Cafe Zaiya

Yewande Dawodu

Quick stop to get food to go before going home after school/work. The onigiri is a must try and their bakery items are very tasty. I always stop by here for a cheap meal.

John Hsieh

Cafe Zaiya is the small cafe found on the second floor of Kinokuniya NYC. It's a great little shop that serves up some most of the items that can be found in Japan's convenience stores like onigiri, bento boxes, and low-grade sushi. There are microwaves available to heat up bento boxes. Cafe Zaiya has one of my favorite place to sit during the winter months: the bench seats along the Eastern windows provides an excellent view of the skate rink at Bryant Park. The bench seats are great for people watching in the warm climate-controlled area with your hot drinks from Cafe Zaiya. Prices are very reasonable, but the cafe area is quite small, so finding a seat may be difficult. Beware that you will have to finish all food and drink items before leaving the cafe area as Kinokuniya has a no food or drink policy (like most typical bookstores).

Jose Herrera

I'm not a Japanese food expert so don't take my review too seriously. We ordered a croissant, some cat shaped bread, and a tuna onigiri. The croissant was delightful. The car shaped bread was really good according to my sister, it looked very cure and delicious. I had the onigiri which was my first one ever, I enjoyed it and will try our the other flavors in my next visit. The location is optimal since after dhopping and looking arojnd for books, you can enjoy an exquisite snack.

Teresa Chou

It's a bakery located at the 2nd floor of the Japanese bookstore. Green tea 8” whole cake tastes good with red bean filling and fresh. Red bean fillings with strawberry and chestnut on the top. But the website needs update becuz the price has raised. I ordered the whole cake over the phone and paid in advance. BTW, the cashier is so friendly and helpful!

Marisa V

I was a little hesitant on visiting because of the reviews, I am not going to lie. However, the staff was very friendly on our day of visit, and the food was delicious as well! We got the Onigiri and sanwhiches which filled us up, alongside some drinks of a matcha latte and a Jasmine milk tea! Definitely try not to judge too much from the reviews as the food is really good! Plus it's inside a lovely japanese book/stationary store!

Raymond Vagell

Love the food. Meticulously wrapped to retain freshness and lots of varities. Onigiri and bento boxes are delicious. Great varitiety of Japanese pastries. I had the chicken sandwich box, which consists two of each sandwiches: Egg salad, chicken katsu, and chicken salad. The matcha tiramisu is delicious. Be aware that the chocolate colored cup is actually plastic and not an actual chocolate cup. I made that mistake trying to bite into it haha.

Maria Jose Astorga

Love this cafe I was able to find melon bread and sandos, they were delicious

alex Sanchez

I used to work in the City and i used to eat here for lunch. Now that i moved to Ohio, and came back to visit on September 2018 the food still great. Totally recommend it.

The lychee fruit tea is so refreshing. It made quick and tasty. I recommend getting an egg sandwich with it. (I normally get my drink with no boba)

Arianna Benavidez

The lychee fruit tea is so refreshing. It made quick and tasty. I recommend getting an egg sandwich with it. (I normally get my drink with no boba)

super cute cafe and environment. I got the Sakura rose milk tea 🧋 . But, I will say that the boba 🧋 was very overcooked and mushy. But, it was included so I won’t complain. I really just like Sakura 🌸 and floral flavors for milk 🥛 tea so I’m glad that was an option.

Audrey Maciel

super cute cafe and environment. I got the Sakura rose milk tea 🧋 . But, I will say that the boba 🧋 was very overcooked and mushy. But, it was included so I won’t complain. I really just like Sakura 🌸 and floral flavors for milk 🥛 tea so I’m glad that was an option.

I used to love coming to this cafe when browsing Kinokuniya, for over a decade. Today the staff was unbelievably rude to me and other customers, with an attitude like she didn't even want to be working there and hated everything and everyone that dares to ask a question. The milk tea was room temperature warm and they didn't have any boba or toppings at all in the middle of the day. I'll be skipping this cafe from now on.

Anastasia

I used to love coming to this cafe when browsing Kinokuniya, for over a decade. Today the staff was unbelievably rude to me and other customers, with an attitude like she didn't even want to be working there and hated everything and everyone that dares to ask a question. The milk tea was room temperature warm and they didn't have any boba or toppings at all in the middle of the day. I'll be skipping this cafe from now on.

Went there to grab some food - $2.75 for a Mentaiko Onigiri which had some pink caviar looking and NOT Mentaiko. It was like eating plain white rice with Nori. AVOID at all cost. Their chicken sandwich was good.

Warning: "C" rating by the health department (see picture). Don't feel comfortable buying something here, specially since the Cafe is in a second floor inside a bookstore. (How many violations are in here?)

Ems

Went there to grab some food - $2.75 for a Mentaiko Onigiri which had some pink caviar looking and NOT Mentaiko. It was like eating plain white rice with Nori. AVOID at all cost. Their chicken sandwich was good.

Eduardo Ramirez

Warning: "C" rating by the health department (see picture). Don't feel comfortable buying something here, specially since the Cafe is in a second floor inside a bookstore. (How many violations are in here?)

We stopped at the cafe inside the bookstore for a coffee, some prepackaged snacks (which were fine), and a matcha. The matcha, however, was a disaster. It was served with boiling hot milk and was full of large, gritty, undissolved chunks of matcha powder. The poor preparation was unacceptable, especially coming from a self-proclaimed Japanese spot.

Andreea P.

We stopped at the cafe inside the bookstore for a coffee, some prepackaged snacks (which were fine), and a matcha. The matcha, however, was a disaster. It was served with boiling hot milk and was full of large, gritty, undissolved chunks of matcha powder. The poor preparation was unacceptable, especially coming from a self-proclaimed Japanese spot.

Tomiz Cafe is on the 2nd floor of Kinokuniya with some views of Bryant Park and a small, casual eating space. I came to pick up some bread a few minutes before opening today. It was supposed to open at 11am, which it said on the website and on the sign in the store. But even after 11am, the 2 staff were lining up items at their leisurely pace, with no attention to customers waiting outside the cafe. I waited a couple of more minutes and then, got the attention of one of the staff wearing earphones, to ask when they were opening. They went over to the other staff, who came over and told me it’d be another 15-20 minutes. They didn’t seem to be in a rush at all to open up and I wasn’t going to wait another 15+ minutes, so I unfortunately wasn’t able to buy any bread. The bread here is very good, so it’s unfortunate and was very disappointing the staff doesn’t care at all about their customers.

Sawako Y

Tomiz Cafe is on the 2nd floor of Kinokuniya with some views of Bryant Park and a small, casual eating space. I came to pick up some bread a few minutes before opening today. It was supposed to open at 11am, which it said on the website and on the sign in the store. But even after 11am, the 2 staff were lining up items at their leisurely pace, with no attention to customers waiting outside the cafe. I waited a couple of more minutes and then, got the attention of one of the staff wearing earphones, to ask when they were opening. They went over to the other staff, who came over and told me it’d be another 15-20 minutes. They didn’t seem to be in a rush at all to open up and I wasn’t going to wait another 15+ minutes, so I unfortunately wasn’t able to buy any bread. The bread here is very good, so it’s unfortunate and was very disappointing the staff doesn’t care at all about their customers.

Had the single worst customer service experience in more than a decade in NYC. I advise you to skip this place and any other stores by this brand. Their old location by the library was also a disaster. Staff is extra RUDE, dismissive, and argumentative. Please learn from your parent company in Japan.

The service on the 16th of January 2025 was bad. I ordered a hot chocolate but got a coffee. Went back to tell the person I ordered a hot chocolate, but she told me “no you ordered coffee”. I said no I said hot chocolate. She said “ no I didn’t hear that, you ordered coffee”. No matter how many time I said I order hot chocolate, the same impatient and cold voice repeating the same thing “ your ordered coffee”, “ no I didn’t hear hot chocolate” … the fact is, I never ordered any drinks with “coffee” in the name in my whole life. It was impossible that I would suddenly forget I hate coffee and order from her. Is it that difficult to admit a small mistake or mishearing ??? I have to say it was quite disturbing. Lowered my feeling on the bookstore as well.

Bad service. ordered a hot chocolate at 5pm. No receipt. Got a coffee instead. Went to ask to change it but the employee refused because she insists she heard coffee. We never drink coffee in the evening. Now we have a useless cup full of coffee to carry around.

I miss Cafe Zaiya when was located on 41st St. It had better service, more food options and it was way more cozy. Now that is located inside the japanese bookstore, it’s always busy with noisy teens and otakus, less food options and terrible service. They took 10min to give me one coffee. Too bad because I like the bakery and some of the food.

Botty Bot

Had the single worst customer service experience in more than a decade in NYC. I advise you to skip this place and any other stores by this brand. Their old location by the library was also a disaster. Staff is extra RUDE, dismissive, and argumentative. Please learn from your parent company in Japan.

Ying Wang

The service on the 16th of January 2025 was bad. I ordered a hot chocolate but got a coffee. Went back to tell the person I ordered a hot chocolate, but she told me “no you ordered coffee”. I said no I said hot chocolate. She said “ no I didn’t hear that, you ordered coffee”. No matter how many time I said I order hot chocolate, the same impatient and cold voice repeating the same thing “ your ordered coffee”, “ no I didn’t hear hot chocolate” … the fact is, I never ordered any drinks with “coffee” in the name in my whole life. It was impossible that I would suddenly forget I hate coffee and order from her. Is it that difficult to admit a small mistake or mishearing ??? I have to say it was quite disturbing. Lowered my feeling on the bookstore as well.

Andrea Rossi (SirBif)

Bad service. ordered a hot chocolate at 5pm. No receipt. Got a coffee instead. Went to ask to change it but the employee refused because she insists she heard coffee. We never drink coffee in the evening. Now we have a useless cup full of coffee to carry around.

TK

I miss Cafe Zaiya when was located on 41st St. It had better service, more food options and it was way more cozy. Now that is located inside the japanese bookstore, it’s always busy with noisy teens and otakus, less food options and terrible service. They took 10min to give me one coffee. Too bad because I like the bakery and some of the food.