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Japan Travel - Tokyo Bars and Cocktail Lounges
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A stinking rich neon-lit metropolis; an Oriental monument to the gods of
consumerism; a Japanese bow to America and the west. We think we know Tokyo
even if we haven't been there. But look closer, past the McDonald's on
street corners, the kids in baseball caps listening to hip hop and eating in
Hard Rock and you'll see something unique. From the sushi and saki bars of
Roppongi, to the design temples of Shibuya and the Bladerunner skyscrapers
of Ginza, this is a hi-tech, surreal, sci-fi assault on the senses, a city
like none other on earth. Say sayonara to what you think you know and fasten
your seatbelts. Welcome to Tokyo |
Bar Ho
- 6-2-10 Backborn House B1F Minami-Aoyama Tokyo
- Telephone: 81 3 5774 4390
- Hours: Mon-Thu 6pm-2am; Fri-Sat 6pm-5am; Sun 3pm-12midnight
Gem of a whiskey bar in Minato-ku specializing in single malts, all
served in a setting redolent with old world charm and sophistication. It’s a
multi-room space, with a cosy and intimate private bar reached by a curved
steel stairwell between the two main lounges; enter here and you find
yourself in a room of dark red sofas, wood tables, and shelved bottles of
the world’s finest brown goods towering high above the counter. Jazz tunes
float through and you almost imagine Sinatra is going to be next through the
door. There are more than 70 pricey single malts on offer, but while your
fellow Bar Ho’s include a number of wealthy businessmen and their glamorous
women, prices are reasonable enough for the less moneyed among us to still
partake. Go Ho!
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Soho's Omotesando
- 4F V28 Bldg 6-31-17 Jimgumae Tokyo
- Telephone: 00 81 3 5468 0411
- Hours: 11.30am - 4am
Super-sexy hi-tech space on the top floor of the CDI Aoyama Studios,
brought to us by Tokyo restaurant guru Soho Tsukikawa. It’s an architectural
gem with curved aluminium walls, exposed piping, red velvet décor and
massive floor-to-ceiling windows through which the view of the people on
Omotesando dori below is straight out of sci-fi. There’s an extravagant VIP
space done up in velvet curtains and plush sofas, while the cavernous dining
area can seat over 200. Come summer and the roof terrace café bar is ideal
for moody al fresco dining, made more romantic by the extensive wine list.
Cocktails from flavoured sakes to classy Manhattans are perfectly pitched by
model-like bar staff and you’ll love the tunes spun by house and guest DJs
on Fridays and Saturdays. All aboard space hoppers!
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Provence Bar
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Franco-Sino classic in the landmark
Sofitel Tokyo. The hotel is a five-tier pagoda made of white granite and
glass; the bar is an elegant first-floor oasis that celebrates not saki but
the history of pastis. Walls in delicate shades of blue feature pastis
posters and bottles, while the counter is a rosewood as rich as the tycoon
sitting sipping at it. Designer Pierre-Yves Rochon has combined classical
French and elegant Japanese to truly heighten the senses.
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Café Bed
- 2-13-1F Sarugaku-cho Tokyo
- Telephone: 81 3 5458 0300
- Hours: Mon-Sun 12noon-12midnight
What looks at first like a simple down-home restaurant is actually a
funky café-bar fitted out with dozens of bed-like furnishings – from
bed-post seats and tables to duvet covers on the sofas and settees – every
bit as comfortable as your own Futon. Without the crush of other hot spots
in the neighborhood, it’s a perfect place to relax pre-club and ready
yourself for a night on the town. With paintings on the walls, DJs spinning
ambient tunes and drinks running the gamut from beer and whiskey to coffee
and tea, it’s more than your own room. We suggest you forgo the Java, go for
a Jameson, and sleep later.
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