Have you ever wished churches offered more treats than just wafery communion bread? I mean it could do with a chocolate fountain for starters. Maybe a cocktail menu instead of just red wine all the time?

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Of all the themed cafes in Tokyo (of which there are many), Christon Cafe is possibly the strangest one. The restaurant located in Shinjuku is 'Christian church' themed. (It seems they haven’t specified a particular denomination.)

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The designers have taken a lot of artistic license concerning what is considered church-like, but the interior is pretty spectacular. Religious statues and paintings alongside generally gothic candlesticks and gargoyles, plus chandeliers and a sparkling disco ball.

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Pains have also been taken to make everything look aged such as painted cracks on the walls and frayed edges on the menus. This makes the sparkling chocolate fountain sitting like a centrepiece in front of a stained-glass window look all the more odd.

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The menu is somewhat disappointingly normal (but still tasty), items like pizza, salad and pasta are listed. The chance for some great puns was completely wasted. The presentation is great though, the cocktails even light up.

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Although billed as a Christian church themed café, looking at cocktail names such as ‘Death Scythe Bell’, the restaurant has more like a general gothic theme, inspired in part by Christian iconography. So not as blasphemous as it seems on the surface.

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Due to the dramatic aesthetics, it doubles up as a venue for events like club nights.

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Is Christon Cafe actually like a church? Not really. Is the perfect place for a goth’s birthday party? Definitely.

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By - grape Japan editorial staff.