5 Creative Cocktail Bars in Tokyo
Sips you won’t forget in the Japanese capital of cocktails
Tokyo Confidential - Dead or Alive photo credit Thomas Shagin
While many travelers come to Japan to experience the cuisine, Tokyo is one of the best places in the world for cocktail lovers. Not only does it have several spaces ranked by Asia’s 50 Best Bars, but the bar professionals in the city treat each concoction like a work of art.
The level of service and precision is unmatched, whether you’re talking about an upscale hotel lounge or a dive in a densely packed Roppongi alley. But that doesn’t mean they’re stuffy. These specific Tokyo bars are playful and experiential, reminding you what you love about cocktail culture to begin with. Reservations are recommended since many of the city’s top bars have limited seating.
Good Ole Tennessee Bar
1 Chome-6-3 Nihonbashihamacho, Chuo City 103-0007
Good Ole Tennessee Bar photo credit Caroline Eubanks
The easily overlooked space in the Nihonbashihamacho neighborhood is a pilgrimage site for a specific set of American travelers and locals in search of Tennessee whiskey. Good Ole Tennessee Bar is a pint-sized watering hole in Tokyo, Japan, run by Yoshitoshi Momoki, who attended the University of Tennessee in the 1990s and still shows his school spirit to this day.
He opened his bar to honor his alma mater in 2024, with the creamsicle orange memorabilia covering the walls and Tennessee whiskey staples, like Jack Daniel's and George Dickel, behind the bar. Most of the menu is whiskey, but you can also order the Kan Tribute Mix, a concoction of peach schnapps and Dr. Pepper. For another dose of the South, follow it up with a visit to Little Texas in Meguro, which offers country music and line dancing.
Punch Room
104-0061 Tokyo, Chuo City, Ginza, 2 Chome−8−13
Punch Room Ginza photo credit Punch Room
Located inside the Tokyo EDITION in Ginza, the appropriately named Punch Room takes its inspiration from the “original” cocktail. The style is modeled after the 19th-century private clubs of London, where punch was often served in the years before the cocktail menu became popular at places like the Savoy.
The rotating drink menu highlights Japanese ingredients like sake and tea, served in silver and glass punch bowls with ladles, ideal for sharing. The Sansho Punch is among them, made with sansho, a Japanese spice similar to peppercorn, plus whiskey, honey, clarified milk, and lapsang souchong, a smoky Chinese black tea.
Tír na nÓg
B1F 5-9-5 Ginza Chuo-ku Tokyo 104-0061
Tír na nÓg photo credit Tír na nÓg
Also in Ginza, Tír na nÓg may be difficult to pronounce, but even harder to forget. The basement-level space is named for the Gaelic term for the “Land of the Young” from Irish mythology, with a whimsygoth style with keys hanging from the ceiling and fairy figures throughout. Reminiscent of something from the Harry Potter universe, Tír na nÓg operates as a cafe by day and bar by night.
The drinks feature over-the-top garnishes like cotton candy and even squid tentacles. The latter, called the Pink Tako, is turned pink from cranberry-infused gin and cranberry syrup with yuzu. The squid, or “tako” in Japanese, is vinegared for a punch of acid to pair with the drink. Note that this bar has a cover charge, so factor that into your visit.
Tokyo Confidential
106-0045 Tokyo, Minato City, Azabujuban, 1 Chome−6−1
Tokyo Confidential cocktail, Sore Wa Subarashi photo credit Thomas Shagin
After taking an elevator in a nondescript Azabujuban office building, Tokyo Confidential greets you with a Godzilla statue on the bar and a disco ball shimmering above. Founded by hospitality pros Holly Graham and Tom Egerton, Tokyo Confidential has unrivaled views of Tokyo Tower and a playful approach to mixology.
The menu changes frequently but often follows a theme, including a recent one called “Second Base,” taking inspiration from the sport dear to Japan. One memorable drink was a hot dog martini, served out of a plastic ketchup bottle, while another arrived in a baseball-shaped flask inside a leather catcher's mitt.
VIRTÙ
1 Chome-2-1 Ōtemachi, Chiyoda City 100-0004
Smoked Ume Fashioned at VIRTÙ photo credit Virtu
Set atop the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi, VIRTÙ has stunning skyline views, and the menu combines Japanese technique with rare French cognacs and other spirits. Visitors find the seating area through stained glass doors.
Helmed by head bartender Keith Motsi, the drink menu includes a map of where in Japan items are sourced, down to the glassware, with low and no-proof options. One of the signature drinks is the Smoked Ume Fashioned, made with the Japanese fruit resembling an apricot, paired with brandy, bourbon, whiskey, and bitters.