Top Cafés in Naha, Okinawa～Where to Find Good Coffee and Relaxing Spaces～
- Aya
- 17 hours ago
- 7 min read
Recently, I spent about three weeks in Naha, Okinawa, exploring different cafés around the city.
In this post, I’ll introduce six cafés I personally visited and truly recommend.
Top 6 Recommended Cafés in Naha, Okinawa
①cafe Ryu Haku（Naha, Makishi）
②T&M Coffee（Naha, Makishi）
③HUU'S COFFEE（Naha, Makishi）
④Cafe Planta （Naha, Makishi）
⑤buuluu.buuluu （Naha, Tomari）
⑥YAMADA COFFEE OKINAWA chapteR（Naha, Tomari）
--
If you’re planning a long-term stay in Naha, I highly recommend Namura Prix, a luxurious monthly apartment with one room per floor.
You can read my full stay report here 👇
①cafe Rhu Haku（Naha, Makishi）
3 Chome-2-42 Makishi, Naha, Okinawa
Opening Hours:：10:30～18:00
Closed：-
The first café I visited was Cafe Ryu Haku, located right in the heart of the Heiwa-dori shopping arcade off Kokusai-dori.
Directly across from the café is Studio Ryu Haku, where they sell Okinawan pottery known as yachimun. It seems that the café uses tableware and cups made in collaboration with this studio.
I was especially drawn to the “Ryusai BLUE” series displayed at the entrance. The plates and cups are beautifully crafted, inspired by sandy beaches and the ocean — truly stunning pieces.
The interior of the café is spacious with plenty of seating, including tables, sofas, and low seats where you can stretch your legs.
It feels open and relaxing, and even travelers with suitcases should have no trouble finding a comfortable spot. It definitely has the vibe of a modern, stylish café.
I ordered an iced latte and a matcha tiramisu.
The latte came in a large cup with a lovely ocean-inspired blue glaze on the inside — very Okinawan and very cute.
The matcha tiramisu was mildly sweet. It didn’t have much espresso flavor, and the generous amount of matcha powder almost made me cough a little ><.
The iced latte was refreshing and easy to drink, though I personally wished for a stronger coffee flavor.
Thanks to its convenient location on Kokusai-dori and the large number of seats, this café is perfect for anyone wanting to take a relaxing break while exploring the area.
②T&M Coffee（Naha, Makishi）
1-chōme-2-6 Makishi, Naha, Okinawa
Opening Hours:：9:00～17:00
Closed：Tuesday
WEB : https://www.tmcoffee.jp/
Just a short walk off Kokusai-dori is T&M Coffee, a very popular café in the area.
When I looked it up on Google reviews, it had a high rating and a large number of reviews, loved by both tourists and locals — so I decided to give it a try.
I visited around 10 a.m., and the café was nearly full. It seems there is a second floor as well, because while sitting at the counter on the first floor, I occasionally heard the wooden floor creaking above me.
The atmosphere is lively rather than calm — the space is fairly small and filled with various items, giving it a cozy but slightly crowded feel.
If you have large luggage, you might struggle to find a place to put it, so I recommend visiting with minimal belongings.
The variety of customers was quite impressive: businessmen in suits, local elderly regulars, and tourist couples from overseas.
The mix of people adds to the café’s charm.
At T&M Coffee, I ordered an iced latte and a coffee panna cotta.
The iced latte was rich and creamy with plenty of milk.
The panna cotta was extremely soft and melted the moment I scooped it with a spoon.
The slightly bitter coffee flavor combined with sweet chocolate syrup and cream created a perfect balance. It was delicious.
If you want high quality coffee and a small dessert near Kokusai dori, this cafe is a great choice.
③HUU'S COFFEE（Naha, Makishi）
2 Chome-5-23 Makishi, Naha, Okinawa
Opening Hours:：7:30～20:30
Closed：-
HUU'S COFFEE is located behind Kokusai dori, on a quiet residential street. I visited around 10 a.m. and about seventy percent of the seats were already taken.
Many customers were also sitting on the terrace outside or ordering takeout.
The cafe sells its own blended coffee beans as well.
The ceiling is high and the interior feels open. Every seat has a power outlet and the entire cafe has WiFi, so I noticed several people working on their laptops.
It seems that there are sofa seats on the second floor.
The kitchen appears to be in the back, and there were several staff members moving around, which added to the lively atmosphere.
I ordered a cold brew coffee. It had a clean and refreshing taste and was perfect for a hot day.
The cafe also offers a morning menu from 7AM to 10AM, and the waffles looked delicious.
Cafes near Kokusai dori that open from seven in the morning and stay open until relatively late are quite rare.
This is a place you will want to visit at the right timing.
④Cafe Planta （Naha, Makishi）
3-5-9 Makishi Mr.Kinjo in Arcade 1F, Naha
Opening Hours:：10:30～18:00
Closed：Wednesday
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/cafeplanta.okinawa/
I visited this cafe not mainly for coffee but for its very fluffy pancakes, which are quite popular.
The cafe is quietly located near the back streets of Kokusai dori, right at the point where the shopping arcade roof ends.
There were cakes displayed in the showcase as well. The interior is cute and calming, and there is a self service water station.
During lunchtime, they offer pasta, French toast, cutlets, and other meal options. The miso carbonara especially caught my eye, and I would like to try it next time.
While searching for fluffy pancakes in Naha, I found this cafe called Cafe Planta.
Their souffle pancakes made by a pastry chef are very popular.
Since the pancakes are cooked to order, it takes about 20 minutes.
If pancakes are your goal, it is best to order early.
I ordered the fresh fruit pancakes. For the drink, I had a flat white.
I was pleasantly surprised to see a flat white on the menu, because many cafes that focus on coffee do not offer it.
The flat white did not taste very similar to the authentic version.
It felt more like a latte with extra foam, at least in my impression.
The fresh fruit pancake came with melon, mango, strawberries, kiwi, and plenty of toppings, which made it feel like a good deal.
I poured the maple syrup that came in a separate container.
The souffle pancake had a delicate, airy texture that melted softly in my mouth.
The flavor of the egg was noticeable and the pancakes were not too sweet, which paired perfectly with the maple syrup.
You get three pancakes for 1,320 yen. Even though the texture is light and fluffy, it was quite filling. It was delicious.
I recommend this cafe for anyone who wants to enjoy fluffy pancakes in Naha at a reasonable price.
⑤buuluu.buuluu （Naha, Tomari）
3-2-5 Tomari, Naha-shi. Okinawa
Opening Hours:：Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat 7:00～16:00
Closed：Tuesday : Sun, Mon, Tue
※Cash Only!
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/buuluu.buuluu/
From here, I would like to introduce some cafes located near Tomari Port in Naha.
One of them is buuluu. buuluu, a small privately owned cafe that had remarkably high Google review ratings.
It is located along the main coastal road. You walk straight and turn just before Tomari Bridge.
Since the cafe is closed every Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, I planned my visit carefully and arrived right when it opened.
In New Zealand, it is common to find cafes that open as early as 6AM., but in Japan many cafes open after 10AM. This makes buuluu. buuluu a rare and valuable spot because it opens from around 7AM.
The cafe interior is small with about four counter seats by the window and two or three small tables.
With just two or three groups of customers, the seats fill up quickly. I recommend going early or choosing takeout.
There was also an English menu. The owner, who is from Hong Kong, speaks both English and Japanese.
She welcomed customers with a warm and gentle smile, which left a lovely impression. I noticed several international visitors, including guests from Korea.
I ordered a flat white and an open sandwich with a black truffle egg salad.
The egg sandwich was served on thick toast with a generous amount of egg on top. The small side salad had a mustard style dressing and was very tasty.
The flat white had a slightly stronger espresso flavor.
This might be because I am used to drinking the milky flat whites commonly served in New Zealand, where the milk flavor is more pronounced. The coffee here had a stronger presence of the espresso itself.
The prices were quite reasonable, and aside from coffee, they also offered a wide variety of drinks including tea and matcha latte.
This cafe is perfect for anyone who wants a relaxing early morning coffee near Tomari Port.
⑥YAMADA COFFEE OKINAWA chapteR（Naha, Tomari）
15-6, Tomari 2-Chōme, Tomari, Naha, Okinawa
Opening Hours:：Tue to Sun 10:00～17:00
Closed：Tuesday : Mon
The last cafe I would like to introduce is YAMADA COFFEE OKINAWA chapterR.
Among all the cafes I visited in Naha on this trip, this one was my personal favorite.
The cafe is located on the first floor of an apartment building along a residential street near Tomari Port.
The interior feels like a workshop with a stylish and cool atmosphere.
Some customers were doing coffee tastings at the counter, and the shelves along the wall were filled with coffee beans, tea bags, and other items.
It truly felt like a cafe created for people who love coffee.
The menu is simple, but they offer seasonal coffee as well as unique single origin beans prepared by drip.
Their cheesecake and coffee jelly also seemed popular.
I ordered an iced latte. Instead of a paper straw, it came with a metal style straw, which was a nice touch.
The espresso was rich and aromatic, and it had the deepest and most satisfying flavor among all the lattes I had recently.
It was an excellent cup.
This cafe is perfect for anyone who wants to enjoy a coffee tasting or experience high quality, carefully made coffee.
These were my top six recommended cafes in Naha, Okinawa.
I was surprised to find that the prices for drinks were almost the same as those in central Tokyo.
Okinawa, however, has a very competitive cafe scene with many coffee shops located close to one another.
If you are visiting Okinawa, I encourage you to explore the city and find your own favorite spot while enjoying a cup of carefully crafted coffee :)
Comments