Editor’s Note: Craft Hands closed at the end of May 2020. This review has been kept up for posterity.
Craft Hands is located near Azabu Juban station in Tokyo. In all honesty, it’s probably the easiest bar to find so far. Turn left out of exit 7 of the Tokyo Metro station on the Oedo line, turn left again and Craft Hands is right in front of you. It is possible to walk it from Roppongi as well so you can really build up a thirst and appreciate that first beer of the night.
From outside, Craft Hands seems to be a small place with counter space for around eight people and some tables along the left wall. But don’t let that fool you. There is also a basement floor that has some comfortable, no, really comfortable sofas that you might end up sleeping on. When BeerTengoku arrived, it was pouring down with rain but the hospitable bar staff were kind enough to give us a towel to wipe down and some warm seating.
Craft Hands sells a wide range of beers, with the sign outside proudly displaying how much but in reality, most of them are bottled imports from Belgium, The UK, and The USA. There are fourteen taps on at anyone time yet only six of those were set aside to Japanese craft beers when we arrived. The range was narrow but good as some of the beers had never been seen on tap before with Ise Kadoya Maria Ale (review here) being a great example. Prices ranged from ¥680 for a regular glass, 270ml, to ¥1100 for a large glass, 450ml, which I guess is on the pricey end of Tokyo craft beer prices but you do get a full glass of beer.
Sausages are always a great option with beer.
All this beer makes a person hungry and the food being passed around made us salivate we couldn’t resist. The food at Craft Beer Hands is the usual range of nibbles, such as chips, sausages, vegetable sticks but served large. The chips were larger than usual, the portion of sausages was more than expected, and some of the vegetable sticks could have been used for baseball bats.
Craft Hands One Paragraph Review
Craft Hands is on the pricey side for craft beer fans and should come with a health warning for your wallet. It would be a great place to relax on a date or some quiet beers but not a place for a drinking session.
Craft Hands Details
Open: Mon – Fri 5:00pm – 2:00am(L.O.1:45am) Sat & Sun 3:00pm – 2:00am(L.O.1:45am)
Phone: 03-3568-3723
Homepage (in Japanese): Crafthands.jp
How to Get to Craft Hands Details
Take exit 7 and you will be pretty much outside of Craft Hands. Turn left, then left again and it’s in front of you.
