Wander south from the flashing neon lights of Shibuya along a road running parallel to the railway tracks and another side of the city will unfold. One of Tokyo’s charms is the way in which gleaming skyscrapers and heaving crossings sit cheek by jowl with intimate lanes of plant-covered traditional houses.

Pile Café is one such hidden-away gem. Set in a ramshackle wooden house overlooking the railway tracks on the fringes of the residential lanes of Daikanyama, it has a laid-back creative vibe. There are scuffed wooden floor boards, double height ceilings, color-splashed abstract canvasses, green plants and vintage leather sofas.

Make a beeline to the best seats in the house: the comfy old sofas by the back window opening directly over the railway lines. Settle back and raise a glass to the grey-faced commuters squashed onto the passing rush hour trains.