Tokyo’s drinking scene is one of the best in the world, with boundary-breaking cocktail bars taking mixed drinks to the next level. All of our nominees stand out with their originality, quality and value to their respective neighbourhoods.

SEE THE WINNERS

  • The Peak Bar

    Perched on the 41st floor of Shinjuku's Park Hyatt, The Peak is the go-to spot for admiring the Nishi-Shinjuku skyscrapers at twilight. And it isn't just the view that's worth sampling: their 'Twilight Time' happy hour (¥3,500 plus tax and service) runs from 5pm to 9pm and features free-flowing cocktails and wine, a canapé buffet and live DJ tunes Wednesday through Saturday…

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  • Sky Lounge Stellar Garden

    Although the Skytree is taller, newer and fancier, many Tokyoites still prefer good old Tokyo Tower over its upstart challenger. If you agree that the city's original symbol and beloved Eiffel Tower rip-off is still number one, you owe it to yourself to check out the Prince Park Tower's 33rd-floor Sky Lounge and its eye-popping views of the orange-and-white mast. Especially stunning…

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  • Bar Oak

    Hotel bars usually aren't very inspiring places, especially if you're not staying at the establishment in question. But the Tokyo Station Hotel's boozer sure isn't like most hotel bars: moved to its current location after a six-year renovation completed in 2012, it incorporates red bricks and wood in the décor and is manned by Hisashi Sugimoto, who's been with the hotel since 1958…

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  • Star Bar Ginza

    Hisashi Kishi broke into the bartending spotlight back in 1996, when he took home the International Bar Association's world championship title at the age of 31. Now also an accomplished author and minor celebrity, he is one of Ginza's most impressive barmen, both in terms of physical appearance and technical skill. Kishi's kingdom is called Star Bar, a quiet basement…

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  • Est!

    Yushima's finest old-school watering hole was named by scientist, inventor and discerning drinker Kinichiro Sakaguchi, but the heart and soul of the place has always been bartender Akio Watanabe. Now well over 80 but as active as ever, this veteran of the Tokyo bar scene has served literary greats like Yukio Mishima over a career spanning almost half a century…

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  • Tender

    Watch the flamboyant cocktail-creating performance of Mr Hard Shake, or Kazuo Ueda, one of the most famous bartenders in Japan whose award-winning drinks have even found acclaim in the World Bartender Champs. Ueda's bar, found on the fifth floor overlooking Sotobori-dori, is among the more welcoming of Ginza's high-end cocktail temples and is great for…

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  • Bar Heath

    Catering to the whisky needs of Kunitachi residents for around three decades, Heath is a wonderfully old-school bar with a mean selection of rare Scotch. Leading a quiet existence in a basement not far from the station, the place is a lot more spacious than it looks and gets an added touch of class from veteran bartender Takamasa Okawa's indomitable presence…

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  • Lupin

    Established in 1928, this venerable bar was much loved by the literati of the Showa period. Supported from the start by such writers as Kyoka Izumi and Kan Kikuchi, it also became a home for painters, actors and photographers such as Kafu Nagai, Sanjugo Naoki, Yasunari Kawabata, Fumiko Hayashi, Ango Sakaguchi and Osamu Dazai. The menu is modest with…

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  • Bordeaux

    It's hard not to describe Bordeaux as a small miracle: occupying a handsome Western-style house that's stood in the same place for over 90 years now, surviving the firestorm of World War II and the constant threat of local redevelopment, this Ginza bar has been in business since 1927 and looks like it's barely changed anything since. Possibly named after the Bordeaux…
    UPDATE: Bordeaux is sadly set to close permanently on December 22, so experience it while you still can.

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  • Sanlúcar Bar

    Strolling the cobbled streets of Kagurazaka just after lunchtime, you might be surprised to see both locals and out-of-towners sneaking through the door into this classy establishment. Yes, they're going for the booze – opened in 2010, Sanlúcar starts business at 2pm and is quickly filled up with imbibers in search of the bar's exquisite gimlets. Run by a fellow who honed his craft…

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  • Bar la Hulotte

    A trifecta of rough stone, warm wood and faint light welcomes the thirsty to Hulotte – 'owl' in French – an Azabu watering hole that regularly appears in flashy bar features praising its unique atmosphere. But this is no trendy date spot – far from it. It's much better suited to lone imbibers, who are prepared to make the hike from Azabu-Juban Station for the chance to sit quietly…

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See more of Tokyo's best Bars