La Malta came highly recommended by our lady manager at the Bibaushi minshuku for its home roasted coffee and curry rice. The weather did not collaborate with us on the day of arrival. It was dreary and wet, making sightseeing impossible. We aborted our day's plan to see the sights of Biei and made our way back to Bibaushi by rail. Since it was near tea-time, we decided to try La Malta.
It is located less than 10 minutes walk from JR Bibaushi station. The distinct wooden lodge stood out and apart from the neighbourhood helped us find it. The place was quiet, we were the only customers at the time.
The decor is in Western country style. A furnace welcomes all guests on entry and the whole ambience is cosy and relaxing. Light meals are served but the main specialty is coffee brewed from freshly self roasted coffee beans. They have a wide selection of coffee but other beverages like tea or sodas are also available.
We were given an English menu and ordered their house brew and a soybean coffee. These came with pistachio nuts that went well with the fragrant coffee. This cafe is no Starbucks, the coffee is brewed slowly and with tender loving care meant to be savoured at leisure. There are numerous board games and puzzles to occupy time. Many, we suspect were hand-crafted locally. We lingered until the rain had stopped and our feet had ceased to ache before making our way back to the minshuku.
If you have some time to spare, do drop by La Malta and try their coffee.
Getting there
From the JR Bibaushi station, walk towards the convenient store Biba. Cross over to the other side of the road and look for a lane between a store and a printing house. Follow that lane, passing by backyards of small vegetable and fruit plots until you reach an opening. The cafe is located on the right hand side, near the corner of a road junction.