Summary
The whole world is excited about the latest chapter in theFinal Fantasy VIIRemake series,Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. As you may imagine, Japan in particular is celebrating hard, with plenty of collaborations and special events taking place now and over the coming months. One of the biggest ones is theRebirth-themed cafe currently happening atSquare EnixCafe in Tokyo. We were able to score reservations in Akihabara just this past week, and are here to give you a peek at what is inside, whether you are planning to go yourself or just curious about what it is like.
With themed food and drinks, exclusive merchandise, special decor, free prizes, and photo ops, theFinal Fantasy VII Rebirthevent at Square Enix Cafe is perfect for anyone who is riding theFFVIIhype at the moment. Plus, the whole experience is spoiler-free for the game’s story line, making it safe to visit even if you have not completed the latest chapter in the franchise. Considering the dramatic changes that have been made to the original story, that is good news for anyone who wants to go to the cafe but does not want to risk ruining their gameplay experience.
Experience theFinal Fantasy VII RebirthCafe
As usual for the Square Enix Cafe, theFinal Fantasy VII Rebirthcafe had some really great theming for the food and drinks. Some of the more interesting ones included a pizza decorated with Zack’s buster sword in the middle, and two slices of red pepper crossed to look like the scar on his face, along with a meat bun shaped likeMog, with a Cait Sithdecoration on the top. We were personally tempted by the desserts, ordering the Cactaur Churros, which were green and flavored with matcha and red bean paste, along with the Moogle cheesecake, which looked like a Moogle head and came with glowing “mako” flavored tea on the side. Other dishes included a tropical Costa del Sol rice bowl,Aerith’s flowery parfait, pasta with mushrooms from Gongaga, and more.
The two main drinks were themed after Cloud and Sephiroth - or more specifically, two oftheir limit breaks. Cloud’s was inspired by Climhazzard, with sugar candy sticking out of the top to look like the move, and Sephiroth’s by Octaslash. There was also a gingerale and fruit cocktail to celebrate Shinra’s parade in Junon, a grape soda mix for the relaxing town of Kalm, and a beautiful fruit and flower tea inspired by Aerith. The best part about the themed drinks, though, is that they each came with a special random character coaster. Plus, each themed main dish came with a special mini-poster.
The cafe was well decorated, with plenty of character art and posters around that you could take photos of (while not disturbing other guests, of course). There was also afull-sized model buster sword, and a few special character cutouts, along with cute plush versions of Cloud and Sephiroth. There were plenty of TVs playing montages from the game all around the cafe, and a running soundtrack of the most famous themes to complete the mood.
What Do You Need to Know to Visit theFFVII RebirthCafe Yourself?
It is important to note that whileour last visit to the Square Enix cafelast year for theFinal Fantasy XVIcollaboration event included an English-support menu, theRebirthcafe in Tokyo did not have any English. All orders are made via the provided iPad at the table, which does have an English UI for adding things to your order, but the explanations for all food and drinks, including ingredients, is only available in Japanese. If you are happy to use translation software, or order based on photos alone, it is not a problem, but be aware that if you are a more cautious diner, this may be a challenge.
You absolutely must make a reservation prior to going to theRebirthcafe, as due to its popularity there are no walk-ins available at the moment, even on weekdays. It is easy to make a reservation using theSquare Enixapp, which also holds your entry ticket, but this is only available in Japanese. If you are visiting from overseas, it is better to use the website and click the “make a reservation from overseas” button, which has English support. All reservations require a 1000 yen ($6.60 USD) deposit per person, but this does cover the first drink, including character-themed drinks.
Reservation slots last for 90 minutes, and even if you are late for your start time, you still have to finish at the designated ending time. Reception starts 15 minutes before the reservation window, so it is better to come a little early. While waiting in the line to enter, your entry ticket will be confirmed, and you have to make your first drink order. Because this is done on paper without any photos, it is better to know in advance what drink you want to order.
Finally, most of the current menu and drinks are going to change to a new selection on April 5th for the second half of theFinal Fantasy VII Rebirthcafe event. Only theCloud and Sephirothdrinks, and the omelette rice and meat bun meals are going to remain. All the current coasters and posters are also going to change to a new set. You can check what characters and designs are going to be available via the cafe’sofficial website, along with the new menu. The good news is, the change makes a good excuse to go a second time to get new food and new characters. We definitely will be going one more time to get even more character coasters.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirthis available now on PlayStation 5.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Discover a vibrant and vast world in this standalone entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the second entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project, which retells the story of the genre-redefining RPG across three distinct games. Iconic heroes Cloud, Barret, Tifa, Aerith and Red XIII have escaped from the dystopian city Midgar and are now in pursuit of Sephiroth, the vengeful swordsman from Cloud’s past who was thought to be dead. This new adventure can be enjoyed by all players, even those who have yet to play Final Fantasy VII Remake or the PlayStation original. Expect a new standard of cinematic storytelling, fast-paced combat and rich exploration across a vast world.
Final Fantasy 7
Mako—the discovery of this natural resource drawn directly from the planet’s life force marked the dawn of a new era, and now the energy sustains the lives of people across the world. However, the Shinra Company has monopolized mako production, and in doing so established a powerful hegemony–its influence reaching the far corners of the globe.Cloud, a former member of Shinra’s military organization, SOLDIER, joins the anti-Shinra resistance group AVALANCHE, despite caring little for their motives. During one of the group’s attempts to stop the company, they learn of the return of Sephiroth, Cloud’s nemesis, and that with his reemergence, the planet is in greater danger than anyone had expected.With the fate of the world riding on their success, Cloud and his allies set out to quell this deadly threat.
