Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on June 2009

Tokyo’s beer lovers have a soft spot in their boozy hearts for the Zato Trading Co., which operates ten European-style taverns across the city. In addition to a trio of Franziskaner brand pubs, the group owns authentic bierhauses in popular neighborhoods like Shinjuku, Ginza and Marunouchi. When we heard that Zato was opening a venue in Ikebukuro’s new Echika shopping complex, we donned our beer goggles and paid a visit as soon as we could.

So you can imagine our surprise when we arrived at Bonaparte to discover that it’s not a beer pub at all. Instead, this “wine bar and bistro” offers just two kinds of beer and, if the crowd was any indication, caters to a largely female clientele.

Despite the shock of this revelation, we managed to keep a stiff upper lip as a friendly (and English-capable) server led us to our table. Menu in hand, we were happy to note that Bonaparte has at least one similarity to other Zato pubs: the food. Divided into three pages and simply headed “¥500,” “¥800” and “¥1,200,” the menu includes dishes like rillette, smoked duck, cheese assortments and chicken Marengo. Another welcome holdover from Zato’s sister kitchens is the authentic homemade German pretzel.

Bonaparte’s vast wine list runs the gamut of regions, varietals and price. Most bottles hail from France and Germany, with Argentina, South Africa, Spain and California also making an appearance. Prices start at ¥2,800 and many selections are under ¥5,000, though the reds climb steeply through the ¥10,000 range and beyond. If you’d rather sample, Bonaparte offers 16 by-the-glass options, evenly split between white and red. These are mostly inexpensive French wines (starting at just ¥500), but the 80ml pours encourage sipping rather than glugging.

Bonaparte has a lot more going for it than just reasonably priced food and wine, though. The natty interior is probably the most European thing in all of Ikebukuro, and the attractive OLs in the crowd represent a step up for this neighborhood as well. The single-room bar is small without feeling cramped, with a convivial buzz that continued throughout our Friday night visit. Though there are just a couple of beers on offer, one of them is a Franziskaner wheat beer (¥1,000). We sipped ours while taking in the scene, and realized that Zato had once again managed to warm our beer-loving hearts.