keep eating, it is packed with daigaku imo (candied sweet potato), hojicha jelly, sweet potato, murasaki imo (purple sweet potato), ice cream, vanilla, ice cream, whipped cream, sweet potato chips, and more! It is extremely sweet, so I recommend it for people who love sweets!

Source:食いしんぼ娘。's review

Kinpo Zando Cafe
Karashimacho Sta. / Cafe, Sweets

3.30

34

  • JPY 1,000 - JPY 1,999
  • JPY 1,000 - JPY 1,999
  • Thursday
熊本県熊本市中央区新市街3-14
Reserve online now

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Manly Kumamoto

Photograph:日本グルメ なおちゃん

"Manly Kumamoto" is a cafe serving Australian cuisine and house made sweets.

Inside, there are 26 seats in total, with table, sofa, and counter seating. The space is said to have an open feel like a cafe along the beach.

Photograph:やきにくだいすき、

The "ricotta cheese pancakes with vanilla ice cream" are made to order after you ask for them. You can enjoy them with Canadian maple syrup.

The batter uses house-made ricotta cheese, giving them a soft and creamy texture.

Photograph:sdes7237

The "Manly Tokusei Apple Pie" is a dish made with sweet apples wrapped in pastry and topped with 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream. You can choose either chocolate or caramel sauce.

The mix of warm apple pie and cold ice cream is said to be irresistible.

ayamana.u

When I looked at the menu, everything sounded so good that it was hard to choose, but I had the custard brûlée pancakes. They were light and very delicious.

Source:ayamana.u's review

げに子ときなこ

The Omurice and the Hamburger Steak were both really delicious! It also came with plenty of cheese, so it was very filling. I was also happy that the set came with a good-sized salad.

Source:げに子ときなこ's review

Manly Kumamoto
Fujisakigumae Sta. / Cafe, Dining bar, Pancake

3.24

62

  • JPY 2,000 - JPY 2,999
  • JPY 1,000 - JPY 1,999
  • -
熊本県熊本市中央区南坪井町5-29
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cafe KAWANO

Photograph:ハッピー80801

cafe KAWANO is a cafe in a renovated kominka (traditional Japanese house), Kono Tei, located a 7-minute walk from Kengunmachi Station on the Kumamoto City Tram Kengun Line.

The interior has 22 seats in total, with a range of options including table seating, sofa seating, and ozashiki (tatami room) seating.

Photograph:虎蘭

This restaurant serves Napoli pizza (Neapolitan pizza) baked in a 500℃ stone oven, pasta, and Homemade desserts by a pastry chef.

The "Wa Fungi" is a pizza topped with mushrooms and thick cut bacon. The aroma of garlic is said to whet the appetite.

Photograph:ららーぴ

The thick cut bread "kamayaki French toast" is a menu item topped with vanilla ice cream on bread toasted golden on the outside.

The appareil has soaked all the way into the center of the bread, and it is said to have just the right level of sweetness.

xx__r__s__xx

We ordered the pasta and pizza as half-and-half. The cheese pizza tasted even better with honey on it, which brought out the salty flavor〜! The thin kamadaki (oven-baked) pizza was delicious!! For dessert, we had brulee and pistachio. The restaurant is a renovated kominka (traditional Japanese house) turned into a cafe, so it was an old but stylish and relaxing space.

Source:xx__r__s__xx's review

あきこ815

This kominka cafe (traditional Japanese house cafe) has a very retro feel inside. We ordered the pizza set and the pasta set and shared them. It was my first time trying peach pizza, and it was very tasty, pairing well with the tangy prosciutto.

Source:あきこ815's review

cafe KAWANO
Kengunmachi Sta. / Cafe, Pizza, Italian

3.21

33

  • JPY 3,000 - JPY 3,999
  • JPY 2,000 - JPY 2,999
  • Tuesday
熊本県熊本市東区若葉2-8-12
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le cafe NISHIHARA Par Hiro Kitagawa

Photograph:gjadta

le cafe NISHIHARA Par Hiro Kitagawa is a cafe in Nishihara-mura (Nishihara Village), Aso-gun, Kumamoto Prefecture. You can enjoy meals and sweets made with ingredients from Kumamoto Prefecture.

The interior is said to have a simple yet stylish feel. If you sit by the window or on the terrace, you can relax while taking in the rich natural scenery.

Photograph:fuuta1204

The desserts supervised by Chef Kitagawa of Maison de Kitagawa, a chocolatier and patisserie in Kumamoto, are recommended.

The "Peche Melba" is a dish with framboise and vanilla ice cream stuffed inside a peach, served with peach sherbet and walnuts.

Photograph:**citrus**

The "Parfait Maison" is a parfait layered with half baked chocolate, caramelized banana, and passion fruit.

If you visit for lunch, you can order a half size. It is said to be mildly sweet and easy to enjoy.

We all had Hamburger Steak, Omurice, and a sweets plate, and everything was delicious. The location was excellent, the staff were very nice, and we were very satisfied.

Source:https://www.doom.now.cc/en/kumamoto/A4301/A430104/43016947/dtlrvwlst/B523443565/

I ordered a Kuroge Wagyu (Japanese Black Wagyu) Hamburger Steak, a mini parfait, and hot tea. The Hamburger Steak was so good that the meat practically melted in my mouth. The mini parfait was not overly sweet with cream, and it was so delicious that I felt I could have finished even a regular size.

Source:https://www.doom.now.cc/en/kumamoto/A4301/A430104/43016947/dtlrvwlst/B522243955/

le cafe NISHIHARA Par Hiro Kitagawa
Higo Ozu / Cafe

3.19

47

  • -
  • JPY 2,000 - JPY 2,999
  • Tuesday
熊本県阿蘇郡西原村河原2004
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Cafe & Books Bibliotheque Kumamoto Tsuruya

Photograph:おフランスぶた

Cafe & Books Bibliotheque Kumamoto Tsuruya is a book cafe on the 1st floor of the East Building of Tsuruya Department Store.

They say all of the food and desserts are Homemade in-house. Surrounded by books and雑貨, you can relax and spend your time in comfort.

Photograph:まあるいずん

The restaurant's popular menu item is its house-made pancakes. They are said to have a crispy outside and a soft, airy texture inside.

Along with the standard menu, they also offer seasonal pancakes and limited monthly specials.

Photograph:殴られ兎

The "Baked & Rare Two Layer Cheesecake" is a dessert that lets you enjoy a moist baked cheesecake and a smooth rare cheesecake at the same time.

The tartness of the lemon curd sauce stands out, and it is said to leave a clean aftertaste.

まあるいずん

It was my first time ordering the ichigo short (strawberry shortcake) from the standard menu. It was delicious, with plenty of fresh cream and lots of strawberries inside. It also looked pretty and cute. The sponge was light and soft too, making it a very satisfying shortcake. It was a great meal.

Source:まあるいずん's review

ayamana.u

I visited for lunch. I had the pasta set with bacon and eggplant pasta and a pancake set. The pasta came piping hot and was very good. The pancakes were soft and fluffy and also very good.

Source:ayamana.u's review

Cafe & Books Bibliotheque Kumamoto・tsuruya
Suidocho Sta. / Cafe, Pancake, Sweets (Western style)

3.09

66

  • -
  • JPY 1,000 - JPY 1,999
  • -
熊本県熊本市中央区手取本町6-1鶴屋百貨店 東館 1F
Reserve online now

See all reviews for this restaurant

How We Selected the Restaurants Featured

The Tabelog Matome Editorial Team creates summary articles on shops selected based on reviews and rankings related to "cafes in Kumamoto." In selecting the shops, they do not take into account any factors other than reviews and rankings, such as whether the shop uses Tabelog's advertising services.

Please note that contents, prices, menus, and other details may have changed since this article was published. Be sure to confirm store details before visiting.