Must-see nightlife in Tokyo

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,…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Goldfinger is a long-running ladies' spot in Shinjuku-nichōme (but open to all, save for Saturdays). The bar has a lowbrow-chic decor designed to look…

Eagle has established itself as a popular hang-out in Shinjuku-nichōme, thanks to friendly staff, happy-hour prices (¥500 drinks from 5pm to 8pm;…

Pronounced teh-zeh, but often just referred to as 'the library bar' (because the walls are lined with books) this long-time favourite haunt has a classic…

This isn’t a bar, but who cares when you can get 30mL thimbles of regionally brewed sake or shōchū for as little as ¥100 a shot? There are dozens from…

Part of the collective of spaces run by the Kōenji-based activist group Shirōto no Ran (Amateurs' Riot), Nantoka Bar is about as uncommercial as a place…

Circus, the Tokyo offshoot of an Osaka club, is aggressively underground: small, out of the way, in a basement (of course), with no decor to speak of and…

This venerable tea seller's main branch is closer to Tsukiji, but this classy outlet in the Kabuki-za Tower has a Kengo Kuma–designed cafe where you can…

With chandeliers dripping from the ceiling and gilded frames on the walls, Albatross G has a louche decadence that has clearly struck a chord: the bar is…

This old house, completely covered in ivy, is a charmer with a welcoming owner and two of Tokyo's most famous shop cats. Seating is on floor cushions;…

If singing to a karaoke machine's tinny soundtrack isn't your cup of tea, how about having a live band strum along to your song of choice? Karat offers…

On the 7th floor of the Shin-Maru Building, this collection of nine bars and pubs is a popular after-work gathering spot. There's a wraparound terrace, so…

Kamiya is one of Tokyo’s oldest bars (open since 1880) and still hugely popular – thanks largely to the one-litre dai-jokki (大ジョッキ; 'big cups') of Asahi…

This takeaway counter sells matcha (powdered green tea; ¥800) from Uji (near Kyoto) in biodegradable cups, which you can enjoy on terrace with sofa…

La Jetée, named for the Chris Marker film, is classic Golden Gai. Running for over four decades, the tiny bar (max occupancy: eight) is known as the go-to…