According to the website, the name “Artnia” came from combining the words “Art’', “Area” and “Near”.
Web: http://www.jp.square-enix.com/artnia/sp/index.html
Address: 住所 〒160-0022 東京都新宿区新宿6-27-30 新宿イーストサイドスクエア1F
SHINJYUKU EASTSIDE SQUARE 6-27-30 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Opening Hours: 11:00～22:00 Closed on Thursdays
Tel: 03-6457-6714
“店名の「ARTNIA」はART+AREA+NEARの造語で、「お客様とグッズの架け橋になるような場所」という想いをこめております。”
Amanda kindly brought me to the cafe during my Autumn 2013 trip. To be honest, if she had't brought me there, I definitely wouldn't have found it.
We alighted at Shinjuku-sanchome Train Station (Tokyo Metro) and we exit from E1. Turned left from the exit and walked down this little alley. For more access detail, check out their official website .
The Square Enix cafe is shaped like a dome and is entirely white in colour. Not very final fantasy to me but I think they were going for a modern and timeless design.
One of the window displays outside! Spot the silhouette in the display?
The doormat and our feets xD
When we arrived on a Saturday afternoon, the cafe was already full. The staff at the front politely informed us of the waiting time before we agreed and wrote our names down on the waiting list.
However luck was on our side and we quickly got ushered in!
Our seats by the bar.
The interior design of the cafe continues the sleek white theme with rounded edges and matte white furnitures.
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The cafe showcases a variety of Square Enix games and Merchandises. Also available for sale are soundtracks from the Franchise!
There was A LOT of Dragon Quest products on display XD The Primary Store designer/manager must be a big DQ fan hahaha
At the end of the cafe is another showcase room of it's own. The room is entirely onyx in colour and right at the center of it is a huge red crystal dangling from the ceiling and surrounded by raindrop like white crystal facets.
So pretty right xD?? It looks almost magical in real life!
At the bottom of it is a pile of coloured translucent balls. I think they are the "Materia"
The room showcases the more expensive merchandise and also features pencil sketches drawn by Yoshitaka Amano. I’m sorry my photographs don’t do the place justice, I was mainly doing videos there.
Watch my video to feel the vibes!!
The menu consists mainly of desserts and patisseries such as pancakes and parfait. Pretty standard Japanese menu imho. Alcohol is only available after 5pm. For the full list of menu, click here.
This is what I ordered; chocolate pancake with a chibi chocobo's face on it
This is what Amanda ordered. She ordered a hot drink with Moogle's
Seventh Heaven xDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
After 5pm, the lights in the cafe dims and electronic candles appears! The mood of the cafe instantly changes from an artsy cafe to a comfortable bar. One wall also started projecting videos.
Our bar top table with the candle light
My face after realising the candle is fake LOL. DERP!!!!!!!!!!
The Rinoa Heartilly Window Display after dusk.
Overall, this is a nice cafe to visit if you are a huge Square Enix fan. However don’t come with briming expectations and don’t expect to see any In-Game mocks-ups in the cafe itself. This is just a casual cafe for customers to relax and perhaps buy a few merchandise back.
For more photographs, click the thumbnails below.
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