It's not hard for a restaurant to generate buzz. All it takes is a strong design, cool music — on vinyl, of course — and some hot PR. But to maintain that level of vibrancy, it needs to be good. It also helps if it's a bit special, and Path qualifies on all counts.
Open for just over a year now, its sleek glass frontage sets it apart on the low-rise, old-school shopping street leading to Yoyogi-Hachiman Station. From the outside it's not clear what lies inside. Is it a cafe, an eatery, a bar? In fact, Path is all of those and more.
For the locals, it's a breakfast pit stop, a place to gear up for the day with good coffee and even better pastries, while catching up on social media. Others drop by on their way to work, to pick up Americanos and grab take-out croissants or pains au chocolat for munching at their desks.