Hakone

Rotating roasters and a house roast

Hakone puts coffee first and keeps everything else short, with simplicity, quality and efficient service borrowed from Japan and stated plainly as the ambition. The company rotates the roasters it buys from rather than tying itself to one supplier, so the selection on the bar changes through the year, and it has begun roasting its own coffees on a production roaster, releasing them in limited batches that go quickly. The machine was chosen for small batch sizes and efficiency, which suits a business trying to become more self-sufficient without giving up control of quality. Alongside espresso and filter, the counter pours matcha and hojicha, cold drinks and hot chocolate, and sells coffee bags and tea for home.

Japanese simplicity, Norwegian informality

The design language is minimal and Japanese-inspired, and the brand describes what it does as Japanese simplicity crossed with Norwegian folkelighet: pared-back, efficient service delivered with an informal local welcome. In practice the cafés are compact urban stops rather than large rooms, built around the idea of a perfect coffee to go. Founded in 2024, the concept grew quickly into several Oslo locations, and a coffee wagon carries the full menu to places a fixed café cannot reach. The roasting side is run by the head of coffee. The pace is quick without feeling brusque, and the counter is the whole experience. Around the cafés sits a wider ecosystem of locations, events and updates, the mark of a local startup that grew into several rooms faster than most.

Matcha, hojicha and the egg sandwich

For the Japanese-influenced side, start with matcha or hojicha. The matcha latte is the anchor, poured with latte art and joined by seasonal specials, and hojicha is the roasted, gentler alternative. On the coffee side, ask what is currently on: with roasters rotating and limited in-house releases appearing, the answer changes, and hot or cold both work from the same beans. Food is compact but specific. The Japanese egg sandwich is the order that matches the identity most closely, with salads and focaccia for a light lunch beside a drink. Cold drinks and hot chocolate round out the board for anyone not drinking coffee or tea. Coffee bags and matcha and hojicha for home make the counter a retail point too, which is the natural extension of a brand built on takeaway.