484 Cafe One Paragraph Review
I wanted to like 484 Cafe, I really did but it simply isn’t worth trekking out to Fujisawa for a beer, especially as the beer on tap, Baird Beer, can be found for cheaper and larger sizes elsewhere across Japan. Moreover, the fact that it isn’t advertised as Baird Beer either was disappointing. The food was very nice and the atmosphere was relaxing enough, especially with the Wi-Fi details dotted around the bar. However, with Mokichi Craft Beer and Century Break nearby, I can’t recommend 484 Cafe over those two places. The bar is non-smoking though and it is family friendly, so there are some good points about it.
484 Cafe Full Review
Reviewing 484 Cafe was supposed to be Joe’s job, but due to a forced hiatus, it was left to me to trek down to Fujisawa to try it out. However, I’d thought I’d make a day of it and popped into Enoshima Aquarium first to tire out the kids and working up a well-deserved thirst for a beer before popping in for some lunch and cold beers. It has also been a bone of contention in terms of reviewing, is it worth reviewing a bar that only has four taps of craft beer on, but in the end, it still sells craft beer.
484 Cafe is located on the north side of both JR and Odakyu Fujisawa station, about five minutes from the north exit. It’s pretty obvious to see it as there are few buildings in the area that are decked out in wood panelling on the outside, along with flourishes of green, in an area bereft of parks and greenery. The south side of Fujisawa is completely different though. The cafe / bar opened in 2015 to much fanfare with leaflets being handed out around the city and was busy at lunch time when we popped in.
Even though 484 Cafe appears to be quite small from the outside, there are three floors to it, with the first floor having the bar area and kitchen, while the second and third floor both have much larger areas for sitting, eating, and drinking. The atmosphere was very relaxed, with a mixture of families, young couples, some office workers, and also a couple of cyclists too all sitting down drinking and chatting. Located around the bar were small placards with the necessary details to access the free Wi-Fi, allowing you to update your FourSquare and Untappd apps with pictures galore. A nice touch that should be expanded across Japan.
The range of craft beer at 484 Cafe isn’t great to be honest. There are three taps of Baird Beer on, though you would be hard pressed to see any nod to Baird Beer as their name as been taking off the menu, with it simply saying Weizen, Shimaguni Stout, and Numazu Lager. There is also a daily craft beer that does rotate and on the day we went it was Coedo Kyara, though again, we were told just Kyara. Why someone would deliberately take the brewery’s name off is beyond me. Beers come in three sizes short (~200ml) at ¥530 to ¥550, middle (~300ml) at ¥770 to ¥790, and long (~400ml) at ¥920 to ¥940. The prices don’t include tax though so it makes the bar already more expensive than Mokichi Craft Beer located on the south side. The heads were also comparatively large for the size of beer so make sure you send them back and ask for a top up.
In terms of food, the menu is fairly expansive with lots of different meals and dishes on offer. With two (very hungry) kids in tow, it meant that chips alone would not suffice and meals were ordered. And there was more than enough food to feed two kids and myself. There are vegetarian options as well if you’re that way inclined.
484 Cafe Details
Open: Monday to Sunday 11:00 to 24:00 (L.O 23:00)
Phone: 0466-26-4840
Homepage (in Japanese): 484 Cafe at Gurunavi
Social Network: Facebook
How to Get to 484 Cafe
484 Cafe is at the north exit of both JR and Odakyu Fujisawa station. It’s about a five minute walk and can be seen from the station exit.
