Tokyo Tuesday – top five bars

Bars---Code-Name-MixologyJapan is famous for lots of different types of alcohol – whisky, sake, umeshu, beer but what is perhaps lesser known is the quality of the cocktails that you can find in the most unassuming of places. Making cocktails is taken seriously in Japan – it is considered an art and it really shows in the perfectly balanced finished products. One point to note is that location is not the key when it comes to finding the best cocktails bars – the bars where the bar-tenders focus on a smaller number of covers (thereby preserving the quality of their drinks) are often hidden on random floors at not particularly fancy addresses. From perfected classics to new and inventive drinks, there is a bar for you in Tokyo – in no particular order, my top five are…

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Tokyo Tuesday – top five casual eats

Casual-eats---teyandei

On escape eat explore so far I’ve generally concentrated on the more gourmet end of the food available in Japan, and given that Tokyo has more Michelin stars than any other city that is easy to do. But to do so exclusively would miss out on a trick.  Japan’s more casual food scene is also not to be missed…

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Tirpse – a review

Tirpse-pigeon(1)While we were in Tokyo last autumn we were lucky enough to eat not only at Quintessence but also at Tirpse – a restaurant set up by an ex sous chef of Quintessence, Terada-san, and occupying its old location in Shirokanadei. And somewhat controversially, I think I actually preferred my meal at the latter…

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Trekking up Mount Takao

Mount-Takao-view

I think I could safely bet that when the average visitor thinks of Tokyo their first thought is not of hiking up a mountain. And yet, within the wider boundaries of Japan’s amazing capital is the wonderful oasis of nature that is Mount Takao…a hidden gem not to be missed.

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Tokyo Tuesday – the top five cultural curiosities you can’t miss

Cultural-sumo1

There are so many things to see in Tokyo that you can spend months there and feel that you have barely scratched the surface.  I by no means pronounce this a definitive list, but based on my experience to date the below are the top five traditional cultural sights that you should definitely try to fit in on a trip to Tokyo.

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Tokyo Tuesday – Tokyo’s top five spots for brunch

Brunch-roppongi-hills-club-(view2)

The brunch concept has hit Tokyo in a big way.  There are so many different places to try and it’s not uncommon to see a queue around the block for the latest pancake hotspot! We tried out more than our fair share of brunch destinations while we lived in Tokyo…and these five always had me coming back. While the list may need updating to take into account the new spots which are always opening, in my opinion these classics will always deserve a visit.

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Tokyo Tuesday – the top five places to take in a view of Tokyo

view of Tokyo-Roppongi-Hills-club(3)

A couple of years ago I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to live in Japan and it’s safe to say that this wonderful country, its people, its sights (both natural and cultural) and its food seriously got under my skin.  So it seems only natural that I would introduce a regular feature which harks back to all the amazing places I visited and ate at while I was living there (and on the return trips I have made since)…so welcome to Tokyo Tuesdays.  

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