Taishō Roman Tea Room - Hirosaki, Aomori

AB T.

We waited 1.5 hrs before we hv a table at the terrace. There were 6 tables at the terrace and 3 inside the shop. Given the number of diners and the limited seating, it’s no wonder it takes so long for the queue. They even set a limit for the eating time. However, the system allow notification via LINE or email thru QR code. So we first booked our place and went to the garden.

We selected 1 beef curry and 3 different apple pies, plus an earl grey tea and ice mocha. It came up to 4092 yen. The curry was very average. Out of the 3 apple pies, the best one was the cut apple pie which was moist at the core. The other 2 whole apple pies were a bit dry. I hv eaten better apple pie before and so I would say it’s very average overall. If I did not plan to go to the garden, I would not wait for the food for 1.5 hrs!

The service was very Japanese style service. Efficient, no smile, no nonsense, just transactional, eat and pay.

For all its name, there’s nothing romantic or Roman about the place. But I let you be the judge of it. It does overlook a nice garden if you can get a seat at the terrace.

My two cents worth. Hope it helps.

Jay C.

Date of enjoyment: 17/4/25
Taisho tearoom is a museum and tea room all in one, we came here an hour after opening and it was packed and we had to put our name down and there were 15 people before us. After an hour we got a table in front of the terrace and the British vibes of the building comes through, waitresses are dressed in a suit and most of them speaks English. We ordered practically the curries on the menu and 4 different apple pies. I don’t think they bake the pies on site, they stock them from the bakeries and let’s just say the apple pies are amazing, there is nothing like it each one has its own unique flavour and their pastries are also flaky and crispy.
The vegetarian curry, beef curry and baked curry is very much Japanese and very tasty without the spiciness. They provide Tabasco sauce if you need extra heat.
All in all, this is definitely a place to visit if you want to experience different apple pies without going to the individual bakeries and short on time. Do expect a wait as this place is popular with locals as well.

Thuy T. T.

I almost never leave a bad review, but the reservation and ordering system here was so frustrating it deserves to be written while I’m still sitting in the restaurant.

I booked a table at 1:02 p.m. and waited (and waited) until exactly 3:00 p.m. to be seated. When I finally ordered the curry, I was told it was sold out — apparently because after 3:00 p.m., the curry menu “isn’t served anymore.” So… if a staff member had seated me just one minute earlier, at 2:59 p.m., I could have had the curry? Good to know.

To make matters worse, from the moment I booked until I got the email saying it was my turn, not a single staff member came out to explain what we were supposed to do. We just stood there awkwardly until someone eventually opened the door and told us the next step.

The food? Fine. Not bad, but definitely not worth the endurance test it takes to get it. Even the apple pie wasn’t that great — honestly, you’d be better off buying one from the omiyage shops under the Shinkansen station. They taste better and save you the hassle of coming all the way here.

The restaurant really needs to rethink its system — it wastes customers’ time, energy, and patience.

Alan Y.

If you are an apple pie lover and fancy a classy dining ambience, this is the place!

The tea room is located in a historical building which is gorgeous! Expect a queue in peak hours. A user friendly queuing system is available and you can hang out nearby or enjoy the garden of the building while waiting for the table.

There are many types of Apple pies available. Best to share among a few people for more varieties. The service is excellent and friendly while the dining room is classy and neat. It is a good spot to take a break in Hirosaki.

————————————————————
Second visit in 2025. Luckily sitting by the window this time overlooking the beautiful garden. Ordered warm apple pies while the temperature was kind of cool and at best lukewarm which somehow affected the taste. In any case, it was a very pleasant hour dining here.

Paul Y.

Vibes here were 12/10. Came here in the winter and you can see the bright, fresh snow outside the windowsills. The apple pies were all gut wrenchingly delicious. I wish I could have take some more with me to go.

Joel Y.

Had spaghetti and beef apple curry rice, with an apple pie dessert.

Most raved about the apple pie. Honestly, not fantastic. McDonald’s had better apple pie. Tomato spaghetti can’t go wrong.

Menu said it’s crispy crust but it’s soggy and disappointing.

Not worth the wait. Just go for real hirosaki apple.

Tracy L.

This place is really popular for their apple pie, we took a number and waited around 30 minutes before getting a seat, it is a good thing that the view nearby is so beautiful, it is a great place to spend some time to explore.

There are so many kinds of apple pie on the menu, we ordered two type to share, with a crepe as well. the pies are really fragrant with butter, apple has natural sweetness, it is so so good and we couldn't had enough. It is definitely worth a try.

ni N. U.

The area is like a small park where there are this coffee room and some other historical decorated food shops inside.
Good apple pie. The first apple pie on menu has little pinky apple piece inside which is tender sweet and little sour flavor making the whole piece goes very well with drink. Table over look the garden view is so cozy.