Looking for a day of relaxation? Then head to Hiroo, arguably the swankiest residential neighborhood in central Tokyo. Just one stop from Ebisu Station on the Hibiya Line, Hiroo is an enclave on the border of Shibuya and Minato wards known for its international consulates and chic expat lifestyle. But is everything as effortless and glamorous as it seems? Try this itinerary to see if Hiroo lives up to its reputation.
The perfect day in Hiroo starts with freshly baked bread. There are few neighborhoods in Japan that do bread as well as Hiroo does, to the point where you can catch an alluring whiff of baked goods on certain streets: sweet and dry, all flax and rye and powdered sugar.
Boulangerie Burdigala specializes in southwestern French goods, with impeccable cream puffs piled up like Mount Fuji. Truffle Bakery serves white truffle salt bread and hearty egg salad sandwiches, and intimate Brod has Scandinavian loaves with nuts and seeds that offer a slice of Nordic coziness.
