The SG Club in Shibuya is Shingo Gokan's three-floor cocktail house opened in 2018. Standing Guzzle on ground, basement Sip for classics, top-floor Savor for cigars and pairings.
Tip: Guzzle is walk-in and casual; Sip downstairs needs a reservation and applies a cover. Eight years running on Asia's 50 Best.
Address: 1-7-8 Jinnan, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0041
The Bellwood in Tokyo's Shibuya is Atsushi Suzuki's 2020-opened bar designed as a Taisho-era cafe. Cocktail kaiseki: sakizuke, yakimono, gohan courses translated into drinks.
Tip: Ask for the cocktail kaiseki tasting if seated at the counter. The unmarked Bell Sushi room behind serves a 12-piece omakase.
Gen Yamamoto in Tokyo's Azabu-Juban is the eight-seat counter run solo by Yamamoto-san. Seasonal-fruit tasting cocktails in four or six courses, no menu, no shaker theatrics.
Tip: Reserve the four or six-course tasting in advance; phones discouraged, photos rarely permitted. Closed Mondays.
Bar Orchard Ginza is Takuo and Sumire Miyanohara's fruit-driven cocktail counter on the 7th floor of a small Ginza building. No menu, pick a fruit, get a bespoke drink.
Tip: Take the lift to 7F. No phones, parties of four max. Cover charge 1,000 yen, closed Sundays.
The Bellwood in Tokyo's Shibuya is Atsushi Suzuki's 2020-opened bar designed as a Taisho-era cafe. Cocktail kaiseki: sakizuke, yakimono, gohan courses translated into drinks.
Tip: Ask for the cocktail kaiseki tasting if seated at the counter. The unmarked Bell Sushi room behind serves a 12-piece omakase.
AiiRO Cafe in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ni-chome is the open-air gay bar marked by a blue torii at the gateway corner of the district. Pavement crowd, mixed friendly, late-night focus.
Tip: Drinks 700-900 yen, no cover. The street outside fills up by midnight on Fri-Sat, English spoken at the bar.
Arty Farty in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ni-chome is the long-running 2F dance bar and its sister Annex. Mixed crowd, pop and house DJ sets nightly, the dance floor of the strip.
Tip: Free entry, drinks 700-1,000 yen. Dance side and bar side connect through the building; pace yourself, no last orders until close.
AiSOTOPE Lounge in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ni-chome is the biggest events room in the district. Drag, theme parties, EDM and 80s nights from a dedicated stage and dance floor.
Tip: Cover usually 1,000-2,000 yen depending on the night. Check the AiiRO/AiSOTOPE Facebook for the calendar; events typically run from 22:00.