The second floor also doubles as a casual dining space where you can sit around a long communal table and order a cheese platter and bowl of pasta to pair with a glass of red or white. There are two long communal tables with seats to enjoy your wine, as well as some standing room areas. Glasses start from ¥1,000, or you can select a bottle from the cellar and drink it in-situ for ¥3,000 corkage. For snacks, there’s a house-made cheese and cured-meat plate as well as a selection of small dishes from local French and Italian restaurants run by the owner’s friends. This is one of the hookah bars that have come in between the Japanese restaurants in Little Tokyo. Sitting in this hookah bar makes one feel the exact situation sitting inside a chemistry lab.
When the original brewery turned fifteen, they opened up this spot in May 2012. Photography courtesy of Tokyo AleworksTokyo Aleworks has two taprooms, but we recommend the one Itabashi taproom, a mere twenty minute walk from Two Fingers. This is a playful, whimsical brewery where you’ll find beers like Arnold Schwarzenbier next to Kenny is Dead Irish Red and Junior’s Cream Ale. Inside the snug Snark you’ll find beers from a legendary homebrewer Mr. Fujiura that run the gamut.



Of course not as much as in Australia or Singapore but Japan tobacco taxes have experienced a continuous rise from the beginning of this century to 2018. Today, a pack of cigarettes with an average price of 450 yen, comprises at least 50% or more than 250 yen tax. Please note that the tax rate on heat-not-burn or electronic tobacco is three-time lower than traditional cigarettes. There are cigar bars, cafes, and restaurants fully for smokers, but they are extremely uncommon. These exempted establishments are obliged to put up signs at the front to indicate that they allow smoking.
By no means sky-high, and only located up on the second floor, the modern and stylish terrace still offers a beautiful view over the Hinokicho Park and the Akasaka skyline. Here you can enjoy a large selection of Indian cuisine, both for lunch and dinner, where the well-known 'Curry lunch' is highly popular. Luxurious yet relaxing, the sleek and intimate The Top comes with soothing lights, standing tables and comfy lounge spots, as well as panoramic views over the Tokyo skyline. The rooftop bar offers a wide selection of seasonal original cocktails, and a curated selection of wine, champagne and sake, along with an array of Italian-inspired bar bites.

Meanwhile, Kazuma Matsuo, who still works at the bar today, is a famed bartender on the local circuit. While the quality at most bars can be directly linked to the skills of an individual bartender, at Old Imperial Bar every mixologist is equally adept at creating an impeccable cocktail. For a drink that’s almost as storied as the bar, order the signature Mount Fuji, which has been on the menu since the early ’20s.
It’s the busiest railway station that serves plenty of lines, making it convenient to get to. From the station, the Robot Restaurant is only 4 minutes away by walking. To help you find smoking areas, I found a really useful free app you can use to make your life easy.

Go on an izakaya tour with some local expert help, no need to decipher the (often Japanese-only) menu! The izakaya tour operates in the Ueno, Shinbashi or Ikebukuro districts of Tokyo. If you’re looking for a hearty welcome and the opportunity to meet new people, some bars in Tokyo are more foreigner-friendly than others. You will find a wide selection of restaurants, bars, and izakayas that you can explore in these areas. They also have afternoon tea, all-day dining, and an array of drinks and cocktails.
Harmful smoke and substances like cigarettes and vape are also prohibited near the owls. Allergies are something to take note of as well and the animal cafe would usually inform you about this as well prior to entering. It’s important to look this up prior to visiting any of these owl cafes to ensure your safety and health.

Tokyo is undeniably the hub of Japanese craft chocolate culture. Both in terms of the number & density of makers and the variety of styles, origins, and approaches, the Tokyo chocolate scene is bursting with opportunities for indulgence. If you know where to look, there are plenty of Tokyo sports bars for casual viewers and hardcore fans alike to get their fix. If you’re planning to be in Japan during a big international sporting event — a world cup, for example — you might be surprised to learn that not every pub will be showing the games. If you’re new to Tokyo, you also might be surprised to learn that many bars would struggle to fit 10 Japanese contortionists, let alone a group of rambunctious sports fans, inside their walls. Secure your spot at the bar by making a reservation online or through the phone up to one month before the date of your visit.
But over time the craft beer pub helped revive the neighborhood, bringing back business for a lot of the older generation shops. Located in Sangenjaya, just southwest of Shibuya, the bar is a bit outside any major neighborhoods and you’ll have to navigate down a small side street to find it. Pigalle’s impeccable hospitality and curated draft list make for a friendly and intimate drinking experience you won’t soon forget. For all its shiny newness, Virtù also has a strong sense of history. The bar’s entrance is via a corridor-length library lined with books on food and drink from around the world.
Like most of the shops, there's nowhere to sit down, but it's not really a place I'd want to pause in. There seems to always be something being made, and it'd feel like you were interrupting the process of creation. Their ice cream and drinks 秋葉原　シーシャ smell delicious, but I didn't have the chance to try any on this trip; their brownie has good flavor but is incredibly dry. It's quite open and bright, with women preparing cacao beans and making confections in a glass-sealed room.