"Chilling in Tokyo" bar and cafe listings for the Roppongi/ Azabu-Juban area.
Roppongi
Agave (Roppongi - Bar). 3497-0229
Hundreds of tequilas, including tasting flights, served in a cave-like basement. Although it turns into a Roppongi-style pickup bar after 8 or 9pm, it's a bit more relaxed earlier in the evening.
Roppongi 7-15-10, Clover Bldg. B1F. Open 6:30pm-2am (4am Fri, Sat). Closed Sundays.
Belg Aube (Roppongi - Belgian rest/beer bar). 3403-1161
French-Belgian cuisine and a good selection of Belgian beers; three-course prix-fixe dinners are Y2800.
Roppongi 7-9-2. Open 6pm-2:30am (LO); 6pm-4:30am weekends. Closed Sundays.
Shonzui (Roppongi - Wine bar). 3405-7478
The selection at this tiny wine bar is mainly French, with an emphasis on organic varieties and good value for money. There are usually around a dozen wines by the glass (starting at Y900) and many more by the bottle. The food menu is simple bistrot-style fare - pates and rillettes, charcuterie and cheeses. Budget around Y3000 for food.
Roppongi 7-10-2. Open 6pm-1am (LO). Closed Sundays.
Nestled in overstuffed chairs with pillows covered in candy-colored pastel silk, visitors can enjoy spectacular views while listening to live Bossa Nova from 2:30-midnight. Arrive on the early side if you want a window seat - they are usually taken by 6pm. An entertainment charge of Y2500 applies after 8pm. Perched high above the city on the 45th floor of Tokyo Midtown's Ritz Carlton Hotel, the Lobby Bar overlooks Tokyo Tower and the surrounding area. Nestled in overstuffed chairs with pillows covered in candy-colored pastel silk, visitors can enjoy spectacular views while listening to live Bossa Nova from 2:30-midnight. The interior, designed by Frank Nicholson, is modern but traditional, with impressively high ceilings and amber wood walls illuminated by giant inverted-gumdrop lamps.
The decor may be understated, but the menu brims with over-the-top luxury. Although nothing says indulgence quite like the Diamond Is Forever Martini, a Belvedere vodka martini poured over a one carat diamond for Y1,800,000; the Lobster Martini topped with caviar and creme fraiche (Y7800) and WOW Burger made with 100% black Kobe beef (Y13,450) appear to speak a similarly decadent language.
More practically minded patrons can choose from beer at Y1200, wines by the glass starting at Y1800, cocktails from Y2000, and light bites like mixed pork and chicken skewers.
Arrive on the early side if you want a window seat - they are usually taken by 6pm. An entertainment charge of Y2500 applies after 8pm. [Show more] [Show less] This informal wine bar offers a wine-friendly menu of seafood, steaks and chops, including fresh lobster, Washington oysters, BBQ baby-back ribs and catfish burgers. The wine list covers more than 100 wines by the bottle (including some rare finds) and twenty by the glass, with three different carafe sizes so you can organize your own custom tasting. Budget around Y8000-9000 for dinner with drinks.
Akasaka 9-7-4, Tokyo Midtown Garden Terrace 1F. Open 11am-10:30pm (LO) daily.
Even if you're not having a meal here, the large bar in front of the restaurant is a nice place to stop for a cocktail or two, and they make excellent martinis.New York's Union Square Cafe has been a popular gourmet hot spot since the mid-1980s, and Tokyo's sister shop captures much of the energy and excitement of the original. The food is typical international cuisine with an emphasis on simplicity and good-quality seasonal ingredients. The dining room is beautiful and well laid out, with excellent lighting and a very comfortable feel.
The menu changes often, but highlights have included the foie gras appetizer - a hefty portion of pan-seared foie gras with orange slices and bamboo shoots; the always-reliable Iberico pork; and tuna filet mignon - big tuna chunks marinated in soy and mirin for a few hours before grilling, served with tasty wasabi mashed potatoes.
The wine list doesn't have all that much under Y8000, but there are a few (like a Penfolds Australian shiraz for Y4800); by contrast they have a lot of impressively expensive bottles for the big spenders in the house. Almost all wines are from Italy, France or California. The bar up front serves a full assortment of cocktails, including an excellent martini.
Lunches are priced from Y3000, dinners from around Y12,000. Although you can find equally good food in Tokyo for about half the price, Union Square is still a good choice for a business dinner or a special lunch. [Show more] [Show less] Vinoteca (Roppongi - Italian). 5647-8301
The dramatic entrance to this spacious wine bar takes you through a tunnel of wine, with bottles displayed behind plexiglass panels on the ceiling, walls and floor. The interior is chic and casual, with seating at two long, undulating counters running the length of the dining room. The wine list covers a broad range of California wines, with two guest vineyards every month each offering a half dozen wines by the glass. The food is casual Italian; budget from Y3000 at lunch, Y10,000 at dinner, or cheaper if you just drop by for a glass and a snack.
Zero Bar (Roppongi - Wine bar). 5775-0010
Like a good man, a predator-free champagne bar in Roppongi is hard to find. Fortunately, there's Zero Bar. Conveniently located near Tokyo Midtown, this place is just the ticket for a glass of bubbly before the last train at night, or before the first train in the morning (the bar stays open until 5am Tuesday - Saturday). Like a good man, a predator-free champagne bar in Roppongi is hard to find. Fortunately, there's Zero Bar. Conveniently located near Tokyo Midtown, this place is just the ticket for a glass of bubbly before the last train at night, or before the first train in the morning (the bar stays open until 5am Tuesday - Saturday).
The interior, with its crimson stools and red-lit shelves, carries a whiff of Los Angeles in the 90s, lying somewhere between a martini bar and a bordello. At the front, a cluster of orange teardrop lights dangle from the ceiling like a lava lamp in arrested motion; at the back, a small area with table seating is partially concealed behind a black fringe curtain.
Although champagne is the main attraction here, they also serve wines by the glass (three reds, one white) and by the bottle (around 100 kinds). Veuve Cliquot Yellow Label is their house champagne (Y1500 per glass), and there are three other varieties to choose from on their monthly-changing list. Light snacks like cheese, cured meats, and dried fruits are also available. [Show more] [Show less] This extremely casual venue is furnished with patched-up and mismatched sofas, herds of stuffed animals, and an actual VW bus with a table and chairs inside. There's a rotating art exhibition on the walls, and some outdoor tables up front. The small menu includes dishes like gorgonzola bacon tortilla wraps and an assorted "deli" platter, plus chai and cocktails.
Va-tout (Roppongi - French). 3568-2080
A friendly cafe-brasserie with authentic French atmosphere and good, reasonably priced food. The daily Y1000 lunch is an especially good deal, and is served until 5pm. Evening specialties include north-African dishes like lamb and rabbit couscous and Moroccan tajine. Call ahead to arrange a non-smoking table.
Roppongi 5-17-1, AXIS Bldg 1F. Open 11am-11pm daily.
Azabu-Juban
Service is friendly, and staff are ready to help you choose from among the twenty wines by the glass, mostly from Roussillon, Langedouc and other southwestern French regions. The bar menu offers wine-compatible nibbles like a tasty rillette sandwich, or you can explore the more serious restaurant menu. [See
FULL REVIEW.]
Azabu-Juban 2-14-2. Open 11:30am-3, 6-11pm (LO) daily.
Pate-ya (Azabu-Juban - Wine bar). 5439-4330
As the name implies, pates - pork, duck, sweet potato, campagne and several more - are the specialty at this comfortable late-night wine bar. The chef here makes a point of using only organic vegetables and seasonal ingredients, and his menu also includes hearty country-style stews and raclette. Around a dozen wines are served by the glass, starting at Y650, and you can just drop in for a glass of wine if you like. There's also a cozy little restaurant down in the basement with a wider menu that includes pastas and main dishes.As the name implies, the specialty at this late-night wine bar is pates - duck, pork, sweet potato, gobo, campagne-style and many more. The kitchen uses organic vegetables and seasonal ingredients in all the pates and terrines, and they also turn out hearty country-style stews if you want something more substantial.
The atmosphere is disarmingly casual, whether you're here for a quick glass of wine or a more leisurely meal. The ground-floor space is dominated by a spacious natural-wood counter bar, with whitewashed walls, blackboard menus and a big glass case displaying the day's pates and desserts, while the basement is laid out in an intimate dining-bar arrangement that's more conducive to lingering. The international wine list offers glasses from Y500-1200 and bottles starting around Y3500. [Show more] [Show less] Azabu-Juban 4-4-1, Twin Ichi-no-hashi Bldg #2-kan Room 1. Open 11:30am-4am (LO). Closed Sundays.
Kamiyacho
Brussels (Kamiyacho - Belgian rest/beer bar). 5405-1588
The Kamiyacho branch seems to be one of the liveliest of this chain of Belgian beer bars, attracting an international crowd in this office-building neighborhood. Belgian-style snacks and full meals to accompany your beer.
Toranomon 5-1-5, Toranomon MT Bldg. 1F. Open 11am-5pm, 6pm-2am. Closed Sundays.
This late-night wine bar usually offers 12-15 wines by the glass, priced Y600-1000 for 100cc. The mostly French list is complemented by the bistrot-style snacks - pate de campagne, pork rillettes and the like.
Azabudai 1-11-2. Open 7pm-5am. Closed Sundays.
Le Petit Tonneau (Azabu-Juban - French). 3454-1075
