Tabelog ratingVANILLABEANS Minatomirai honten (バニラビーンズ みなとみらい本店) is the flagship cafe and shop for a Yokohama-based bean-to-bar chocolate maker. Located on the ground floor of the Share-ru Kaigandori building, it combines a retail space with a stylish cafe and a glass-walled workshop where you can see the chocolate being made. It has become a destination for its desserts, which showcase the quality of its single-origin chocolate.
The star of the menu is the VANILLABEANS Parfait, a rich, multi-layered creation with a deep cacao flavour that is strictly limited to ten servings per day and often sells out quickly. Other consistently praised items include the signature Shokora, a buttery cookie sandwich filled with ganache, and the molten Fondant Chocolat. The hot and frozen chocolate drinks (Chocolatte and Chocolappe) and soft-serve ice cream are also popular. Guests appreciate the cafe's relaxed atmosphere and the beautifully packaged gift boxes, which make excellent souvenirs.
The main drawback is practical: its popularity means queues are common, especially on weekends, and the limited-edition parfait is frequently unavailable by the afternoon. A few reviewers have found certain drinks overly sweet, and there are rare reports of service issues or an unexpected packaging fee for gift boxes.
Reviewers consistently report a spend of around ¥1,000–¥1,999. The limited VANILLABEANS Parfait was recently priced around ¥1,925, a Fondant Chocolat set at ¥1,485, and an individual Shokora cookie sandwich at ¥496. Despite being pricier than a standard cafe, most find it excellent value for the high quality of the craft chocolate and the generous portions.
- Getting There: Located a 4-minute walk from Bashamichi Station (Exit 4) on the Minatomirai Line.
- Booking: Walk-in only; reservations are not accepted. Be prepared to queue, particularly on weekends and in the afternoon. You order and pay at the counter before being seated.
- Children: The cafe is very family-friendly, welcoming children, babies, and strollers.
- Payment: Accepts credit cards (Visa, Master, JCB, Amex, Diners, UnionPay), electronic money (including Suica), and QR code payments (including PayPay, Alipay, and WeChat Pay).
- Menu: An English menu is available.
- Facilities: The space is entirely non-smoking. No parking is available.
