Considering the way the antiquated interior jostles with rowdy crowds at all hours of the evening, you’d never suspect The Bellwood is barely a year old.
This conceptual cocktail bar, a sister lounge to the world-renowned SG Club, combines the aesthetic of a Taisho-era kissaten with prohibition-era libations. Two worlds plucked from the same time period. It’s this inspired idea that allows The Bellwood’s cocktail menu to crescendo into a caffeine-fueled euphoria. True to its classic cafe roots, house drinks are built on bases of tea, coffee and shochu. The espresso martini cleverly incorporates clarified milk and miso, while the Sazerac is reborn as a barley shochu drink infused with truffle and browned butter. December sees the arrival of “Jingle Bellwood,” the bar’s incredibly popular holiday celebration. Expect radical riffs on eggnog, mulled wine and hot toddies, along with exclusive seasonal dishes and an extended happy hour.

As the chill of winter swallows the city, Tokyo’s 38 million residents begin to collectively crave one thing: oden. This traditional dish of simple ingredients simmered in a subtly seasoned dashi begs to be paired with cloudy skies and freezing temperatures. While oden can be found around nearly every corner at this time of year, few iterations are as storied and inspired as Otafuku’s. For over one hundred years, Otafuku has been serving oden in an intimate countertop setting. All the tasty morsels that inhabit the house dashi are displayed before you. Just point at what you want and it quickly arrives in your personal oden bowl. The sheer range of edible options here is dazzling, from comforting carrots and tofu to the unexpected and outlandish whale’s tongue. Luckily for those easily overwhelmed by such an epic array, there are omakase (chef’s choice) meals available for both omnivores and vegetarians.