(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Bluesky. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)
I know I've mentioned a few times that my favorite notebook for writerly purposes is the Nanami Paper Seven Seas Writer. The minimal design, abundance of great paper, and durable woven cover make it ideal for years of use. The only issue I run into with it is that it doesn't fit in some purses. I've changed bags just to carry that notebook in the past. This smaller version of the notebook solves that problem.
The Nanami Paper Cafe Note is a B6 slim size, also sometimes referred to as "Bible" size. It's more portable than the A5 version, but still packs 384 pages of 52 gsm Tomoe River Sanzen paper. That's enough to last a minute.
The paper is an ivory color with a light grey ruling on it. The lines are faint enough to be disregarded if you need to, but visible enough to be a good guide for writing. While few people love the Sanzen TR paper as much as we loved the original, it's still top-tier paper, and it holds up well to any kind of ink. The very fine pages will have show-through and ghosting, so you might only use a single side if that bothers you. I personally love the way it looks as the pages fill.
The cover is the same plain black coated fabric as the Seven Seas Writer. It becomes more flexible with use, and while the edges may fade and fray a little, it still looks great after extended use. There is some info and light branding inside the cover sheets, but otherwise it's a plain, unassuming notebook.
The Cafe Note comes in a cardboard slipcase that is perfect for storing it after it's full. It also comes with a sheet of pink blotting paper, which is an essential accessory if you plan to write with fountain pens. The paper's magic powers come from its coating, which slows down the dry time on liquid inks. If you're filling those pages quickly, you'll need the blotting paper to keep going.
The Cafe Note is available at Dromgoole's for $24. Nanami has always had very fair prices for their products, and this is no exception. $24 is a steal for this notebook. I remember paying $25 for the A5 versions almost ten years ago, pre-pandemic and tariffs and shortages and all--so it's surprising to me these haven't doubled in price the way everything else seems to have. I certainly don't think you can find a better notebook at this price. I often joke about stocking up on my favorite notebooks (because so many of my favorites have gone away over the years), but I'm not joking about this one. I just bought three more of these while writing this paragraph because I want to use these notebooks for years to come.
(This product was purchased from Dromgoole’s at regular price.)
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