Coffee Chakan Sagan (珈琲茶館 左岸) is a café and jewellery gallery in a wooden house over 130 years old, a short walk from Inaba Shrine in Gifu City. Large glass doors look onto a moss garden, the cakes are baked in the shop every day, and the sencha set comes with Kyoto-style sweets from the wagashi shop next door. A family friend took me there in October 2026. Coffee and tea cost ¥700–800, and cake ¥400–650.
Some places you find, and some places find you. Our family friend Marina invited me to Sagan. She has been coming here often for 20 to 30 years, and her old school, St. Mary’s, has a long connection with the café. I’d been once before, years ago, with my mother-in-law and family. Kimie and I held our wedding reception just down the road, so this part of Gifu holds a lot of memories for us.
The house and the garden
From the street, Sagan is a heavy tiled roof, dark timber and a small 左岸 sign beside two glowing lamps. The building was once the banquet hall of an old ryōtei (a traditional Japanese restaurant), and it has been a café for more than 30 years.
Inside, the main room has high ceilings, mustard-coloured walls and long black lacquered tables. The bentwood chairs are each a little different, and a black piano sits in the corner. Glass cases along the walls hold the jewellery.
The best seats are at the back, where the floor-to-ceiling glass doors look onto the garden: twisted old trees, moss, stones and maples just starting to turn. Marina expects the maples to be redder in November, though a hot summer may have slowed them this year.
Through another window there’s a stone water basin with a bamboo spout. The water drips into the bowl and makes a sound you hear all over Japan’s gardens, cutting into the quiet. The owner is happy for you to walk through and look around.
A café inside a jewellery shop
Sagan belongs to a jewellery family, and the shop, the family home and their workshops share the property. The owner is a jeweller, and her pieces are displayed around the café. Her son is a jewellery designer with his own brand, Martello d’Oro, and also works in Italy and France. Couples can make their own wedding rings with him in the workshop.
What’s on the menu
The menu is in English, which helps a lot.
- Coffee (¥700). Three house blends: “Miracle”, balanced between sourness and bitterness; “Surprise”, fragrant with a hint of bitterness; and “Mystère”, a lighter coffee with refreshing acidity. There’s also Viennese coffee topped with fresh cream (¥800), plus espresso and cappuccinos (¥700–800).
- Tea (¥700–750). Ceylon, Darjeeling, Assam, Earl Grey, mint tea, milk tea and iced tea, served in fine china.
- Sencha with Japanese sweets (¥1,300). This is the one to order if you want something Japanese. The wagashi come from Shouka-dou, a sweets shop next door with over 100 years of history in the Kyoto tradition, and they change daily. You get two cups of tea, so tell the staff when you’re ready for the second.
- Homemade cake (¥400–650). Baked in the shop each day, and they do sell out. There’s spice chiffon (cinnamon), chocolate chiffon, a Swiss and Belgian chocolate cake (half slices ¥400) and rare cheesecake.
- Light lunch (¥550–1,300). Muffins and thick toast, with butter and jam or “pizza style”. The mushroom muffin comes with ham, cheese and a mushroom cream sauce, and both the pizza and mushroom versions come with yogurt and fruit.
- Floats, juice and ice cream. Melon soda float (¥850), ginger ale float, yuzu tea, fresh orange juice, affogato and a chocolate parfait.
What we had
We both had long black coffees. I had the spice chiffon and Marina had the rare cheesecake, her favourite. Just as the cakes arrived, the owner sat down to talk with us, and between the conversation and the garden I forgot to take any photos. So the menu photos will have to do. I love chiffon cake, and this one was light and soft. The spice made it a new experience: the menu says the cinnamon gives it “an adult vibe”, and that’s about right.
Good for families?
It’s a quiet, grown-up place full of antiques and fine china, so it suits older children better than toddlers. Fussy eaters are well covered, though: toast with butter and jam, a cheese and ham muffin, vanilla or chocolate ice cream, and a bright green melon soda float. It’s a good stop after visiting Inaba Shrine.
Visiting Sagan
| Name | Coffee Chakan Sagan · 珈琲茶館 左岸 (さがん) |
| Address | 〒500-8084 岐阜県岐阜市松屋町1 (1 Matsuya-chō, Gifu City, Gifu) |
| Phone | 058-262-0351 |
| Hours | 11:30–16:30 (per Google Maps) |
| Closed | Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays (per Google Maps) |
| Parking | Car park in front of the shop, 90-minute limit |
| Getting there | About 5 minutes’ walk from Inaba Shrine (伊奈波神社) |
| Menu | English menu available |
| We visited | October 2026, late morning |
How to order
- これをお願いします。
Kore o onegaishimasu.: This one, please. (Point at the menu.) - ケーキセットはありますか？
Kēki setto wa arimasu ka?: Do you have a cake set? - お茶のおかわりをお願いします。
Ocha no okawari o onegaishimasu.: My second cup of tea, please. (For the sencha set.)
If you’d like a backup, our free printable ordering cards let you point at what you want, including your allergies.
FAQ
Where is Sagan café in Gifu?
In Matsuya-chō, Gifu City, about 5 minutes’ walk from Inaba Shrine.
Does Sagan have an English menu?
Yes. The whole menu is in English, with descriptions.
What should I order at Sagan?
The sencha with daily Japanese sweets from Shouka-dou (¥1,300), or a homemade cake with one of the house blend coffees.
Does Sagan serve lunch?
Light lunches only: muffins and toast, from ¥550.
Is there parking?
Yes, in front of the shop, with a 90-minute limit.
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