Quartet

Whether you want to fill up on a hearty afternoon lunch or unwind with a drink as evening sets in, Cafe and Bar Quartet (カフェアンドバルカルテット) along a side street in Ogikubo is an easy place to settle into. Inside its warm, calm dining space, handmade Western-style dishes, drinks, and post-meal sweets arrive at an unhurried, measured rhythm.

Sweet Vegetable Keema Curry and Comforting Yoshoku Dishes

The house staple is a spicy keema curry, slow-cooked to draw out the savory essence of pork, chicken, beef, and aromatic vegetables. While gentle spices scent the air, the mild natural sweetness of the vegetables comes through clearly, creating a mellow flavor profile accessible even to diners cautious of spicy food. Toppings provide ample variety, from an aburi cheese keema curry with a toasted golden surface to an ebifurai keema curry accompanied by a large crispy head-on fried prawn, as well as a pork loin cutlet prepared using low-temperature cooking. The pasta selection is just as well rounded, featuring options like Japanese-style mentaiko cream pasta balancing dashi umami with rich cream, alongside traditional ketchup-based Napolitan.

Craft Beer, Small Plates, and Dessert to Finish

During bar hours, drinks include wines alongside Japanese craft beers such as Yamaguchi Jibeer's Setouchi Weizen and Hitachino Nest Daidai Ale, which carries the bright aroma of fukure mikan mandarin. A selection of small plates—including house potato salad accented with anchovy, domestic chicken liver pâté served with baguette, and chicken thigh karaage marinated in red wine—lends itself smoothly to shared conversation. To close the meal, the milk tea chiffon cake leaves a satisfying impression, locking in deep black tea fragrance and served alongside the cafe's own tea-infused cream. Pairing that sweet course with a cup of mellow hot coffee, ground in-house from Brazil Santos beans, rounds out a leisurely break.