October 7, 2011
Buttless Beverages
Tokyo drinking doesn't have to include lungfuls of noxious gas
By Metropolis
Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on October 2011
Ongaku no Jikan
[pictured above]
- Lounge bar, Mitaka
Ongaku no Jikan hosts a wide variety of live events and DJ parties, many free entry; the bar also doubles up as a niche/world music record store, with obscure reading materials lining the shelves, too. Customers can bring their own food to accompany the wide range of gourmet beers and spirits on offer.
How High the Moon
- Wine bar, Koenji
Would you like some dumplings with your wine and jazz, sir? Find an eclectic mix of Spanish sangria, Eastern European cuisine and modern jazz at this cozy Koenji wine bar, run by past owner of the area’s well-loved Studio Café Bocoboco.
NZ Bar
- Wine bar, Nezu
To say that the wine selection at NZ Bar is good would be an understatement—the shop, located in this shitamachi neighborhood, also runs an online store specializing in New Zealand vintages, and enjoys a close relationship with many of the country’s top vineyards.
Kura-Kura
- Craft beer, Kanda
Kura-Kura’s biggest claim to fame is its “Perfect Beer Server,” an ingenious device that allows the pub to keep 12 different brews on tap at all times. Kura’s kitchen churns out mainly izakaya-style grease fodder to soak up the drink menu good and proper.
Nakameguro Beer Kitchen
- Dive bar, Nakameguro
NBK boasts a rotating selection of “outlet beer”—import bottles less than three months shy of their expiration date—starting at just ¥420. While the food includes beer-steamed mussels and wine-marinated spareribs, the real specialty is the yakitori grilled inside coconut shells.
VEGa Café
- Wine bar, Ebisu
An all-you-can-drink wine bar (Monday nights only) with eco-friendly wines and equally friendly owners. Enjoy a variety of both vino and music to suit your own personal taste—and place requests to their iTunes DJ via your smartphone.
