HARBS LUMINE EST Shinjuku: Tokyo's Must-Try Fruit Mille-Feuille Cake

The signature fresh cream fruit mille-feuille cake from HARBS Cake can be said to be a must-eat Tokyo famous dessert for all Tokyo free and easy travelers, and it is also a popular IG check-in spot. Previously, Piaor had written about the HARBS Cake Tokyo Yurakucho store, but it was for takeout. Later, someone recommended Piaor to experience the atmosphere of having afternoon tea inside the store. This time, while staying at an apartment-style hotel in Shinjuku, one evening with nothing to do, Piaor suddenly wanted to eat mille-feuille cake and went directly to the HARBS LUMINE EST department store B2F branch for dining!

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Where is HARBS LUMINE EST Shinjuku?

Address: Lumine Est Shinjuku B2F, 3-38-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Business hours: Weekdays 11:00~22:00, weekends 10:30~22:00
Visit official website for more detailed store information

The HARBS LUMINE EST branch is located on the B2F floor of the LUMINE EST department store in Shinjuku, which is a favorite shopping destination for Piao Er. If you take the subway, you can get off at “JR Shinjuku Station” and take the A8 exit, which is the direction of Shinjuku East Exit. Then you will arrive at the B1 floor of Shinjuku LUMINE EST department store, and you can find it by taking an escalator down.

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HARBS Shinjuku Dining Style & Menu

HARBS is really popular. In addition to many tourists, many Japanese people also love it. Therefore, no matter which branch, there will always be a long line for dine-in. I thought that there might be fewer people wanting to eat cake during dinner time, but it turned out that I still had to queue up.

This time we waited for about 20 minutes to get into the store. During afternoon tea time, it usually takes at least an hour. If you don’t have time to wait in line for dine-in, you can follow Piaor’s example from last time and get some HARBS cakes to go back to your hotel or have a picnic in the park. It’s also a good option.

The most famous cakes of HARBS are displayed in the storefront window, including chocolate cake, fruit cake, and seasonal limited edition strawberry cake, etc. However, because there are so many diners, everyone gathers around the window to look at the cakes. Floer didn’t take any photos to avoid disturbing the customers on site. You can refer to the official website for the cake menu, which will feature the latest seasonal flavors.

For dine-in, there is a minimum order of one drink. The menu has pictures for all items except for the Japanese text. Each slice of cake is priced at around 600 Japanese yen. As photography of the menu is not allowed, you can either check the official website or take a photo of the cakes on display and show it to the staff to place your order.

HARBS Shinjuku Restaurant Dining Environment

The dining seats are decorated in a Japanese elegant style, but the dining environment is very Japanese, with very close distances between seats and small seating spaces. For example, for our two-person table, it was difficult to fit our main dishes on the table. Additionally, everyone was there to have a good time and chat, so the environment was very noisy. People who do not like noisy and crowded places may not enjoy it, but that’s just how it is in Japan. Who told me that dining in is more like being a noblewoman?!!!

HARBS Dinner Spaghetti

In addition to afternoon tea cakes and snacks, HARBS actually also offers “lunch sets”. Some branches have different Western main courses and light meals such as sandwiches, pasta, and salads.

I ordered bacon spaghetti for dinner this time. The bacon is cut into large cubes, which gives it a chewy texture. It is served with healthy vegetables and tomatoes, and the soup has a Japanese flavor and is reduced. However, Flutter does not like it because it has an onion flavor and the noodles are too thick. But if you like thick spaghetti and don’t mind the taste of onions and strong vegetable flavors, you can consider it.

Chicken spaghetti is not as vegetable-heavy as other options, but it does contain mushrooms and cauliflower. The meat is not overcooked and is marinated with spices, with a strong mushroom flavor that leans towards Japanese-style sauce.

HARBS Signature Fruit Mille-Feuille Cake

The cake part was inspired by the signature “Mille crêpes” cake from HARBS Cake Tokyo Yurakucho store that I tried before. The light and non-greasy cream style left a deep impression on me, and I really wanted to taste that unique and elegant flavor that is exclusive to Japanese desserts again, so I ordered it again.

The signature fruit mille-feuille cake is the best-selling item at HARBS, priced at 780 yen per slice, and of course, the price keeps rising. It consists of six layers of crepe with fresh seasonal fruits sandwiched in between, and the light and non-greasy cream is just as good as before. However, the combination of kiwi, strawberry, and banana, which are seasonal fruits, is not my favorite flavor for a fruit cake. Additionally, the mille-feuille pastry at the Shinjuku store is a bit hard, which is different from my previous impression. It could be due to being frozen for too long or something else, but my overall impression has decreased after eating it for the second time.

HARBS Beverage

Because I haven’t tried it at HARBS before, I specifically tried all the items that are only available there, including the single-origin coffee. Coffee Xiao V wants to be served with the main course, so there will be pasta coming up later. However, the coffee itself has a very Japanese flavor and is quite unique.

The beverage section offers seasonal limited edition tea drinks as well as various flavored black tea, green tea, and more. I am a fan of Earl Grey tea, so all the red teas in my food reviews must be Earl Grey tea, unless the shop doesn’t have it. I think the Earl Grey tea at HARBS doesn’t have a clear bergamot scent and tastes slightly cloudy. Of course, it still meets the standard of good black tea, but I may prefer French Earl Grey tea, which amplifies the aroma to the heaviest and strongest Earl Grey tea. Therefore, I think their Earl Grey tea is just okay, but it is suitable to pair with cakes. It seems to be a selection for dining.

Just sharing my experience at HARBS Shinjuku store. As someone who dislikes crowds and queuing, I found the takeaway experience more free and relaxed. The main dishes were average, but the mille crepe cake was of a certain standard, with impressive cream. However, if you’re not a big fan of fruit, I would recommend checking out the cake display first and choosing your favorite flavor, rather than following others’ recommendations to try the signature dish. This way, you can enjoy the dessert that truly satisfies your taste buds!

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HARBS LUMINE EST Shinjuku: Tokyo’s Must-Try Fruit Mille-Feuille Cake