Minato Bars & Nightlife

One of the most famous bars in Japan, Radio has been under the watchful eye of bartender Koji Ozaki for more than four decades, and its tuxedoed staff pour some of the best classic cocktails you’ll find (try the gimlet). Unlike at many other bars in Tokyo, smoking is prohibited at Radio, as Ozaki believes that a cocktail needs to be smelled as well as tasted, and he doesn’t want a pack of Marlboros getting in the way of that. It’s a good idea to get a little gussied up for this place—drinking is taken seriously, and you’ll have a better time if your attire reflects that respect. Image courtesy of tabelog.com.

Gen Yamamoto is bringing serious mixology to Tokyo. Having started at Bar Totto in NYC’s Little Tokyo and then moved on to the bar at Brushstroke, he’s returned to Tokyo to open up his namesake bar. Expect an innovative cocktail tasting menu, which includes his (amazing) signature sweet tomato cocktail. Not your typical bar, there’s no music and little talking, just the sound of really well-made cocktails being shaken and stirred in the minimally decorated, handsome room, which is dominated by a long wooden bar.