Your journey through the backstreets of Kiyosumi-Shirakawa will be aptly rewarded with some time spent at the off-the-beaten-track Fujimaru Winery. Opened in 2015, the venue is an urban winery – they brew their red, white, rosé and sparkling in the level below the restaurant.
At what looks like an apartment building, ascend the exterior staircase to the second level, where you’ll find an industrial-chic space comprising two rooms separated by a raised open kitchen. It’s a unique layout that makes the venue feel both open yet intimate. The front room is for diners after more substantial bistro-style meals; the second is sort of a tasting room for those looking to just drink wine and nibble on casual bites such as cheese and cured meats.
Fujimaru’s extensive wine list covers both house brews and around 200 wines by the bottle from around the world (ten options are available by the glass). On any given day, you can expect six or seven varieties of house wine, served by the bottle or fresh from the barrel. Look out for the Okuru Sky Sparkling, a pink-tinged, skin-contact effervescent wine with fine bubbles and crisp apple notes; and the naturally fermented Farmer’s Merlot, a well-rounded red with hints of cacao, dark cherry and blood orange.