Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on July 2013

Awa 立ち飲み 泡

We’ve often walked around peering in windows but lacking the will to open the door. But the times we gave ourselves that extra push, we’ve never regretted it. Awa is the ideal place to start your drinking session. It opens far earlier than the majority of bars, at 4pm. It’s also a convenient meeting point, situated less than a minute’s walk from Nakano station. The bar is one of contrasts. The bartender is suited up and drinks are prepared with care and precision—yet it is also bright, crowded and cheap. Beer is only ¥350 (plus a ¥100 table charge), while whisky is under ¥300—a refreshing change from the overpriced and overt seriousness of many Tokyo bars. Less a place to unwind and relax for hours than source of a quick one before dinner.

5-63-4 Nakano. Tel: 03-6431-0559. Open 4pm-1am.

Ten 天

This bar-restaurant famed for its chicken curry features two screens showing different movies and a free-to-use iPad if you want to drink alone while social networking. We sucked on a beer while absorbing scenes from The Who’s Quadraphenia. Draft Heartland is slightly pricy at ¥580, but the extra change is worth it for the calm atmosphere. Ten is quiet and has no clique of regulars to make outsiders—Japanese or otherwise—feel unwelcome. Look out for offers to join a lottery that can yield prizes of up to ¥35,000, though you have to return to bar to discover the result. A fine customer retention strategy that could add gambling to your list of vices.

5-36-1 Nakano. Tel: 03-3387-7357. Open lunch Wed-Sat from 11:50am until sold out; dinner Tue-Sat 6pm-2am, Sun & hols 6-11pm. www.barten.jp

Ba Café バカフェ

Don’t be fooled by the second word in the name of this cosy spot on a corner of the mazy streets adjacent to Sun Mall. “Café” refers less to the drink selection and more to the casual vibe. Here skateboards and owls hang from the walls, dungarees are worn, and the two bartenders (one of whom is Mr. Ba himself) have some of the finest facial hair seen in the area. Ba is also a musician and in a huge collective band with the intriguing name of Wujabinbin. He has a passion for Brazilian music which we noted when our first drink was accompanied by the famous Sérgio Mendes song used in the build-up for World Cup ’98. The menu is both cheap and extensive, with all shochu a mere ¥500. We opted for the Kirishima Black, drunk in honour of two Miyazaki residents sitting on the next seats. Ebisu is served in a respectable 435ml glass for just ¥550.

5-50-9 Nakano. Tel: 03-3382-2726. Open Wed-Mon 7pm-3am. http://bacafe.jp

Bar Side

Rarely does a bar name so aptly describe its location. This bar is so far to the side you could be forgiven for missing it. Bar Side provides a means of escape from the noisy izakaya, karaoke joints and sleazy kyabakura holes of Nakano. Here, music can be requested from a selection including classic rock to underground experimental Japanese material. When bartenders don’t drink it feels like a drug dealer/junkie relationship. But Bari-san at Side matches his customers almost drink for drink. And he reportedly sleeps in the bar, too. Drinks are ¥600-700 for a single, with no table charge.

5-57-2 Nakano. Tel: 03-3387-0552.

Heibee 平兵衛

After tiring of the mass of humanity near the station, we headed 20 minutes down Waseda Dori to Araiyakushi, which has a higher than usual foreign population due to guesthouses in the area. Heibee is not much to look upon from the outside, with no signs making it intimidating for first-timers. But this bar is an example of how wrong preconceptions can be. Wataru the owner has lived in Spain, and speaks good English. The interior is decorated with artefacts imported from his bedroom; his instruments, memorabilia from Real Madrid and a collection of CDs from all genres. Unwind by watching TV, choosing some music to enjoy, or just plain drinking. The bar serves a range of drinks and the prices are reasonable—¥700 for most drinks and a ¥400 table charge. Two hours flew by.

3-24-7 Kamitakada. Tel: 03-3228-4776.