Tales from the Cafe cover art

Tales from the Cafe

Before the Coffee Gets Cold, Book 2

 Preview
LIMITED TIME OFFER

3 Months Free

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Get this deal
Offer ends on 15 July 2026 at 11:59 BST.
More purchase options

Tales from the Cafe

By: Toshikazu Kawaguchi, Geoffrey Trousselot - translator
Narrated by: Kevin Shen
Get this deal

£5.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.

Buy Now for £9.33

Buy Now for £9.33

The second book in the multi-million-copy bestselling series about a cosy Japanese cafe that offers its visitors the chance to travel back in time.

Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s heartwarming Tales from the Cafe explores the age-old question: what would you do if you could travel back in time? More importantly, who would you want to meet, maybe for one last time?

Down a small back alley in Tokyo, in a windowless basement lit only by ceiling lamps, is the Cafe Funiculi Funicula. Amongst the familiar faces, four new customers pay a visit. Each hopes to face up to their past, in order to move on with their lives:

- The man who goes back to see his best friend who died 22 years ago
- The son who missed his own mother’s funeral
- The man who travels to see the girl who he could not marry
- The old detective, with a gift for his late wife . . .

But they must follow the rules. They must sit in a particular seat. They cannot leave the cafe. And they must return to the present before the coffee gets cold . . .

Continue the heartwarming storytelling with Before your memory fades, Before we say goodbye, Before we forget kindness and Before I knew I loved you. Translated from Japanese by Geoffrey Trousselot.

 City Life Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Magic Magical Realism Science Fiction Time Travel Urban World Literature Heartfelt
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1

Critic reviews

With his smooth, pleasant voice, Shen channels the heartwarming and thought-provoking ambiance of the special Cafe Funiculi Funicula in Tokyo, which allows visitors to travel back in time under very specific rules. As is the case with the first book, there are four heart-tugging connected stories that explore life’s challenges and delve deeply into the characters. Shen provides unique voices and renders a wide range of emotions with depth, connecting listeners with people who seem like old friends. - WINNER OF AUDIOFILE EARPHONES AWARD
All stars
Most relevant
Enjoyed it alot with some deep emotional aspects. Would definitely recommend for a quick read

Quirky and a cool idea.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
It's a beautiful story but I wish it had been narrated by Arina Ii who narrated the audiobook of the first novel

Beautiful book but Prefer Arina Ii's Narration

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I loved the first book and I also love this one. Easy to listen to, cool concept for a story , and makes you think

I love this series

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
So sad, so heartwarming, so heartbreaking, truly wonderful. It's definitely a book of comfort if you have suffered grief in life.

Heartfelt

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Really enjoyed this audiobook. Narration was good and stories really felt impactful and interesting. Will gladly just other books in the series.

just lovely!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews