Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Ì
Nakameguro Taproom
தࠇλοϓϧʔϜ
GT
Plaza C-Block 2F, 2-1-3 Kami-Meguro, Meguro-ku
T
03
5768 3025,
W
bairdbeer.com; Naka-Meguro station; map
pp.100-101.
Excellent sister bar to the
Harajuku Taproom
(see below), serving the same good food and superb ales.
Mon-Fri 5pm-midnight, Sat & Sun noon-midnight.
Ì
Thunderbolt
αϯμʔϘϧτ
2F 1-3-19 Kami-
Meguro, Meguro-ku
T
03 6666 6773; Naka-Meguro
station; map pp.100-101.
Night after night, a cast of
occasionally oddball regulars are lined up drinking spirits
(most ¥700) at this immensely characterful bar - it's one of
those places that few people remember leaving.
Daily
5pm-late.
What the Dickens!
ؗΦοτβσΟέϯζ
4F Roob 6
Building, 1-13-3 Ebisu-Nishi, Shibuya-ku
T
03 3780 2099,
W
whatthedickens.jp; Ebisu station; map pp.100-101.
There's live music nightly at this “olde English”-style pub,
complete with beams and candle-lit nooks. Draught Guinness
and Bass pale ale (both ¥950) are served along with a range
of hearty pies that promise to warm the cockles of a homesick
heart - or one that merely needs a break from the sake.
Tues-Sat 5pm-late, Sun 5pm-midnight.
The interior feels like a country pub - more so than the
sleeker second branch in Naka-Meguro (see above).
Mon-
Fri 5pm-midnight, Sat & Sun noon-midnight.
Hasegawa-Saketen
͕ͤΘञళ
3F Omotesandō
Hills, 4-12-10 Jingūmae Shibuya-ku
T
03 5785 0833,
W
hasegawasaketen.com; Omotesandō station; map
p.113.
The standing bar at this classy retail sake shop
allows you to sample various rice wines from boutique
breweries around the country before buying a bottle.
Daily 11am-10pm.
Legato
ϨΨʔτ
15F E-Space Tower, 3-6 Maruyama-chō,
Shibuya-ku
T
03 5784 2121,
W
legato-tokyo.jp; Shibuya
station; map p.115.
This fancy Italian restaurant's bar offers
a memorable floor-to-ceiling view over Shibuya from fifteen
floors up. Wines from ¥1000 a glass.
Daily 11.30am-2pm
& 5.30pm-midnight, Fri & Sat until 4am.
Ì
The Lockup
βϩοΫΞοϓ
B1 33-1 Udagawachō,
Shibuya-ku
T
03 5728 7731; Shibuya station; map
p.115.
The house-of-horrors-style entrance is so dark it's
a trip merely walking into this bar, the best of a small chain
of prison-themed establishments. Make it through and
you'll be handcuffed then led to a cell-like room where you
can take your pick of weird cocktails: some arrive in test
tubes; others have fake eyeballs inside. Periodically, the
lights dim and staff try their best to terrify customers -
brilliant fun, believe it or not.
Daily 5pm-1am, Fri & Sat
until 5am, Sun until midnight.
Montoak
ϞϯτΦʔΫ
6-1-9 Jingūmae, Shibuya-ku
T
03 5468 5928; Meiji-jingūmae station; map p.113.
Stylish but rather snooty café-bar, with no sign whatsoever
- look for the large glass facade - which faces Harajuku's
famous shopping street. DJs create a suitable loungey vibe,
and there's live music sometimes at weekends.
Daily
11am-3am.
O
ce
ΦϑΟε
5F 2-7-18 Kita-Aoyama, Minato-ku
T
03
5788 1052; Gaienmae station; map pp.108-109.
A bar
for those who don't really want to leave work: here you can
huddle round the photocopier and knock back the booze (beers
¥800) without your boss raising their eyebrows. At ground
level in the same building is its sister café-bar
Sign,
where
a
DJ keeps punters grooving along nicely.
Mon-Sat 7pm-3am.
Red Bar
Ϩουόʔ
1-12-22 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku;
Shibuya station; map p.115.
Tucked around the corner
from Shibuya's main post o
ce is this tiny Ali Baba's cave,
hung with chandeliers and lamps. It can be cliquey, but at
3am, when it hits its stride, that hardly seems to matter.
Cocktails ¥900.
Daily 6pm-late.
Sekirei
᳨
2-2-23 Moto-Akasaka, Minato-ku
T
03
3746 7723,
W
meijikinenkan.gr.jp; Shinanomachi
station; map pp.108-109.
Inside the Meiji Kinenkan,
this swanky bar overlooks a floodlit garden where classical
Japanese dance (Nihon Buyō) is performed nightly at
around 8pm.
June-Sept only: Mon-Sat 4.30-10.30pm,
Sun 5.30-10.30pm.
16
HARAJUKU, AOYAMA AND SHIBUYA
Cozmo's Café & Bar
ίεϞε
1-6-3 Shibuya,
Shibuya-ku
T
03 3407 5166,
W
cozmoscafe.com;
Shibuya station; map p.115.
Gloomy in a way that's
actually rather appealing, this café-bar hosts an interesting
series of events, detailed on their website.
Tues-Sun
5pm-midnight, later at weekends.
Forest Beer Garden
ͷϏΞΨʔσϯ
14-13
Kasumigaoka-Machi, Minato-ku
T
03 5411 3715;
Shinanomachi station; map pp.108-109.
This open-air
beer garden, fronting the Meiji Kinenkan wedding hall,
offers an eat-and-drink-all-you-can deal (
tabi-nomi-hōdai
)
for men (¥4000) and women (¥3800).
June-Sept only:
Mon-Fri 5pm-9pm, Sat & Sun noon-9pm.
Fujiya Honten
࢜ຊళ
2-3 Sakuragaoka-chō,
Shibuya-ku
T
03 3461 2128; Shibuya station; map
p.115.
No-frills, good-value standing bar with some fifty
different wines on offer from as little as ¥1600 a bottle, and
a dozen by the glass at ¥400.
Daily noon-midnight.
Ì
Goodbeer Faucets
άουϏΞϑΥʔηπ
2F 1-29-1
Shoto, Shibuya-ku
T
03 3770 5544; Shibuya station; map
p.115.
An excellent place for craft beer, selling over forty
varieties on draught - some are made by the
Goodbeer
brewery, and others from across Japan and abroad. Large
glasses of the good stuff run ¥700-1300, with ¥200 off in the
5-8pm happy hour.
Daily 5pm-midnight, Fri until 3am.
Ì
Harajuku Taproom
ݪ॓λοϓϧʔϜ
2F 1-20-13
Jingūmae, Shibuya-ku
T
03 6438 0450,
W
bairdbeer
.com; Harajuku station; map p.113.
Tucked away just off
teen-scene Takeshita-dōri is this real ale nirvana serving
beers from Baird Brewing Company in Numazu (¥1000).