Omoide Yokocho (Memory Lane) is a bar in Tokyo.
Editorially verified May 19, 2026 by Elliot Marsh, TableJourney editor. Source.
Food program: 70 yakitori, grilled offal, ramen stalls
Guided tour · 3 hours
One roofed alley in Ebisu with a dozen bars under it. You sit at one table and food arrives from all of them - five dishes and your drinks are already paid, so nothing...
Day trip · 12 hours
The Tunnel of Light - a mirror pool at the end of a tunnel in one of Japan's three great gorges - then sake tasting from 100 Niigata breweries and a station foot bath....
Day trip · 11 hours
Japan's only distillery that makes malt and grain whisky on one site, using meltwater from Mount Fuji. Reserved factory tour and tasting included. One fixed price per group.
Address: 1-2 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023
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.
DrinkWhatever the master pours
FoodSnacks, occasional small plates
TipMany 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.
DrinkShowa-era cocktails on the two floors
FoodTapas-style bites and snacks
TipReservations 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.
DrinkAbsinthe-led classic cocktails
FoodSnacks and charcuterie
TipReserve 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.
DrinkSeasonal tasting flight of cocktails
FoodNo food
TipTwo 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.
DrinkAvant-garde cocktails in tasting format
FoodMulti-course pairing dinner
TipReservation 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.
DrinkSingle-malt and Japanese whisky
FoodDinner menu and snacks
TipReservation strongly advised. Tasting flights cover Japanese, Scotch and Irish; the rare-Japanese collection is the standout.
