Cocktails, wine bars and dives: drinking in Tokyo for grown-ups.
Cocktail bars, wine bars, dive bars and gastropubs: drinking in Tokyo for grown-ups.
Bar High Five in Tokyo's Ginza is Hidetsugu Ueno's basement cocktail counter, World's 50 Best Bars 2011-2023. Hand-cut ice, custom drinks to your taste.
Signature drink: Custom-made spec to your preference
Food: Replenished complimentary snacks
Tip: Cover charge is 1,000 yen with snacks. Open Mon-Sat from 17:00, closed Sundays and national holidays; arrive early for a seat at the counter.
Star Bar Ginza in Tokyo's Ginza is Hisashi Kishi's pressed-tin temple of classic cocktail technique since 2000. The Sidecar is the order on a first visit.
Signature drink: Sidecar with hand-cut Ninja ice
Food: Tinned snacks, charcuterie
Tip: Cover charge applies. Wear smart casual; phone reservations are accepted but the standing space at the counter turns fast.
Fuglen Tokyo in Tomigaya turns into a Scandinavian cocktail bar after 19:00. Norwegian-trained bartenders, vintage Scandi furniture (all for sale).
Signature drink: Aquavit-based cocktails by Halvor Digernes
Food: Norwegian brown cheese, light snacks
Tip: Open until 01:00 Wed-Sun. The aquavit Old Fashioned is the move; Mondays and Tuesdays close at 23:00.
Omoide Yokocho in Tokyo's Shinjuku is the post-war yakitori alley north of the west exit, 70 tiny eateries seating six to eight. Highballs and meat.
Signature drink: Highball and yakitori sticks
Food: 70 yakitori, grilled offal, ramen stalls
Tip: Most stalls open from 17:00; weekend nights are tight. Bring cash and a willingness to share a counter.
Shinjuku Golden Gai in Tokyo's Kabukicho is six narrow alleys of 200 themed bars, each seating four to ten guests. Music, film, literature, every micro-genre.
Signature drink: Whatever the master pours
Food: Snacks, occasional small plates
Tip: Many bars charge a 500-1,500 yen seating fee. Look for English-friendly signs or guided tours after 21:00.
SG Club in Tokyo's Jinnan is Shingo Gokan's two-floor cocktail bar, Asia's 50 Best No. 9 in 2023. Order the showa-era cocktails on the two floors.
Signature drink: Showa-era cocktails on the two floors
Food: Tapas-style bites and snacks
Tip: Reservations advised for Friday and Saturday. The sip floor is the quieter calmer counter.
Bar Trench in Tokyo's Ebisu-Nishi is the absinthe and classic-cocktail counter Rogerio Igarashi Vaz opened in 2010. Asia's 50 Best Bars, back-alley den.
Signature drink: Absinthe-led classic cocktails
Food: Snacks and charcuterie
Tip: Reserve for groups; the back-room booth is the prized seat. Cash and cards. Open Sun-Thu to 02:00, Fri-Sat to 03:00.
Gen Yamamoto in Tokyo's Azabu-Juban serves an eight-seat seasonal cocktail tasting flight only. Four or six courses of seasonal-ingredient cocktails, no food.
Signature drink: Seasonal tasting flight of cocktails
Food: No food
Tip: Two seatings nightly; phone or email reservation only. Closed Sundays and Mondays. Strict no-phone policy at the counter.
The Aviary Tokyo in Tokyo's Nishi-Shinjuku is the Tokyo outpost of Chicago's Alinea Group. Multi-course cocktail-and-food pairings in avant-garde format.
Signature drink: Avant-garde cocktails in tasting format
Food: Multi-course pairing dinner
Tip: Reservation only via Tock; courses run two to three hours. Closed irregular days; check the calendar.
Tokyo Whisky Library in Tokyo's Aoyama holds 1,200 whiskies, the largest English-friendly whisky bar in the city. Yamazaki, Hakushu, all the Scotch.
Signature drink: Single-malt and Japanese whisky
Food: Dinner menu and snacks
Tip: Reservation strongly advised. Tasting flights cover Japanese, Scotch and Irish; the rare-Japanese collection is the standout.
Zoetrope in Tokyo's Nishi-Shinjuku is Atsushi Horigami's whisky bar specializing in Japanese spirits. Three-hundred bottles and silent black-and-white film.
Signature drink: Japanese whisky vertical flight
Food: Snacks only
Tip: Closed Sundays. Reservation by phone; the by-the-glass list rotates with each visit.
Bar Tram in Tokyo's Ebisu-Nishi is the sister bar to Bar Trench, on the same back alley. Absinthe-and-herb cocktail focus, dimmer brick room than Trench.
Signature drink: Absinthe-based and herb-led cocktails
Food: Charcuterie and snacks
Tip: Open daily 19:00-03:00. Smaller and more intimate than Trench; walk-ins welcome.
Bar BenFiddich in Tokyo's Nishi-Shinjuku is Hiroyasu Kayama's apothecary-style cocktail bar. Herbs from his own farm, fresh-muddled and tea-steeped each pour.
Signature drink: Herbal cocktails infused at the counter
Food: Snacks only
Tip: Reservation by phone strongly recommended. The herb-and-vegetable garden menu is the canonical flight.
Bar Sunface in Tokyo's Yotsuya is master Yamamoto Manabu's rum-focused bar. 1,200 rums by the bottle, cocktails and tasting flights of aged Caribbean spirits.
Signature drink: Aged rum tasting flights
Food: Snacks
Tip: Closed Sundays. Reservation by phone advised; the staff guide every flight.
Trader Vic's Tokyo at Hotel New Otani is the only surviving Asian outpost of the Trader Vic's tiki chain. Mai Tais, Polynesian decor, hotel-bar polish.
Signature drink: Mai Tai and Polynesian tiki
Food: Polynesian-inspired dinner
Tip: Reserve for the polynesian dinner menu; bar seating walks in fine.
Bar Orchard Ginza in Tokyo is Takuo Miyanohara's fresh-fruit-only cocktail bar. Whatever seasonal fruit hangs over the counter becomes that night's pour.
Signature drink: Seasonal fruit cocktails
Food: Snacks
Tip: Reservation by phone. Closed Sundays. Cocktails are bartender's-choice from the fruit lineup.
Bar Leopard in Tokyo Andaz Toranomon is the 51st-floor cocktail bar with skyline views and a 200-label spirits shelf. Hotel-bar polish, top bartenders.
Signature drink: Classic and contemporary cocktails
Food: Hotel bar menu
Tip: Reserve a window-side counter seat at sunset. Open daily 17:00-24:00.
New York Bar Park Hyatt in Tokyo Shinjuku is the 52nd-floor jazz bar from Lost in Translation. Live music nightly, panoramic Mount Fuji views on clear days.
Signature drink: Classic cocktails with live jazz
Food: New York Grill steaks
Tip: Cover charge after 20:00. Reserve a window table for sunset; jazz starts at 20:00.
Peter Bar at Peninsula Tokyo is the 24th-floor cocktail bar overlooking the Imperial Palace gardens. Modern classics with Asian flavours, red lacquer.
Signature drink: Modern classics with Asian flavours
Food: Snacks and small plates
Tip: Reserve a window seat at sunset; closed Sunday for renovation through mid-2026. Live music Thursdays and Saturdays.
The Bellwood in Shibuya is Atsushi Suzuki's Taisho-era cafe-themed cocktail bar in Tokyo, kaiseki-as-cocktail menu, hidden 12-piece omakase counter at back.
Signature drink: Cocktail-kaiseki tasting menu
Food: Nigiri counter at Bell Sushi in the back
Tip: Reserve via TableCheck; the kaiseki cocktail set takes 90 minutes. Closed Tuesdays.
Memento Mori in Tokyo's Shimokitazawa is the cinema-inspired cocktail bar with a projector running silent movies. Modern cocktails, low-lit film-club.
Signature drink: Cinema-inspired modern cocktails
Food: Snacks and small plates
Tip: Closed Mondays. Walk-in welcome; the back-room is the calmer seating after 21:00.
Gold Bar at Tokyo EDITION Toranomon is a Golden Age cocktail room above the city, classic Martini and Manhattan rebuilds, Japanese spirits as the base notes.
Signature drink: Modern Martini variation
Food: Bar bites
Tip: Open daily 17:00-01:00; window seats face Toranomon Hills and Tokyo Tower.