Tokyo craft beer bar picks
Craft beers
The Tokyo area has dozens of fine craft beer bars; this is a list of a few bars to start with for the visitor who might not have time to visit them all, with a particular focus on bars that are easily accessible and offer a wide range of beers.
craft beer
craft beer
Brussels Beer Project - Beer bar: Nishi-ShinjukuNot to be confused with your typical Belgian beer bar, BBP is actually a craft-beer taproom - one of the best in Tokyo in our opinion. They serve a lineup of more than a dozen beers on tap from a small craft brewery in Belgium, including...
craft beer
craft beer
Watering Hole - Beer bar: YoyogiOne of Tokyo's pioneering craft-beer specialty bars, Watering Hole has built up a loyal following with their well-curated tap list and their convivial atmosphere. The four-glass tasting flights (Y1000; served 3-6pm on weekdays) are one of our...
craft beer
craft beer
Another8 - Bar: MeguroPerhaps it's the chic, modern decor or the DJ booth at the front of the bar, but for some reason Another8 seems to attract a more stylish and cosmopolitan crowd than your typical beer bar. In addition to seven or eight taps of craft beer they also...
craft beer
craft beer
DevilCraft - Beer bar: HamamatsuchoOffering one of Tokyo's better selections of craft beer, DevilCraft Hamamatsucho serves a nicely chosen roster of over twenty brews on tap, from both Japanese and American breweries, and, since late 2015, from their own Tokyo brewing facility. They...
craft beer
craft beer
Dry Dock - Beer bar: ShimbashiPerhaps this isn't the narrowest bar in Tokyo, but it's certainly the narrowest bar offering such an impressive class of craft beers, both domestic and imported. Cleverly, the tiny space is fashioned to resemble a yacht, with porthole windows and...
craft beer
craft beer
Isekadoya Beer - Japanese regional: YaesuRun by the excellent Isekadoya craft-beer brewery, this lively izakaya serves thirteen of the brewery's beers on tap along with several kinds of sake from Mie Prefecture. The kitchen turns out regional Mie cuisine built around local ingredients -...
craft beer
craft beer
Craft Beer Market Mitsukoshimae - Beer bar: MitsukoshimaeCBM offers thirty beers on tap - mostly Japanese craft beers - priced at a budget-friendly Y600/glass or Y900/pint. The food menu is also fairly impressive, with dishes like roast duck a l'orange, and they offer a small but interesting selection of...
craft beer
craft beer
B at K5 - Beer bar: KayabachoBrooklyn Brewery's spacious Tokyo tasting room, located in the sprawling basement of a boutique hotel in Kayabacho, is one of the nicest craft-beer bars in town. They offer a big selection of freshly imported Brooklyn beers on tap and in cans and...
Craft beers
craft beer
craft beer
Craft Beer Market - Beer bar: KandaOne thing we like about this craft-beer bar chain, besides the reasonable prices and broad beer selection, is that fact that each branch has its own distinctive food menu. The theme here at CBM's tenth branch is lamb, and the kitchen goes all out...
brewpub
brewpub
Nihonbashi Brewery - Brewpub: BakurochoThis brewpub is run by a veteran of HUB (Hopworks Urban Brewery) in Portland, Oregon, and the thirteen taps here carry HUB beers and other imports, domestic Japanese craft beers from producers like Kyoto Brewing, and one or two of their own house...
craft beer
craft beer
Ibrew - Beer bar: AkihabaraWith 47 taps, this spacious branch of the Ibrew craft-beer bar chain boasts one of the largest tap selections in Tokyo. Prices are quite reasonable, with almost all beers priced at Y390 and Y690 for medium- and large-size glasses (270ml and 470ml)....
craft beer
craft beer
Hitachino Brewing Lab - Beer bar: AkihabaraOccupying one of the most stylish settings for a taproom in Tokyo, this brewing laboratory from the ever-popular Hitachino Nest beer offers seven beers on tap, including some experimental lab-only brews that they're trying out. The brewery's hoppy...
craft beer
craft beer
Citraba - Beer bar: KoenjiThis spacious beer bar offers 16 or so well-chosen craft beers from breweries like Hopworks Urban Brewery (Portland, OR), Omnipollo (Stockholm), Wylam (Newcastle upon Tyne) and Outsider (Yamanashi). Citraba occupies the former location of Craft...
craft beer
craft beer
Ushitora One - Beer bar: Shimo-KitazawaOne of Tokyo's pioneering craft-beer bars, Ushitora devotes several taps to their own beers, brewed in Tochigi, along with a good selection of Japanese and imported craft beers - there are 25 taps in all. The small food menu offers tasty...
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