12 best things to do in Aoyama

If you've grown tired of paying absurd mark-ups for inferior bottles of vino, head to this basement wine bar and restaurant in Aoyama. A casual sister establishment of the upscale restaurant Julia in Jingumae, W Aoyama serves up modern seafood dishes, pasta and charcoal-grilled meats to pair with both Old World and New World wines.

Most of the dishes are seasonal, including the signature seafood platter which can be ordered in single portions or for sharing. With offerings like grilled carrots and burrata and grilled flounder with lemon and herbs, you get a simple yet delicious spread of specialities showcasing the best of the season’s produce.

It took Shinya Sakurai 14 years to become a tea master. That's a long time to dedicate to tea. But when you visit his shop in Aoyama, Sakurai Japanese Tea Experience, and sit down opposite him as he prepares an exquisite tea ceremony in an equally exquisite café space, you'll begin to appreciate the hard work and patience that goes into this tradition.

Shinya has modelled his store on the concept of tea being a form of medicine – as it once was – and he travels around Japan to source the best quality tea leaves. They're all on display in little glass containers, which are lined up in front of packs of tea for sale at his shop. At the back of the store, there's a seating area where you can enjoy sipping on the tea of your choice. If you'd like to taste different varieties, you can sample individual teas (from ¥1,400) or the 'five tea tasting course' (¥4,800) for the full experience.

One dish, one wine, one artist – that's the minimalist concept under which this venture, occupying a chic mezzanine-like space just off Aoyama-dori, is trying to set itself apart from the other swanky restaurants in the area.

And true to form, it literally serves only one type of food, one type of wine, and only play one artist. On our visit, that meant a buttery pasta with freshly shaved seasonal truffles, a red wine picked to pair optimally with the food, and music by Led Zeppelin to create the ultimate trifecta.

Few cafés near Omotesando can rival the atmosphere at this verdant tea shop, which sits inside the Aoyama Flower Market shop on the corner of Aoyama-dori. Flowers and plants crowd the greenhouse-like interior, where customers can sip on herbal teas alongside a menu of food including open sandwiches, parfaits and French toast. The only downside to this pretty café is that its popularity often means long queues, so aim to get here on the early side. 

This family-friendly restaurant and shop is famous for its all-you-can-eat buffets of healthy home-style dishes. The menu changes on a daily basis, but typically features wholesome spreads of tofu patties in daikon sauce, potato salad and stewed cabbage rolls – all made with organic produce. The restaurant is located on the basement level, where you'll also find a small shop selling organic and fair trade products, while the ground floor shop of Crayon House  sells children's books and toys. 

The lunch buffet is ¥1,500 for adults and ¥1,320 for children. The dinner buffet is ¥2,750 for adults and ¥1,375 for children. The menu is meatless on Mondays, with plenty of options for vegans.  

After a lengthy hiatus during the pandemic, hideaway bar and music venue Aoyama Tunnel has reopened and is ready to welcome back the city’s alternative partygoers. As its name suggests, the nightlife venue is located behind a black and yellow entry way at the head of the Aoyama Tunnel. 

The space has undergone a renovation, so it looks a bit different from the grungy DJ bar you may remember. The art on the walls has been replaced with different pieces and new sofas have been added as well. Even the sound system has been upgraded with Taguchi amps and the acoustic design has been adjusted so that people in every corner of the space will be able to hear the live music better. 

The admission fee of ¥300 will grant you access to the main floor as well as the Red Bar found on the floor above. Regular events feature DJs of all ages and backgrounds, though house music is the predominant genre here.

Aoyama Hachi has a lot to celebrate this year. The quirky Aoyama venue is marking its 27th anniversary this year and was voted Best Club in the Time Out Tokyo 2022 Love Local Awards. This club takes up the entirety of a four-storey building, each floor decked out in a different colour scheme. It might sound overwhelming, but Hachi is actually one of the smallest underground clubs in Tokyo and features a range of genres including hip-hop, house and rock.

Aside from the booty-shaking tunes, one of its main attractions is on the second floor where you’ll get a view out over Roppongi-dori, which is especially beautiful in the evening. If you’re lucky, you might even be able to join one of the special early-morning Asa-Hachi events. They’re held around the time of the first train in the morning and partygoers get to dance to the sunrise.

The swanky shopping district of Minamiaoyama seems an unlikely location for a basement party, but the first-class sound system at Vent combined with its cult following of music lovers makes this event space one of the best of its kind. Vent hosts a different set of artists every week, with music varying from acid jazz to techno. 

Having the main performance floor and bar area separate from each other means you're free to mingle without having to shout over the speakers, or you can take your drink towards the front of the stage and fully immerse yourself in the live music. Look forward to seeing up-and-coming local artists as well as seasoned international DJs in an intimate space with a revolutionary sound reinforcement system.

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