Sapporo’s Beloved RITARU COFFEE: Over 18 Hand-Drip Coffee Options at This Home-Roasted Favorite
Hello from UNWIND HOTEL & BAR SAPPORO! We’d like to share some local gems with you. Our LIVELY HOTELS curators specialize in giving personalized recommendations that go beyond the typical concierge service.
Today, we’re highlighting RITARU COFFEE, just a 5-minute walk from Nishi-28-chome Station. This cozy coffee shop is beloved for its home-roasted coffee, offering a rotating selection of over 18 hand-drip options. It’s the perfect stop for coffee lovers seeking something special during their Sapporo visit.
RITARU COFFEE, located one street away from the subway station, is a popular shop that will celebrate its 15th anniversary next year.
This restaurant has been loved by locals for many years, and is sometimes full as soon as it opens in the morning.
In recent years, the restaurant has become very popular, attracting attention from posts and word of mouth on social media, and being included in private tours for tourists from overseas.
The large tree ring mark drawn on the window glass facing the street is also part of their corporate identity, and is a symbol of the work that goes into making a cup of coffee: the hands of many people, including the producer, roaster, and hand dripper.
There is a shop on the first floor and a cafe on the second floor, and you can also take out drinks.
▲The shop on the first floor has a takeout counter where you can purchase coffee beans and gift sets, as well as baked goods and coffee jelly.
When you go up to the second floor, you’ll find that the interior of the restaurant is well partitioned and spacious with large windows, yet when you take a seat, it’s a strangely calming space where you don’t have to worry about your surroundings.
The building was originally a cake shop on the 1st floor and an Italian restaurant on the 2nd floor, but the building was renovated.The cafe space on the 2nd floor was created by removing part of the wall to create a passageway, and using the area that used to be the counter to create a partition. The current shape was achieved through repeated renovations, such as intentionally dividing the overly large space with bookshelves.
The coffee utensils and flowers placed in the store are also carefully placed to prevent customers from looking directly into each other’s eyes, subtly acting as a blindfold.
It is an open yet strangely relaxing space that is filled with the passion of President Etsushi Mikami, who himself loves coffee shops.
When you open the menu, there are many types of coffee.
There are over 18 types of hand-drip coffee available at any given time, and on this day there were 9 types of blended coffee and 1 type of “seasonal blend” that changes depending on the season.
There are 11 types of straight beans listed, but even beans from the same country of origin are often replaced every 2 to 3 months as carefully selected beans are purchased from time to time.
Once you find your favorite cup, you’ll want to buy some beans at the shop on the first floor!
This time I ordered “Ritaru Blend” and “Mocha”.
It was delivered in a cute matching retro cup and saucer in different colors.
When I asked President Mikami, he told me that most of the cups and saucers are vintage and come from Scandinavia.
I was surprised to find that some of the cups are from 50 to 100 years ago!
There were stylish and textured cups lined up on the counter on the first floor.
A cup that has been carefully used for many years will enhance the specialty coffee brewed by professionals.
The most popular is “Ritaru Blend”.
Based on Kilimanjaro, it has a gentle bitterness and deep richness, with a refreshing aftertaste.
The roasting technique has been used to create a deep roast that is not heavy, giving you a taste that you will want to drink over and over again.
Sapporo has a deep-rooted dark roast culture, and this cup has been loved for many years.
For straight coffee, I ordered “Mocha”.
This roast is a little deeper than a medium roast, so there is almost no acidity. It has an elegant natural coffee flavor, a deep richness, and a unique personality, so many fans become hooked once they try it.
We highly recommend the “Ritaru roll ‘ to go with your coffee.
This roll cake with the image of tree rings is gaining popularity as a popular signature sweet that celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.
The bitter cocoa crepe and light fresh cream are not too sweet and go perfectly with coffee.
▲Summer limited “Coffee Jelly Ore” (scheduled to be sold until the end of August)
Special milk with a mellow sweetness, iced coffee with a firm bitterness and richness, and coffee jelly with a fun texture. A satisfying summer drink topped with rich Hokkaido University ice cream. It is a luxurious cup that can only be found in summer, packed with the delicious charm of RITARU COFFEE.
The word “RITARU” was created from the words “altruism” and “knowing what is enough.”
The time spent with coffee brewed by professionals who take time and effort, and the relaxing space packed with attention to detail, is truly a blissful moment.
RITARU COFFEE, which will celebrate its 15th anniversary next year, is a wonderful shop where everyone can feel at ease, and has been nurtured through the spirit of hospitality and the accumulation of encounters with many people.
In fact, in conjunction with the opening of UNWIND HOTEL & BAR SAPPORO, RITARU COFFEE is offering an original blend called “UNWIND Blend.”
This blended coffee bag, which goes perfectly with hotel breakfast, is available as an amenity in your room.
《RITARU COFFEE》
Location: 3-8, 26-26 Kita 3jo Nishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido
Business hours 8:30~20:30
Phone number: 011-676-8190
Parking available (8 spaces)
（Instagram／Web site／Online store）
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Enjoy the extraordinary feeling of a lodge and the comfort of home at a hotel. UNWIND HOTEL & BAR SAPPORO is a sophisticated lifestyle hotel with a rustic and chic atmosphere.
<Facility overview>
Facility name：UNWIND HOTEL & BAR SAPPORO
Location：289-111 Minami 8jo℄5-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido
Access：4 minutes walk from Nakajima Koen Station on the Namboku Line