Bar
1. Bar K6
A modern cocktail and whisky bar at Kiyamachi Nijo with a collection of around 1,200 bottles, including some 600 single malts, and views towards the river.
View details — Bar K6Bar
2. Craftroom
A six-seat basement cocktail bar near Osaka Station, opened in 2020 by bartender Ryu Fujii and ranked on the Asia's 50 Best Bars extended list.
View details — CraftroomBar
3. Shinjuku Golden Gai
A tight grid of narrow lanes in Kabukicho holding around 300 tiny bars, many seating only a handful of drinkers, each with its own theme.
View details — Shinjuku Golden GaiBar
4. Bible Club Osaka
A basement speakeasy in Shinsaibashi, sister to Portland's Bible Club, recreating a 19th-century American saloon with inventive cocktails and a deep whisky list.
View details — Bible Club OsakaBar
5. K36 The Bar & Rooftop
A hotel bar and rooftop terrace in a former school building in Higashiyama, serving cocktails, rare whiskies and wine with views over the historic rooftops.
View details — K36 The Bar & RooftopBar
6. The SG Club
The SG Group's multi-level Shibuya cocktail bar, blending Japanese and Western drinking culture, with a casual ground floor and a moody basement.
View details — The SG ClubBar
7. Billboard Live Osaka
An intimate live music club and restaurant under Herbis Plaza Ent in Umeda, hosting Japanese and international artists with dinner and drinks.
View details — Billboard Live OsakaBar
8. Blue Note Tokyo
The Tokyo outpost of New York's famous jazz club, hosting international and Japanese artists in an Aoyama supper-club setting with full dinner service.
View details — Blue Note TokyoBar
9. Live Spot RAG
A live music venue at Kiyamachi-Sanjo that has hosted jazz, fusion, Brazilian, blues and other bands since 1981.
View details — Live Spot RAGBar
10. Bar Nayuta
A dimly lit fifth-floor bar in America-mura with no menu, where bartenders build bespoke cocktails from house-made infusions, bitters and liqueurs.
View details — Bar NayutaBar
11. Bar Trench
A small, dark Ebisu cocktail bar opened in 2010, known for herbal drinks, absinthe and cocktails built around unusual ingredients and stories.
View details — Bar TrenchBar
12. Mr. Maurice’s Italian
A third-floor rooftop cocktail bar and Italian-American restaurant at Ace Hotel Kyoto, with a menu by chef Marc Vetri and views over the Shinpukan courtyard.
View details — Mr. Maurice’s ItalianBar
13. Craft Beer Base Mother Tree
The flagship brewpub of Osaka's Craft Beer Base, with an on-site brewhouse, restaurant and a bottle shop of around 500 beers, near Umeda.
View details — Craft Beer Base Mother TreeBar
14. UrBANGUILD
An independent events venue and bar on Kiyamachi near Sanjo, hosting live music, parties and performances, with its own dinner plates and takeaway menu.
View details — UrBANGUILDBar
15. WOMB
A well-known club in Shibuya's Maruyama-cho, hosting DJ-led events most nights of the week from late evening until dawn.
View details — WOMBBar
16. Bar High Five
Bartender Hidetsugu Ueno's small basement cocktail bar in Ginza, known for precise Japanese-style mixing and ice carved by hand in front of guests.
View details — Bar High FiveBar
17. Stand Umineko
A tiny standing-only bar off Shinsaibashi's main street devoted to Japanese craft beer, with up to nine beers including house brews.
View details — Stand UminekoBar
18. Towerland Rooftop Bar & BBQ
A rooftop bar and barbecue terrace on the tenth floor of the Kyoto Tower Building opposite Kyoto Station, with barbecue sets and free-flow drinks plans.
View details — Towerland Rooftop Bar & BBQ