Eorzea Final Cafe - Final Fantasy
The Final Fantasy Eorzea cafe is a “Final Fantasy” themed cafe, and restaurant inspired by the popular role playing game Final Fantasy series developed by Square Enix. The café has multiple locations in Osaka and Tokyo, Japan and includes many references and memorabilia of the Final Fantasy franchise. The interior of the café is decorated with things such as Moogles, weapons, armor, ornaments, and other iconic decorations as well as imagery from the franchise. The cafe is popular with Final Fantasy and game fans, so customers are advised to be cautious as the café uses a reservation system so it is necessary to call ahead when visiting. These cafes have generally positive reviews online, and if you are a fan of Final Fantasy or Japanese cuisine, it is a must see for tourists as well as locals.
Location
The Tokyo, Japan location is a 5-minute walk from Akihabara station, inside the Pasela Resorts Akiba Multi Entertainment complex. If visiting the Tokyo location, it is worthwhile to explore more of Akihabara for more merchandise related to Final Fantasy. Akihabara is the mecca of Japanese popular culture, and a major shopping district for video games, anime, manga, electronics and computer-related goods. The Osaka location is just a one minute walk from either JR Osaka station or Umeda Station on the Osaka Metro. The Osaka cafe also has merchandise from similar franchises by square, “Dragon Quest” and “Kingdom Hearts”. If visiting the cafe in Osaka, a number of places around the heart of Osaka can be explored, such as the Glico man, Shinsaibashi, Namba, and other popular tourist hotspots.
Reservations
Reservations are required when visiting the Final Fantasy cafe and each reservation is set into time-blocks of 90 minutes. However, in the case that reservations are cancelled, visitors may have the chance to get a table without reservation. This will then become a first come first serve basis and customers will need to wait in line. Also, the cafe organizes particular late night time-blocks that are non-reservable, meaning that customers can come and line up for a seat.
Café Name
The name Eorzea refers to the world in which Final Fantasy 14 takes place, a region within the world of “Hydaelyn” that also comprises of a continent named Aldenard and other outlying islands.
Café Menu
The menu of the café is constantly evolving and accepts dishes as well as drink suggestions submitted by fans of Final Fantasy. The food and drinks at the café are all inspired by some aspect of the franchise. For instance, these dishes include the dragon eye Korokke dish, a Namazu mizu manju set, Ninja amazake,Tamamizu soda, Ravana’s Spicy Mabo Tofu. Overall, the food is considered as Japanese cuisine, though it is presented to have a “Final Fantasy” flavor to the dishes. The Tokyo restaurant is open weekdays and weekends, from Monday through Sunday at 11:30 am to 10:00 pm.
Events
Being a Final Fantasy-themed cafe, the Eorzea cafe also holds a variety of events based on the releases and news of Final Fantasy, and generic holidays and celebrations on the calendar such as Christmas and Valentine’s day. Here are some examples of the latest events
Valentine’s Day Lunch - Eorzea Cafe has a special Valentine’s menu for couples available during February 2nd to the March 1st 2020 (February 10th to March 1st in Osaka). This menu includes a cheese platter, pasta, and desserts decorated with love hearts. Customers also receive a limited edition Final Fantasy luncheon mat as a present.
Kourin-Festival - In conjunction with the Kourin-Festival held on Final Fantasy XIV and to commemorate the New Year the cafe held a special limited edition menu from January 1st to January 31st 2020. Visitors could choose from a limited New Year menu and were also given special presents such as limited edition luncheon mats and postcards.
FF References
In celebration of Final Fantasy XV, the Square Enix Cafe has recreated a selection of the edible items that appear in the game, each of which is associated with a specific character.
Goods Section
There is also a goods section at the cafe that contains a number of pieces of merchandise and apparel. Chocobo T- Shirts, moogles, and many plushies of the characters from Final Fantasy Series are available for purchase. There are also folding fans and traditional furoshiki cloths with subtle nods to Final Fantasy lore.
Reviews
Online review sites generally give the cafes good feedback and results. The restaurant has an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars on google. Many customers speak well of the care, noting it is a must visit for those that are Final Fantasy fans. Some common complaints are about the difficulty of ordering and understanding the menus as they are all in Japanese. On a popular restaurant review website well known as YELP, the restaurant receives 4 out of 5 stars.