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This casual, very lively tasting bar offers more than 100 types of sake along with a small menu of sake-compatible snacks. All sake is served in tiny 45ml glasses, so you can try several different varieties when you visit. There's a small discount when you order a tasting flight of three glasses at a time, which almost everyone here does.
Most sake is priced in the Y200-300 range....
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Kikuya is Tokyo's first stand-up tempura and craft-sake bar, an extremely specific culinary niche that we didn't realize needed filling until we visited. Most standing sake bars provide some sort of nourishment to go with your drinks, whether it's simple rice crackers and dried fish or something more elaborate. Kikuya's food offerings definitely occupy the gourmet end of the scale, with....
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This upscale conveyor-belt sushi shop serves good-quality fish along with craft sake from smaller breweries around Japan. You can choose from at least four or five sake by the glass (starting at around Y700) and several more by the bottle. Of course you may be able to find more extensive sake lists at any number of regular sushi counters, but somehow the combination of premium sake and....
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Fragrant smoke from Toritake's charcoal grill has been wafting out onto Shibuya's back streets since the early 1960s, drawing in generation after generation of yakitori fans. The atmosphere is very old-school izakaya, with compact seating arrangements and Showa-era decor. The non-smoking basement (with tatami seating) is perhaps the one concession to modern times.
Drink options are....
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A charming cafe slightly off the main path in Shimokitazawa, Coffea Exlibris specializes in French press and is one of the best serious-coffee options in the area. The small interior is done up in a rustic-chic style with fresh-cut flowers at every table, and because it's quite popular you may end up sitting at a bench in front rather than at one of the tables.
Coffee drinkers can....
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Whether you're here for a quick dinner or a leisurely evening of drinking and snacking, this reliable seafood izakaya is a refreshingly economical option for an Odaiba outing. The voluminous daily sashimi platter is a good place to start, and individual a la carte sashimi items also come in generous portions. If you're dining solo or if you just want a quick bite, there's a huge variety....
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A chic furniture store-cafe combo in the heart of Daikanyama, Lab.LABAR offers a surprisingly wide variety of both coffees and teas. Coffee connoisseurs can choose from among Aeropress, paper-filter drip coffee and siphon coffee for hot drinks and Chemex for iced coffee - a rather impressive selection.
The relaxed, modern atmosphere, comfortable seating (if you grab a seat in time),....
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Va Bene's casual ground-floor bar is a convivial spot to enjoy some scrumptious meaty snacks along with a glass of wine or two. The assorted appetizer plate (Y980) is a perfect match for a robust Italian red, and our platter featured a rich, almost buttery liver mousse that was one of the highlights of our day. Other wine-friendly starters include spicy tripe stew, horsemeat tartar and....
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Soregashi is a laid-back, very unpretentious local izakaya where you can explore a good range of craft sake along with an interesting food menu. There are a couple dozen sakes to choose from, including a good number of limited-edition seasonal bottles - not the biggest selection in town, but sustainable for a shop of this size. The staff are friendly and knowledgable about their stock,....
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Exotic, ethnic-themed cafes in Japan have their own special charm, and Ethical Cafe is a fine example of the genre. The decor is fashioned after a tropical resort, with rattan sofas, chairs and tables and a cabana-style thatched-roof bar. The food is an entertaining mix of vacation destination-inspired dishes like Keema Curry Nachos and Ethnic Spicy Edamame. The World Beer menu features....
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Located in a relatively respectable corner of Roppongi, Shirube offers a decent sake list and reliable izakaya-style fare at reasonable prices in this often expensive area. The dining area is quite large, with private rooms suitable for parties and a spacious counter that's comfortable for lone diners.
Shirube's famous seared mackerel is one of the big draws here - it's not just tasty....
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If you're a cheese fan it's well worth dropping by this casual wine bar just to try their excellent four-cheese platter. The shop offers around a hundred wines by the bottle and twenty by the glass, including an ever-changing "kimagure" wine selection priced at just Y300 as well as much more deluxe options.
The tables and seats here are rather compact, so this is more of a spot to grab....
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Best of Tokyo
Craft Beer Bars Japan
The latest listings from our sister site Craft Beer Bars Japan.
It's certainly unexpected, but perhaps the best craft beer retailer in Yokohama is this bayside branch of 7-Eleven. Located in front of the Yokohama Hammerhead shopping complex and ship terminal, they attract craft-beer...
Located in one of the quieter corners of Ikebukuro, Little Delirium offers ample terrace seating and numerous party plans featuring unlimited craft beers. If you're going a la carte you can choose from grilled meat dishes,...
Located near the entrance to the Toyoko line tracks in Yokohama Station, this is a convenient spot to grab a pint or a tasting flight when you're passing through the area. It's part of the food court area on B2F of Cial...
This all-day cafe is probably the most casual choice among the several craft-beer destinations in Toranomon Hills Station Tower. It offers eight craft beers on tap and another 100 or so by the can or bottle, along with a...
Isetan Shinjuku has really beefed up their retail craft beer selection, stocking around 220 different canned and bottled beers from breweries around the world. The craft beer zone is in the far corner of their excellent...
Parked in one corner of the trendy B-Flat Commune market area hidden in the back streets of Omotesando, the Kokage beer truck is perfectly set up for seasonal outdoor beer drinking. They serve five beers from Karuizawa...
Where in Tokyo
Find fun things to do between meals, from our sister site Where In Tokyo.
This small building on a Bakurocho side street looks like it's midway through the process of being demolished, but it's actually home to three cutting-edge contemporary art galleries on its three floors. It's definitely...
Located on the second floor of a popular pet shop, Coorikuya has a more relaxed atmosphere than your average cat cafe. Unlike places in more touristed neighborhoods like Shibuya or Akihabara, there were only a handful of...
Young children who are fascinated by package-delivery services are perhaps the main audience for this rather specialized corporate facility, although professional museum designers and connoisseurs of quirky museums may also...
Clearly someone with excellent taste has curated the cool merchandise for sale at this stylish little design shop. The eclectic wares are all over the place, with area rugs and clothing, desk lamps and audio equipment,...
We were greeted by loud squawks as we entered the building - just a small taste of the exotic-bird adventure ahead. In spite of the name, this current incarnation of Tori no Iru Cafe (Cafe with Birds) isn't technically a...
Illustrator Chiharu Sakazaki's beloved penguin mascot, Suica's Penguin, now has an exclusive character goods shop inside JR Ueno Station. Images of the efficient urban penguin, originally designed to promote prepaid Suica...
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