Escape to Japan with a Coffee Break in Milan

The design of the café and concept store Tenoha leaves visitors feeling like they’ve travelled 5,600 miles just by opening the door. Located in a former wallpaper factory measuring 8,000 ft², the hybrid establishment is found in the Navigli district, near the canals.

The Tenoha café in Milan stands out from the crowd for two reasons; firstly, because co-working spaces are rare in the centre of the Italian fashion capital, and secondly, because part of the design was created by the Italian architectural firm Park Associati, in collaboration with the Japanese owner Hiroshi Sato. The aim was simply to create a space where Milan and Tokyo would meet. As the propietor of a number of cafés in Japan, the owner wanted his Milan space to bring together Japanese ambiance and Italian culture.

More than a simple café, the space is dedicated to Japanese culture in all its forms. The shop offers a range of glassware, stationery, and products imported directly from Japan. The restaurant menu was conceived by chef Hideyuki Manaka, owner of the Italian restaurant Da Fiore in Tokyo. What to choose between tonkatsu pork cutlets, udon noodles, and yuzu and tofu salad, served according to the Milanese tradition of the aperitivo? Go on, try all three.

More information on Tenoha can be found on the concept store’s website.