Bravo

At Bravo inside Ueno Station, you can do more than have a coffee while waiting for the Shinkansen: pasta and omelette rice make a proper meal, while snacks and drinks offer a chance to take a breather.

For pasta, consider the creamy salmon roe and mentaiko, or carbonara. One diner who tried the salmon roe and mentaiko pasta remembered the contrast between the pop of the roe and the creamy sauce. The menu lists the dish as “Salmon Roe and Mentaiko Cream” for ¥1,180. It’s an option when you want seafood flavours to take the lead. The carbonara, topped with a soft-cooked egg, costs ¥1,380. One visitor said the generous pieces of bacon added saltiness and texture, and that a regular serving was filling. They found the black pepper and seasoning restrained, so this is a dish to choose for its combination of egg and bacon rather than for a particularly bold seasoning.

For a rice dish, omelette rice is available plain for ¥980, with tomato sauce for ¥1,180, or with beef stew sauce for ¥1,380. A diner who chose the tomato sauce described the egg as soft and silky, the rice as substantial, and the sauce as pleasantly tangy. The choice of sauce makes it easy to find a version to suit, and it’s a good option for lunch at the station.

For a light drink, try the platter of 4 types of sausage with thick-cut bacon. One customer who ordered it remembered the differences between the sausages, along with the snap of their casings and the mustard served on the side. Another report paired it with a Yamazaki highball. The menu also includes Yamazaki 12-year whisky, Yebisu beer and wine. The platter works as a small bite before a meal or as the centrepiece of a casual drink.

For a light breakfast, egg, ham and cheese, and ham, cheese and egg sandwiches are each ¥450. Coffee and tea are available, too, along with a cake-and-drink set. At Ueno Station, Bravo offers options ranging from a meal to a coffee break while you wait for your next plan.