Sapporo has many cafes and restaurants serving Japanese sweets. Each shop is designed with passion and the atmosphere is perfect for relaxing with exquisite desserts. Sweets are a proud part of Hokkaido culture which takes advantage of readily-available ingredients like golden wheat, sugar beet, and milk from cows raised in the abundant nature. Sapporo, in particular, is a destination for fresh ingredients from all over Hokkaido. As a result, the art of crafting Japanese sweets with fresh, delicious ingredients is flourishing. With much competition, every shop makes and sells prime Japanese sweets while polishing their artisanship. Each Sapporo sweet shop on this list has many local fans. Visit Sapporo to find your favorite Japanese sweets and satisfy your sweet tooth!
1. KINOTOYA BAKE: taste Sapporo’s freshly-baked cheese tart
KINOTOYA BAKE cheese tarts are popular in and outside Japan. About 6 million are sold every year! All the cheese tarts with their rich, fluffy cheese mousse and the crumbly, baked pastry are made in-house. Freshly-baked Japanese cheesecake available any time: that’s why KINOTOYA BAKE is filled with customers every day!
Find KINOTOYA BAKE at JR Sapporo Station, next to the east ticket gate. Hours: 9 a.m.–10 p.m.
2. Maruyama Saryo: enjoy Japanese tea and ‘ichigo zenzai’ in quaint surroundings
Maruyama Saryo has been loved by Sapporo residents for ages. It’s popular for its unique Japanese sweets that are something of a rarity here. The best-selling ‘ichigo zenzai’ starts with a good-sized bowl filled with strawberry ice cream and red bean paste – which is not too sweet, and everything is topped with sweet–and-sour strawberry sauce. The beautiful layers make this Hokkaido dessert Instagram-worthy, and the flavors can be enjoyed in stages. The natural wood and retro furniture give the shop a feel of Japan decades ago. Need to get away from the bustle and enjoy Japanese-style sweets? This is the place.
Find Maruyama Saryo at 27-1-32, Kita 4 Jōnishi, Chūō-ku. Hours: 11 a.m.–midnight. Closed: Thursdays
3. Parfait, Coffee, Sake (Liquor), Sato: a chic Japanese interior presenting Sapporo’s ‘shime-parfait’
Parfait, Coffee, Sake (Liquor), Sato is located off an alley behind Tanukikoji Shopping Street, popular for its souvenirs and drugstores. Having a parfait to finish off a meal or a night of drinking is a popular thing to do in Sapporo, and this shop is one of the pioneers of this ‘shime-parfait’ movement. Parfaits are popular in Hokkaido and led by the ‘seasonal fruit parfait’ piled with an assortment of seasonal fruits. Much attention is given to plating, and many photogenic parfaits are on the menu. Needless to say, in keeping with the name, coffee and sake are also selected with care. Drop by for a relaxing stop after all the strains of sightseeing.
Find Parfait, Coffee, Sake, Sato on the ground floor of Hirowa Building No. 3. Hours: Tue–Thu: 6 p.m. to midnght / Fri: 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. / Sat: 1 p.m.–2 a.m. / Sun: 1 p.m. – midnight. Closed: Mondays
4. MORIHICO: a traditional wooden house cafe serving gems of coffee and Japanese sweets in a hidden residential area
MORIHICO opened in 1996 and is popular in the residential area of Maruyama. Through the windows, nature shows off its features for every season. The feeling of being in a forest is one reason for Morihico’s popularity, but the coffee and Japanese sweets also are exquisite. ‘Mori no Shizuku’, available only here, is an elegant blend of Mocha, Mandheling, and Colombia. The painstaking process of the Nel drip brings out the aromas of them all. Why not make yourself at home? Enjoy gâteau au chocolat, tarts, and other exquisite Japanese desserts and coffee in this relaxing shop.
Find MORIHICO at 26-2-18, Minami 2 Jōnishi, Chūō-ku. Hours: 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
5. Bocca Odori BISSE: taste the luxury from the fullness of Hokkaido milk
Bocca is a dairy farm in Date, Hokkaido and opened this directly-operated store in May 2010. Popular products like ‘Bocca White Pudding’, ‘Bocca Yogurt Drink’ and ‘Bocca Nerikuzu-Annin’, as well as other dairy products and Japanese sweets, are sold here. Enjoy Bocca’s own ‘Rich Soft-Serve’ in the eat-in part of the shop and notice the rich, milk taste. Try to avoid lunch hours, as Bocca can get very crowded.
Find Bocca Odori BISSE on the ground floor of Odori BISSE. Hours: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
