The New Classic Nights Out
Nakameguro
1. “First, check out Hatos Bar, where locals go to chill and have some pit barbecue. The crowd is really mellow, with lots of artists, designers, and skaters.” 1-3-5 Naka-Meguro, Meguro-ku, Prince Corp 106; 03-6452-4505; hatosbar.com
2. “Next head over to Kinfolk Lounge, a comfy cocktail bar that has a mix of travelers, fashion people, and locals.” 1-11-1 Kami-Meguro Meguro-ku; 03-5489-8683; kinfolkstudios.com/kinfolk-loungetokyo
3. “After that, go to M Event Space & Bar. The French twins who own it wanted to make a creative space for cool happenings like D.J. parties.” Coat Daikanyama B1. 1-33-18 Ebisu-Nishi, Shibuya-ku; 03-6416-1739; m-event-bar.com
4. “Finish up the night at Batica, a new club with a sleek interior and up-and-coming local electro D.J.’s.” 1F / 2F, 3-1-25 Ebisu- Minami, Shibuya-ku; 03-5734-1995; batica.jp
N.B.: Though technically in Shibuya, 3 and 4 are right on the border of Nakameguro.
—Mai Nguyen, party blogger, maisassygirl.blogspot.com
Koenji
1. “Begin at Koenji Bakushu Kobo, a ‘beer workshop,’ run by a brewer who built the place from scratch and has been steadily improving his brews since opening last year. 2-24-8 Koenji-Kita, Suginami-ku; 03-5373-5301; koenjibeer.seesaa.net
2. “Then see some live music—often punk—at Higashi-Koenji Niman Den’atsu, the reincarnation of what was once the neighborhood’s best venue, 20000V.” 1-7-23 Koenji-Minami, Suginami-ku; 03-6304-9970; den-atsu.com
3. “The vibe at Pavo Cafe bar is Middle East meets David Lynch. It’s open till 5 a.m. on weekends, making it ripe for all kinds of late-hours weirdness.” B1F, 4-6-7 Koenji-Minami, Suginami-ku; 03-6383-2767; pavocafe.com
4. “Finish up at Kenian, a new bar where the late hours (until 8 a.m.) make it an ideal spot to zonk out while you wait for the first train home. They’ve got a Ping-Pong table, too.” 4-25-1 Koenji-Minami, Suginami-ku; 03-6670-4538; koenji-kenian.com
—James Hadfield, editor at Time Out Tokyo
Shibuya
1. “Start out at S Bar, a minimalist bar that represents a new type of deflation-era joint cropping up in Tokyo where you can get a pint of beer for under ¥500. It’s packed with young, creative types.” 37-16 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku; 03-5452-0277; stand-s.blogspot.com
2. “Then head to Rockaholic, a brand-new bar that’s often full of musicians from nearby gigs.” Annex B1 Yanagi Akira, 11-1 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku; 03-6416-9469; bar-rockaholic.jp
3. “Then check out Sound Museum Vision, a 1,500-capacity club that opened with a bang in October. The cream of Japan’s D.J. crop minister to fashionably garbed dance-music faithful.” B1F, 2-10-7 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku; 03-5728-2824; vision-tokyo.com
4. “Top off your night at Microcosmos, a mellow, spacious lounge bar that’s also good for a weekday-afternoon coffee.” 2F, 2-23-12 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku; 03-5784-5496; microcosmos-tokyo.com
—Dan Grunebaum, editor at Metropolis Magazine