10 most unique bars in Tokyo

Filled with Korean supermarkets, skincare boutiques and merchandise pop-ups dedicated to K-pop idols, the neighbourhood of Shin-Okubo is often referred to as Tokyo’s Koreatown. And this is where you’ll find Bacon. Opened in summer of 2022, Bacon is a bar and music venue established by Jae Won Koo, the heir of the local samgyeopsal (barbecue pork belly) restaurant chain Tonchang. He spent several years at an art school in London before returning to Tokyo to pursue his own business. 

Bacon owes its name to the family business downstairs and also the painter Francis Bacon. The neon-lit space echoes Damien Hirst’s room installation titled ‘Pharmacy’ – a deliberate choice by Koo, who also installed plastic stools inspired by the artist’s liking for glass-walled tanks and transparent display cases. The relatively recent opening means its noise level is hospitable to conversation on weeknights, but you can expect a full house for the semi-regular DJ events on weekends.

Set amid an ambience reminiscent of a high-end kappo counter restaurant, Azabu-Juban's Gen Yamamoto bar is a cocktail sanctuary. Yamamoto, its namesake, fashions cocktails with the precision of a sushi chef, primarily utilising domestically sourced fruits and vegetables. He adopts a unique, intuitive technique, stirring and measuring by eye and only resorting to jiggers for straight liquor orders.

An illustrious alumnus of the New York cocktail scene and various Tokyo bars, Yamamoto pioneered the world's first omakase cocktail bar after his return to Japan in 2012. Instead of a menu, customers select a tasting set of four to seven cocktails. Each cocktail is individually served and its ingredients explained, making for a 90-minute unique and intimate experience.

His cocktails are seasonally inspired, resulting in ever-changing flavours, with each visit providing a novel experience. Yamamoto's minimalist bar, with its mere eight seats, fosters a calm atmosphere.

You might remember that one of the things we were all told on the first day of school chemistry class was ‘never attempt to eat or drink any of the substances used for lab experiments’. You can forget about this rule at Incubator, however, where just about any beaker of colourful liquid is safe for human consumption. Don a white coat for the full mad scientist look before swigging from an erlenmeyer flask and snacking on dehydrated figs using tweezers. Chemistry classes were never this fun.

The second floor of Kiha, the after-work hangout of Tokyo’s toritetsu (train geeks), is decked out like the inside of a Tokyo subway car, down to the most minute detail. The luggage racks, handles, ads, station signs and route maps are all authentic and combine to recreate an environment so real that your brain might be tricked into thinking the carriage is moving on occasion, especially if you’ve had a few.

Instead of the usual pub grub, Kiha serves up a variety of canned foods including fish in brine, salted pork and corn – nostalgic snacks eaten on trains before bento boxes became the norm. Wash them down with a selection of regional one-cup sake and admire the memorabilia adorning the walls.

A cherished LGBTQ-friendly bar from Shinjuku Ni-chome has broadened its reach, inaugurating a secondary establishment in the subterranean premises of Shibuya Parco. This vibrant spot stands in stark contrast to its neighbouring restaurants and cafés, offering a unique experience that features glamour-clad drag queens delivering a selection of beverages throughout the night.

The drink menu commences at a modest ¥900, providing an array of choices including bottled wine and champagne, promising an unforgettable experience at an affordable price. Despite the mall's typical 10pm closure, the allure of Campy Bar extends until the break of dawn at 5am, establishing itself as an ultimate retreat for those seeking to unwind after a high-spirited night of clubbing.

The name of this ornately decorated basement tavern can be translated as the ‘Land of Youth’ and comes from Celtic mythology. Descend the narrow stairwell and you’ll find hundreds of butterflies and fairy figurines hanging from the ceiling, while the shelves along the walls are filled with tiny glass bottles of shimmery pixie dust. Even the drinks menu reads like a fantasy book, with cocktails like the Pink Tako – a dark, fruity concoction garnished with squid tentacles – and the Lilly, where the drinking glass is hidden under a puff of blue candy floss.

It’s fair to say this bar in Shinjuku's Golden Gai attracts a very particular crowd, but that doesn’t mean that you have to know your way around death metal to join the party. The barman is also an avid fan of old-school horror flicks and there are two movies screening behind the bar at any given time. That said, you may have a hard time focusing on the gory classics with everything else the bar has going for it.

From a ghoulish Yoda chained to the wall to a disco ball and dozens of other peculiar-looking figurines, there are plenty of conversation points in this hardcore tavern. If you’re somewhat put off by the horror fest, you may be won over by the cost of drinks here: most of them are priced fittingly at ¥666, cheaper than most of the surrounding bars – and there’s no table charge.

A gamer's paradise awaits at this retro hole in the wall under a railway arch by Akihabara Station. A mix between a bar, cafe and arcade, Tokyo Video Gamers up a diverse menu alongside a plethora of free-to-play arcade games.

Bearing the stamp of approval from gaming heavyweights like Sega and SNK, the bar proudly offers themed cocktails (¥1,300) inspired by games like Guilty Gear and Kunio-kun. Even the glassware and coasters champion this gaming aesthetic – the latter making for perfect take-home memorabilia.

Entry to this world of pixelated joy is straightforward: ordering any item off the menu grants you free access to all the classic games like Space Invaders, Metal Slug, and King of Fighters '98. The friendly staff won't hesitate to join you for a game, enhancing the communal vibe.

As the name suggests, fresh, seasonal fruits form the basis for the cocktails at this classy bar near Ginza Station. Always innovating, the bartenders here are what you'd call open-minded traditionalists, drawing on a strictly limited array of mixology approaches to give their concoctions a little extra fizz. Look out for smoke rising from behind the bar, as they experiment with liquid nitrogen to create wild-looking but perfectly balanced 'frozen' cocktails. Their antics resemble an old-school magic show: not too flashy, a little mysterious, and always ending in a way that satisfies the viewer.

Yelo presents a refreshing spin on late-night dessert culture in a city traditionally favouring ramen for nocturnal indulgence, by featuring the unique concept of kakigori cocktails. Known as a staple sweet treat, kakigori – fluffy, mountainous piles of shaved ice – is ingeniously transformed into alcoholic delights at this bar, enticing dessert and cocktail enthusiasts alike.

Yelo's kakigori menu is impressively diverse, featuring conventional flavours like tiramisu, matcha, and mango milk alongside more unique combinations, including avocado mascarpone and hojicha kinako (roasted green tea with soybean powder). Despite the seemingly colossal size of these treats, the delightful flavours ensure a swift devouring.