Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on November 2011

Just down one of those teeming Shibuya alleyways near 109, behind the Labi store, is a little 2F bar that is unusual for the area. Unusual in that it is not infested with oyaji, shrieking gyaru, or all-you-can-drinkers. You can imagine our surprise when we realized Bar Black Sheep (2F 2-29-13 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku; Tel: 03-3496-7330) was a place for normal—dare we say tasteful—adults. Bartender Yota Harada speaks perfect English with a British accent that betrays his decade in London, and serves up quality bottles plus his signature tipple: vodka with freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice—with absolutely no cover charge. A perfect meeting point two minutes from Hachiko.