Exposing the Truth Behind Japan's Famous Butler Cafe
1 June, 2024
If you have any interest in anime and/or Japan, you’ve probably seen a YouTube video titled something like…
“I went to a BUTLER CAFE in JAPAN?!”
“Crazy kooky BuTlEr CaFe in JaPaN?!?!”
These are exaggerations, of course, but the feeling remains. Many who want to travel or have traveled to Japan are aware of the abundant maid cafes - adorably-decorated restaurants with waitresses in cute, puffy dresses who will draw Hello Kitty in chocolate on your latte. Maid cafes are lovely establishments in and of themselves (yes, I am a vehement maid cafe defender), but the butler cafe, at least, the one I will be touching on in this blog post, goes far beyond waiters in a costume. Join me as I show you the inside of Japan’s famous butler cafe, from the perspective of a regular.
(I know that that title sounds dramatic, but I just wanted it to be catchy. There's nothing shady going on here).
When you search “Japan butler cafe” on YouTube, all of the top results are set at one place -
執事喫茶Swallowtail. (Aside: Take note of the butler with the glasses you see in all the thumbnails - he becomes very important later). If there are other similar establishments, I am not aware of them. Shitsuji Kissa Swallowtail is situated in Higashiikebukuro right along “Otome Road,” which I affectionately call “Akihabara for girls.” The first thing you’ll notice is their commitment to the bit. It’s more than just waiters in costumes. Staff speak in a level of keigo (respectful language) even higher than the usual customer service worker, and their uniform is intricate and detailed - too well-made to be called a costume. The entire establishment is decorated in the style of a late 19th century English manor. Tea is poured into fine china from well-known makers such as Royal Albert and Wedgwood. Unlike the usual Japanese establishment where staff are summoned by a button, at Swallowtail, one must ring a physical handbell upon the table. Phones are positively prohibited to preserve the historical atmosphere. From the first impression you’ll receive, it is clear that this establishment is a cut above.
The inside of Swallowtail. Image source: Google review.
So, what authority do I have to talk about this place? At the time of writing this, after 6 months of living in the greater Tokyo area, I have attended this cafe a grand total of 13 times (and I have three more reservations within the next 10 days). Not only do I attend the cafe, I’m a regular at their extracurricular events as well, which I’ll elaborate on later. I’m sure you’ve gathered from my introduction that Swallowtail Butler Cafe is near and dear to my heart. Through this cafe, I’ve made friends, grown closer to those friends, and had revelations about myself and my habits (sounds corny, I know, but really).
Before I rave about anything else, let me begin with what is core to any dining establishment: the food. Swallowtail’s culinary offerings are spectacular. Adding to the feeling that you’re an aristocrat being tended to by your servants, the food and drink not only taste amazing but are presented beautifully. Additionally, the menu changes every month to keep with the seasons. I usually attend in the morning and order their tea set - a three-tier tray with tea sandwiches, scones, and a dessert, with a pot of tea included. Regarding the tea, there is an extensive menu of various blends. Many of the staff have various tea expert certifications, indicated by pins on their coat pockets - this is far beyond your grocery store bagged tea. In the evening, the menu switches to dinner. Though I’ve never attended for dinnertime, the dishes look like they’d earn Michelin stars. I did attend during their anniversary month - March - during which a special anniversary meal is served all day. For 2024, that meal consisted of fine traditional Japanese celebratory delicacies and a fabulous steak. Even if being tended to by butlers isn’t an appealing prospect, the food alone warrants a visit.
An example of the Anna Maria, Swallowtail's afternoon tea set. Image source: Swallowtail's website.
Similar to maid cafes, at Swallowtail, your waiter will likely be keen to chat with you. Unfortunately, if you speak no Japanese, this is far more difficult - English speakers on the staff are few, and you cannot request to be tended to by an English speaker (there is, however, an English menu - you won’t be turned away for not speaking Japanese). If you go often enough like I do (especially if you visually stand out like I do), you’re likely to be remembered by the staff. It’s entertaining to meet the various staff and experience their wide range of personalities. Some are charismatic, some are silly, and some are a little shy, but it’s truly fun to see how much individuality they’re allowed to express. With enough time, I’ve even had staff who remember me and stop at my table to greet me even when they’re not assigned to tend to me. With some of them, an even greater connection can be formed… let’s talk about Butler’s Operetta.
Butler’s Operetta is the side of Swallowtail that the YouTube videos don’t tell you about. This is the “extracurricular events” that I mentioned previously. Six butlers that work as waiters at Swallowtail join together to make 執事歌劇団 Shitsuji Kagekidan, or Butler’s Operetta. These six utilize their talents beyond hospitality, from composing, writing, and choreographing, to produce an array of music and even stage productions. In their approximately 10 years of operating, they’ve released numerous CDs, DVDs, and performed many live shows. If you’re interested in seeing for yourself, most Butler’s Operetta performances are livestreamed, and then viewable for a few days after the fact. A ticket to the livestream costs about as much as a ticket to the in-person show. At the time of writing, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing them live twice - once at Sunshine City in Ikebukuro, and once at DesignFesta 59 at Tokyo Big Sight. They describe their genre as “theatre jazz.” I’d describe their genre as varying, and jazz sometimes is accurate. Some of their discography is available on YouTube. Being a musician myself, I am confident in my opinions on music and can eagerly recommend their work.
The members of Shitsuji Kagekidan, AKA Butler's Operetta. From left to right: Furuya, Kageyama, Kumagawa, Yurino, Noumi, Iori. Image source: Twitter.
So, what does this do with getting to know the staff at Swallowtail? Butler’s Operetta, while not quite underground, is a very small operation. I’d estimate that there’s no more than 200 attendees at each live show. Thus, in small idol fashion, they hold events to allow you to meet and chat with a member of your choice. After most of their live shows, the following day they’ll hold a “shopping party” at which you meet your favorite member, tell him how great he was, and purchase merchandise directly from him. Fans (of all genders, despite what you might assume) line up and fill what is normally the cafe in a long, tight line and patiently wait for their turn to meet their favorite. (I’ll retell my specific experiences in a future blog post). If you can’t make it to their events, they have a brick-and-mortar gift shop right across the street from the cafe where you can buy their CDs and DVDs, as well as photographs, treats, and other merchandise. Remember at the beginning when I told you to remember that gentleman in the glasses? If you watched this website while it was in development, you might have seen his picture on this website before (in the form of the aptly named “test.jpg”). That’s Mr. Iori - a member of Butler’s Operetta who, I would estimate, has worked for the establishment for over a decade. (Do take care not to confuse him with another, as he’s far from the only butler at Swallowtail with glasses). He has so graciously tolerated my pestering at every shopping event as he is one of two Butler’s Operetta members who speak English (the other being Mr. Noumi, an equally lovely soul). Mr. Iori not only has come to recognize me, but he greets me by name. I’ll spare you the many, many things I have to say about him, at least for now. I’m sure my affections are plain to see.
So… How does one get a reservation at Swallowtail? The answer is: not easily. Even as an experienced attendee, I find myself struggling to procure reservations. I cannot, in good faith, deem Swallowtail as a tourist attraction. I’ve seen tourists there, of course, and Swallowtail clearly expects them. However, the nature of the reservation system is so hectic and unpredictable that you’d need to have an incredibly flexible travel itinerary in order to fit a visit in. This is real insider information!
A table at Swallowtail cannot be booked more than ten days in advance. Additionally, you must be certain of your party size before you make your reservation. The more people you take, the better - one and two person reservations fill up fast. How fast? Down to the millisecond. To make a reservation, you need fast fingers and a strong wifi connection. The moment a new batch of reservations opens at midnight, many of them are gone in under five seconds. You can also improve your chances by operating in teams. Have all members of your party on the website ready to snipe a spot. Have your email address copied so you waste no time typing it out. Brush up on your basic Japanese vocabulary, too, as the reservations page is in Japanese only, and you must know the words for the days of the week.
While I have sung Swallowtail’s praises very highly, and I believe rightfully so, there are some flaws that are crucial to mention. First, and most glaringly, is access. The establishment operates on a basement floor that is reached by incredibly steep stairs. To attend in a wheelchair, one is made to call in advance to inform the staff, and then, upon arrival at your reservation, there is no elevator - you will be taken to a back entrance with a ramp, and cannot receive the usual greeting. As an able-bodied person, I have no place to say if this is sufficient accessibility or not. If you don’t speak Japanese, making the access phone call would be difficult, but they will receive and respond to emails in English. However, the worst part is that, once inside, wheelchairs are prohibited. Any wheelchair user must abandon their wheelchair inside the restaurant. Therefore, if a wheelchair user is not ambulatory, I do not know how Swallowtail would serve them, if at all. I understand that Swallowtail has a strict policy surrounding seating and movement around the restaurant, but I wish that leniency could be granted for wheelchair users. Additionally, even if you are able-bodied, take great care upon entry, as the stairs to the establishment are utterly treacherous.
Addendum 9 September 2024: I've come to find that I was incorrect about access to Swallowtail. There is no back-entry ramp; it is just another flight of stairs that is less steep than the main entryway. This further emphasizes the problem that a non-ambulatory wheelchair user could not be accommodated. On one hand, it is true that, like many buildings in Japan, Swallowtail is operated out of a very small, very vertical, and very old building, rendering installation of an elevator nearly impossible. On the other hand, there is an elevator in the Roman Colosseum. As stated before, it is not my place to decide if this is sufficient or insufficient, but I think it's important to relay this information.
The entryway. Image source: Google review.
My second note is less of a qualm and more something that is important to be aware of - Swallowtail will not make substitutions for dietary restrictions. They are diligent about listing allergens in their food on their website. In order to have an allergy accommodated, one must also call in advance to request that the allergenic items be left off of the diner’s plate. This establishment is not vegetarian-friendly; I cannot think of a dish without meat from memory. However, I assume that any vegetarian traveling to Japan understands that Japan as a whole is seldom vegetarian-friendly and accepts that risk.
Finally, be prepared for the usage of gendered language. When making the reservation, one can choose what noble title one would like to be addressed by. The options are お坊ちゃま obocchama, young master, 奥様 okusama, madame, 旦那様, dannasama, master, and, of course, お嬢様 ojousama, young lady (where have you heard that before?). All of these options imply gender. One can only choose one title for the whole reservation. If you are attending with a party of folks with varied gender presentations, I would assume the staff are likely to address you based on their perception of your presentation. Being a feminine woman who has only ever attended with other feminine-presenting people, I have never heard titles other than ojousama. However, if your butler addresses you with the wrong title and you speak Japanese, I reckon you could request to be addressed by the proper title without issue. If you are not a woman or you do not present femininely, you need not have fear - members of Butler’s Operetta have openly stated that men are more than welcome at Swallowtail.
If, after all of that strife, you find yourself at Swallowtail, congratulations! If you find yourself in Tokyo but can’t make it to Swallowtail, I must also recommend their sister establishment: Patisserie Swallowtail Maji Crepe in Sugamo, not far from Ikebukuro along the Yamanote line. While Tokyo is famous for its crepes, Maji Crepe creates the most elaborate and unique crepes I have ever seen. At the time of writing this, Maji Crepe is currently serving a lychee flavored crepe designed by Mr. Kumagawa, another member of Butler’s Operetta. I had the opportunity to try it myself and it was spectacular.
Thank you for joining me on this in-depth, insider’s look into Japan’s lauded butler cafe. In a future blog post, I'll recount my personal experiences and stories from my visits. Should you ever have the opportunity to attend Swallowtail, I wish you a pleasant time enjoying your royal treatment. Thank goodness you got your tips from a real regular and not a silly travel YouTuber!
