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Have you heard? Monday, August 4 is Beer Hall Day at The Dubliners’ Irish Pub. What is Beer Hall Day, you might ask? For one day only, pints of draft beer will be sold for just ¥500. At which branch? All six of ’em! And if you can’t wait until then, stop by any of the locations (in Shibuya, Shinjuku, Akasaka, Shinagawa, Toranomon or Ikebukuro) between July 28 and August 3, and for every pint you drink, receive a ¥100 discount ticket redeemable on or after August 5.
It’s easy to grow tired of visiting the same Roppongi watering holes week after week. Opened last month, Zero Bar (1F Roppongi 410 Bldg, 4-10-5 Roppongi, Minato-ku; 03-5775-0100; www.zerobar.jp) promises something fresh—and refreshing. This new champagne bar just steps from the Tokyo Midtown complex offers a selection of over 100 bottles of bubby and wine. The small-ish space is dimly lit, with a wood counter and comfy low-back bar stools and the drinks illuminated under red lights. To find it, look for the number “0” in the bar’s ground-level window.
Up for some live jazz, pops, bossa nova, samba or chanson from leading Japanese musicians? At Boston Dreams (B1 Roppongi Five Bldg, 5-18-20 Roppongi, Minato-ku; 03-3583-3988), just off Gaien-Higashi Dori, you can enjoy three sets of live music (7:40-11pm) six days a week. Stop by during happy hour (5:30-7:30pm) and pay ¥1,000 for two drinks and popcorn, with additional drinks just ¥500. Entry starts at just ¥3,000, but mention Metropolis and get in for half-price. BJM
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by Andrea Damewood
The Peak lounge
A Metropolis intern heads up to a newly famous hotel bar
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| Photos courtesy of the
Park Hyatt Tokyo |
After a starring role in 2003’s Lost in Translation,
The Peak Bar, perched on the 41st floor of the Park Hyatt
Hotel in Shinjuku, was high on our list of places to see in
Tokyo.
As we stepped out of the elevator on a recent Monday at 9pm,
we were greeted by a spectacular floor-to-glass-ceiling view
of Shinjuku’s skyscraper district, and by the matire
d’, who whisked my ravishing date and I off to a private
table in the lounge area separated from the bar by a lush
growth of bamboo in the center of the floor. All the window
tables were full, but the moment that one became available,
we were moved to the money spot.
The Peak Lounge’s menu offered a number of cocktails,
along with some excellent-looking appetizers. Glancing over
the drink prices, most of which were ¥1,600, we began
to get an idea why the characters in Lost in Translation were
so depressed all the time.
We were feeling like movie stars ourselves, so we started
off with two of The Peak Lounge’s signature cocktails,
recommended by the waiter: the Glacier (¥1,600), a sweet
blend of Absolut Kurant, peach liqueur, blue Curacao and apple
juice; and the Citruschka (¥1,600)—the most popular
drink with foreign guests, we were told—a perfectly tart
blend of dry gin and cranberry juice, with fresh slices of
orange and lemon filling the glass.
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The excellent service—English-speaking and attentive,
but short of obnoxious hovering—along with the view and
the drinks, succeeded in creating a truly sophisticated and
relaxing experience. The only downside was the wait time of
ten-plus minutes both times we ordered.
A paper washi lantern on every dark marble table provided
a perfect glow yet didn’t compete with the glittering
lights of the city. Soft jazz played, but just like the waitstaff
and décor, it was unobtrusive and simply added to the
atmosphere. The intimate, elegant vibe made us wonder how
the Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray characters didn’t
hook up.
After my companion complained that his first cocktail was
good, but too girly, he restored his masculinity with a Rusty
Nail (¥1,600) that was strong enough to take the rust
off any nail. I dolled it up with the Pink Jewelry (¥2,000),
a gorgeous (surprise!) pink champagne cocktail with Chambord
and sugar crusted down one side of the glass.
The lounge and bar were full of mostly Japanese couples talking
in muted tones, and a handful of businesspeople. Our waitress
came by at 10:30 to collect the last orders, and as the crowd
began to thin out around 11, we joined them, descending in
the elevator out of the sky and to reality.
Park Hyatt Tokyo 41F, 3-7-1-2 Nishi
Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku. Tel: 03-5322-1234. Open Mon-Fri 11am-10:30pm,
Sat-Sun 10am-10:30pm. Nearest stns: Hatsudai, Tochomae or
JR Shinjuku. http://tokyo.park.hyatt.com
Would
you like to comment on this article? Send a letter to the
editor at letters@metropolis.co.jp.
Discuss bars with METROPOLIS readers at
http://forum.japantoday.com
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