Cocktail bar guide to Tokyo
One of the many things I love about Tokyo is the number of excellent cocktail bars in the city. It’s one of the few places in the world you can consistently find Japanese whisky. Many also use fresh Japanese fruit when mixing cocktails. Here are the cocktail bars I’ve visited in Tokyo so far and my thoughts about them.
Gen Yamamoto
Worth trying once: Yes
Would I go back: Yes
Price: $$$
Gen Yamamoto is one of my favorite bars in Tokyo. You have the option to choose the 4-course or 6-course option. Don’t worry, the drinks are not strong and you can’t really taste the alcohol. Most girls who drink occasionally should be able to handle the 6-course option.
Drinks are made with seasonal ingredients. Fruits are manually cut and juiced on-the-spot to ensure freshness. Cocktails are mixed with either gin, sake, or shochu — all made in Japan. Some of the ingredients in drinks may initially give you pause, such as citrus mixed with wasabi, but that is where the ingenuity of the cocktails truly shine. All of them are delicious.
Reservations are accepted by phone, seven days in advance. The call must be done directly by the guest, so don’t tell your hotel concierge to make the reservation for you. Yamamoto-san speaks English very well so there shouldn’t be any issues making reservations yourself. It’s best to call as soon as spots are available because the bar gets booked very quickly.
Ben Fiddich
Worth trying once: Yes
Would I go back: Yes
Price: $$$
Ben Fiddich is my favorite bar in the world. It’s located on the ninth floor of a building in Shinjuku. The space inside is small — only seating around 14 guests — and there’s barely any light. Quietly standing behind the bar, Hiroyasu Kayama performs his magic. There are shelves full of bottles so old that the labels are peeling off. On the top shelves, jars of liquor are being infused by plants, spices, and fruits — many grown on Kayama’s family farm on the outskirts of Tokyo. He is the closest thing to a modern alchemist and elevates mixology to a level I’ve never seen before.
My favorite drink, one of his personal favorites, is the Capetown Cocktail. The drink was originally served at the Savoy Hotel in London and the recipe was written in a book published in the 1930’s. The recipe listed specific liquors used to mix the drink and Kayama-san used the exact same ones to mix the drink.
The bar accepts reservations a day in advance by phone, so have your hotel concierge call for you. However, reservations are only available for earlier times such as before 8pm. After that, they only accept walk-ins. If you visit the bar and they are full (likely!), they will turn you away. However, if you then tell them you are willing to wait, they will write your name down on a list and give you a rough estimate for when to return.
If you’re lucky enough to get a seat, tell Kayama-san what flavors you like and to surprise you. You won’t regret it.
THESE
Worth trying once: Yes
Would I come back: Yes
Price: $$$
THESE is a trendy bar located near Roppongi and serves excellent drinks. There are many nice restaurants nearby, making it a perfect place to grab a drink before or after dinner. The cocktails I tried were all great, but the Espresso Martini in particular is what I’ll be coming back for. Reservations can be made online or over the phone (have your hotel concierge do it for you). However, I was able to get a seat without a reservation the past two times I’ve visited.
High Five
Worth trying once: Yes
Would I come back: No
Price: $$$
Bar High Five is an upscale cocktail bar in Ginza. With many restaurants in Ginza, this is a good option to grab drinks before or after dinner. They have a selection of fresh fruit each night which they will use to make cocktails. Drinks were generally good, but nothing stood out enough for me to want to go back. With many bars in the area, I will likely give others a try in the future.
The bar doesn’t take reservations, but if you call them 20 minutes before arriving, they will try to hold a spot for you. If all seats are full when you arrive, they will not let you wait at the door and will instead turn you away.