Tokyo

@home cafe

あっとほぉーむｃａｆｅ

This maid cafe has card games, drinks, food, and young women dressed up as maids to serve you. If you order an omelet, they'll draw a picture of a cute animal on the top in ketchup. In addition to this shop, there are 3 branch stores elsewhere in Akihabara.

Closed · opens 11:30 am·Seating ¥500; drinks ¥600; food ¥1100

AiiRO Cafe

formerly Advocates

Cruisy open-air bar with a torii gate at the entrance. Crowd spilling onto the street makes it feel like a block party.

Mon-Thu 18:00-02:00, Fri Sat 18:00-05:00, Sun 18:00-00:00h·Drinks ¥500-700

Arty Farty

Among Nichō's most well-known pubs, with a thumping dance floor. A hand stamp upon entry will also get you into sister bar The Annex.

Sun-Thu 20:00-04:00, Fri Sat 20:00-05:00

Asakusa Smile Bar & Cafe

浅草スマイルバー&カフェ

Founded by a Tokyo resident returning from abroad. Located across the Sumida river from the Asakusa tourist district. Clientele has many expats and English-speaking Japanese. Periodically hosts an English-language comedy show.

Closed · opens 5 pm

Cafe Apres-Midi

カフェ・アプレミディ

Jazzy cafe with 1960s decor in moody lighting. Excellent food, try the quiche, although portions are small.

Camelot

Multi-room nightclub that plays a mix of hip-hop, r&b, and techno/house in their different areas. Most of the clientele is of a younger crowd (ages 20-25). Friday's entrance fee is only ¥1000 (including two drinks).

Casablanca

A two level nightclub and lounge with a large dance floor and darts. The DJ normally spins hip-hop, R&B, reggae, and house, and there are live house performances periodically through the night.

Cigars & Cafe LWAN

ルワン

A cigar bar that serves coffee, alcoholic drinks, and desserts. There is a large cigar selection, in particular from the Dominican Republic.

Tue-Fri 11:00-21:00, Sat Sun 12:00-20:00, national holidays 12:00-20:00

Club Atom / STUDIO-A

Owned by Vanilla, this club houses three dance floors with music ranging from psychedelic trance to hip-hop.

Entrance fee is only ¥1000 before midnight

Cure Maid Cafe

The original and not quite as over-the-top (or expensive) as some of the competition. A long line can form on weekends.

Daily 11:00-19:00 (or later)·At least ¥500

Dragon Men

Masculine gay pub with a dance floor. Rebuilt after a fire, the place is popular among male and female foreigners, and with Japanese men.

Sun-Thu 18:00-03:00, Fri Sat 18:00-06:00

Gold Finger

Primarily lesbian bar with all-female staff, and karaoke for the multinational patrons. Interior themed like a 1970s motel. Saturday is strictly women-only; Monday is FtM night.

Sun-Thu 18:00-02:00, Fri Sat 18:00-05:00·Glass ¥700-800

Harlem

Large two-floor all hip-hop club. Foreigners may not be admitted unless they bring along a Japanese friend.

¥3000, occasional discount if you enter before midnight

Loft/Plus One

ロフトプラスワン

Performance art space meets bar run with a simple concept: different people and groups rent a block of time and do whatever they want to. The end result runs from stand-up comedy and lectures to porn star photo shoots and incredibly violent live S&M. Erotic shows 18+ only (ID required).

Shows at 14:00, 19:30, and 00:00·Tickets ¥1000-6000 (discounts for advance purchase)

Marone

マローネ

Tucked away in this tiny cubbyhole of a space is one of the most interesting small bars in Tokyo. A country western theme with Chet Baker and Nat King Cole pouring from the stereo. The food is cheap and superbly done (think chili nachos and the like); beer and spirits are also available. The place is tiny but it attracts a great mix of young groups of friends and office workers. Some nights Marone puts on live music and cover charges are upwards of ¥4000! The older couple who run the bar are terrifically friendly but their English is minimal.

Tue-Sun 11:00-01:00

Neko JaLaLa

ねこJaLaLa

A 'cat cafe': you play with the shop's (very clean) cats while drinking tea. You'll be asked to remove your shoes and wash your hands on entry. You'll also be gently pressured to order one of their drinks. It's a different experience.

Daily 11:00-19:00·¥500 for first 30 minutes; ¥150 for each ten minutes; drinks ¥300 to ¥500

Tokiya

時屋

Japanese sweets and drinks. Famous for dorayaki, drum-shaped cake with red-bean paste inside.

Tokyo Loose

Small bar full of men. It's not easy to find, so call for directions.

Womb

One of Tokyo's largest clubs, designed by the people behind New York's Twilo and the setting of a scene in Babel.

¥3500 without drinks included

82 Ale House

Very convincing Victorian style British pub run by the same company as another popular pub chain, HUB. Largish drinks menu which includes single malt whiskeys, real ale and Guinness on tap for ¥900 a pint.

Last orders are at 22:45 on Saturdays and Sundays

Araku

Australian-run, considerably larger and can be less intimidating than many other Golden Gai establishments.

Bar Albatross-G

Casual cocktail bar with Burgundy painted walls, chandeliers and no-frills mixology. Cover charge includes a small snack of either noodles, miso or whatever's brewing. Most drinks are around ¥700. Space includes a second floor "attic" accessible by a thin staircase with more fixtures and local artists' creations. Also visit the original Albatross bar in Shinjuku Omoide-Yokocho.

¥300 cover

Bar Ishinohana

Bar石の華

Acclaimed high-end bar serving up drinks that are more works of art than cocktails. You may reserve seats from the English webpage.

Daily 18:00-02:00

Beat Cafe

ビートカフェ

Small cafe-bar-restaurant catering to the young alternative rock crowd. While showing constant videos from VH1 Classic on their TV, the easy drinking, simple eating crowd is about as friendly as they come. If you can't talk in your own native language, you can always discuss music.

Cash only and drinks range from ¥500-1000

British Restaurant CLASH

Formerly known as The Meguro Tavern. A British-style pub with plenty of draft beers and football on the telly.

Canal Cafe

In the far east of Shinjuku City in the Kagurazaka district. With views remarkable for Tokyo, Canal Cafe consists of a separate restaurant and cafe situated alongside a canal. The open-air cafe has great ambiance. At the restaurant figure ¥6000-9000 for dinner, but at the café, which is a long patio-like dock, drinks and snacks are purchased at the bar and can be quite reasonable.

Tue-Fri 11:30-21:30, Sat Sun 11:30-23:00

Doutor

Doutor is a relatively "salary man" coffee shop. You will see lots of business men within this shop. Non-smoking, with some shops equipped with smoking booths.

Drinks ¥250-500

Excelsior Caffe

Excelsior Caffe and Doutor are run by the same company, however Excelsior Caffe caters to a younger, more feminine crowd and one-notch upscale. Generally non-smoking, with bigger shops have separate smoking rooms.

Drinks ¥380-600

Ginza Cafe Paulista

カフェーパウリスタ

One of the oldest cafes in Japan and a favorite of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, the Paulista opened in 1909 with beans imported directly from Santos, Brazil.

HUB

Popular chain of cash-on-delivery English pubs. Have some fish and chips with your pint at one of four Shinjuku locations. "82 Ale House" pubs are run by the same company with wider selection of whiskeys.