Tokyo’s Kirby Café is one of Japan’s most popular themed restaurants. Inspired by the iconic pink video game character, it serves up Kirby-related dishes in a whimsical setting centred around a huge Whispy Woods tree.
With only three permanent Kirby Cafés in the country, getting a reservation to eat here can be tricky – especially as a tourist. To make sure you don’t miss out, this article will show you the best way to book a table.
How to visit the Kirby Café
Because of its popularity, making a reservation online for the Kirby Café in advance is a must. The difficult part is that spots get taken up as soon as they’re opened, and the café is usually fully booked within minutes. So, getting a table requires some prior preparation.
Here are the key points you need to know:
- Reservations for the Kirby Café open at 6 p.m. Japan time on the 10th of the month, for tables during the following month. So, for example, reservations for May open at 6 p.m. JST on April 10th.
- Cancellation seats do become available at other times. However, it’s quite rare and they get snapped up quickly.
- All time slots are for 85 minutes. The lunchtime period tends to be the most popular, so it’s helpful if you can be flexible with your timing.
- Weekends and holidays are usually the busiest times.
- It’s easier to make a reservation for 1-2 people than for larger groups.
- You don’t need to pay in advance or enter any credit card information to book a table.
- Check the café’s social media for the latest information about events and reservations.
Now let’s look at the best ways to make a reservation.
The simple option: reserving the Kirby Café through Fiverr
Making a reservation for the Tokyo Kirby Café yourself can be complicated, as we’ll discuss below. However, there is an easier option. Outsourcing the task to a specialist on Fiverr takes the stress and hassle out of the experience and increases the chances of you successfully getting a reservation.
Go to the Kirby Café reservation service page on Fiverr, where you’ll find plenty of experts who can make a booking for you. Checking their ratings and reviews helps you choose a reliable service provider with a proven track record of securing reservations. You can message them before placing an order to discuss how the process works.
All you need to do is give the seller your details and your preferred dates and times, and they’ll take care of the rest. Because they’ve made reservations for people many times before, they know exactly what to do and how to address any issues that might arise.
You only pay for the booking service once your reservation is confirmed. So, all you need to worry about is deciding which dishes to have and how much merchandise to buy!
The cheaper option: making a reservation directly through the Kirby Café website
If you want to make a reservation yourself, you need to be on the official website at 6 p.m. JST on the 10th of the month before you’re hoping to visit the café. Depending on where in the world you live, this could be quite inconvenient.
After clicking the large brown ‘Reservations’ button, you’ll be taken to a long information page. This tells you more about the café and the reservation process.
Top tip: You can translate the page to English. However, it’s best to do this in advance rather than when you’re making the booking. That’s because when you click through to reserve a table, translating the form slows your progress. Even this slight delay could mean you miss your chance.
Check the box at the bottom of the page to confirm you’ve read everything, then you can proceed to the booking calendar. A message will pop up to say you only have 10 minutes to make your reservation.
Filling out the form
On the next page, select the number of people in your party and the calendar will open. You’ll see the dates across the top and the times down the side. The key is simple:
X = fully booked
O = available
If there are no slots free, try refreshing the calendar by selecting the number of guests you want to book for again. Don’t refresh the whole page. If you’re lucky, more time slots might appear because people were too slow booking them.
After you choose your time slot, you need to fill in a form. It asks for the following details:
- Your name in kanji or the Latin alphabet
- Your name in furigana or katakana. If you don’t know your name in katakana, prepare it in advance or you can leave those boxes blank
- Your phone number
- Your email address
- Whether you are celebrating a birthday
- If you have any allergies
You may run into difficulties if you don’t have a Japanese phone number. Some people report that they have no problem using their international numbers, while others get an error message and have to input a fake number.
You might be able to use the phone number of the hotel you’re going to be staying at. However, if another guest has done the same thing, then it won’t work for you. This is because the system tries to prevent people from making multiple bookings.
Click the bottom left button to proceed with your booking. You’ll get a new screen asking you to check the information you’ve provided, and you just need to tick the boxes before submitting the form.
With any luck, you’ll then see a page confirming your reservation. You will also receive a confirmation email shortly afterwards.
Top tip: If at any point you encounter an error message, put it into Google Translate on a different window. The most likely issue is that your phone number wasn’t accepted, or someone else took the time slot while you were filling in the form. If the latter happens, you’ll need to start again.
Other ways to make a reservation
There are a few other third-party websites that will make Kirby Café reservations for you. These include the Kirby Café Bot and Reserve Japan.
Pros: The websites are simple to use and in English. You enter your details, and they take care of the booking for you.
Cons: They tend to be more automated than using Fiverr and might not give you the option to talk to the individual service provider directly. Some reservation companies can be expensive.
Visiting the Kirby Café in Osaka
As well as the Tokyo branch, there are Kirby Cafés in Osaka and Hakata, Fukuoka. The reservation process is the same for all three, although the Hakata branch tends to be less busy than the other two. As such, it’s easier to make your own reservations there compared to Tokyo.
For Osaka, however, the café’s popularity means that it’s much simpler to go through a Fiverr specialist. This service works in exactly the same way as for the Tokyo café. Simply visit the Kirby Café service provider page and find a local expert who can take care of the booking for you.
The Osaka Kirby Café is on the ninth floor of the Daimaru Shinsaibashi department store.
Nearest stations: Shinsaibashi Station.
Opening hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Last orders at 7 p.m.
When you arrive at the Kirby Café
Once you’ve secured your Kirby Café reservation, here’s what you need to know for your visit:
- You’ll need to show your confirmation email when you arrive. Tickets can only be used on the exact date and time you booked, so be sure to double-check all the details in advance.
- Tickets are non-transferable. You might also be asked for ID to prove that you’re the person the reservation is for, so don’t forget to bring your passport.
- Arrive early so you can make the most of your time slot, and be sure to take plenty of photos!
What to expect inside Kirby Café Tokyo
As soon as you step into the Kirby Café, you’re transported into the game’s magical world. Everything from the décor to the cutlery fits the theme. Plus, there’s a fun photo spot by the entrance where you can have your picture taken with a giant Kirby plate and plushies!
The menu is Kirby-inspired too. It includes burgers with pink Kirby buns, omelette rice covering a sleeping Waddle Dee, and a Kirby car sponge cake. Even the lattes are topped with adorable Kirby artwork.
Some dishes also come with a souvenir plate or mug you can take home as a memento of your visit. Don’t worry if yours doesn’t though, because there’s a gift shop full of cute merchandise to browse before you leave.
Where is the Tokyo Kirby Café?
You’ll find the Kirby Café on the fourth floor of the Tokyo Solamachi shopping centre, at the base of the Tokyo Skytree.
Nearest stations: Tokyo Skytree Station and Oshiage Station.
Opening hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Last orders at 9 p.m.
This article was written in cooperation with Fiverr
