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by Krista
Wilson
Neo
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The secret's out and Neo, nestled
above Vuenos in Shibuya, is the spot for hip young things
to hang out, chill out and generally piss it up in style.
The atmosphere is cool, the bartenders bilingual and the patrons
swank.
On a recent visit, we kicked off the evening with a fresh-fruit
kiwi cocktail (¥1,000, also available in banana, grapefruit
and strawberry varieties) to relish the last days of summer,
before settling into a sexy red booth to listen to the smooth
tunes spinning on the high-tech sound system. With the mirror
ball reflecting glitter onto a group of well-dressed cats,
we watched the colored lights on the curved white walls slowly
morph from sunset orange to midnight blue, with forest scenes
projected above to remind us of the life we rarely see outside
of our midnight haunts in Tokyo.
Moving on to Black Russians and Campari with grapefruit juice,
we were thrilled to find that all mixed drinks, wine and beer
were only ¥500 (a ¥1,000 ticket is good for two
drinks). We downed those and ordered a round of margaritas
to enjoy the already jovial and slightly boisterous antics
of our fellow Tokyo bar connoisseurs.
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Having consumed a potentially catastrophic
mix of alcohols, we peeled ourselves out of our private nook
and, before traipsing upstairs to the VIP room, opted to "relive
our stress" with a peppermint-scented hit from the
oxygen bar (¥1,000). After our breathe-easy relaxant,
the slightly more subdued upstairs lounge was a welcome relief,
featuring mirrored walls with metal beaded curtains, funky
retro chairs, and a shag rug, all offset by the padded snakeskin
wall on one side and the floor-to-ceiling glass wall overlooking
the downstairs bar on the other.
Getting cozy in the comfy red armchairs in what had turned
out to be a very messy evening, we kept the drinks flowing
into the wee hours before stumbling out into the early morning
light with all the dazed and confused Shibuya-ites, happy
to have found a very funky haven classes above the other Shibuya
grime.
5F TLC Bldg, 2-21-7 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku
(opposite Club Asia). Tel: 03-5428-5739. Open Thu-Sat 7pm-late;
Tue, Wed, Sun 7pm-1am; closed Mon. Nearest stn: Shibuya (Hachiko
exit). www.clubasia.co.jp/neo/
Photos courtesy of Neo
Upcoming events
Friday, Oct 31: "Freakin' 2003." Live
DJs, house/funk, and costume competition with prizes for
the best single and couple.
Saturday, Nov 1: "Neo-Genesis." Live
DJs, house.
Both nights 10pm-5am, ¥2,000
w/1d. Mention Metropolis and get in for ¥1,000 w/1d.
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