山路珈琲

iida doesn't get much specialty coffee attention, which is exactly why 山路珈琲 matters. this is a roaster doing serious work in a city most people pass through on the way to the southern alps, and the fact that they're roasting in-house on nishikicho puts something genuinely considered within reach of a town that doesn't usually see it. you won't find the performative café theatre here, just coffee sourced and processed with enough care that the roasting decisions are actually audible in the cup. the standing speaks for itself without needing a number attached. if you're moving through nagano prefecture and iida is anywhere near your route, nishikicho is where you want to be, specifically for whatever single-origin filter they're running that week.