Cafe/Bar Navy 045 covers everything you could probably want in a hybrid bar-cafe: a range of dishes from vegetarian to meat-based standards, affordable set lunches, a surprising selection of tea, alcoholic beverages and a friendly, intimate atmosphere. After several visits, it keeps growing on me.
Most surprising is the selection of healthy and/or vegan dishes. There isn’t just one token item. Master Tatsunori Tamura says he offers more than the typical cafe because there are many yoga studios in the area and these dishes appealed to the yoga devotees. The four lunch sets (all for just ¥1000) include chili with bread, the vegetarian salad lunch with bread, vegetarian curry with bread, and the gluten-free “smile lunch”, which consists of an array of vegetables and munchies. The dinner menu is more robust with items like a juicy, savory garlic hamburger and herb-grilled salmon (both with salad, bread and dessert) for ¥1800. Check out the daily pasta, too. On a prior visit, I enjoyed the house specialty “045 Sandwich”, a bagel sandwich with egg and vegetables, as well as one of the side salads, which was zesty and had plenty of volume.
One major attraction of Navy 045 is the extensive range of teas; Tamura serves 25 varieties. Describe what you’re in the mood for and he’ll match you with the right one. There is also an ample selection of alcohol, from whiskey and wine to cocktails and beer. There is a bar in case you just want to go in for casual drinking (though I bet you’ll be lured by a dish or two as you watch them prepared behind the bar).
Besides the five bar seats, there are four small tables for four in the attractive interior of paneled wood and navy blue walls. Navy 045 is smoke-free; enjoy the aroma and delicate taste of that great tea!