JAM AkihabaraWhen I go to Akihabara, I usually do so in the afternoon. However, this time lunchtime came while I was still there. This meant I would have lunch in a Maid Cafe.

Actually, this is the first time I do so, and I was not so comfortable with the idea, as food in maid cafes usually tends to be quite expensive (around 1000 yen, compared to 500 yen in the school cafeteria).

Nevertheless, for the sake of the blog (^_^;) I decided to spend a few more yen so I could give a review of another Maid Cafe. I had the Akiba Days guide with me, so I just decided to go to a random place I hadn’t been before.

The Maid Cafe I found myself in is called JAM Akihabara. Located in the B1 floor on one of the alleys, I have to say I had a little bit of a hard time locating it. The sign is quite small, and the place itself does little to stand out. This was clearly a place with a clientele different from those other large cafes, so it would definitely be interesting.

The place itself is a single rectangular room and can accommodate some 20 people, with the smokers’ section on one end, with tables with wall seats; the non-smokers’ section in the middle, with regular tables for 2, and the counter on the other end. One thing you will notice is how most tables in the non-smoking section are for two but only have one seat, pointing at the counter so you can view the maids. Of course, with the girls dressed in dark green maid outfits with mini skirts, who wouldn’t sit facing the counter >_<

I was met with a very pleasant surprise, as the menu is very reasonably priced, with lunch orders for around 600 yen (going as low as 500 yen). Add 100 yen and you also get a drink. You’d think that for this price you’d get a mediocre plate, but the order came with a very generous amount of food and very well presented. So far this is the Maid Cafe with the best food I’ve been to.

In addition to the very cute and revealing maid outfits the friend I went with could only describe as “oh yeah, I like it!”, decoration is pretty straightforward, and could easily pose for a regular restaurant, but it is all very well designed, as the green, brown and white colors the theme has can be found from the seats to the counter and to the maid outfits.

Service is relatively normal for a maid cafe. At least when I went there, I didn’t get my drink mixed by one of the girls, or any kind of role play involved. It is a restaurant with the girls dressed as maids.When I went there, there were about 5 girls (or Fairies, as their website calls) on duty, which is perfect. They are not talking loudly as in other cafes, but are idling instead. They do come from time to time to start some small talk. Overall, service-wise, this can easily appeal to those who are not into Maid Cafes but are curious about it, but may leave more hardcore otaku wanting some more.

They also have a point card system with one point for every 1000 yen in purchases, but since we split the bill, I couldn’t see how it works. However, I find 1000 yen for 1 point a little excesive, especially in a very well priced place as this.

Photography, as usual, is forbidden. Nevertheless, I couldn’t find a “Photo with maid” option in the menu, so it seems you can’t have photos regardless of whether you pay or not. Maybe with the point card?

I really liked the place, especially the food, which is very reasonably priced and of excellent quality. The girls are also very pretty and the uniforms suit them very well. The place may be a little bit low on service for a Maid Cafe, so I would recommend it for more mature or beginner audiences who may not be so much into Maid Cafes but want a not-so-intense experience. I do find it a little negative that they seem to have no events. Or at least they don’t show any in their webpage.

This is the basic information:

  • Name: JAM Akihabara
  • Location: Akihabara, Tokyo
  • Homepage: http://www.jam-akiba.com/
  • Address: 3-2-13 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo-to. First Basement Floor.
  • Opening Hours: 12:00 to 23:00. Fridays, Saturdays and the day before Holidays, until 5:00 of the following day (with an additional 10% surcharge from 23:00 to 5:00). Last order for food is 1 hour before the store closes; 30 minutes before the store closes for drinks and cakes.
  • Rules: No table charge. On busy times, a maximum time of 90 minutes is enforced.