This is a really cool bar, tucked away in Roppongi off in what seems like a residential area, across the street from Butagumi. Go eat some of the best tonkatsu at Butagumi and then come here to the Library Bar for a post-dinner drink. Upon walking in, you may think you are in San Francisco or New York — it’s a dimly lit, swanky lounge with lots of bookshelves and books, sticking true to its namesake. And by the amount you’re paying for a cocktail, you may as well be in SF or NY. Not for the faint of heart — each cocktail will run you about $ 15 – 18. If you don’t speak Japanese and the servers or bartenders don’t speak English, you can usually get by okay. They will bring you a bowl full of fruit where you’ll pick the type of fruit that you want in your drink. Some things you may find: mint, sugarcane, kiwi, passionfruit, pineapple. I made some combination with kiwi and passionfruit and it was delicious; I’m pretty sure there was vodka in there, but I couldn’t taste it — it felt like I was drinking juice or eating fruit out of a glass. It’s also easy to make weird combinations if you pick the wrong things /too many ingredients, so remember that less is probably more, and you can ask them for recommendations too. It’s a unique experience and would recommend it if you’re already in the area and don’t mind dropping a little bit of money for a drink. If I come back to Tokyo, I think I’d stick to the more traditional, smaller bars in Shibuya and leave these kind of loungey experiences for the States.
Mine K.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Tokyo, Japan
I seriously debated about writing this review because I wanted to be greedy and keep this little gem hidden. Sometimes, a secret spot looses it charm when it becomes too«popular». But, fellow Unilocalers, I’m writing this as a good samaritan and I hopes that if you do happen to visit this charming bar, you do so with respect. This bar is tucked in the back streets of Nishi-Azabu and it’s not a place you would stumble upon on one of your nights out with a group of friends. No, this place is special. This is the type of place you come to with one, maybe two, people just to relax and talk the night away. Time slows as you enter the dark bar. It’s cozy — filled with books and nicknacks. It’s almost as though you’ve been invited into someone’s old charming study and have the priviledge of pondering the meaning of life over a whiskey. Ladies, if you’re not a whiskey drinker, don’t worry. The staff comes to your table with a large basket of «seasonal fruit» you can select one or two fruits and they’ll make a fresh cocktail of your choice. I think I had a tart yet sweet mix of rhubarb and strawberries. Out of this world. Be wise. Pick the right drinking partner for this spot.