Must-see nightlife in Tokyo

  • Cafe entrance from inside the courtyard, Akihabara, Kagurazaka & Korakuen.

    Imasa

    Kōrakuen & Akihabara

    It's not every day you get to sip your coffee or tea in a cultural property. Imasa is the real deal, an old timber merchant's shophouse dating from 1927…

  • SG Club

    Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa

    SG stands for 'Sip' and 'Guzzle' but also for award-winning bartender Shingo Gokan. Ground-floor Guzzle is a social, counter space; the house drink is…

  • Lonely

    Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo

    Arai-san established Lonely 50 years ago because he wanted his friends to always have a place to go. Some of those friends, like the creator of classic…

  • Zoetrope

    Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo

    A must-visit for whisky fans, Zoetrope has over a hundred varieties of Japanese whisky behind its small counter, including many hard-to-find bottles and…

  • Ginza Music Bar

    Ginza & Tsukiji

    A superb sound system showcases the 3000-plus vinyl collection that ranges from the likes of cool classic jazz to contemporary electronica. There are deep…

  • Entrance to tea shop on the 5th floor of the Spiral Building (narrow hallway, this was the best I could do!), Harajuku & Aoyama.

    Sakurai Japanese Tea Experience

    Harajuku & Aoyama

    Tea master (and former bartender) Sakurai Shinya's contemporary teahouse is a must-visit for anyone hoping to deeper their understanding of o-cha …

  • Bar BenFiddich

    Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo

    Bar BenFiddich is dark and tiny, with vials of infusions on the shelves and herbs hung to dry from the ceiling. The English-speaking barman, Kayama…

  • Ao

    Tokyo

    This swank and sophisticated little salon – think red velvet banquettes, round, low tables and shelves of books – has a unique cocktail focus: tea and…

  • Gen Yamamoto

    Roppongi, Akasaka & Around

    Gen Yamamoto takes the seaonal tasting menu concept and applies it to cocktails. Here they're made with fruits and herbs, with the same kind of devotion…

  • Mikkeller Tokyo

    Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa

    Mikkel Borg Bjergsø is a pioneer 'gypsy brewer', one who dreams up wild concoctions, but outsources the actual brewing. His beers are served at world…

  • Ginza Lion

    Ginza & Tsukiji

    So what if Sapporo's beers are not among the best you can quaff in Tokyo? Dating to 1934, the gorgeous art deco design at Japan's oldest beer hall –…

  • Beer-Ma Kanda

    Kōrakuen & Akihabara

    Down an alley of sketchy-looking drinking dens is this nirvana for craft-beer lovers. It's principally a bottle shop stocking hundreds of different beer…

  • Craft Beer Server Land

    Kōrakuen & Akihabara

    With some 14 Japanese craft beers on tap, going for a reasonable ¥500/840 a glass/pint, plus good food (the deep-fried eel in batter and chips is…

  • Fuglen

    Asakusa & Sumida River

    This Norwegian coffee and cocktail bar brings its oh-so-cool vintage Scandi stylings to Asakusa at this outlet opened in 2018. The coffee is very good but…

  • Bridge Coffee & Icecream

    Tokyo

    Occupying a corner plot and with big windows and a cool arty vibe this is one of the Bakurochō area's more pleasant cafes. The espresso or hand-drip…

  • Street entrance to the cafe, Harajuku & Aoyama

    Little Nap Coffee Stand

    Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa

    Near Yoyogi-kōen's often overlooked west gate is this small coffee shop, popular with local dog walkers and joggers. Which isn't to say that convenience…

  • Display of manekineko (beckoning cats) at jazz bar Samurai, Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo.

    Samurai

    Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo

    Never mind the impressive record collection, this eccentric jazz kissa (cafe where jazz records are played) is worth a visit just for the owner's…

  • A 'turret' – three-wheeled cart used at Tsukiji Market – inside the coffee shop, Ginza & Tsukiji.

    Turret Coffee

    Ginza & Tsukiji

    Turret Coffee (right around the corner from Starbucks) makes some of Tokyo's best espresso drinks: the signature two-shot Turret latte (¥580) hits just…

  • Barrista at the counter at Koffee Mameya, Harajuku & Aoyama.

    Koffee Mameya

    Harajuku & Aoyama

    At any given time, Koffee Mameya has 15 to 20 different beans on rotation from indie roasters around Japan (and some from overseas). Get a cup brewed on…

  • Peak Bar & Lounge

    Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo

    Peak Bar has just slightly less soaring views than the New York Bar above it and a generous (by Park Hyatt standards) deal: three-hours ('Twilight Time';…

  • Bees Bar by Narisawa

    Harajuku & Aoyama

    Yoshihiro Narisawa is (arguably, of course) the biggest name in contemporary Japanese cuisine. If you already knew that, and have the means, you probably…

  • Chashitsu Kaboku

    Tokyo

    Run by famed Kyoto tea producer Ippōdō, which celebrated 300 years of business in 2017, this teahouse is a fantastic place to sample top-quality o-cha …

  • Vent

    Harajuku & Aoyama

    Vent is currently Tokyo's hottest club, drawing top international house and techno DJs (which pull in packed crowds). It's a concrete vault of a space,…

  • @Home Cafe

    Kōrakuen & Akihabara

    'Maid cafes' with kawaii (cute) waitresses, dressed as saucy French or prim Victorian maids, are a stock-in-trade of Akiba. @Home is one that's suitable…

  • New York Bar

    Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo

    Head to the Park Hyatt's 52nd floor to swoon over the sweeping nightscape from the floor-to-ceiling windows at this bar of Lost in Translation fame. There…

  • The Room

    Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa

    Kyoto Jazz Massive is a DJ team that has been mixing up jazz and electronica for decades. This basement boîte, which mixes cool concrete with funky 1970s…

  • Two Dogs Taproom

    Roppongi, Akasaka & Around

    This popular expat hang-out in Roppongi has 24 taps, roughly half of which are devoted to Japanese craft beers. Pints (US-size) start at a reasonable (for…

  • Asahi Sky Room

    Asakusa & Sumida River

    Spend the day at the religious sites and end it at the Asahi altar, on the 22nd floor of the golden-tinged Asahi Super Dry Building. The venue itself isn…

  • Popeye

    Asakusa & Sumida River

    Popeye boasts an astounding 100 beers on tap, including a huge selection of Japanese beers – from Echigo Weizen to Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout. The…

  • Jicoo the Floating Bar

    Odaiba & Tokyo Bay

    For a few nights a week, the futuristic cruise-boat Himiko, designed by manga and anime artist Leiji Matsumoto, morphs into this floating bar. Board on…

  • Roof Top Bar & Terrace G

    Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo

    The drinks and decor here are totally average, but we're a sucker for an open-air rooftop bar – not as common as you'd think in Tokyo, where the night…

  • Aiiro Cafe

    Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo

    Aiiro (formerly known as Advocates) has long been a hub in Shinjuku-nichōme, and is a good place to get an evening started – thanks to the all-you-can…

  • Toyama Bar

    Tokyo

    This stylish, contemporary counter bar offers a selection of sakes from 17 different breweries located throughout Japan's Toyama prefecture, across the…

  • Mandarin Bar

    Tokyo

    Tokyo's luxury hotel bars outdo themselves to compete with one another but the Mandarin Oriental's might just be our favourite: managing to be both cool …

  • Cocktail Works Jimbōchō

    Kōrakuen & Akihabara

    Jimbōchō, a neighbourhood known for its universities, now has a school for students of craft gin. Cocktail Works Jimbōchō carries some 180 bottles of it,…

  • Cafe de l'Ambre

    Ginza & Tsukiji

    The sign over the door here reads 'Coffee Only' but, oh, what a selection. Local legend Sekiguchi Ichirō started the business in 1948, sourcing aged beans…

  • Rise & Win Brewing Co. Kamikatz Taproom

    Roppongi, Akasaka & Around

    This craft-beer brewery is based in a village in Tokushima Prefecture, Shikoku, that has adopted a zero-waste program. The bar features an appealing…

  • Peter: the Bar

    Tokyo

    The Peninsula Tokyo hotel's 24th-floor bar has dress-circle views across the Imperial Palace, Hibiya Park and Ginza and a generous happy hour (5pm to 8pm…

  • Beer Terrace Sekirei

    Harajuku & Aoyama

    On weekday evenings in summer the neatly clipped lawn of the elegant Meiji Kinenkan (an in-demand wedding venue) is transformed into the city's most…

  • Two Rooms

    Harajuku & Aoyama

    Expect a crowd dressed like they don’t care that wine by the glass starts at ¥1540. The wine is good (and the bottle list deep), but more importantly, the…

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