A flower pancake from Coffee Zingaro at Nakano Broadway in Tokyo. (Jeremy Stillwagner/Stars and Stripes)

Coffee Zingaro is a small cafe at Nakano Broadway in Tokyo, and after hearing about its artsy retro theme and tables that doubled as arcade machines, I had to stop by.

Contemporary artist Takashi Murakami opened the cafe in a reimagined, post-pandemic setting in April 2023.

The pop artist — mentioned with the likes of Yayoi Kusama and Andy Warhol — is best known for “The Hysteria of This Flower Explained” and “My Lonesome Cowboy,” a piece that sold for $15.2 million in 2008.

Eager to investigate, I hopped a train with friends to Nakano Station. A 10-minute walk brought us to Nakano Broadway and Coffee Zingaro.

Tables double as retro arcade machines at Coffee Zingaro in Tokyo's Nakano Broadway. (Jeremy Stillwagner/Stars and Stripes)

The décor is a retro vibe that echoes from the Showa period (1926-1989), including tabletop games from the 1970s to 1990s. Play the games by purchasing tokens for 500 yen. Each token gets you one play, and each table offers a different game.

Examples of Murakami’s art are displayed on large, cathode-ray-style TVs.

My group tried the flower pancake and melon soda float, plus a flower salmon burger and flower pudding.

My flower pancake was about an inch thick and came with butter, whipped cream and syrup. A little on the eggier side, but it was good nonetheless.

A melon soda float from Coffee Zingaro at Nakano Broadway in Tokyo. (Jeremy Stillwagner/Stars and Stripes)

A flower salmon burger from Coffee Zingaro at Nakano Broadway in Tokyo. (Jeremy Stillwagner/Stars and Stripes)

The melon soda float is exactly what it sounds like; the only twist is the flower-shaped ice cream on top.

I paid 2,050 yen, or about $13.75, for just the pancake and drink.

The food is exactly what you expect it to be, but more a complement to the cafe’s funky atmosphere than the main attraction.

Coffee Zingaro is a bit overpriced, but it’s still fun to experience.

Contemporary artist Takashi Murakami opened Coffee Zingaro at Nakano Broadway in Tokyo in April 2023. (Jeremy Stillwagner/Stars and Stripes)

Coffee Zingaro

Location: 5−52−15, 2F, Nakano city, Tokyo 64-0001

Directions: On the second floor of Nakano Broadway, just a short walk from Nakano Station’s north exit.

Prices: Most menu items cost between 650 yen and 1,200 yen.

Hours: Open noon to 7 p.m. Thursday to Monday. Check Instagram for updated business hours and holiday closures.

Dress: Casual

Information: 03-5942-8382; @coffee_zingaro on Instagram