Kissa Wa Café

Cafe · Highbury

Kissa Wa Café

Cafe · Highbury

15 Corsica St, London N5 1JT, United Kingdom

Highlights

Japanese cafe with homemade cakes, tea & comfort food

15 Corsica St, London N5 1JT, United Kingdom Get directions

@kissa_wa_cafe

£10–20

@infatuation

Kissa Wa Café Review - Islington - London - The Infatuation

"Given it’s just a five-minute stroll from one of London’s most notorious hells in Highbury Corner, there’s something very therapeutic about Kissa Wa Café. Cups of coffee in handmade ceramics are brought to tables outside, bowls of udon in a gentle but umami-rich broth are slurped, and weary parents exhale as a couple of slices of Basque cheesecake are put down for everyone to share. The Japanese cafe has a slow, deliberate way about it, and what comes out of the kitchen focuses on being satisfying rather than anything out of this world. There are plenty of tables in and out for a solo weekday lunch or a Saturday morning post-run catch-up. For something that’s good-value on-the-go, Kissa Wa’s enormous handmade onigiri will tide you over. Food Rundown photo credit: Jake Missing Soba Noodles This udon features gooey aubergine slices and puffed tofu, topped with a sprinkling of shichimi togarashi, in a light, salty soy-based broth. It's a really nice bowl to chew and slurp on. Onigiri Kissa Wa's handmade onigiri are seriously chunky and a fine snack if you need a quick something to fill you up. The chicken teriyaki and smoked mackerel fillings are totally fine, but nothing special." - Jake Missing

https://www.theinfatuation.com/london/reviews/kissa-wa-cafe

View Postcard for Kissa Wa Café

Lo Yuet Chan

Google

Had one of the most tranquil breakfast in my life here. Wood decor with the honey vibe. Open kitchen yet everything looks so tidy. You get the background "noise" of food being prepared that contributes to the cozy ambience. The Japanese traditional breakfast was healthy and top notch. Matcha Latte is creamy and mellow. Definitely gonna come back again. There are only limited seats inside. If you wanna sit inside, you might have to come earlier/come on a sunny day when everyone wants to sit outdoor.

LL C

Google

Such a cute, veggie-friendly neighbourhood cafe! They have patio seating; we got a table outside because it was a little hot inside. Ordered a hojicha latte and the Japanese breakfast with miso soup, rice and mini granola yogurt - everything was delicious! Finished things off with a scrumptious sesame chocolate tart. Would absolutely come back.

Mariah Cristina

Google

An authentic minimalist Japanese cafe! I love how relaxing it can be - the music, aesthetic and food are well curated. Enjoyed a matcha and hot soba noodles on a cold spring day! Will definitely come back for more!

Sarita Janekarn

Google

The tea at Kissa Wa Café is definitely the highlight! We had the matcha and hojicha lattes, and both were aromatic and perfectly brewed. The food isn’t as flavorful as typical Japanese cuisine, but it’s great for those seeking a healthy meal. Their cheesecake is also excellent—soft, moist, and not too sweet. The only thing was the slow service. We waited up to 30 minutes for our food.

Karla Ramos

Google

One of my favorite spots in Highbury. Love their rice balls and the Mapo Nasu. Their chocolate tart is incredible! Also a great spot for a matcha latte. Not a ton of seating so you may need to wait but well worth it.

Monica Paraz

Google

Very cute place with an interesting menu, but the food itself was a little disappointing. Japanese food tends to be on the subtle side flavor wise (if you're not drowning your food in soya sauce like I've seen some people do 🫣) which is great but I think Kissa Wa went a little too subtle, into the bland side of things. We ordered a few onigiri, two lattes, a savoury loaf slice, and a curry rice. The portions are generous for a cafe, definitely enough for two hungry people. However like I said, most of the food was pretty bland, except for the savory veggie loaf which was by far the tastiest thing we ordered. The rice balls weren't seasoned much (neither the filling nor the rice) and the curry was probably least flavorful I've had to date. It was a lot of texture and bits which I was all for since it wS cooked nicely but you could barely taste the curry roux or flavor, and it was mostly just vague sauce. The lattes (one matcha and one genmaicha) were okay, good quality tea and good temperature but a little grainy. We went on a Saturday around lunchtime on a sunny day so you know it had to be busy. We were seated pretty quickly which was great, sitting outdoors since we had dog with us (it's a dog friendly cafe!).

Oo L

Google

I tried a Japanese curry with chicken and a balanced bowl with rice. They were both very nice. Curry is between medium hot to hot for a Japanese curry (according to Japanese curry block level of spiciness), so it's not as that hot compared to other curries from different cuisines. I also tried Basque cheese cake and a slice of banana bread. They were also very nice. It really is like having a nice cafe you would find in Japan in London. I'm very happy I've found this place. Never knew it's been there for 6 years. I would definitely start going back for more.

Sakura Chan

Google

Quiet little Japanese café with great vegetarian options, Japanese style cakes and drinks. We had the balance bowl and hot soba noodles, and then cakes after. Wished it was open more days of the week!