An evening in Tokyo doesn’t end at dinner. Every bar on my list is in this post: cocktail bars, listening bars, sake and beer, cigars and nightclubs. 26 addresses in all, neighbourhood by neighbourhood, each a tap away on the map.
Alcohol and tobacco harm your health. Please drink responsibly.
Good to know
- Seat chargeMany bars add a per-person seat charge (sekiryō), sometimes with a small snack. It runs higher in Ginza and at hotel bars; if unsure, ask as you come in.
- SpaceMost bars are small, and you sit at the bar facing the bartender rather than at a table. For the well-known ones, book ahead if you’re more than two.
- SmokingSome small bars still allow it; it’s posted at the door.
- DressAt Ginza’s classic bars, dressing up is appreciated.
- TippingNone.
Cocktail bars
Thirteen bars across five neighbourhoods, from Ginza to Kuramae.
Listening bars
In Japan, bars where you go to hear music on a serious sound system, often from vinyl, are a culture of their own. The drinks matter, but the music leads; people keep their voices down.
Shibuya
Ebisu
Sake, beer, whisky and cigars
- Osake no BijutsukanMap ↗Sake
- Pub Tap+Map ↗Beer
- Open BookMap ↗Famous for its cloudy lemon sour
- Cigar Club TokyoMap ↗Cigars
Golden Gai
A few narrow lanes in Shinjuku lined with bars that seat a handful of people. Every door is a different bar; some charge for the seat, some only let in people they know. It’s usually posted at the door. If it isn’t, ask.
Golden Gai on the map ↗Nightclubs
The rest of the night
FirstWhat is an izakaya? Otoshi, ordering and the bill
On your ownEating alone in Tokyo
GuideWhere to eat in Tokyo: 245 addressesNote: Alcohol and tobacco harm your health. The legal age for drinking and smoking in Japan is 20; don’t drive after drinking. The bars in this post come from my own list and are personal recommendations; I received no payment or anything else from any of them. This post is not advertising and does not encourage drinking.
