Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on April 2010
We wouldn’t normally think to combine “off the beaten track” and “Shibuya” in the same sentence, but it’s amazing what you can find when you stray beyond Center Gai. Here are a few gems that we stumbled across in a fertile little patch just a couple of minutes’ walk from the main thoroughfare.
1 – Abaraya Gekkan
A splendidly downmarket standing bar that’s a lot larger than it looks from the outside. Hack-job paintings of The Godfather and Steve McQueen adorn the walls, and a big pot of motsuni (¥300) simmers behind the counter. The drinks are sold at prices that practically guarantee a hangover the morning after, with generous glasses of shochu starting at ¥300 (straight or with a mixer). All of which might explain why the clientele the last time we visited consisted of nothing but scruffy blokes.
37-14 Udagawacho, Shibuya-ku. Open Mon-Sat 3pm-midnight, closed Sun & hols. Tel: 03-5738-9494. www.nes-irg.com/abaraya
2 – Stand S
Our new favorite watering hole. The interior is equal parts cosmopolitan standing bar and Swedish sauna, with blond wood walls bathed in a yellow glow. The mojito beer (¥700), served with an injection of crushed mint and lime, sounds awful on paper but turns out to be downright essential in the flesh. Wine starts at ¥400 a glass, while the tapas-style eats are priced at a flat ¥500. The bar has occasional DJ and music events, though the staff are forever nipping over to the turntables to lay down another slab of funk or Latin jazz.
37-16 Udagawacho, Shibuya-ku. Open daily 6pm-midnight. Tel: 03-5452-0277. http://stand-s.blogspot.com
3 – Los Barbados
Opened a few months ago by a semi-retired Afrobeat musician, Los Barbados can’t quite commit its affections to any one corner of the globe. The soundtrack flip-flops between Africa and the Caribbean, while the food menu is all over the map, including olives, falafel, Portuguese fried chicken and Basque-style omelet. Pints of Heineken cost ¥900, and rum starts at ¥700, with quite a few selections from Martinique. Scattershot, sure, but it’s a great little hideaway.
41-26 Udagawacho, Shibuya-ku. Open Mon-Fri 11:45am-3pm and 6pm-midnight, Sat & hols 3pm-midnight, closed Sun. Tel: 03-3496-7157.
