If you see this sign, then you’ve found the right place.
Roppongi. I know what you are thinking. Yes, everyone has heard about the sleazy side of Roppongi with the guys on the corner trying to harass you into visiting their bar for some ladies and then paying a fortune but Craft Beer Bar Ant ‘n Bee stands heads and shoulders above the crowd, even though it is on the same road as those places. It’s a downstairs bar that is a blink and miss it if you aren’t paying attention like our drinking buddy did. He ended up halfway towards Azabu without realising.
Craft Beer Bar Ant ‘n Bee started out in March 2010 when the manager, Makiko Kawabe who used to work at Abbot’s upstairs, headed down underground heading down to the basement to helm this start-up,
Buzzing around like busy bees.
Even though it’s downstairs, don’t let Craft Beer Bar Ant ‘n Bee fool you into thinking it’s got a narrow selection on tap. Quite the opposite. When we went for some beers, there were twenty taps on the go, with all them being Japanese craft beers. There is space for about ten people at the bar, either standing or seating, with some tables at the back that could accommodate about twenty people at a push. Unfortunately, smoking is allowed in the bar although when we were there, no one was smoking or if they were, we couldn’t smell anything.
Back to the beers. The menu was wide and varied with a fair amount of styles represented and on show, from pilsners to stouts, and fruit beers to strong beers. Prices are the same for all beers and are served in 4 sizes, which were small, about 250ml, regular, about350ml, large, US Pint or about 475ml, and maß, which is about 1L. Although not as pricey as other places in Tokyo, such as Craft Hands or TY Harbor, it can get pricey if you forget to include tax in your drinking.
The quality though is well-worth it as some of the beers at Craft Beer Bar Ant ‘n Bee we had that night were the first time we’ve had them. Y Market Brewing, Minami-Shinshu, and Sankt Gallen’s Imperial Chocolate Stout were great tasty beers that stood well against the Minoh Pilsner. The staff were incredibly helpful in choosing the right beer and made sure that we understood that drinking the harder stuff meant no going back to the weaker tasting stuff.
The food selection at Craft Beer Bar Ant ‘n Bee is also as varied and the selection came in a children’s sized book, akin to the Hungry Caterpillar pocket book. We didn’t venture too far out of the safety zone as my drinking partner felt a bit delicate but the Buffalo wings packed a decent punch and the onion rings were equally as delicious. It was all made fresh in front of us too, and that you can’t beat. Even better, they have free wifi too.
Craft Beer Bar Ant ‘n Bee One Paragraph Review
Craft Beer Bar Ant ‘n Bee is a great little bar to visit if you can get away from the heaving crowds at night time in Roppongi. Make sure you keep an eye on how much you drink as it is very easy to get carried away drinking the regular size beers.
Craft Beer Bar Ant ‘n Bee Details
Open: Monday to Sunday 17:00 to 06:00.
Phone: 03-3478-1250
Website (in Japanese): Craft Beer Bar Ant ‘n Beer
How to Get to Craft Beer Bar Ant ‘n Bee
The best way to get to Craft Beer Bar Ant ‘n Bee is take the Hibiya line to Roppongi and then use exit #3. Turn right out of the exit, then right at the main street and Craft Beer Bar Ant ‘n Bee is on the right.
