It's not a bar, although you can buy a stiff drink — and you'll need one. It's not a theatre, although there are performances.
And it's not a fetish den, although the appeal is vaguely sexual. Maid cafes started springing up in the early s in Akihabara, Tokyo's bustling, glowing electronics district. Inspired by the locals' fascination with manga and anime, the cafes are a fantasy land for what the Japanese call "otaku", and what we'd call nerds.
The girls who work there — and there are only girls working there — dress in the hyper-real way a manga character would, with short frilly dresses, knee socks and cat ears.
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It's as if you're dining inside a manga animation, which, if you're into that sort of thing, is highly appealing. The girls run the cafes like their personal playthings.
Customers at Mai Dreamin' can order food and a maid will draw a smiley cat face on it. They can order drinks that are sung to. For an extra yen they can play a game of Jenga against a maid of their choice.
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There are no windows in maid cafes. There are no photos allowed. Customers are expressly told not to touch the maids, or ask for their phone numbers. But it's not seedy. Guys bring their girlfriends along. Business colleagues come on their lunch breaks. There are about 30 punters at Mai Dreamin' today, all men, all sitting at pink chairs eating ice-cream sundaes decorated with cat faces while five girls in frilly maid outfits sing and dance on a little pink stage.
The maids greet newcomers with a scream of "Irasshaimase! Of course you are. They also chant "moe moe kyun" over your drinks to make them taste better. Certain foods, most famously the omelette rice, include the maid writing on your food with ketchup, as a cute little addition.
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Not only are pictures and games are on the entertainment menu, but the maids sing and dance too. CDs and merchandise are available. The line can be two hours or more on evenings and weekends. Inside, time is limited to an hour. Being as saccharine sweet and kinetic as it is, some customers might leave with a headache. This pastel-hued palace to kawaii the quality of "cute" in Japanese will leave you slack-jawed at the sheer gusto with which the waitresses or cast throw themselves into every performance. Not only will they put rabbit ears on your head, pour you an unnaturally colored drink, they'll also lead you in song -- complete with hand movements -- right at your very table.
Even if you're the only person in the restaurant.
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There's an extremely strict list of rules on its website that may make you feel like you're visiting a state penitentiary rather than a themed restaurant. It might be fun, but there are limits!
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You will see the maids in cute pink dresses with the smile always with them. The cafe also has some English speaking staffs, which makes it become a more friendly destination with foreign tourists. Cure Maid Cafe has its own very old style, make you feel like you are enjoying a tea time party in Victorian Era. The menu, which also has slight European taste, with seasonal changes and weekly special dishes.
5 Best Maid Cafe in Akihabara in Tokyo you should visit
One of the best thing here is the variety of the tea and desserts, you should definitely try the Earl Grey tea! The maids will all be very cheerful and will all act cute, from the appearance of the foods and drinks. It is like entering the world covered in cuteness. Another common trait in most maid cafes is using hand gestures and a chant whenever your food or drink is served.